Sickie, Sickie, Baby

Recently my daughter and I had a cold. I picked her up from daycare one afternoon and was greeted by a little boy with snot dripping down his nose, covering his lips. Immediately I thought to myself, “Oh  lord Jens going to be sick next”! Couple days later her nose became runny, she was coughing and sneezing.  I kept her quarantined the entire weekend. She was showing signs of improvement, so we did a little shopping.  Jen and I were visited the farmers market and a couple retail stores. We were gone for no longer than three hours. Later that evening Jen felt very warm, so I took her temperature. 

The thermometer screen read 100.7. My heart beat increased drastically and my mind began racing. "is she ok? hope its not anything serious! please be a cold, please be a cold"

I know that anything over 102 is consider high and can be extremely dangerous. That helped to calm my nerves knowing that her temp was lower. Jen has had a couple colds before, but it’s always kind of scary. I like to be as prepared as possible; after all things can get real bad real fast.   

Here are some of the symptoms I look for when I think Jen is sick.

          

     

      Temperature: If your child feels warmer than normal, just check to be on the safe side. It’s easiest for me to use the axillary or armpit method when dealing with a squirmy 2-year old. Remember to add one degree to the temperature reading. The axillary is normally lower because its taken outside the body. Anything over 102, is high. This can be an indication of something other than a cold, so consult your pediatrician.

             Runny nose: One of the first symptoms of a cold is nasal irritation. It normally begins clear, then changes color to yellowish, green or gray. I stock up on puffs and baby wipes and alternate between using the two wiping her nose and hands.

 Congestion: stuffy nose and coughing are also common. Listen to child talk or make noises to determine if they are clogged. Use bulb and little noses or any saline nasal spray to remove snot.

      Vomit: Throwing up is the body’s way of fighting a stomach infection. Make sure your child drinks lots of fluids because vomiting can cause dehydration. My suggestion, keep a bucket nearby LOL!

      Diarrhea: Excessively, runny pooping that is caused by an infection in the GI tract. This too can make your child dehydrated so monitor the intake of fluids.

      Activity level: Watch your child’s behaviors. If he/she continues to play and eat normally they may not be as bothered by the cold. Look for patterns to make sure your child is getting better and not worse. 

       I will post links to a few websites in the articles tab that I found extremely helpful in diagnosis and identifying symptoms.