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By Lyz Lenz

Over Thanksgiving, my 10-month-old nephew managed to infect 10 adults and two children with a terrible strain of the stomach flu. And while sharing is caring, I kind of wish I hadn’t been given this gift, which apparently keeps on giving…vomit. Luckily my daughter got off easy, with only a mild case of diarrhea , but I’m dreading baby’s first stomach flu.

I know I can’t keep her safe from all diseases, but since illnesses and babies seem to go together like rama lama ding dong, keeping your baby healthy may seem impossible. But I polled my more experienced mom friends and here are their suggestions:

1. Sleep
Meredith, a mom of two, says that she makes sure she keeps her kids sleep schedule. “Sleep! I maintain my kids’ sleep schedule, no matter what. But maybe that’s more to keep them happy (and me [happy]) than healthy.”

2. Good Food and Hand Washing
Jen, also a mom of two, says that she tries to enforce regular hand washing and healthy meals. “I think that combining that with good healthy regular meals and hand washing is as much control as you can exert over it. “

3. Immune boosters
My dear friend Rachelle, who has two boys, uses lots of vitamin D and Briar Rose drops. Elizabeth, a twitter friend, swears by Green Goodness fruit juice, my mother-in-law swears by Airborn and yet another friend loves her vitamins. Basically, all moms agree, immune boosters are a must, and even if they don’t help, giving your kids a little extra healthy stuff can’t ever hurt.

4. Flu shots
The Center for Disease Control (CDC), recommends getting your child vaccinated and I wholeheartedly agree. The CDC recommends the flu vaccine for babies as young as six months and encourages everyone to get their flu shots before flu season gets into full swing. The effectiveness of the flu vaccine is varied, but studies show that it is most effective for those who are most vulnerable—babies. You can read more about it here.

5. Don’t Put Them in a Bubble
Even if you did encase your kid in glass, you can’t protect them from every germ in the world. Allowing your kids to get sick helps them build immunities. And while having sick kids sucks for mom and dad, the upside is, sick kids are more snuggly. A few weeks ago, a cold transformed my willful and independent eight-month-old into a ball of snuggles. I’m not going to lie, I kind of liked that. I’m not suggesting Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, but sickness happens. Stock up on tissues and batten down the hatches.

About the Author:
Lyz Lenz is a writer, a mom and a midwesterner. Although, not in that order. She lives in Iowa and on the web at LyzLenz.com