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Sadly, nearly every baby experiences some sort of sickness the first year of life. Some of the more common illnesses your baby might experience are the flu, a cold, an earache or stomach ache. For parents, it's very difficult to see your robust, active and happy baby turn miserable and limp. Of course the first thing you should do is contact your pediatrician's office or even urgent care or a hospital depending on your baby's symptoms for treatment advice. Following that, there likely will be a period of time that you have to just ride out the symptoms and wait for the medicine to kick in and your baby to regain her strength and vigor. Comforting a sick, miserable baby can be worrisome and perplexing for a new parent. There are several things you can do to soothe your baby and make the experience easier for you both.

For a stuffy nose, nasal spray works to loosen things up but your baby probably won't like the experience one bit. I use a tweezers to pull out boogers that obstruct breathing, done while the baby is asleep. Also, elevate one end of the crib mattress by putting something under it so your baby can sleep with her head at the highest part of the incline. Pillows are not recommended for babies under two, so elevating the mattress works and is a good solution. If your baby falls asleep in your arms and you find it difficult to move her to the crib, sliding her into an almost sitting position in a corner of the couch works well to make breathing easier. The down side is that you cannot leave your baby unattended in this position, however it's a small price to pay for a little break from a fussy baby. Warm baths are helpful easing nasal congestion so don't avoid them if your baby has a cold. Humidifiers in baby's room also helps relieve congestion. Baby wipes are a better choice than Kleenex to keep your baby's nose clean or better yet, rotate between the two to keep baby's nose free of obstructions and avoid chaffing. Some parents use bulb nasal extractors but they never worked for me.

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To relax and calm your baby you can try a gentle back massage. Also likely touching her skin with the tips of your fingers is relaxing slowly going up and down her legs, head and arms. On her face use one finger barely touching her skin going over her forehead, eyebrows and cheeks. Avoid this on the tummy or neck as it might tickle your baby. Gentle pulling ¼ inch strands of your baby's hair, like you are playing with it or twirling it works for some babies. Don't ask me why, but it's a distraction I suppose for them.

If your baby has gas, position them facing down with your hand supporting her head and her body laying along your arm with legs startled on either side. The upside down pressure usually works to relieve gas and you can walk around with your baby in this position. The different view and position might soothe your baby too.
If your baby has a temperature, and can drink cool water (in a sippy cup) offer water frequently to keep your baby hydrated. Your baby will likely enjoy more cold foods than usual, like yogurt, cold applesauce etc., so offer them freely. A cool washcloth on her forehead will feel good.

It's always distressing when your baby's sick but hopefully by following doctor's orders and using soothing techniques to relax your baby will help make a difficult part of parenting easier.