Knowing what to do when your baby is sick is impossible. Trying to figure out how to get your sick baby to sleep, feel more comfortable, and ultimately feel better can be hard. Not only will I show you how to make your baby feel better, but also how to handle jealousy from older siblings who might not be old enough to understand.
Find our best tips for breastfeeding a sick baby here!
When I originally wrote this post, it was because Ryan had spent a week with his first illness.
He had a double ear infection + all four molars coming in and it was basically complete and utter misery.
Being my first baby, I was kind of a hot mess trying to figure out how to keep it together with my first sick baby. To say I was feeling mom overwhelm would be a HUGE understatement.
This post was originally published on July 27 2015 and has since been updated to improve user experience.
If your kids are like mine and want nothing but to be held and loved on when they’re sick, you have felt my pain.
What to do when your baby is sick (without going crazy)
And when you have older kids, you have the added stress of an inevitably felt left out and jealous kiddo.
Today I’m coming at you with my original, updated tips for surviving a sick baby with your sanity as well as how to handle jealous, grumpy siblings.
For all you mommas out there cleaning the house with a baby on your hip and a crying toddler on your foot, I salute you.
Drop all rules and expectations.
First and foremost, understand that all rules are off while your baby is sick. That precious sleep schedule you’ve made? Done.
Meals? No, thanks.
10 minutes of hands-free time? I don’t think so.
Accepting this is the first step to remaining sane. My middle is usually quiet and happy while watching animal movies on Netflix. When he got sick as a baby, that’s what we did all day.
Am I an advocate for letting your 1-year-old watch cartoons all day? Absolutely not.
Was I willing to set that aside to keep him happy-ish? You better believe it.
Sibling Tip:
Have them help choose what you’ll watch. I told Ryan that Owen didn’t feel well and wanted to watch an animal movie Together we chose Finding Dory.
Not only did he feel involved and like he was helping, but he sat and watched quietly with us.
Get in those naps anyway possible.
When Ryan was sick as a baby, the only way I could get him to nap was to put him into the Ergo and pace the house.
No, I couldn’t sit, and was stuck standing and rocking while he nursed himself to sleep for 2+ hours, but I had my phone and Netflix, so it could have been worse.
With Owen, I have no problem packing the boys up and driving around until he passes out.
When trying to figure out how to get a sick baby to sleep, the key is to find whatever works and make it happen.
Sleep helps our bodies heal and fight whatever is ailing us. Sick kids need to sleep. If your kid always sleeps in the carrier, slap it on and walk around your house.
Does he sleep in the stroller? Go to the park for a long walk and listen to some podcasts. Sleep in the car? Go for a drive. If you can, do whatever it takes to get your sick baby to sleep so his little body can do their job!
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My favorite baby must have, sick or not, is the Ergobaby 360 carrier or Ergo Embrace. It’s easy to use, has a ton of different ways to use it, and is super durable.
Sibling tip:
There really isn’t a hard and fast sibling tip here, but just let them know how vital it is to keep quiet so the baby can get better. I let Ryan use his tablet for toddlers when Owen naps, but ONLY if he does so quietly.
Easy, one-handed food.
Both of my boys want to be held all day long when they are sick. Sometimes I feel like I’m having PTSD to when Ryan had colic and I would rock him for hours and hours on end to get sleep.
Just like back then, all of my meals need to be easy to grab and easy to make.
This really made me remember that I love to keep a few different meals on hand that I can just defrost and eat.
Here are some of my favorite options for foods that can be eaten with one hand:
- Bagels with cream cheese.
- Granola/power bars
- Frozen burritos
- Smoothies
- Pizza – I make pizza bagels on mini bagels or english muffin pizzas for the boys a lot and it’s perfect to eat one-handed.
- Quesadillas
- PB&J
- Cold Cut Sandwiches
There are a million and seven options, obviously, but go with what works for your family. I can pretty much bribe my kids to do anything with pizza and smoothies so you can guess what I fall back on a lot.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!
This is the number one thing for sick babies – really, any sick person. Make sure they are getting in plenty of fluids.
We keep a sippy filled with ice water on hand at all times. If it seems like they aren’t going for it, start to dilute some juice into it until they agree to drink.
During desperate times, I like to keep powdered kids electrolyte mix on hand, especially for tummy bugs or diarrhea.
Vegetable smoothies have the added benefit of being a meal of sorts when your kid isn’t feeling like eating. But this isn’t just for the babe – this means you too!
You’re going to be stressed, tired, and run-down. Don’t add dehydrated to that list! It makes you so much more susceptible to catching what they have if it’s contagious.
Some of my favorite smoothie recipes for sick babies:
- Easy Spinach Smoothie Recipe
- Pina Colada Smoothie
- Layered Strawberry Beet Smoothie
- Orange Carrot Smoothie
If something’s working, keep it up until it’s not.
This is always big in terms of getting food into little bellies. I remember Ryan really only eating when I spoon fed him, which was weird since we did baby led weaning and never used a spoon.
For Owen, he ate a bit but mostly was just eating pouches and smoothies. I’m totally okay with that. If it’s helping and not hurting, go until it stops working.
If you create some bad habits, you can nip them in the bud when the time comes. Same for naps in a carrier, cuddles while watching cartoons, and multiple cool baths a day.
If it’s working and keeping your kid happy and you sane, keep it up even if it’s weird/time-consuming/a little against how you try to parent.
Sibling Tip:
This can be a bit hard to navigate with siblings, so I kind of just go the path of least resistance. If one asks for another pouch when the other is on number 3, I offer a substitute. If it’s a no go, I just give it to him.
It’s not fair in my mind to expect a 3-year-old to immediately understand rules that bend like that. So again – if something is working to maintain peace in your house while you all recover, just go with it.
I also make an effort to really emphasize the baby is sick and I need him to “be a great big brother!” This helps with tantrums over wanting to watch “his” show versus Owen’s or whatever.
Follow your gut.
I think this is always the most important parenting tip.
When Ryan had his first illness, our pediatrician’s office told us that 72 hours is normal for a fever if there are no other symptoms like vomiting or inconsolable crying for 2 or more hours.
Ryan woke up with no fever about 48 hours later, so I thought we were in the clear. But his temperature went to 99 in the afternoon and I called the doctor. They said it was probably on its way out, but come in if I wanted to, so I made an appointment for an hour later.
Before I left the house, he was at 101 and diagnosed with a double ear infection at the office. I was SO glad I went with my gut and just took him in. As parents, we know our child better than any medical professional, and only you know if your child is acting unlike himself.
Always, always, always go with your gut on your babies.
Know that it won’t last forever.
At the very peak of it all, the stress and anxiety can be overwhelming.
The only thing you can truly tell yourself is, this will not last forever.
The next week he will be back to his little tyrant self. All you can do was make him as comfortable as possible and wait for it to run its course.
It is okay to take care of your kids and let things fall aside – it will be there when you come back. It’s definitely a hard thing to accept, but sometimes it’s simply the best you can do.
So, what are your golden rules for how to survive a sick baby with your sanity in tact? Have you ever had to go against your parenting rules in order to make your little one feel better? Let me know in the comments!
If you enjoyed this post, you may like these!
Tips for When You’re Sick with Kids
Maddie @ Dixie Runs says
I’m sorry you had a rough week! I can only imagine how tough that must be… all you want to do is make them feel better but you just can’t. I don’t have kids but I know these tips will come in handy one day!!
Morgan says
It’s definitely rough, especially when they can’t tell you what’s wrong!
Amy @ Elephant Eats says
This is a great post and I know I’ll want to look back at it when B gets sick. So far (knock on wood) he’s only had a couple colds, and he takes them and teething like a trooper. But a double ear infection sounds like no fun at all :(. I’m glad BOTH of you made it through and now you have the confidence that you can do it again when you need to. I think that if it happens to me, i’ll be most upset that I have to go to work instead of cuddling with him…
Morgan says
We were SO lucky that the only sickness Ryan ever had was a sore throat/fever combo back in March, but this one definitely threw us for a loop! Not being able to be here and comfort him was definitely rough on my husband.
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner says
My babies are grown up now but those days of sick babies are so hard! And tiring!
Morgan says
I kept telling my husband that I was just so drained – I couldn’t believe how much it took out of me!
Heather@hungryforbalance says
I am so, so glad Ryan is feeling better!! Matilda did not have her first ear infection until she was about 13 months and then BOOM double ear infections all.the.time. It was so bad that she had to have tubes put in her ears. I could not agree more with EVERYTHING you said. Rules, expectations, sanity…it all goes out the window with a sick baby. Can I just tell you how awesome you are for dealing with a sick baby by yourself all week?!?! Props to you SuperMom!!
Morgan says
Oh, gosh Heather, thank you so much! That means so much to me. Ugh that’s horrible about Matilda’s ears but I’m glad that it seems with some help she’s out of that cycle!
Janine Huldie says
Great tips and as much as I wish I have never been there, still you nailed it. Glad Ryan is feeling better 😉
Morgan says
Thanks so much Janine!
Jessie says
These are fantastic tips! I really appreciate you taking the time out of your extremely hectic life to share this with us. Yes and yes to #1 and #6. Whenever we were visiting family in Pennsylvania back in May I had a horrible feeling that one of our girls had an ear infection. Took her to the doctor & bam her ear drum had burst. It was horrible. As much as I know I was a super mom in that case, it’s so hard not to blame yourself at the same time. Ya know?
Glad your little man is feeling better.
Morgan says
Thank you so much! It’s definitely tough when you think you could have done more, but usually there isn’t much we can do to prevent these kinds of things. All part of being a kid. Also, you ARE super mom – that’s some crazy intuition!
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Amanda @ The Fundamental Home says
Oh my soul! My children are older (like I have a 12 year old and almost 19 year old), but they are sick right now and it is still a struggle. Mamas always want to take care of everything. This is really good advice. One thing I did when my children were younger was to have some thing that we only did when they were sick. My younger son and I had a special “sick book” with stories he enjoyed, and I would only read it to him to help him sleep when he was sick. As nights were usually the hardest, this took the edge off. He loved his “sick book.” It’s still his favorite, and I will tell you what it is- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It was actually a book I wanted him to read (and didn’t think he would), so I told him it was special when he was sick, and he loved it! A double mom trick! What can I say? Sometimes we hit on something really good 🙂 Anyway, your story made me smile with the memory. Hope your boy is feeling better!
Brandy says
I totally understand. My 2 year old and 4 month old have been sick for 3 WEEKS and all you can do is survive each day. good luck Mama!
Morgan says
Oh goodness, I hope they feel better soon! Sick babies are no fun!! I feel like mine has been sick all winter, but I’m pretty sure I’m exaggerating ahahahah
Erin @ Stay At Home Yogi says
Hope your little one is feeling better! It’s so hard when they are sick. I totally agree with you that all rules are out the window when baby is sick! My toddler got a really bad cold last year and we let him have the ipad all day, eat food in the living room, etc.
Morgan says
Yeaup, let them do whatever, so long as they’re not sad! It breaks my heart to see them like that.
Ros Emely@stressfreemommies says
Great tips! It’s so hard when our kids get sick but it doesn’t last forever. It’s true to follow your gut and to just keep doing what it’s working!
Emily says
Following your gut is a good tip. We often know our children best. I find it hard to decide whether or not to bring the kiddo in. Sometimes my gut tells me…sometimes it doesn’t. 🙂
Heather @ Polyglot Jot says
Oh my goodness I’m so sorry! I must say–these tips are also soo applicable for surviving a newborn with no set schedule yet! 😀
Jessica Peresta says
Having a sick baby is the worst! It is exhausting on so many levels while trying to take care of the sickie and the other kids too. Great post!
Jenn says
There’s nothing worse than a sick babe!
Marla | Because I Said So Baby says
Your first tip is definitely the one I lived by when my baby was sick. All rules and expectations are out the window – when your little one is sick, whatever works is what’s happening!
Vicki @ Babies to Bookworms says
Aw it’s so tough to see your little one sick! My daughter had a fever last night brought on by teething, and those sick little eyes just cut right through me! I totally agree with the point about TV too. I don’t like to let me daughter watch a lot of TV, but when she isn’t feeling well and it makes her happy, I am happy to snuggle up on the couch with her for a while.
Clair says
So glad he is feeling better! It is the worst when your kids are sick…so needed this today. My 10 month old started running fever last night with bad congestion..today has not been the easiest 😫 Thank you for this post!
Joanna Clute says
Kids getting sick never gets easier. I think it’s even worse when they move out because they often don’t let you help so you have to worry without jumping in.