Almost every infant needs medicine at some point in their lives (sad, isn’t it?). I’ve attempted an assortment of different ways to give our daughter a mere teaspoon of medicine and here are my suggestions…
- Preparation. Infants rarely have control of their limbs which can make feeding time more like a feeding frenzy. Have all your tools at arm’s length and ready. Open the wipe container, grab a bib, find the serving utensil… I like to have a napkin to place the utensils on (babies need cleanliness because their immune system is fully developed).
Insider Tip: Using a syringe is a great way to reduce the mess of a spoon. Simply suck up medicine and dispense small amounts into infant’s mouth.
- Smile. You’ve heard the saying Smiling is contagious, right? Well, even beyond that, research has shown that babies responded to our actions or facial features. When we smile, our babies recognize the positive energy and acknowledge their own actions as acceptable, provoking more of those actions. So if you smile while giving your baby medicine, chances are very good that they’ll smile and accept that medicine willing. [Paraphrased from the work of David Chamberlain, PhD who is a pioneer in birth psychology, and one of the founders of APPPAH (Association for Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Health)]
- The PMPU (Post-Medicine Pick-Up). When you’re finished and your baby is clean, pick them up and hold them. Even if they liked the medicine all babies want comfort. Hold you baby close and walk with her. Make her feel important. This provides another great bonding moment.
Daddy Blogger Dan 