Best Natural Cold Remedies for Babies

There is nothing sadder than a sick little baby, is there? Worse yet, is the feeling of powerlessness that comes from not having a lot of options at your disposal as a parent to help your little one. Thankfully there are a few things you can do that really work wonders to relieve baby’s cold symptoms and make them feel more comfortable.

Here are my favorites that I turn to whenever one of my babies is sick.

1. Hyland’s Baby Tiny Cold Homeopathic Tablets

There isn’t much by way of medicine that you can give to an infant, but homeopathic remedies are one exception. And man do these little puppies work! The key with homeopathics is to be consistent with dosage, so it’s really important to set your timer and give a dose every 15 minutes for the first 4 doses and then hourly after that. If you’re on top of administering the tablets at the right time, baby’s cold symptoms will lessen dramatically!

These are safe for babies 6 months and up.

Get them here: Hyland’s Baby Day & Night Tiny Cold Tablets

2. Boost Immunity

Babies don’t need much by way of supplements, but the two that are necessary (in my opinion) are vitamin D and probiotics. Both support immunity and can prevent colds to be begin with. But if baby does get sick, making sure they are getting enough vitamin D and supporting their little gut floras is really important.

These are safe to use from birth.

I like Mommy’s Bliss Organic Vitamin D Drops and Bio-Kult Infantis Probiotic Powder

3. Frida Baby NoseFrida

This crazy contraption is a game changer. It’s so much easier to use than a bulb syringe, and weirdly, it doesn’t seem to bother babies at all! In fact, both of my littles seriously giggle when I use it on them. Being able to keep baby’s airway clear is really important, as they are not great at mouth breathing yet, and need their little noses clear to be able to nurse, and, well, breathe. And before you get all grossed out, no you don’t end up with a mouth full of your baby’s snot. There are little disposable filters in place that prevent the transfer of snot or even the inhalation of bacteria.

These are safe to use from birth.

Get it here: FridaBaby NoseFrida

4. Breastfeeding

Nursing your baby is one of the best things you can do to help them get over a cold quickly and comfort them. Did you know that your breast milk actually changes to address the specific needs of your baby at that moment? When you breastfeed your sick baby, bacteria from their saliva enter your breasts and trigger an immune response in you, causing your body to create milk loaded with the necessary antibodies and immune factors custom tailored to your sick baby’s needs. It’s serious magical mama witchcraft and I love it. Plus there’s the added bonus of being able to comfort your sick baby in the best and sweetest way possible, nestled in your arms.

5. Essential Oils

Essential oils work wonderfully for colds, but it’s important to use them correctly with babies. That means a less is more approach. In babies under 1 year old, the safest oils to use are lavender, lemon, frankincense, fennel, copaiba, chamomile, bergamot and tea tree.

For newborns, I don’t usually do topical applications, I like to diffuse 2-3 drops each of lavender & lemon or frankincense & lemon essential oils in the nursery to help with congestion and help baby rest.

For babies over three months, I like a good natural chest rub like Maty’s All Natural Baby Chest Rub or Zoe Organics Breathe Balm — applied to the chest, back, and bottoms of the feet.

If you’re making your own blends, always use 100% pure therapeutic grade oils (I use Rocky Mountain oils).

6. Humidify

Bugs and germs thrive in dry air, and dry little noses are much more susceptible to being infected with said bugs and germs. So keeping your baby’s air nice and moist is great for soothing congestion, coughs, and colds. Use a cool air humidifier in baby’s room while they sleep.

A humidifier is safe to use from birth.