With my limited friends circle with babies, I heard that babies in their fifth month usually gets affected by cold all of a sudden. This is unavoidable and I feel it is good for the babies as they start developing their immune system right on. We usually take our son for a small walk so that he is able to explore the world out there. We have been taking him for a stroll almost everyday since we was 3 months old. But only now he is getting his first cold. So things happen only now I think. Till that day I had somehow brought some routine for him for his feed and naps during day time. Night time is still sleepless ones anyway. So when he first got his cold, that night it went on as usual getting up every few hours. From the next day on, he stopped feeding at the usual time. In the night he goes for 8-10 hours between feeds but still wakes up every two hours and cries for about 10 minutes and when we lift him for sometime, he goes back to sleep.
Now to the point what all to expect:
* Babies starts feeding frequently
* Babies spit up increases
* They dislike the food they liked before (we have just started solid foods as per our pediatricians advice)
* Since they cannot breathe properly, they cannot sleep for a long time
*Pees and poops less frequently.
What all we did for our baby to make him comfortable during this time:
* Feed the baby less quantity and more frequently whenever they expect to feed (Do not follow the schedule)
* When the quantity is less, spit ups is also less
* If the baby does not like the food (vegetable or fruit), avoid them till they get back to normal
* Try to elevate their head while sleeping ( we used the cradle – sitting position, bouncer, car seat and finally all four sides we placed firm pillows so that he does not roll and kept a pillow for his head till his hip – this one is recommended usually but we have an eye on him always)
* No need for any medicines – it will take a week for them to get back to normal whether or not we gives medicines
* We applied home made Cold Reliever (heat 2 teaspoons of coconut oil with a small camphor piece till the camphor disappears – then cool the mixture) on his chest, back, neck and feet and covered the feet with socks in the nights
* Bathe him everyday – hot (that your baby can withstand)
* Whenever possible give him a steam bath (open the hot showers for sometime in the bathroom and close the doors. When the steam is bearable, close the shower and take the baby inside the bathroom for sometime)
* Also use a bulb syringe provided in the hospital to clear the nose (use some saline water drops for ease)
* Cuddle him when he cries
But please do take him to his doctor if he has fever and other symptoms other than cold or the cold persists for more than 5 – 7 days.