Coughs in little kids are the worst. They are nagging, annoying and usually cause so many sleepless nights. At least, in our household that’s the case. Maven was labeled with “baby asthma” before she was a year old which essentially means every illness she acquired created a really terrible cough with it. While she was prescribed inhalers for her condition, there are always those coughs that come with colds or, like in our case right now, croup that circles through the household. Sylvie is the current cough culprit.
I like to feel like I’m doing something, anything to help when my poor babes are coughing uncontrollably. And surely, I’ll do just about anything to get them (and me) rest instead of enduring endless sleepless nights due to the hacking coughs. The problem is, when they’re little, you can’t give them cough medicine and I’m sure you know the regular pediatrician run down: It’s a virus. Coughs can last and linger for weeks even after the virus is gone. Use a humidifier in the child’s room. Prop up the crib mattress on one end to raise the child’s head. If the child is in a bed, prop up on double pillows. Keep child hydrated. …I’m confident you know what I’m talking about.
Because of the frequent coughs in our household, we’ve come up with some additional strategies through research, recommendations from others + trial and error to manage them better. With cough and cold season beginning NOW and a long winter ahead, these strategies are sure to come in handy for you mamas with little ones.
This post does contain affiliate links.
Cough Remedies Your Pediatrician May Not Have Told You About
- Hyland’s Baby Homeopathic Products
Hyland’s has a homeopathic cough syrup suitable for babies ages 6 months+. There are also day & night cold relief options that we have used too.
- Zarbee’s Natural
Zarbee’s has multiple options as well. The Zarbee’s cough syrup for little ones 12 months+ is honey-based and is also good for sore throats.
- Warm “tea” with honey
Warming up a glass of apple juice (or your beverage of choice) and mixing in some honey is a fun way to give your little ones some relief – especially during the day. Put it in a mug and they will be delighted to sip it.
Note: It is recommended that honey not be given to children prior to 12 months of age due to the potential of carrying bacteria that could cause botulism.
- Steam shower, bundled up, into the cold + fresh air
The key to this strategy is not to just keep your little one in the bathroom with a hot steamy shower running, but to then bundle them up and expose them to much colder air. Even just in your garage if it’s cold enough outside! The cold air helps reduce swelling and inflammation and after loosening everything up with the steam shower/bathroom, it is great combination.
- Nasal saline
Making sure your little one’s nose is clear + not dripping down the back of his or her throat is very important in keeping the cough under control. Especially when lying down! (Which is also why propping up their mattress or pillow is important.) We like Little Remedies solution
- Essential Oils
– We use a roller to put Young Living R.C. on the chest and find it makes a very big difference as compared to when it’s not used. We definitely try to do this before nap and nighttime.
– Diffuse different blends in their rooms at night! This diffuser is also a cool mist humidifier. Some examples of oils that are good for coughs include: lemon, frankincense, lavender, eucalyptus and thieves (blend). There’s a wealth of information online about the blends you can use and the benefits of each oil! We use Young Living and appreciate the resources available to us.
If you have any other tricks up your sleeve, please drop them in the comments below. I’ll be sure to try them because certainly we have a few more coughs ahead of us this season.
Sending healthy vibes your way!
XO