Well, we made it this far.
At least that’s what I keep telling myself.
We made it 10 months without Baby M getting sick.
Apart from a freak allergic reaction to formula (a story for another day), she hasn’t been hit by more than a inconsequential sneeze.
It makes sense given that we are still pretty isolated and we have all taken masking and hand washing so seriously. I know that if this was “normal” life she would have gotten sick much earlier.
One of my greatest long term fears about Covid and my daughter is that she won’t have a strong immune system. Obviously, exposing her to germs right now isn’t worth the risk of her catching the virus or the RSV that has been running rampant.
I grew up with a very relaxed attitude around sickness, that you use your common sense and that getting sick isn’t the end of the world. Stay home if you’re contagious. Sunlight, fresh air, and sleep are the best medicine.
Parenting during a pandemic has made me a bit more cautious about illness, especially with my daughter.
The other day she was making a light oinking noise while nursing. I don’t know how else to describe it but she sounded like a rooting piglet. Within a few hours she had a fever and was entirely congested.
She cried all night. She cried when I put her down and she cried when I held her. We spent most of the night in her nursery chair, holding her upright to help her congestion.
She was so frustrated because she couldn’t drink from the bottle or nurse efficiently. I ended up giving her cold water through a syringe, which I think helped her stay cool.
What brought her the most relief was sitting in the bathroom with the hot shower on. We read books and sang until her nose cleared up. Every few hours I’d bring her back into the steam.
Her fever would shoot up to 102 and then back down to 98, then 99, then 102, and so forth. I didn’t know a little baby could get so hot to the touch.
I felt so sad for my little girl! She was clearly miserable. The next morning I called the doctor a few minutes after they opened and got the last appointment. I forgot that back to school means a ton of sick kids!
We spent that day trying to sleep and playing quiet games. I made sure that the baby was taken care of and that the cat was fed and that was IT. I have to remind myself that it’s okay to do the bare minimum on days like that.
We brought her to the doctor and she got her very first Covid test! There’s nothing quite like the anguish of having to hold your child down to get a cotton swab all the way up their nose.
Again, I feel grateful that we made it this far without her having to be tested.
When we got home I gave her as many orange slices as she wanted and she got to watch some Richard Scarry.
We tucked her into her crib after a big bottle and kissed her goodnight. I went to bed at 9 because I thought I’d be in for another long night.
That night she slept all the way through the night (very out of character for her) and woke up happy and fever-free.
Although it felt like a really big deal that she was sick, it wasn’t.
Being sick is part of being a kid.
And taking care of a sick baby is just part of the deal. It’s what I signed up for. I find solace in knowing that I am able to be a source of comfort and calm for my daughter.
I handled the situation better than I thought I would. I always pictured myself as the “freakout parent”. When push comes to shove, I’m calmer than
How did you react the first time your little one got sick? Let me know below.
O.
