Product Spotlight: Health & Safety

m6agua · January 2020

Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product. Feel free to comment on threads like these throughout your time at the board, not just when they're in their week in the spotlight, if you discover something new OR are new to the board. This week it's.... Health & Safety!

FTMs are encouraged to ask questions & STM/+s encouraged to share their knowledge based on experience. You can use any or all the prompts relevant to you below to share info in an easy-to-read format. Pictures/screen grabs, if put in spoilers, are welcome!

STMs....

What was essential for you for health and safety products (ex: medication, thermometer, nasal aspirator, etc)?
Products you could have done without?
Any tips?

FTMs...

Any products you're looking at or have questions about?

To view the upcoming PSS schedule, see here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XX4aUSPsDbdyEEK5HIzMzwH2ztOVOnNCehSgMAc5w6U/edit?usp=sharing
Next up: Bottles

m6agua · January 2020

Rectal thermometer, it is the most accurate when they are little. I liked the Vicks SpeedRead one because it is quick. We bought Up & Up thermometer covers (in the health section) and used coconut oil as the lubricant. Beware that you probably will need to replace the battery (in any thermometer) multiple times, so get some to have on hand. There were a few times that I did not trust/believe the reading and we ended up replacing the batter the next day and it worked much better.

Medicine. Infant Tylenol and Motrin is good to have on hand, the generic brands are exactly the same too. For teething we ended up with a amber necklace that helped. Formula constipated DD so it is probably good to have a laxative/suppository on hand. The day we needed it was a holiday and the places open did not have the infant version, we had to get the adult one and break it up small. I've heard good things about gripe water but never used it. This time around I will probably use a vitamin D & probiotic drops regularly. I think the probiotics could have helped with constipation/

Nasal Aspirator. We took the bulb one home from the hospital and it works just fine. We do have the NoseFrida, but I have a love/hate relationship with it. It works amazing, however I sear I get sick every time after using it, less so when I change the filters after every frickin suck, but usually I still get something. I did have the off brand NoseFrida for a while too, I think it was the NeilMed version and it didn't work as good as the NoseFrida. We bought a different bulb one (maybe a NeilMed too) and it is horrible and doesn't work for shit. I also found BoogieWipes when DD was older and love them, I think they have a saline spray too which I've heard works great when they are younger.

Humidifiers may be a good call too, we had one in her room at first, eventually we upgraded our HVAC system and decided to get a humidifier installed straight into our HVAC. Once in a while during the winter I think we still need a little bit of one in her room.

Nails/Hair. I highly suggest having a few nail clippers and have some files on hand. Some combs and soft brushes too. DD had cradle cap and the soft brushes + coconut oil during bath time were needed.

My tip is to buy the huge coconut oil from Costco and section some out into jars for the baby and the rest for cooking. I used the oil for homemade wipes, as a diaper cream, for cradle cap, skin moisturizer, and for a lubricant when taking her temp.

FYI we do have PS coming up about gates, baby proofing and teething.

chewie5990 · January 2020

Thermometer- we just used an ear thermometer and it worked fine and still works great at 4 years old

medicine - we always kept Motrin, Tylenol, and Zarbees on hand - just make sure you have accurate dosing as infant/child is very different concentrations!

Humidifier - we live in Colorado and it’s super dry so we run a humidifier at night year around. I feel safer with a filter humidifier than the water mist ones. I also hated buying tons of distilled water and thought it was way easier to just change a filter every 2 months and use tap water.

Nose aspirators - the nosefrida is probably the best baby product invented. We used it all the time and it was so easy and easy to clean.

Clippers - I know a lot of people prefer scissors but I did fine with clippers. We got one of those safety first care kits and still use the clippers 4 years later.

Coconut oil - we used it as diaper cream and also used it for cradle cap.

Also - if you use lanolin cream for sore nipples you can also use it for babies/toddlers chapped lips and/or cheeks. I felt better using it since I knew it was safe for babies to ingest.

shamrocandroll · January 2020

I agree with pretty much everything @m6agua said, except that EVERYONE BUY THESE NAIL SCISSORS!!! I still use them on DS, and I've never once accidentally cut him, even though I like to keep his nails very short because he has sensitive skin and scratches it if I let them get too long.

This is the best $6 I've ever spent.

Also, this time I'm getting a battery powered nasal aspirator because I definitely agree that I got sick from using the NoseFrida on DS.

ruby696 · January 2020

@shamrocandroll My battery operated nasal aspirator came a couple days ago and I'm so excited. Totally agree that the Nose Frida gets you sick.

mamaj1220 · January 2020

We use a forehead thermometer like they have at the pedis.
Meds-Tylenol and Mortin are always on hand (usually the Walmart or Target brand whichever I went by when i needed to get more) and once they are over a year I keep Zarbee's as well but ask your pedi under one because there is honey in it.
We don't use a humidifier typically but I do have a vicks vaporizer that I love for when DS is congested.
I used a bulb last go with DS because the thought of sucking his snot made me gag so bad, I might have to look into the battery operated one though.
We used a safety first set of clippers and they are great!
One tip for craddle cap is to use the baby soft brush when shampooing their hair (our pedi told us this and I was like well duh why didn't I think of that) it is soft enough that it doesn't cause irritation but gets all the skin and gunk off. Also I do keep a rectal thermometer on hand, if they are super constipated it gets stuff moving (just beware it will come out fast). I prefer butt paste for diaper rash too, it didn't seem as slick as some of the others.

pourmeanothermocktail · January 2020

Regular cheap digital thermometer for rectal (with covers) for first couple months, and got a more pricey forehead for after that, which we love.

Nose Frida here, but I'm considering an electric one too, for really bad days. I get sick whenever kids do regardless-with being home with them all day and everyone wanting hands all over me, I'm resigned.

Also, I've literally never had a problem with nail trimming, but maybe that's because I've been doing cats and dogs and bunnies and sometimes rats for 25 years. I like clippers, takes less finesse for me when they're flailing. I'm not comfortable with nail scissors if there's any movement. But that's just me. I figure it's personal preference-and I find scissors harder.

rachelg777 · January 2020

I have an electric and a Nose Frida, as personal preference I prefer the Frida. Use lots of saline for best results. I like Little Remedies Saline Mist. The electric one kind of scared DS when he was a baby because it made noise and vibrated a little so I could never get much suction. Could be user error. I also prefer regular clippers. A rectal thermometer when you want an accurate temp and a forehead digital for when you're like "are they a little warm?" If you are ever calling the pedi or a doctor for a temp question definitely get a rectal first.

ETA for cradle cap we used Mustela cradle cap shampoo and it worked well for us.

catem07 · January 2020

Medication: Yes to baby tylenol and advil (can't use advil until 6 months old). Buy it before you need it! also you can often find clear (dye-free) versions, which I prefer. We never used zarbees or any cold-medication products. Make sure if you are buying zarbees that it's the one for babies under 1, the toddler version has honey.
Thermometer: I had a couple rectal ones that came in generic baby first aid packs.
Nasal Aspirator: We used the frida, I didn't get sick from it.
Humidifier: I hate these damn things but we have them. I first had this one, I think, but it's really hard to clean. Now we have this one.
Other: I think I had the Summer Infant baby care kit? We are still using the nail clippers from it, they work for me. Also we love boogie wipes but they are pricey. I have them in my amazon subscribe and save. Boogie mist is great too.
Products you could have done without? I never did anything about my daughter's cradle cap aside from comb close to her scalp in the bath, so cradle cap remedies are useless to me.
Any tips? Do your research around vicks-like products. Eucalyptus and peppermint can be harmful to babies in certain amounts and applications.

ruby696 · January 2020

Following up on what @catem07 said re: Vicks. We only used Baby Vicks on rare occasions. When we did, it was on the bottom of baby's feet, followed by socks.

ETA: Also, per pediatrician: good hydration is a better remedy for a cough than any OTC cough medication for babies/toddlers.

bananapanda · January 2020

Thermometer: We used a forehead thermometer and never had any issues. Our pediatrician also uses a forehead thermometer and actually told us to never use a rectal one, so it sounds like some pediatricians have a difference of opinion on that issue, but just something to keep in mind.

Medication: We used infant tylenol and after 6 months we used motrin when needed. We had gas drops and gripe water from a little kit we had received at our shower, but only used once or twice and honestly I don't know if we even needed them or if it was just a last resort attempt when DD wouldn't stop crying. Our pediatrician did recommend baby zarbees (without honey) for a cough when she was younger, but again I don't honestly know how much it helped. We also always had baby vicks on hand to put on her chest or feet when she had a bad cough. They do make a vicks version specifically for babies which I think had lavender and something in it. Once she was old enough we moved up to the normal kid vicks which seems to be a little stronger.

Nasal Aspirator: We used the nose frida also. DD hated it as a baby and we would have to hold her down, but now she's 2 and actually asks for it some times when she's really stuffy. We use boogie mist saline spray. Also boogie wipes are amazing. There is also a friday baby brand of wipes that have vicks or something similar in them that can help with congestion. We only found them recently so not sure what age they are appropriate for.

Other: Another vote for a cool mist humidifier. I'm also a huge fan of baby nail scissors. They were so easy to use and very quiet so I could do DD's nails while she slept as an infant. We still use them now and have never once had an issue. For our one minor spell of cradle cap I bought the safety 1st cradle cap comb. We put some baby oil on her head and let it sit and then combed it out with the special comb. After that we used mustela shampoo and never had issues again. Around diaper rash creams I just recently discovered boogie bottoms spray which seemed to work really well and was so easy to spray on, but now DD is potty trained so we didn't really use it more than a few weeks.

ruby696 · January 2020

What was essential for you for health and safety products (ex: medication, thermometer, nasal aspirator, etc)? We had a rectal thermometer (Vicks), which was the best. It's really short, so you don't have to worry about inserting too far. We were also team forehead when baby felt warm and rectal when baby felt scary hot. Just make sure that you tell your pediatrician's office which you used when relaying temp. Rectal is more accurate of internal body temp, but also measures hotter than forehead. So 103° rectal isn't as big of a deal as 103° on the forehead (neither are great though). We used the nose Nose Frida, which worked well, but both babies HATED it and would scream the whole time. I also got sick after using it - although to be fair that could also be because baby was all over me. Tylenol and Aspirin are a must (we preferred Motrin, but they might have to be a little older? I don't remember). Zarbees also has a "nighttime" cough syrup. However, be careful with that because they have a hard time waking up from it. My babies would have night terrors and it was always so much worse if they'd taken a nighttime medication. Once we made the connection, we stopped giving it to them.
Products you could have done without? I never used gas drops or gripe water because I really don't like giving babies medication of any kind. I might try the gas drops this time if I'm desperate though. We really just stuck with tylenol.
Any tips? For us, crabby babies and/or coughing babies meant ear infections. Don't hesitate to take them in to have their ears looked at if their personality seems off. Ear infections are so painful, you really want to catch it as early as possible.

soprano19 · January 2020

Products we couldn't live without and still use now: infant Tylenol with the syringes, forehead thermometer, baby nail clippers that came in our Safety First baby care kit, bulb aspirator, Vicks brand humidifier from Target, air purifier (don't know the brand, but H has had it since college and it's really helpful in our 100-year-old house with pets and hardwood floors).

catem07 · January 2020

@ruby696 Yes on the ear infections! If your baby cries when they're laying down and has a cold, bring them in. For your own sake as well as theirs. But also antibiotics suck as far as diaper rash, so do a lot of naked time and if you've started solids try feeding yogurt, but not around the same time as you give the abx. If abx is AM/PM, feed yogurt (or other probiotic) during lunch.

mamaj1220 · January 2020

We did use the gas drops quite a bit with DS. He had a super sensitive tummy and would spit up with every feeding and was having a hard time pooping. They were a life saver.
And a third vote for taking them in when they seem extra fussy because ear infections are some times hard to pick up on. Also trust yourself, DS had RSV at 7 weeks and everyone told me it was just a cold but I felt it wasn't right and we ended up needing to be in the hospital for 3 days.

sunshinesea22 · January 2020

@mamaj1220 I’m so glad we are having spring babies. RSV is no joke and it scares me that it does resemble a bad cold unless it gets worse and then you have a serious issue. This year seems to be especially bad for RSV for some reason.

jhysmath · January 2020

We have a forehead thermometer that we used after being done with the rectal one (the hospital sent us home with the one they used and showed us how to use in the hospital so I don't think you need to buy one if your hospital does that) Make sure your husband knows how to use the forehead one, mine left the cap on it and kept saying she didn't have a fever when I knew she did.

I have the nose frida and like @pourmeanothermocktail said I get sick with them anyhow so I don't blame the nose frida anyways. I figure she's nursing and sharing her germs with me that way and if I'm sick it helps her out by me building the antibodies for her. Now that she's 20 months, she will come to me and ask me to suck her nose out when she needs it.

We have nail clippers and scissors, have many pairs of them every where because you will lose them just at the time their talons have grown to a killing potential. Mine never scratched herself, but she scratched my chest up pretty bad while nursing multiple times.

Tylenol/Advil because you will not want to run to the drug store the first time she wakes up in the middle of the night screaming with a fever and if you live in a town like mine, all stores close at 10 so you'll be SOL and holding a screaming baby in the middle of the night waiting for something to open at 8 am. And good luck getting them to take the meds, I had to insert it in her mouth while she was nursing to get her not to spit it all over me.

I never used gas drops, just bicycle her legs, she was a very farty baby but we could take care of it ourselves. Also the nose saline drops never really worked for us and she hated them as well. Never used the nail files or comb that comes in the baby set my kid is just growing hair now at 20 months.

@sunshinesea22 DD was born the same time this one will be born and she had RSV at 6 months old. It's just as scary in them especially when our DRs office couldn't take her 3 days in a row and we got the RSV diagnosis at the ER when we gave up waiting to see our DR.

rox7777 · January 2020

What was essential for you for health and safety products (ex: medication, thermometer, nasal aspirator, etc)? We start with gripe water, gas drops, a forehead thermometer, nail clippers, and diaper rash cream. We have a nice heavy duty thermometer since DS1 requires it and they prefer it taken by forehead. Gas drops are kept in steady supply and I usually start with 3 bottles. I never really used a nasal aspirator honestly, we have a humidifier in the nursery and I keep boogie wipes on hand.
Products you could have done without? We learned from DS1’s diagnosis that Tylenol is pretty much pointless and not recommended for the first two years, so we’ve skipped it with DS2. Warm baths, compress on injection locations and a thermometer are all that’s really necessary after vaccines. We used frozen breast milk/formula cubes and frozen wash cloths for teething.
Any tips? If you’re scared to clip baby’s finger nails, start with their toes first. They’re easier to manipulate and you can get up closer. By the time you’ve clipped all ten toes you should be comfortable enough to move to nails. I clip nails while feeding or when they’re sleeping.

ruby696 · January 2020

@rox7777 I would forget to give Tylenol ahead of time before my kids got vaccines. I'd feel horrible. Now I don't, so thanks.😁 But just to clarify, did you mean Tylenol doesn't work at all or just as a painkiller? Because we found it really effective with fevers when they were little.

Speaking of fevers, a cool bath in the middle of the night when tylenol/advil doesn't kick in right away is really helpful in bringing down a high fever.

catem07 · January 2020

@ruby696 Research I've seen suggests it doesn't work well as a painkiller but does work as a fever reducer. That being said, it seems to have a placebo effect for my daughter...

chewie5990 · January 2020

Also to add - the absolute best thing that worked for us when DS was stuffed up was playtime in bathroom with hot shower turned on. We would spend 30 minutes playing in the steamy room and then suck all the snot out and everything would clear up (at least for a little while). A lot of times we would do in at night right before bed so that his stuffy nose didn't keep him from falling asleep

rox7777 · January 2020

@ruby696 It doesn’t work as a painkiller and most doctors will tell you to let a low grade fever run it’s course. It’s the body’s natural way of fighting infection, so by reducing the fever, you’re in fact inhibiting the body from doing what it’s supposed to. There’s a few current studies if you do the googling that will talk about the pros and cons of Tylenol in kids under 2.

DS1 has the rule that unless it’s 101.5 from more than an hour, no fever reducers. I follow that same protocol for DS2 because it makes sense to me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

m6agua · January 2020

Jumping in on the Tylenol discussion. It worked really well for us. We typically wouldn't medicate unless the temp was >102 or she was clearly very uncomfortable. Most of the time we would not medicate during daytime hours but would at night to help her rest a little. I also would do a luke warm bath to bring really high temps down before meds would kick in. I did not have the benefit of nursing or breast milk for any ailments.

Someone mentioned steamy bathroom for congestion, that was our go to for the 2 times DD got Croup.

catem07 · January 2020

Agree with @m6agua about night versus day. I am much more willing to give tylenol or advil at night. We all benefit from that...

pourmeanothermocktail · January 2020

We use our nose frida so much! But with my kids being bad sleepers, they were up and wanting to nurse every 2-3 hours all day and night while sick, and I can't do a half hour in the bathroom every time. Literally every single cold they were both so snotty they couldn't nurse. Humidifier runs all night when they're sick or our heat is on.

ruby696 · January 2020

@rox7777 Unfortunately, my kids don't get low grade fevers. DD was 103.6 last night. That's typical for her and very stressful for me. They're either fine or burning up. I don't give them anything unless they're over 101 at night or 102 during the day, even if that means I'm letting the fever creep back up again. I'd rather let their bodies fight what they can, and just use meds to keep the fever under control.

Eta: High fevers are also why I'm such a fan of cool baths.

rox7777 · January 2020

@ruby696 DS1’s doctors have always told me anything above 101 for more than an hour requires treatment, so I’d say 102-103 is definitely a case for Tylenol. There’s so many mixed studies on everything these days, so I just err on the side of caution, but I think an oncologist must know something.

Honestly the only reason I’m so weird these days is because DS1’s cancer is non-genetic, environmental. Meaning it could be the food/drink, air/pollution, or even everyday exposure to toxins like meds and cleaning products. Before he was diagnosed I was overly laidback and just did what most people do.

shamrocandroll · January 2020

DS got RSV his 4th day in daycare at 12 weeks old, and it was AWFUL. I am pretty sure it was a big contributor to why he ended up needing to be on an asthma action plan for viruses. Thankfully he seems to have grown out of it, and this winter (his 4th winter) we've been able to go completely inhaler free for the first time!

The one time he got croup, we were told to bundle him up and take him outside into the cold air for a few minutes. His inhaler didn't work because croup because it's caused by the voice box swelling and not restricting the airways. I was amazed at how well the cold winter air eased his coughing! Thankfully the croup only lasted a couple of days of sounding really bad!

soprano19 · January 2020

@shamrocandroll we take DD out in the cold air when she gets croup. She's 2 and she's had it 3-4 times already. That combined with steaming in the hot bathroom usually helps relieve her discomfort. H had croup several times as a kid and was luckily super calm and knew exactly what it was and what to do the first time she had it and I was freaking out.

m6agua · January 2020

@shamrocandroll & @soprano19 Ugh, croup is awful. DD got it for the first time at 13 months (Jan 3, 2018). She had a low grade fever (99) and the awful cough. We did the bathroom/cold air outside a few times, the nurse listened to her over the phone and we ultimately decided to go to the ER. By the time we got to the ER she had 105 fever, had the cough and had stridor. It was awful. Luckily she just needed the meds in the hospital and we didn't have to do any steroids or breathing treatments at home, just continue OTC meds, steamy bathroom and cold air. Although, that ER bill was ridiculous! Then she got it again exactly to the day a year later. Luckily since she had grown it wasn't nearly as bad and we managed at home.

allywat · January 2020

This is one of those topics just listen you your ped and find out what works best for your kid. Only thing I would say is you can never have too many nasal bulbs when they’re super little. Take 3-4 home from the hospital 🤫. I always kept one in the car seat too because I was paranoid I would need it when they were in the car.

mamaj1220 · January 2020

Croup and RSV I swear were trying to end me when DS1 was little. The cool air trick sounds so counter intuitive that I stared at my pedi like "what are you talking about" for a few minutes when she said it. Also I agree with @allywat a lot of products I think are more a personal choice and what you feel works for you and baby.

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