when you are the one that has it? I woke up this morning feeling rather crummy and has been feeling that way since. I got the cold but I don't want my baby to get, what do I do?

I have been known to run around the house with a mask on and disinfectant, then again thats just me but its always worked too. Always careful what I touch, wash it down right after and so on.

Much of the germs are airborne so it will be hard to prevent. As the previous poster stated, disinfecting can help but if your baby is healthy I wouldn't worry overmuch.

Extra washing of hands, linens (bedclothes, towels, etc) and disinfecting of surfaces can help. Along with the normal things like covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze helps too.

I am already a wash hand freak so I guess I had better go get my mask. :rolleyes: Have you ever noticed that it's when you're sick they tend to stuck to more than normal?:)

I guess by the time we realize we have a cold (the sneeze you snoze an hour ago turns into a sore throat then a runny nose and then it's downhill all the way) means that if you were anywhere in the vicinity of baby, when you sneezed, airborne germs would have been hard to avoid passing on.

However, damage limitation is the key here and once you realize you have a cold, then wearing a mask when near baby is indeed a very good idea. Using disposable tissues rather than a linen handkerchief to wipe your nose, is best and always, always wash your hands after wiping your nose.

Try and get other family members to be extra-vigilant in washing their hands. Another good idea to try and avoid other people in the family catching your cold is to also have your own cup/glass - this avoids cross-contamination should the drinking vessel you use not be washed properly.

These safeguards are usually best adhered to if you have a very young baby in the house. Once babies are mixing with older children (toddlers in nursery or school-age) then it's almost impossible to protect them always from a cold virus.

I seem to be the only one that says "let them get it". Illness helps boost the immune system. I don't purposely get them ill but I don't actively avoid it either. I just think it's healthier to get sick a few times.

I agree with what you say momx3angels, but I do think when it comes to newborns we do have to be extra vigilant and, although not get too paranoid (like the Michael Jackson mask idea! :rolleyes:) we shouldn't assume their immune system will be strong enough to resist a nasty virus.

When my daughter was only 2 months old she came into contact with someone who sneezed all over her. Within hours the poor mite became very ill and I had to call the doctor. She had developed croup and had to be hospitalized. Thereafter, she always had a wheezy chest when she caught a cold and when she was 5 she was diagnosed with asthma. The doctor thought this was caused by that early bout of croup.

So, I would still try and be cautious with the little 'uns! :)

Just to let you all know, he eventually caught it, but he is coping very well. He is hardly cranky and still plays as much as he is used to doing. He just have a problem breathing clearly sometimes.