5 Ways to Protect Your Baby During Flu Season

5 Ways to Protect Your Baby During Flu Season

by: Jasmine Reed

 Flu season is swiftly approaching and it’s important that you and your family are prepared. Probably more than anyone else, your newborn is more susceptible to catching the virus as their immune system isn’t as developed. But don’t fret, there are ways to get ahead of it and be proactive as possible. Here’s how:

●      Make sure you and those who interact with your baby on a regular basis, all have their flu shots. This includes siblings, grandparents, babysitters and other caretakers. Even those who come for occasional visits should also have theirs as well. According to whattoexpect.com, if your baby has reached 6 months of age, you should go ahead and schedule them for their first dose of the flu shot. Then, follow up with their second dose 4 weeks later. Are you breastfeeding and not quite sure what to do, since your little one hasn’t reached 6 months of age? No worries! The flu shot is considered safe for you and your baby, too!

●      Speaking of breastfeeding, if that is your primary way of providing nourishment to your little one, keep it up! Breast milk aids in boosting your baby’s immune system. That way, if they do ever catch a little bug...it won’t be as detrimental. So, just think of it as an added bonus of protection to the flu shot.

●      Remain in the routine of keeping your household as germ free as possible, by encouraging everyone to wash their hands regularly. Also, remember to discard of germ infested things like used tissues, etc.

●      Consider keeping your baby’s dishes separate from the rest of the dishes in the kitchen. Although you’ll wash dishes regularly, it doesn’t hurt to take the extra step to prevent germs from spreading. You never know!

●      Lastly, if your child attends daycare, don’t be afraid to inquire about what their policies are as it pertains to sanitizing things, vaccinations for the employees, etc. I think we can all agree that any parent’s mind would be put at ease, knowing that their childcare facility is also taking the necessary precautions to protect their little one from the flu and other bugs!

 You can never be too careful when it comes to you and your baby’s health. We hope these tips were extremely helpful. Need more flu-fighting tips? Check out this other whattoexpect.com article, here. Be sure to share this post with some of your other parent friends that would find it beneficial as well!