Firsts for First-Time Moms

The first time a baby has a cold is one of the hardest times for parents. You want your baby to be comfortable, but no matter what you do, she'll be fussy and uncomfortable the first time she gets a cold. Her eating patterns are off, her sleep is disturbed, and her normally easy-going personality has turned into a demanding, fussy, clingy bundle of tears with a crusty nose.

When Sandy Fowkes-Godek of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, was a new mom, she remembers taking her son, Bill, back and forth to the doctor every week for recurring ear infections. "There were months on end when I was taking him to the doctor every few weeks," she recalls. "You try to do everything you can to make him feel better but he keeps getting sick over and over again. It's heart wrenching," she says.

It's hard seeing your little one suffer through a cold. There are some things you can try to make him more comfortable as his body fights it off.

What you can do:

• Hold or rock you baby so his head is elevated which will make it easier for him to breathe if he has a stuffy nose.
  
  
• Elevate the end of the crib where you place his head by inserting a wedge or rolled up towel between the mattress and the springs.
  
  
• Encourage him to drink or breastfeed as often as possible.
  
  
• Use a cool mist vaporizer in his room.
  
  
• Check with his pediatrician. Some doctors will advise giving an infant dose of acetaminophen to reduce a fever or lessen other cold symptoms.