To the Doctor or not?

As baby starts to grow you need to pay attention to any signs of them being unwell. You also have to keep track of their vaccination schedules depending on whether you choose private or state schedules for vaccinations.

I started a ' health journal ' which was separate to baby's road to health book. I used to record every bout of illness or injury and especially advice or milestones from doctor or clinic visits. In this book if baby was unwell I used to record what happened, symptoms and treatment as well.

This book helped me alot as I could keep track of what was happening with baby health wise and also if I was unavailable my husband could take baby to the doctor or clinic visits with the book and provide more detailed information if it is needed.

I used a normal calendar and also an app on my phone to remind me of tasks and milestones as well as things to do. Setting a specific time and date helped alot to jog my memory for important things that had to be done.

You have to always trust your instinct as a parent and if something does not feel right, it usually is not! When my baby had RSV when he was newborn , I knew instinctively that he had more than just a cold and my instinct helped both him and me to get access to health care much faster than if we hesitated to see what would happen. That is usually the problem, alot of people wait before seeking medical help but remember the faster you seek help the faster your journey to recovery.

For cold like symptoms- runny nose, dry cough and general feeling of being unwell, I used Pure beginnings chest rub- you can use that from 2 months old and it smells great- I used to rub on the chest, neck and back and then keep baby warm. I also used to use Sterimar blocked nose which helped the nasal passages to clear out a bit. I used a little suction device called Sterimar suction which you can get at Dischem/ Clicks. Later on, I was told about the Nose Frida suction device from a close friend. It had a thinner and longer tube and filters with each use so that it is as sterile as possible. Always wash your hands properly before and after each suction.

We also put a little aromatherapy burner in a bowl and safe place with water and eucalyptus oil. That has to be not too close to baby. Keep his chest, head and neck warm always if he has a cold.

Baby will be a bit more restless and sometimes even take longer to feed due to the runny/ blocked nose. A little extra patience and care is needed at this time to help your little one get better faster. Another helpful bit of advice is use a mask, everyone that is living in the household if they are over the age of 3 and able to understand the use of the mask can use a disposable or cloth face mask when in close contact with baby. This can help to prevent baby from picking up any more severe germs and also prevents you and the rest of your family from getting the cold/ flu.

Flu symptoms are a bit more intense and need to be checked out by a doctor. Please always take your road to health book when visiting the doctor/clinic. Baby will usually have a fever- can be a low grade fever as well ( slightly warmer than usual) , may affect baby's feeding, he/she may have a sore throat and may have body pains which they cannot tell you about. They are usually more irritable with a flu rather than a cold.

From my personal experience if you can and are able to, rather seek the advice of a paediatrician than a GP in the first 2 years of life. They are able to tell if the child needs more attention or will recover with home care.

If in doubt ,always seek help and reach out- health care staff are always willing to assist. Never feel afraid to ask any question as you are still learning. I always believe there is no such thing as a silly question as all questions lead to a greater knowledge.

I always encouraged my patients to ask me questions as I felt it helped with adherence to advice and programmes provided to them.

Even if you have other children always remember every child and experience is unique and you must always be sure of what you are doing and why. This is a new life that is dependent on you for love and care, so do all you can to do your best.