Being Sick with Baby

Ask for Help

Part of being a good parent is knowing when you can handle things on your own and when you need to enlist others for help.

Make sure that there are a few people who you can call for help with the baby. Don't be too proud or embarrassed to admit that you need an hour away from your baby or that you could use a ride to the doctor's office. If you have an older child, ask a family friend to pick him or her up after school. And don't forget about your spouse; he is probably willing to help when you are both sick, but he may not know what you need the most. Give him a list of things he can do to help.

I have found that my husband is willing to pick up the slack when Evelyn and I are both sick, but he often does not know what I need the most. My husband does not automatically realize that we are out of milk and that Evelyn has run out of clean cloth diapers, but when I give him a list of things he can do to help, he becomes a superhero and keeps the house running. And when I cannot fill my usual dinner-cooking responsibility, he has enough of a culinary repertoire that he can make something simple and nutritious.

Being sick with your baby is something that, hopefully, you won't have to face very often. With a little planning and a few simple steps, those sick days may not be a pleasure, but they will pass more comfortably and with less stress.

Before you know it, you and Baby will be through the trials of illness and back to the wonderful feeling of wellness.