Finally, I know when it's coming! Mom decodes her child’s flu…

My first brush with baby cold happened when my son, Hiranya, was barely a month old. It was around 10 in the night when I realised his nose was blocked and he was visibly uncomfortable. My neonatologist had warned me about it. He told me that an infant does not have the immunity to resist cold and allergies and that results in making the baby sick for most part of the year – if adequate care is not taken. So when it happened, I was mentally prepared, but unfortunately I was still not equipped.
 

The only thing I could remember was that steam helps during cold. So I sat with Hiranya in my arms, around a vessel containing steaming hot water with a pinch of salt, and my husband put a sheet over my head. Since the baby was too small we could not let him inhale the steam for long – we would count 5 and my husband would take the sheet off; then cover again and count 5. We did this 3-4 times – it helped. The crying stopped.
 

As I said, this was my first experience as a mom tackling her child’s health condition. I soon learnt that we cannot prevent a nasty cold from finding its way into our home, but we can always be more prepared to take care of this uninvited guest! And so, as weeks and months have turned into years, so has my medical cabinet become bigger and fancier! I have become a pro at tackling first aid for various situations. Earlier my medical cabinet had relieving balms, paracetamol, antihistamines, eucalyptus oil, lozenges, cough syrups (as per age) – but now I have upgraded it with a nasal spray (to tackle a blocked nose at night) and immunity-building vitamins such as Vitamin C, which I start giving my son as soon as I perceive a change in season.
 

Honey, ginger, garlic and aniseeds have been stored in plenty to take care of all the home remedies suggested by more experienced moms in my family. I have planted tulsi and pudina at home, both excellent for building immunity – and I’ve actually seen a drop in the frequency with which my son falls sick.
 

Yes, I have certainly become wiser! I can now figure out when my child is likely to come down with an allergy or flu. I believe in clubbing both medicines and household remedies for fighting flu. So the moment I hear that first sound of Hiranya sneezing or coughing, the ginger and tulsi is put on the stove to boil and the anti- allergic syrup is quickly fetched from the cabinet. Now I don’t even wait – come monsoon and I start giving my son ginger and honey at night. My favourite ‘nani ka nuskha’ is the chest massage with mustard oil heated with garlic, aniseeds and cooled thereafter. I find this to be the best way to prevent and cure cold and flu during winters.
 

All said, here’s my piece of learning: The only way to fight the cold-cough menace is to keep your medicine box well stocked and hold on tight to your mother’s instinct.
 

Did you find the learnings shared by Pallavi useful? Pallavi awaits your thoughts and comments. What are your go-to remedies when your child suffers from cold, cough or flu? What treatments do you find the most effective – please share with fellow parents in the comments below!

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