The 10 must-have items for your baby’s medicine cabinet. These supplies will get new moms and veteran moms through baby’s first colds and fevers with ease!

The 10 Must-Have Items For Your Baby’s Medicine Cabinet

Whether you are an expecting mom, new mom or one who has trudged through the trenches of motherhood for years, there is NOTHING that will prepare you for your baby’s first sniffles, fever or discomfort of any kind. NOTHING!

Having a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach and instant perspiration is perfectly normal, but rest assured there is no need to panic. With a well-stocked baby-appropriate medicine cabinet, a trusted pediatrician and lots of TLC you will be fully-equipped to comfort and give your baby what he needs to feel better. You will be prepared for the unexpected with these 10 must-have items for your baby’s medicine cabinet. 

(This post was originally published in January 2016. It was updated and republished in March 2020 for accuracy.)

I am the mother of four young boys, and I can tell you from experience that having the best gadgets, over the counter remedies and medicine on-hand is necessary. I am sharing the ten items that we always have in our baby’s medicine cabinet. We may not need them for several months and that is perfectly fine. However, the moment you need any of these items is not the time to run to the store, it is time to spend cuddling with your baby.

My most important new baby tips:

• One of our babies had severe medical complications at only 5 days old.
• I learned first-hand that fevers in infants younger than three months old should NOT be treated like fevers in older babies or toddlers.
• A fever above 100.4 in a newborn needs to be evaluated by a medical professional.
• Please also know that calling your pediatrician (regardless of the time of day) is NEVER an inconvenience to him/ her.
• During one of your baby’s first WELL visits, ask your pediatrician about his/ her guidelines for fevers and other ailments.
• Knowing what warrants a call and what constitutes an emergency is important – before it happens!

I am glad we got all that heavy stuff out of the way. Now let’s get to shopping for that precious little bundle of cuteness. Remember, all these items are perfect for your baby registry and baby shower gifts. You will need them – eventually.

You need these 10 items in your baby’s medicine cabinet: 

Baby Nasal Aspirator NoseFrida: Aka “a snot sucker”! You WILL be slightly freaked out and disgusted the first few times you use it. But rest assured that you will NOT get snot in your mouth. You will feel like a superhero after your first successful snot-removal session!

Sterile Nasal Saline: This rather harmless liquid is essential in providing comfort when your child’s nose is congested. A quick squirt, before you start sucking on the Nose Frida, will help get even the toughest boogers moving.

Braun Ear Thermometer: I can’t believe I used a rectal thermometer on our kids for the first 3-4 years until I found this medical wonder. I can easily check our kids’ temperatures while they are sleeping – which is more than what I can say about the rectal thermometer.

Children’s Benadryl: This is one of those things you WISH you had on hand when you least expect it. Please do NOT give it to your baby or toddler without consulting a medical professional for the proper dosage. However, having it on hand is important, because allergic reactions rarely come with advance warnings.

Children’s Tylenol: Just as with Benadryl, please do NOT give this to your baby without getting the proper dosage from your pediatrician. However, always keep your medicine cabinet well-stocked with Tylenol. Eventually, your little baby will get his first fever that can’t be brought down by lukewarm baths and other home remedies, and running to the store will be the LAST thing on your mind.

Gripe water: In the mommy circles, this is touted as a miracle remedy. If you suspect your baby is troubled with gas pain, give it a try. Our babies always started to get gassier around a month old. Some gas discomfort is normal and can be caused by swallowing air during bottle feeds or while crying. However, should the discomfort continue, don’t hesitate to check with your pediatrician.

*** Print this FREE printable DAILY MEDICATION CHART today and store it with your Children’s Tylenol. You will no longer worry about missed dosages, or worse yet, doubled dosages! Did I mention that it’s FREE?! ***

Teething balm: There is nothing more surprising than teething pain. All of a sudden your baby is drooling worse than a dog with rabies and he’s shoving everything (including his foot) in his mouth. I found there to be eight signs of teething, and here recently I learned about this teething balm. It goes on the OUTSIDE of the cheek and your baby will get almost instant relief.

First aid kit: A small basic kit will do, for the first cuts and scrapes. Just make sure you have bandaids and gauze on hand. As with all these other things, hopefully, you will never need them, but toddling babies have a way of running full force into walls and coffee tables, trust me.

Cool mist humidifier: During flu and cold season (late fall, winter, and early spring) your baby may catch his first cold. There is nothing that hurts a mother’s ears more than a coughing baby. Set up a cool-mist humidifier in the nursery. The moist air will soothe his airways and ease the cough naturally.

Triple Paste Diaper Ointment: Diaper rashes happen. But there is ONE creme that I swear by and that’s Triple Paste. Our sick baby had a bleeding rash while he was in the hospital – it was awful. One day with Triple Paste cleared it up, even the nurses were amazed. (It should not be used with cloth diapers though.)

Don’t miss my popular post on HOW to ORGANIZE your child’s medicine cabinet! 

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