My DS is 15 months old and has gotten his second cold in a matter of a few weeks and I'm starting to fear what may be in store in the coming winter months and flu season. I've heard a lot about naturally building a baby's immune system by using probiotics but I don't know much about them. Any mom's out there using them? What should I be looking for? Do they come in a pill form only or can you get them as a liquid too (DS is very finicky with what goes into his mouth!)? And where can you find them? I've been giving him Tylenol but I don't want to keep medicating him if I can try other preventative alternatives. Also, once your child is sick, what natural ways do you find helpful? I don't easily get colds or the flu so haven't really had to look into stuff like this before but the poor little guy is just so miserable and I need to do something for him! Thank you!
ME: 35DH: 39DS: 2.5+, feisty and adorable!TTC #2 - Sept 2011 - BFP! 10*02*2011 THANK YOU, GOD!
Sorry your LO is getting sick so often-it's so hard when they don't feel well. I've not heard of using probiotics for immunity, but I do use them (Prodophilus powder since that's what the local HF store had, that I add to breast milk bottles) as well as live culture coconut yogurt and like them for other reasons. We've managed to stay pretty healthy with the following:
Wash hands whenever returning home (whole family habit), after every playdate, park outing, shopping cart ride, borrowed toy, library storytime, and any other time stray nasties might have found their way to either of our hands. Avoiding the infection in the first place is the best defense.
Eat lots of whole, healthy fruits and veggies (or a smoothie when nothing else is acceptable to the toddler palate
Keep LO well-hydrated with lots of water and breast milk (plus the antibodies in breast milk help keep things at bay).
Help LO get as much rest as needed (this can be hard when teething or hitting a milestone)
Use a saline nasal rinse (not easy, and not fun, but it works if LO gets a cold) and a nasal aspirator (some like the nosefrieda; I'm ok with the bulb) to keep things out of the throat and chest and make breathing easier.
Use a scrupulously clean humidifier when LO is sick to help with breathing
Touch as little as possible while in the germ factory that is the Dr's office for the regular well-baby check ups or sick visits.
Alternate Motrin with the Tylenol.
Have warm chicken broth right before bed or anytime breathing/congestion needs a little help
Relax and know that getting sick as a LO is a normal, generally good thing. Current research shows that developing a robust immune system through repeated exposure to germs has many long-term health benefits, including lower risk of asthma, allergies, and possible even cancer. Not that it's ever a treat when they're sick.
GL this season!
Wow, where do you get the coconut yogurt? I need to try this!
Me - 45 , old eggsDH - 46IVF w/DEER 9/23, 17 eggs,13 fertilized, 10 PGDed, 5 normalET 9/28 - Tranferred one beautiful, hatching blast, 2 frostiesPREGNANT! EDD - 6/16/12
It's called So Delicious, comes in a bunch of flavors (but only in 6oz cartons :-( and I get it at the health food store. Whole Foods, etc all carry it as do a very few grocery stores. Their website has coupons and I think a store locator. It's really yummy as is the coconut milk, and the ice cream is outstanding. HTH!
Thanks! I already buy the So Delicious coconut milk at Whole Foods, so I'll have to look for the yogurt! :-)
janmom ~ THANK YOU for all your info! I've taken your suggestions on and have been washing DS's hands constantly (I did a lot before too but I'm outta control now!), went out and bought dark, leafy greens to steam and put in his food and bought a probiotic that I've started giving him too. Unfortunately I didn't bf for very long so perhaps that has something to do with his frequent colds - I hope not! But I'm going to try to build up him system as much as I can. I completely agree that these little ones just get sick and it's normal and necessary - I just don't want it to be every other week!
Thank again!
I've been sprinkling some of Mercola's Complete Probiotics into DD's milk and juice. She doesn't even know it's there!
Also, be sure that your LO is getting plenty of Vitamin D3.
"The study, the largest to date on the link between vitamin D and common respiratory infections, shows that people with the lowest vitamin D levels report having significantly more cases of cold and flu than those with higher levels. Vitamin D is produced by the body in response to sunlight and is also found in fortified foods such as milk."
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20090223/low-vitamin-d-levels-linked-to-colds
We've been using Carlson's D Drops and they work great.
Me (Cheri) = 46DH = 48DD (Taylor) DDog (Santana) = 12
After 3 Clomid cycles, 6 IUIs, 3 chemical pregnancies, and two IVFs, our little miracle of modern medicine arrived on 10/27/2008. Welcome Taylor Rose!
I definitely think there is something to the Vitamin D3 thing. I increased my own D3 supplements after I read about it...and I have only had one cold during the entire pregnancy, despite my husband picking several up and sleeping in the same room with me - and my immunity supposedly being lower because of pregnancy. It might be worth a try for your little one if you're not already doing D3 supplements. I have not read anything about potential negative effects of D3 supplementation in kids or adults - only positive.
Mary, 36 - Hubby, 35 - Cat, 8 - Adele, born 11/17/10!!! My Crazy Chart
In addition to the handwashing, we use Vit D and kids' sambucol.
bump
I am about to be a mom (!) so I don't have first-hand experience with my own kids, but I know how I was brought up. My parents were not germaphobes, and I am not one now. My mom ran a home daycare so a lot of illness went through my house and there was little my siblings or I could do to avoid it. We had pets and not the world's neatest home . My siblings and I didn't get sick a ton, and I never have had an ear infection, but I did get sick as a kid and my parents didn't freak out about. We didn't spend a lot of time at the doctor's, on antibiotics. I would say that from middle school until now, I rarely get sick - maybe 2x/year I get some kind of sinus cold? I've since been diagnosed with mild seasonal allergies (and dust allergies) and my sicknesses often correlate with changes in pollen. I never get the stomach flu.
I attribute being a relatively "well" person so being exposed to stuff and having opportunities to catch things and develop immunities. I will not be exposing my child to illnesses on purpose, but I don't' anticipate chasing him down with hand sanitizer everywhere he goes or anything.
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TTC for 3 months
First BFN on January 19, 2011!