Baby first aid kit

[MiniLlace]

I am slowly buying all the things i need for the arrival for our first child in November this year - and now have most things on the list .. however I was thinking I should put together a baby first aid kit - all those bits and bobs we may need if she is sick. for those already parents could you suggest what I should get (Im totally clueless about what I would need) - many thanks in advance!

[MiniLlace]

Thanks soooo much ladies this list is fab - I will get stocking up!!

[difficultdecision]

www.thermometersdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Basaland_ClinicalThermometers.html

[difficultdecision]

for tiny babies [http://www.thermometersdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Basal_and_Clinical_Thermometers.html these] are the type of thermometer we use clinically. You can quickly move onto an ear one with most babies providing you have a decent one (braun are good, not cheap but last for years with much battering).

[CuppaTeaJanice]

I find a baby feeding spoon easiest to use with medicine. Better than a syringe or those thin plastic things that come in the packet.

Oh, and for you, a bottle of lavender oil. Mix a few drops with an eggcupful of milk and put in your baths in the weeks after you give birth. Really helps...

[HolidaysQueen]

oh yes, i second (and third and fourth!) baby olbas oil/karvol. it's the only thing that helps my DS get a good sleep when he is snuffly.

[HolidaysQueen]

digital ear thermometer is very quick to take temp - although was told by NHS direct late one night when i had a feverish baby that they can be a bit unreliable in small babies so you may want to look if there is anything else better suited to tinies (it's something to do with not being able to get probe far enough into their ear canal which made sense to me given some of the wildly differing readings i get with it).

saline drops definitely.

calpol from 2months, nurofen from 3mths. calpol better for fevers, nurofen better for things like teething, so definitely worth having both available. both have different dosing regimes so be careful you know which is which when using.

make sure you get a syringe for dispensing these - much the easiest way to get meds into a baby.

nappy rash stuff is good - metanium or bepanthen. as with other things, you don't want to have to think about buying it when your baby has a very sore bottom!

calamine might be a good idea for heat rash or anything else generally itchy. you can get a mix of calamine/aqueous cream which i have - although only had to use it on myself!

not strictly first aid, but i've found dentinox cradle cap shampoo really good for cradle cap (and less smelly than aqueous cream)

then things like cotton wool balls, cotton buds, tissues, tweezers are always good to have available.

[difficultdecision]

1)Digital thermometer
2)saline nasal drops
3)nasal aspirator
4)infacol
5)sudocrem,
6)vaseline,
7)calpol (can be given under 2months only on a doctors advice but you don't want to be out searching for it at 2am),
8)teething gel (some wait for ages, some do it quickly and you probaly won't remember to get it until you need it otherwise).
9)Spot plasters (to save the heel prick tests from leaking onto clean white babygrows )
10)List of emergency numbers (GP, NHS direct, OOH service - to save panic later)

oh and
11)baby karvol/olbas oil or equivalent - essential for that first snuffly nose experience!

[difficultdecision]

Adding to cassell's list
1)Digital thermometer
2)saline nasal drops
3)nasal aspirator
4)infacol

5)sudocrem,
6)vaseline,
7)calpol (can be given under 2months only on a doctors advice but you don't want to be out searching for it at 2am),
8)teething gel (some wait for ages, some do it quickly and you probaly won't remember to get it until you need it otherwise).
9)Spot plasters (to save the heel prick tests from leaking onto clean white babygrows )
10)List of emergency numbers (GP, NHS direct, OOH service - to save panic later)

[cassell]

I'd certainly recommend a digital thermometer even though they can be a bit pricey, I have an ear one and it has been great when I'm worrying about whether ds has a high temp or not(invariably he doesn't so it is really reassuring!).

Other things I've found useful are saline nasal drops and a nasal aspirator (weird squeezy thing to suck the snot out - yum! ) - my ds had a really blocked up nose in the first couple of weeks which made it v difficult for him to feed and so they were very useful. Also worth getting in some infacol or something similar in case your baby has difficulties getting wind up

can't think of anything else off hand so bumping this as well for you to see if anyone else has any ideas