8 Must-Have Items To Keep In Your Baby’s Medicine Cabinet

Baby ailments are treated differently than adult medical issues, especially when your little one is under six months. Today, I am sharing a few must-have items to keep in your baby’s medicine cabinet. When your baby has a stomach ache or cold you cannot treat him or her with adult medications. You need to stock your baby’s medicine cabinet with infant-friendly items and medicines to have on hand when he or she isn’t feeling well. Here is a list of supplies to buy and keep on hand.

8 Must-Have  Items To Keep In Your Baby’s Medicine Cabinet

Thermometer

One of the most crucial items to have on hand is a baby thermometer. The best way to check a baby of under three years old’s temperature is with a rectal thermometer. Once he gets older you can invest in a digital thermometer. My son is now almost 7 years old and I still use mine.

Our digital thermometer has two methods for checking his temperature – inner ear or forehead. These gadgets work well if you need to check his temperature quickly. They are handy for older babies too because it’s not always easy to keep a standard thermometer under your baby’s arm for a few seconds because they don’t always want to lie still.

Bulb Syringe

It’s close to impossible to blow a baby’s tiny nose and they can get fussy and irritable when they feel all clogged up and congested. Babies also cannot blow their own noses – you must do it. A bulb syringe works like a charm to clear out excess mucus.

RELATED: 11 Natural Ways To Treat a Baby’s Cold Symptoms

Nasal Drops For Infants

Saline drops offer a safe way for clearing your little one’s nose and offer some relief. You can make your own solution and use a dropper, or you can use store-bought saline drops that are available at most pharmacies or grocery stores. Just make sure it is suitable for infants.

Zinc Oxide Bum Cream

Most babies don’t get severe diaper rash regularly especially if you change their diaper regularly, keep it nice and dry, and apply bum cream when needed. However, sometimes it is unavoidable. My son had severe diaper rash once when he was teething molars.

My favourite bum cream that I used was the Clicks Made 4 Baby bum cream. It contains zinc oxide and comes at a budget-friendly price. For severe diaper rash, I used Sudocrem which cleared up the rash within a day. The thing that I love most about Sudocrem is that you can use it for various skin conditions and it is suitable for the entire family.

Baby Oil

When I was still in hospital after giving birth, the sister at Nelspruit Mediclinic showed me how to bath my baby. They didn’t use soap, but baby oil because it is gentle and suitable for a newborn’s sensitive skin. You can also use it for treating patchy areas that develop on a baby’s scalp and skin.

Gas Relief Drops For Infants

Sometimes when your baby keeps crying and nothing seems to work – the problem might be gas. There are so many products available to soothe painful cramps and gas-related issues in babies. One that worked really well for us was Lennon behoedmiddel. Lennon is a trusted brand that has been around for ages. My dad used to have Lennon versterkdruppels in his medicine cabinet and I still drink Lennon Jamaika ginger for my tummy issues.

If you are looking for an effective and affordable product, I highly recommend Lennon behoedmiddel. However, not all babies are made equal and what might have worked for us, will not necessarily work for you. But it’s worth a try.

Wound Ointment

Babies sometimes scratch themselves and it helps to have a bacitracin antibiotic or first aid cream on hand. Supiroban ointment works wonders for any cuts or insect bites – however, it is not suitable for babies under two months old. Never use a first aid cream on babies younger than six months without consulting with a doctor, pediatrician, or pharmacist first. Some creams have ingredients that can cause a reaction in babies.

Pain and Fever Medication

There is not much you can give to babies for pain and fever, but you can give ibuprofen or infant acetaminophen to babies older than three months, however, speak to your doctor first if you’re uncertain.  Panado sugar-free peppermint paediatric syrup suitable for infants. The strawberry variant also doesn’t contain sugar but can only be given to babies from three months and older.

If you’re struggling to get your baby (older than three months) or toddler to drink medicine and you want to bring down the fever quickly, you can also give Empaped suppositories a try. They work fast and last for around eight hours.

• As far as baby medicines are concerned, always administer the correct dosage s according to your baby or child’s age and body weight – never exceed the recommended dosage.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it – 8 must-have items to keep in your baby’s medicine cabinet. I hope this post was useful to you and that you will give some of the products mentioned a try to see if it works for you.