I thought my 13 month old baby girl had been through it all until she got CROUP. This horrible viral infection that sounds like a barking cough which is supposed to be harmless, yet she ended up in the hospital with a nebulizer one night, because she couldn’t breathe.

It started out as a normal cough, got a little worse, then got better, then got terrible. I took her to the urgent care because our pediatrician’s office was closed (it was at night) and the urgent care facility decided to call an ambulance and take her to the ER due to her difficulty breathing, which put me in full anxiety/panic mode. When doctors freak out, you pretty much freak out.

Some back story about my LO: Born naturally and super healthy, never in any daycares (I work remotely), almost never around any other kids, pets, or anyone really other than her mom, dad, and maybe both grandparents. Was breast fed until her 1st birthday, has never eaten any processed foods and has never been on any medication, only eats home cooked meals or organic food pouches and drinks tons of water.

How something can go from “normal” to horrifying. I can’t stress the importance of washing your LO’s hands all the time. I mean, you can’t wash them enough. I can’t stress the importance of carrying hand sanitizer wherever you go.

I was more relaxed about things until you experience what your baby can go through. It was one of the scariest moments in my life to see her with a nebulizer around her face, steaming her with steroids. A very, very traumatic experience for her.

Pediatricians, doctors and experienced moms will tell you how normal it is for your baby to get sick the first year. They’re putting their mouths on everything, they’re touching everything and putting their hands in their mouths, they’re around all these floating germs for the first time while you enter the gym, grocery store, mall, airport, etc. But I can’t wrap my head around it being that bad. There’s a huge difference between a little cold and being hospitalized.

I have seen a noticeable difference in her health from just washing her hands all the time. I used to have the dumbest thoughts about how someone in my family may get offended if I ask them to wash their hands, or put hand sanitizer on my LO right after her touching all things in their house. I used to care about offending people but all that goes out the window when you experience what I did.
I used to think, well a little germ will acclimate her, it’ll get her immune system stronger. That’s a joke. Even if the viral infections aren’t as bad as hospitalization, its still not something your baby should have to go through.

I used to think it was tough to wash her hands, it is tough! Trying to hold her while getting soap and water one-handed by yourself is not an easy task but screw it and do it. It makes the world of difference. I’ve tried babyganics hand wipes, even baby wipes I use to clean her after dirty diapers — it isn’t the same. Washing your LO’s hands or putting hand sanitizer and waving them around until they air dry is the most effective and now that I’ve learned this I won’t ever stop.

There’s so many things I used to think I wouldn’t do, I wouldn’t act like, I wouldn’t be like but nothing is worse than having a scare with your LO’s health.

Now my LO thinks it’s a fun game to get her hands washed. She does this cute, but perfect plank, and puts her hands out and waves hi to the water as I wash them. She laughs when I put hand sanitizer on her hands and wave them around, she thinks we’re playing.

I pray at night for God to keep her healthy. Babies are so pure and just our world’s little angels and we have to keep them safe.

Whatever age your LO is now, it doesn’t matter. Take them to wash their hands regularly, especially when in contact with a lot of things/people, or keep hand sanitizer with you everywhere you go.