In my medicine cabinet
Tips on basic items to keep in your medicine cabinet for your baby. If you need medical advice, it’s best to speak to your GP or paediatrician.
I would highly recommend doing an infant first aid course. We did ours through Eve Health, but I’ve also heard great things about Tiny Hearts.
Pain relief
We use Nurofen and Dymadon (another brand of paracetamol pain relief). My daughter spits Panadol out of her mouth (savage) but she will take Dymadon. She went through a phase of spitting out Nurofen too, but eventually started taking it. If its a battle every time you’re giving painkillers, try a different brand or consider using suppositories instead of oral medication.
At our infant first aid course we were told that standard thermometers are better for babies than ones that check temperature on the forehead or in the ear. Just take their temperature by popping the thermometer in baby’s underarm.
Nappy rash
I didn’t realise what a nightmare nappy rash is until we went through it. We ended up needing prescription cream from our GP. Since then, we’ve been able to nip nappy rash in the bud before it get bad.
Firstly, do as much nappy-free time as you can. I know, I know - your baby might have accidents all over the shop, but do it if you can because it’s worth it.
At every nappy change, we’d put on anti-fungal cream (Daktozin or Canesten), then a thick layer of Sudocrem, then liberally dust ZSC Powder (this powder was recommended by our paediatrician and it really helps). The prescription cream from the GP gets used once in the morning and once at night alongside the anti-fungal cream.
We add Pinetarsol to baths (anti-inflammatory and antibacterial) and would do multiple Pinetarsol baths a day if it’s really bad.
Nail care: Nail Snail
It’s ridiculous how fast a baby’s nails grow. We were recommended this by the crew at Baby Bunting. I was really nervous about using these nail trimmer but it's so easy and I’m still using it.
I’ve bought several nasal aspirators in moments of desperation to help clear my daughter’s blocked nose and the Snotty Boss is the best. I’ve tried manual aspirators NoseFrida Snot Sucker and Fess Little Noses as well as Mother’s Choice Electronic Aspirator. My daughter hated all of these and was terrified of the electronic one. In my experience a nasal aspirator is a necessary evil and I often need another person to help hold my daughter still while I use it. She still gets upset, but the Snotty Boss works well and is fast, so its worth it when bub is really congested.
I consider these essential. I use them every day over summer and keep a pack in my backpack and another in my pram. They work really well - thanks to these we haven’t had to deal with many bites, including when we travelled to Fiji. They’re formulated with all-natural essential oils so they’re safe for little ones. They can be hard to find but occasionally they’re at certain Terry White pharmacies, otherwise I buy direct.