A lot has happened in the last year. I am not even sure what to tell and what not.
I have become an expert in pediatric medicine because of all the time the twins have been ill. Luckily, thus far, they have not needed to be admitted to hospital. So I thought I should compile a top 10 list of medicine I would suggest always having on hand if you have toddlers and younger. These are typically things that you will be able to get without a prescription. I tend to look for medicine that does not contain too much alcohol or sugar.
Here is my list in no particular order.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or pharmacist. This is just a list of things that I found, with experience, I constantly needed this far in my kids life. So obviously, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using anything on my list.
1. Glycerin
Glycerin has so many uses and is really inexpensive. For one, it is sweet tasting, so kids love it. It is a compound used in food, beauty products, and pharmaceuticals. I used to dip dummies in the glycerin as it actually help clean their mouths a little bit before they could brush their teeth.It may also assist in fighting thrush. It does contain triglyceride, so use moderately. The best use for it in my opinion is as an enema when they get constipated. I would pull about 2-5 ml glycerin with a syringe to give it. Within about 10 minutes, they would have a dirty nappy. I know you can also get glycerin suppositories for this specific use, although I have never used it.
2. Saline Nasal Spray
Little ones cannot blow their noses, as I am sure you know. And I am sure you are also aware of how congested your nasal passages can become, especially if you cannot blow your nose. There are a lot of nasal sprays out there, off which some you might eventually need anyway to treat flu. Most of these contain either antibiotics or cortisone which mean you will probably only be able to use them for a certain period of time. A saline nasal spray is pretty much diluted salt water. You can use it indefinitely without doing any damage to delicate veins in the nasal passage. It is especially effective when you use it together with a nebuliser and baby vac to help clear the sinuses. I would typically nebulise the kids, to help soften the mucus, then spray with saline to help flush the sinuses and then use the baby vac to get everything out. Gross, I know, but trust me, baby will thank you...
3. Essential oils
I have recently started looking more into Essential oils and what they can do for you. Some of my favorite oils are Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, and Citronella. Babies still have to build some immunity agains mosquitos, and I really do not like putting stuff on their delegate skin. So diffusing the Citronella oil helped to keep mozzies away. Lavender is amazing as a few drops at bath time to help relax them, and even in a diffuser for about 30 min while falling asleep. When they have some nasal congestion and fluish symptoms, I like to add Eucalyptus, Peppermint, and Lavender to their bath and steam up the bathroom. The Eucalyptus and Peppermint smells amazing and helps open up the airways. Lavender again helps to calm and assists in a better night sleep. Tea Tree oil has major antiseptic benefits and diffusing it will assist in killing mold in the air. There is a lot more Essential oil combinations that can be used for different benefits in different ways, and you can read more about it here.
4. Calpol/Ponstan/Pontstel
Calpol is a paracetamol pain and fever reliever. It starts to work within 15 min, while still being gentle on tummies. I give this to the twins anytime they start having a fever, or if they have pain after a fall or something. (Think about it, if you have a headache, you take something for it) Ponstan and Ponstel both contains Megenamic acid which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication that also assist in the treatment of pain and fever.5. Telfast (Antihistamine)
This stuff is amazing in the treatment of sneezing, runny and itchy noses, watery eyes, and scratchy throats. Whenever they start sniffing or looking as if they are catching the flu, I give them so Telfast for about 10 days or until the symptoms subsides. If they suffer from seasonal allergies, you can give the Telfast through the allergy season to help ease symptoms.6. Good Vitamins
Since the twins started with pre-school this year, I thought it essential to get good vitamins and boost their immune systems. Our GP said that it takes about 6 months for them to build a stronger immune system against all the illnesses that float around in schools. Again I tend to look for something that does not have too much sugar or alcohol, but with a good combination of vitamins and minerals.7. Probiotic
This is one of those things that I think you cannot go without, especially if they had to get a course of antibiotics. The twins were given probiotics everyday since birth and I kept going with it for at least the first year of their life, regardless if the were on antibiotics or not. Now whenever they need medicine to just protect their tummies. I prefer something in powder form that I can add to their bottles or drinks. Then there is no struggle trying to get them to swallow some oily substance or bottles clogging up with it. I have recently also learnt about milk kefir and its probiotic properties. This is all natural and you can make your own. Read more here.8. Prospan
A good cough syrup is essential in my house. I like Prospan as it contains no alcohol and no sugar and is really pleasant tasting. It liquefies the sticky mucus trapped in the lungs, allowing it to be coughed up more easily. My husband and I take it as well when we start feeling a scratch in our throats. I combine this with Telfast as soon as the twins start with runny noses and coughing.9. Prodol
Teething... Need I say more? The worst part of this, their is nothing you can do to prevent this, it is inevitable. The twins are now 2yrs 3mo old, and they now know to tell me their gums hurt as they are teething their second set of molars. This numbs almost immediately and lasts a few hours. At least long enough to get them to fall asleep with not much discomfort. I have actually used Prodol myself when I had a coldsore, and it is very effective.10. Antipeol
Bum creams are a must-have, but some are ridiculously expensive. When the twins were still in NICU, the nurses used plain old Vaseline as bum cream. The idea is really just to create a barrier against the skin to prevent getting rashes from all the moisture. My kids didn't get rashes too often, but when they did I found that Antipeol cream worked wonders above other more expensive bum creams. And because this is not purely a bum cream, I use it for any skin issue like bug bites, scratches or other rashes.Some extra tips:
1. A good Nebuliser helps loosen up mucus when there is a cough or even a runny nose. It clears the sinuses. The only problem might be getting the kid to sit still for at least 10 min while nebulising. With this I would suggest a Baby Vac. An attachment on your vacuum cleaner to clean the little ones nose. It sounds disgusting, I know, but it does a way better job then those squeezy sucky thingies...2. Get a cool air Humidifier. I know that there is a lot of different opinions about getting one and should it be cold or hot air. We live in a very dry part of South Africa, especially in the winters. The humidifier just assists getting the room humidity back to about 70% which in turns help prevent stuffyniss etc. The humidifier I have can make both cool and warm air, but I have never used the warm air. The problem with warm air humidifiers, in my opinion is that it makes everything damp, and if the room is not aired through the day, mold will start to form in the curtains and on the walls, which can be very bad for your health.
3. Syringes. When the twins were still in hospital, medicine was administered using syringes. When we left, the nurse gave us a ton of syringes. And ever since, I found it easy to get the right dose, and its a cleaner job getting them to take it. Now they sit in a row on the ground and suck on the syringes as if it is sweets... Poor kids...
4. No-touch thermometer. It is the biggest struggle to find out if the kids have a fever if you have to force them to hold something under their tongues or arms for 30 seconds. Do you have any idea how long 30 seconds are??? With a no-touch thermometer, the kid can be sleeping while you check their temperature. A lot less fuss...
I think this is basically what I suggest a new mom to have on hand. I hope this helps a bit when standing in the medicine isle trying to figure out what is what....
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