Cooler temperatures are upon us and our babies (under 1!) are already suffering through coughs and colds. We don’t use many herbs for babies under one but there are safe, mild, natural remedies to help clear coughs in an infant. We just went through this in our house with Giant Baby who is not even six months yet so I thought I’d post some encouragement and share what we used.
Coughs can be a good thing if they’re clearing congestion. However, let them go too long or be unaware about the kind of cough you’re hearing and coughs can progress into something serious.
By nursing my kids through coughs, I’ve learned that to clear them quickly, it’s best to
- Keep congestion thin and moving (moisturize inside & out)
- Boost the immune system
As I regularly say – natural remedies work best when applied as soon as the onset of symptoms occur. When noses start running and coughs begin, head it off at the pass! The duration of illness is usually shorter and not as severe.
Here’s what we used on Giant Baby. I used all of these steps at once because I don’t mess around with coughs.
1. Steam, Steam, STEAM!
If the coughing isn’t clearing the congestion within minutes and a hacking fit seems imminent, we head straight to the shower. I shut the door, drop a little Eucalyptus oil in the corners of the shower and relax until he’s been cough free for several minutes.
I also shower him before bed to moisten his sinuses & loosen congestion because lying down automatically seems to trigger coughing because it’s harder for congestion to clear in that position. The extra moisture helps! I keep him warm after we get out of the shower.
If he coughs in the night and can’t seem to stop, we head right back into the shower no matter how tired I am. I have learned that it’s worth it. It’s the fastest way to calm the cough. I think we showered about three times a day while he was coughing.
2. Hose the nose.
In babies, the nose, throat, ears are so close together and the passages are small. Congestion affects them all. During coughs, congestion or earaches, I “hose my kids’ noses” to loosen congestion so it will clear more easily. Don’t be intimidated by this. Learn how to Hose the Nose.
3. Massage the chest.
After the shower, using a little coconut oil (NO VICKS for babies this small – it’s just too harsh), we rub that little chest gently but firmly. It seems to help ease the cough and Giant Baby loves it because we talk with him while we do it.
4. Garlic oil.
Man, this stuff is magic! I use it for my kids (and me!) when our ears are sore and my herbalist also suggested we could safely rub a little on Giant Baby’s feet. I probably used 1/2 t. (maybe less?) and massaged his feet gently. I’m not gonna lie to ya’. It was skunk-a-licious! But, it seemed to calm him and he coughed less afterward. Learn how to make garlic oil.
- Magic stuff!
5. Moisturize the air.
We use either a vaporizer or humidifier in the bedroom to add moisture and keep congestion moving.
6. Eucalyptus oil or Vicks.
I wouldn’t put Eucalyptus oil or Vicks on an infant. But, I DO think it’s ok to use them to scent a room to provide their expectorant powers. I place a little vicks or Eucalyptus oil on an old diaper and wave it around the room (to infuse it into the air) and then lay it near to the bed so we can smell it all night.
***REMINDER!! While Essential oils are wonderfully healing, they are also super concentrated (read: powerful) and should never be left where little hands can reach them. Be safe. Educate your little ones not to touch them & store them out of reach.***
7. Keep the fluids coming.
I would have offered him warm chamomile tea but my little guy wanted to nurse. So, nurse I did. The only caution I’d add with chamomile is that people with known allergies to ragweed should avoid it.
8. Elevate the sleeping position.
It’s hard for congestion to clear when a baby is flat on his back. That’s why coughing increases at night. Our baby sleeps with us so it’s easy to elevate him on my arm and keep a close ear on him in the night. I sleep better and so does he.If we used a crib, I’d find a way to safely elevate the mattress slightly (no pillows in a crib!).
9. Garlic.
Again? Yep. Only this is for nursing moms. Since I nurse, my baby gets the benefit of what I eat. I ate sliced fresh garlic on buttered toast to pass on it’s immune system boosting benefits.
10. Echinacea tincture.
Another immune booster for use by the nursing mama. I took a few droppers 3 times a day.
Using these remedies from the very start of his little cold to the end, Giant Baby only coughed for about three days and it was very mild, usually worse at night.
Remember – the key to successful natural remedies is to jump on that cough as soon it projects its loud sound. Don’t wait till it sounds scary.
*As always, I’ll remind you that I am not a doctor. These are common sense choices I have made for myself & my family. I have taken the time to research any health decisions I make and have consulted with my local herbalist. I encourage you to always do the same before choosing to take or administer any kind of remedy, whether herbal, prescription or off the shelf at a local drugstore.*
Thank you! The 8 month old I nanny wanted nothing to do with the chamomile tea, but I have the garlic oil sitting on the counter, and he’ll have a shower before bed.
Hope it helped, Haley.
thanks a lot for this article! my daughter is 10 months old and its her first time to get cough… paranoid mama!
Shiela, I feel your pain!
My daughter is 2 months old. Can these be used on her at all? She’s EBF.
Hi Steph. For legal reasons, I cannot give specific advice regarding anyone else’s child. I can say that when my youngest was around 4 months, I did use steam, saline and a tiny bit of garlic oil on the feet. As a nursing mom, I took echinacea so my baby received the benefits. I hope that helps. I always encourage mamas to do their homework & talk to their care provider about what is best for their kiddos.
How do you make the Echinacea tincture?
Hi Kailea. That is a question that would take longer to answer than a reply. I need to do a post on it! But in the meantime, you can buy it at local stores or online at http://www.MountainRoseherbs.com. Making a tincture takes 6 weeks minimum and the longer the better with Echinacea. Hope that helps!
Thank you for the quick reply!! I have an almost 10 mo old and she has a raspy cough took her to doc and all they said was drainage .. Ugh so frustrating that they take a little look and don’t care to actually check anymore.. But yea trying to get rid of this cough for her without filling her up with OTC meds!
i thought Echinacea was not good for wen your breast feeding
I used echinacea with great success while I was breastfeeding to heal from a bad case of mastitis without antibiotics. I have not heard of it being unsafe while breastfeeding. Did you hear that in a specific place? What would make it unhealthy? Thanks for your thoughts! 🙂
I think these tips are soooo helpful. I would love to try some of these to my nearly 6 month old boy. I dont want to bring him to the pedia immediately. Actually, he’s been to pedia a month ago because of cough and runny nose and was given 3 meds, antibiotic and salbutamol and one for his runny nose. Sometimes, natural cures are best at the early signs of illnesses. If he’s not responding well with the natural treatments, I guess I need the pedia’s help.
I hate our climate now, it’s too hot and kids gets sick easily.
My grand daughter is 4 months and has a cough that seems like it has alot of mucus. How can she expell it? With steam?Going on 10 days. Has been to the doctor already.
When my babies were small, I’d use a saline nasal spray to help with this. Also, if they were congested and I still had breast milk, I’d put a little in their ears to help clear their sinuses, being very careful not to flood either, of course. Breast milk is pretty magical!
How about baby oil as the carrier oil?
Hi Suzi, Baby oil is usually mineral oil, which we avoid for health and sustainability reasons. Olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil are all options we use. 🙂
Eucalyptus oil can cause respiratory problems in children and should be avoided with kids under 6, at least, under 10 to be safe. It doesn’t affect all kids, but you don’t want to find out yours is one of them while they are also dealing with illness!
Laurie, great info. I have learned this since writing it. Thanks for sharing. <3
Any Mom with autoimmune disease should be careful in using Echinacea. echinacea stimulates the Th1 system and if someone with Th1 dominant Hashimoto’s takes this herbs, they’ll quite possibly get worse.
Great info, Yvonne. Thank you!
Thank you for this article. Do you actually take your baby in the shower our just sit in the bathroom to enjoy the steam?
I’ve done both, Carol. I find the steam inside is much more potent but I don’t necessarily get my baby wet.
hello,,can i use this treatment for my 2 mos old baby?
I would be really comfortable with moisture and *safely* shifting sleeping position for a small baby, esp by holding the baby in a comfortable position that enables breathing. I have rocked a kid during coughs many a night – in a steamy bathroom. But I am always listening for any sign of difficulty breathing. If I heard a hint of stridor (a kind of sucking air sound), I wouldn’t hesitate to take them to an ER for a breathing treatment or further advice.
I would not use garlic or vicks on a young baby. Way too much heat and can cause a breathing constriction for some young kids.
I would take echinacea myself while nursing a baby this young. They would probably be too strong/bracing at this age.
As I state elsewhere on my sight, these are things that I’ve done which helped me to keep my kids healthy naturally and should not be construed as advice. Treatment for any child should be chosen with research that you do on your own to be safe and a wise health care provider of your choice.