Baby Coughing at Night: What Helps Right Now

A cough isn’t a disease. It’s a protective reflex: with every cough, the body moves mucus and germs out of the airways. So the goal isn’t to stop the cough, but to make it easier for your baby to clear it. If your baby coughs more at night than during the day, there are two main reasons:

• When lying down, mucus runs into the throat. With a runny nose, secretions flow backward in the evening and overnight toward the voice box and trigger coughing there.

• Young babies breathe mostly through their noses for the first few months. If the nose is blocked, they feed and sleep worse; if they breathe through the mouth, the throat dries out and gets even more irritated.

Only coughing at night and hardly at all during the day? With a stuffy or runny nose, that’s typical. But if your child keeps coughing at night for weeks without an infection, reflux may be behind it, even without obvious spit-up; in toddlers, an allergy or sensitive airways can also be a cause. Then your child should be seen promptly.

That’s why the most important question at night is not “How often is my baby coughing?” but “How is my baby breathing between coughing spells?” Calm does not mean silent—with a stuffy nose, your baby may snuffle, and young babies never breathe perfectly evenly. Calm means they are not having to work hard. Three signs say otherwise, and then you should call 911 right away: the skin pulls in between or under the ribs with each breath in, the lips or tongue turn bluish or gray, or there are breathing pauses of about 20 seconds or longer.

In dim light and in a closed sleep sack, you can’t see the most important signs of breathing trouble in a baby. Take one minute:

1. 1

   Turn on a real light. A night-light is not enough to check skin color or see retractions.

2. 2

   Open the sleep sack and pull the bodysuit up until the chest and belly are visible. Your baby can stay lying down for this.

3. 3

   Watch the chest, belly, and neck for one full minute. Is the skin pulling in between the ribs, under the rib cage, or in the hollow above the breastbone when your baby breathes in? Do the nostrils flare with every breath in? Does the head bob in time with breathing? Any one of these signs means your baby is working to breathe.

4. 4

   Count the breaths for a full minute while your baby is calm or asleep—crying and fever make breathing faster. If you’re unsure, count for another full minute right away. Breathing is too fast up to about 8 weeks (under 2 months) at 60 breaths a minute or more, from about 8 weeks to 12 months at 50 or more, and from 1 to 5 years at 40 or more. If it’s above that, have it checked urgently by a medical professional; at night, call your pediatrician’s after-hours line. If it’s more than 70 at rest, call 911 right away—the same goes for chest retractions or grunting. You’ll know your comparison rate if you count for one minute while your healthy baby is asleep.

5. 5

   Check the color in the center of the body: lips, tongue, and the inside of the mouth. Cool, slightly bluish, mottled hands and feet are often harmless in young babies. In babies with darker skin, a blue or gray color is easiest to spot on the tongue, gums, and inside of the lips.

6. 6

   Listen. Snuffling, snoring, and rattling usually come from the nose and throat and often get quieter after your baby coughs or when the nose is clear. A whistling sound when breathing out, or a harsh pulling sound when breathing in that stays even at rest, comes from deeper in the airways or from the voice box.

Grunting or groaning? Many healthy babies grunt and strain in their sleep or while digesting, on and off. A warning sign is a groaning sound at the end of every breath out, happening over and over in a steady pattern, together with fast breathing or retractions.

Breathing pauses: what’s normal and what isn’t. Young babies often have periodic breathing in sleep: a few quick breaths, then a pause of 5–10 seconds, then breathing starts again. That is normal and usually fades by 6 months. An emergency is a pause of about 20 seconds or longer—or a shorter pause if your baby turns blue, pale, or gray, or seems floppy. Then speak loudly to your baby, touch them, and pick them up. If breathing does not go back to normal right away, call 911 and put your phone on speaker: the 911 dispatcher will tell you what to do until help arrives.

Can you wake your baby? You only need to check this if your baby looks unwell. Speak to them, stroke the sole of the foot, pick them up. If they open their eyes, look at you, protest, or root for the breast, they are waking appropriately. “Hard to wake” means they barely respond, stay floppy, or drift right back off. Then call 911.

Most babies with a cough don’t need the ER. They need patience, closeness, and a clear nose. These three levels can help you sort it out. Immediate means: call 911 now. Urgent means: within the next few hours, even at night. Prompt means: the same or next office day.

Stage 1—call 911 now if your child …

• is clearly struggling for air: retractions at the ribs or breastbone, flaring nostrils, head bobbing with each breath, or grunting with every breath out,

• is breathing more than 70 times a minute at rest,

• has breathing pauses of about 20 seconds or longer, or turns blue, pale, or floppy during them,

• develops bluish or gray lips or tongue,

• is limp and hard to wake,

• has a harsh pulling sound with every breath in even at rest, or is drooling heavily and can no longer swallow,

• has a seizure, cries in a very high-pitched or unusually weak way, or develops a fever with spots that do not fade under a glass,

• has choked and cannot get air (instructions in the box below).

Stage 2—get urgent medical assessment, in the office by day or through your pediatrician’s after-hours line overnight, if …

• your baby is younger than 3 months and has 100.4 °F (38.0 °C) or higher, or below 97.7 °F (36.5 °C), measured rectally — in that case, don’t call the after-hours line first; go straight away to the ER at a children’s hospital,

• they vomit green—again, go straight to the ER at a children’s hospital,

• they are 3 to 6 months old and have 102.2 °F (39 °C) or more, measured rectally,

• they are breathing faster than the guide numbers or wheeze when breathing out,

• over several feeds they are taking only half to three-quarters of their usual amount, a diaper stays dry for 8 hours or longer, or there are other signs of dehydration,

• they cough in fits and then gag, vomit, or turn red to blue, or if someone close to them has been coughing for more than 2 weeks,

• a sudden barking cough starts—every time,

• they suddenly started coughing hard and might have inhaled something, even if the coughing has stopped,

• you are worried. Your gut feeling is a valid reason to call.

Stage 3—make a prompt appointment with the pediatrician if …

• your baby is younger than 3 months and is coughing, even without a fever—then the same day,

• the fever lasts longer than 3 days,

• the cough or runny nose is not getting better after a week, or is getting worse,

• the cough lasts longer than 2 weeks with no cough-free days, or longer than 4 weeks even if it is easing,

• after a few days of cold symptoms, a new fever appears, your baby cries more when lying down, or pulls at an ear—an ear infection may have joined in,

• they wheeze with every infection, or keep coughing at night without a cold,

• they spit up a lot and are not gaining weight well.

If “promptly” falls on a weekend or holiday, for babies under 3 months that still means the same day, for example at a pediatric urgent care; your pediatrician’s after-hours line can tell you which one is nearest. For the other points, the next office day is usually fine; if you’re unsure, call the after-hours line.

If your baby coughs at night, it helps to follow the same order every time. It gives you something solid to hold on to when you’re half asleep yourself.

1. 1

   Look first: turn on the light, open the sleep sack, and take a full minute, as described above. If any Stage 1 sign fits, call 911.

2. 2

   Pick your baby up. Upright against your shoulder, a coughing spell is easier to get through. Your warmth and calm voice help too: a calm baby breathes more easily than a crying one.

3. 3

   Check for fever, always in babies under 3 months, otherwise if your baby feels warm (how-to in the box below). Under 3 months, the temperature determines the stage, which is why this step comes early.

4. 4

   Clear the nose, with saline drops and, if needed, gentle suction (step-by-step in the box below).

5. 5

   Offer a feed: breast or bottle, ideally more often and in smaller amounts.

6. 6

   Air out the room briefly, then about 64 °F (18 °C). Cool, fresh air can ease a croup attack. Hours of cold draft, on the other hand, tend to irritate sensitive airways—there is no need to leave the window open all night.

7. 7

   Put your baby back in the crib, flat on the back, in a sleep sack, with no pillow or wedge.

8. 8

   Write down a few basics: what time the coughing spells happened, temperature and where you measured it, how much your baby drank, wet diapers, medicines—on paper or in an app like Moonsleep. Also record a coughing spell and one full minute of breathing with the chest uncovered: in the office, your baby often is not coughing just then, and on the phone you can describe more accurately what you’re seeing.

And if your baby falls peacefully back asleep after the coughing spell? Let them sleep. You do not need to wake them for nose drops. Rest helps right now.

With a blocked nose, a baby can barely suck and breathe at the same time. This can make it easier:

• Clear the nose right before latching.

• Nurse more upright, for example in an upright straddle hold on your thigh or while you lean back, so your baby’s head is higher than the bottom. That makes breathing easier.

• Shorter and more often, with breaks. If your baby keeps unlatching, they’re coming off to catch their breath—not weaning themselves. Many babies feed more calmly while drowsy and in skin-to-skin contact.

• If feeding is weak, express milk by hand or pump so your supply stays up and you do not develop plugged ducts or engorgement.

• Bottles: hold your baby upright and the bottle more horizontal, use a slow-flow nipple, and pause often. Never prop the bottle, and never let your baby drink alone while lying down.

Is your baby drinking enough? With a bottle, you can see the amount: a warning sign is if over several feeds your baby manages only half to three-quarters of their usual amount. With breastfeeding, watch the number and length of feeds, whether you can hear swallowing, whether your baby seems satisfied afterward—and watch the diapers. In the first weeks, 6–8 heavy wet diapers in 24 hours are normal; after that, usually 5–6, and from about 6 months, 4–6. Only half as many as usual, a diaper dry for 8 hours or longer, a dry mouth, no tears when crying, a sunken soft spot, or unusual limpness should be checked urgently.

Is the diaper actually wet? Modern diapers absorb so well that at night you may barely notice. Put a piece of paper towel inside, or compare the weight with a fresh diaper in your other hand.

Should you wake your baby to feed? In the first month, until your baby is back to birth weight, they should not go longer than about 4 hours at night without a feed; then wake them gently and clear the nose first. Older babies can be left asleep as long as they are breathing calmly—offer the breast or bottle at the next waking.

A well-prepared evening can help your coughing baby sleep better and save you a few steps in the night:

1. 1

   Air out the room briefly. A hygrometer can show whether the humidity is between 40% and 60%.

2. 2

   Clear the nose before the last feed. If reflux is part of the picture, keep the feed on the smaller side and hold your baby upright for a while afterward.

3. 3

   Use a sleep sack instead of a blanket, no hat, and do not dress your baby more heavily than usual, even with a fever. Feel the back of the neck: warm, but not sweaty.

4. 4

   Keep the crib in your bedroom, so you can hear your baby.

5. 5

   Lay out what you’ll need at night: thermometer, drops, tissues, water for you, a charged phone.

Back to your usual rhythm after the infection: while your baby is sick, they need extra closeness, and that’s okay, even if they fall asleep at the breast more often or in your arms. Once they are well again, gently return to your usual bedtime routine: the same order, similar times, and a few evenings of patience.

When your own child is coughing, you want to do something. Here’s a quick check of what helps a baby and what can do harm—with one rule for all remedies: none of them belongs in your baby’s bed.

Helpful and safe: saline drops, gentle suction, frequent nursing or bottle feeds, closeness, and airing out the room briefly. If the air is very dry, a damp cloth hung over a radiator or near a heating vent can help. Use a humidifier only with cool mist, out of reach, not pointed at the crib, and with the cord secured; change the water daily and clean the device as the manufacturer recommends. Above 60% humidity encourages mold, so no wet laundry in the bedroom and never drape cloths over the crib. From the first birthday on, 1/2 teaspoon of honey in the evening, before toothbrushing, can ease the urge to cough.

Harmless, but without proven benefit

• Breast milk in the nose: some parents swear by it, but for colds it has not been well studied. If you do use it, use freshly expressed milk; saline remains the tested choice.

• Onions beside the bed: there is no proven effect against cough. If you use them at all, keep them out of reach, never in the bed.

• Using a nebulizer with isotonic saline from sterile single-use vials: not harmful, but a clear benefit for colds has not been proven. More concentrated solutions and additives only on a doctor’s advice, and no oils; clean and dry the device after every use.

• Tea: Under 6 months, your baby doesn’t need anything except milk. After that, water is the best drink; the European medicines regulator advises against medicinal fennel tea for children under 4.

• Chest wraps: never hot potato wraps on a baby—there is a burn risk. For toddlers, at most lukewarm, and test the temperature first on the inside of your own wrist.

Risky—please don’t

• No honey before the first birthday, not in tea, not on a pacifier, not in syrup: it can cause infant botulism, a rare but life-threatening paralysis that can even affect breathing.

• No cough syrups, cough suppressants, or mucus-thinning medicines on your own, including herbal ones. For cough-suppressing medicines, there is no proof of benefit in children. In the EU, ivy preparations must not be given to children under 2 because breathing problems can worsen, acetylcysteine is labeled off-limits under 2, and codeine under 12. Talk to your pediatrician’s office before any medicine.

• No essential oils and no cold balms with menthol, camphor, eucalyptus, or peppermint oil under age 3, including products sold “for babies”—not on the skin and not as a room scent: even a few drops can trigger a laryngeal spasm with sudden breathing trouble.

• No hot steam over a bowl or in the bathroom: no proven benefit, but a real burn risk.

• Use decongestant nose drops only after medical advice, only in an infant strength, exactly as directed, and never for longer than the package directions say, usually no more than 5–7 days. Never use spray meant for adults or older siblings: an overdose can cause breathing pauses, seizures, or extreme sleepiness in infants.

• No aspirin for children and no antibiotics just in case—antibiotics do not work against cold viruses.

Already happened? If you have already applied balm or oil, wash the area with water and a little soap, air out the room, and keep a close eye on your baby. For breathing trouble, seizures, or if your baby is hard to wake: call 911. If something got into the mouth or nose, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (in the US)—it is available 24/7.

From here on, this section is about causes, for reference. Whether dry, phlegmy, barking, or wheezy, the sound of a cough can give you clues about how urgent it is—but it can’t replace a diagnosis.

• Phlegmy cough with a runny nose: loose, especially in the evening and when lying down, with calm breathing in between. Usually a cold. What helps now: clear the nose, offer fluids, and watch closely.

• Rattling, noisy, snuffly breathing: if it gets quieter after coughing or when the nose is clear, the mucus is sitting in the nose and throat, not in the lungs. With fast breathing, retractions, or fever: get urgent assessment. If your baby has squeaked or sounded snuffly when breathing in since the first weeks of life, louder with feeding and crying, the cause is often a still-soft voice box, which usually firms up by the first or second birthday; bring it up at the office.

• Dry, irritating cough with no other signs of illness: no runny nose, no fever, cheerful mood. Dry heated air or smoke are often behind it. What to do now: check the air and the environment; if it lasts for weeks, book a prompt appointment.

• A barking cough that sounds like a seal, with a hoarse voice and a harsh pulling sound when breathing in (stridor): typical of croup, usually from about 6 months on. What to do now: calm your child and get urgent medical assessment; stridor even at rest: call 911.

• A high-pitched whistling sound when breathing out (wheezing) and faster breathing: often the small airways are inflamed, for example with bronchiolitis or wheezy bronchitis. What to do now: get urgent assessment.

• Coughing fits: the coughs come so close together there is hardly any air in between, the face turns red or bluish, and at the end there is a loud gasp that sounds like a whoop, often with gagging or vomiting; between fits, the child can seem almost well. Typical of whooping cough; young babies often have breathing pauses instead of the whoop. What to do now: call urgently; for breathing pauses or a blue color, call 911.

• Sudden, severe coughing out of nowhere, especially in toddlers while eating or playing: something may have been inhaled, such as a piece of nut. What to do now: get urgent assessment, even if the coughing stops—it is not unusual for symptoms to improve after a few days even though the object is still there.

Many colds in babyhood are not a sign of a weak immune system: your child has to build protection against each of the many cold viruses one by one. Until school age, 8–12 respiratory infections a year can be normal, and often more with siblings or day care.

It often starts with a runny nose, sometimes with a mild fever, and then the cough begins: dry at first, later looser. The infection usually lasts 1–2 weeks, but the cough often lasts longer; up to 3 weeks is not unusual. The airway lining needs time to recover, and the bronchi can stay sensitive for a while, so cold air, exertion, or smoke may trigger more coughing again. What matters is the direction: looser and less frequent. Antibiotics do not help with a cold.

When to go to the office is listed in Stage 3. For babies under 3 months, these timelines do not apply: every cough at that age needs medical assessment the same day.

The first attack is a frightening moment for many parents. Often the child only seemed mildly sick during the day, then wakes in the evening or at night: the cough barks, the voice is hoarse, and you hear a harsh pulling sound on the breath in. The cause is virus-related swelling at and below the voice box. It is most common between 6 months and 3 years, especially in fall and winter; usually it is over after about 2 days.

How to help during an attack:

1. 1

   Stay as calm as you can. Crying makes the breathing trouble worse; your calm voice is the best remedy right now.

2. 2

   Hold your child upright in your arms or sit them on your lap.

3. 3

   Let cool, fresh air reach the face: by an open window, in front of an open refrigerator, or bundled up warmly for a short time on the balcony or porch—never unattended. Many children calm down with this, even though it is not firmly proven.

4. 4

   No hot steam: no proven benefit, but a burn risk.

5. 5

   Once your child has calmed, offer small sips to drink: babies the breast or bottle, and children already on solids cool water from a cup.

6. 6

   If your child has been prescribed a steroid (cortisone) medicine, give it exactly as discussed. It does not work right away — earliest after about half an hour, often only after 1–2 hours. Don’t give a second dose without checking first, and if breathing trouble is getting worse, still call 911. If it’s a suppository, ask the doctor’s office beforehand what to do if it comes out again right away.

And afterward? A sudden barking cough should be assessed urgently every time, overnight through your pediatrician’s after-hours line—even if your child has calmed down in the meantime. They can judge whether morning is soon enough. Check more often through that night and the next one; attacks can come back. If the pulling sound returns at rest, or the skin pulls in with each breath: call 911.

If your child is drooling heavily, cannot swallow, is sitting leaning forward, has a muffled “hot potato” voice, and has a high fever but hardly any cough, epiglottitis may be the cause. Since the Hib vaccine it is rare, but it is always an emergency: do not look in the throat, do not lay your child down, do not give anything to drink, and call 911 immediately.

RSV circulates mainly from fall through spring. In infants, RSV infections are among the most common reasons for hospital admission. Babies in the first 6 months of life, premature babies, and children with certain underlying conditions are especially at risk.

In the youngest babies, the virus can inflame the tiniest branches of the airways, causing bronchiolitis, a disease of the first 2 years of life. It starts like a runny nose; after 1–2 days the cough gets worse and breathing gets faster. Days 3–5 are usually the hardest, and the cough often improves within 3 weeks. Pay especially close attention to retractions, breathing rate, and how much your baby is drinking; the cutoffs are in the three stages above. At home, a clear nose, smaller feeds more often, being kept upright while awake, and a smoke-free environment all help.

Prevention: In Germany, the national immunization committee recommends a long-acting antibody for all babies during their first RSV season, given as a single shot into the thigh, for example Nirsevimab or Clesrovimab. Babies born between April and September get it in the fall before the season, between September and November. Babies born between October and March get it as soon as possible after birth, at discharge or at the first newborn checkup. Missed it? Then catch up as soon as possible during the first season. A mild infection is not a reason to wait, and it can be given at the same visit as the routine vaccines. You can check whether your baby has already had it in the immunization record, for example; otherwise ask at the doctor’s office. Children with certain severe underlying conditions may also get it in the second season. In Germany, an RSV vaccine during pregnancy is not currently recommended; if the mother was vaccinated anyway, a healthy baby usually does not need prophylaxis — unless the vaccine was given less than 2 weeks before birth or the baby has risk factors. Talk to your pediatrician about what’s recommended for your baby.

Whooping cough is caused by bacteria, spreads through droplets, is highly contagious, and is especially dangerous for young babies. Typical are the coughing fits described above under types of cough, often clustering at night; fever is usually absent, and the illness can drag on for many weeks. Under 6 months, the risk of severe illness is highest, and young babies often have pauses in breathing instead of the classic “whoop,” sometimes with a bluish color.

Teens and adults often have only a long-lasting cough, so the illness goes unrecognized in them—and they are exactly the people who infect infants. If someone close to you has been coughing for more than 2 weeks or has confirmed whooping cough, call your pediatrician’s office urgently, and outside office hours use their after-hours line. After an exposure, infants and their household often receive an antibiotic as a precaution, and it works best early. The illness itself is also treated with antibiotics; a child who is sick can usually return to day care 5 days after starting effective treatment, if the office agrees.

How to protect your baby now

• Check your pregnancy records and your immunization record to see whether you were vaccinated against whooping cough during this pregnancy; the German immunization committee recommends this in every pregnancy. If not, the mother should ideally be vaccinated in the first few days after birth.

• In Germany, babies are vaccinated at 2, 4, and 11 months, and premature babies also at 3 months; ask your pediatrician about the recommended schedule. After the first dose, protection is not yet complete.

• Your partner, grandparents, and anyone caring for the baby should be vaccinated too—in Germany, if their last dose was more than 10 years ago—ideally before the birth, otherwise now.

If your baby coughs at night without having a cold, common causes are choking on milk or saliva, reflux, dry air, or smoke.

Coughing during feeds: often it’s the milk flow. If your baby coughs and sputters mainly in the first minutes at the breast, the milk is often simply coming too fast (a strong let-down). Try feeding in a more upright or laid-back position, unlatch briefly during the first strong flow, and catch the milk in a cloth. With a bottle, the nipple hole is often too large.

If your baby chokes, pick them up, hold them leaning slightly forward, let them cough, and then wipe out the mouth. If the cough is strong and your baby gets air in between, the protective reflex is working. No sound, no cough, turning blue: call 911 and follow the steps in the box “Choking and not breathing.”

Reflux. Many babies spit up after feeds; it usually begins before 8 weeks of age and improves by the first birthday. Some babies cough or hiccup during feeds even without visible spit-up (“silent reflux”). It helps to keep your baby upright for a while during and after feeds, burp them in between, and offer smaller feeds. Sleep is still flat on the back; a raised head end does not help. Thickeners, anti-reflux formula, and acid blockers should only be used after medical advice.

When should you bring this to the office? Promptly if your baby is not gaining weight well, screams and arches with every feed, spit-up starts only after 6 months, or is still there after the first birthday—and if your baby coughs or gags at almost every feed, sounds gurgly afterward, or keeps getting chest infections; then the office will check whether swallowing is working properly. Urgently for projectile vomiting, especially between 2 and 8 weeks of life, and for blood in vomit or stool. Green vomit: go to the ER at a children’s hospital immediately.

Dry air makes nasal mucus thicker; 40 to 60% humidity is ideal, and what helps is explained under “Home remedies and cough syrup.” Smoke makes coughing clearly worse: children of parents who smoke are more likely to get obstructive bronchitis, and with bronchiolitis the risk of a severe course goes up. Smoking on the balcony doesn’t protect your baby either, because residue clings to clothes, hair, and furniture. If someone smokes, they should wash their hands afterward and put on a clean top before holding the baby. E-cigarettes and hookah don’t belong anywhere near your baby either, and incense, scented candles, or room sprays can further irritate sensitive airways.

Some babies and toddlers wheeze when breathing out with almost every infection: the bronchi swell, and thick mucus narrows them even more. This is common—30% to 50% of all infants and toddlers have at least one such episode—and most do not go on to develop asthma. What matters for you: have wheezing assessed urgently, and mention at the office whether asthma, eczema, or allergies run in the family.

If the office prescribes an inhaler, little children use it with a spacer and mask: shake the inhaler and insert it into the spacer, hold the mask snugly over the mouth and nose, press one puff into the chamber, and let your child take as many calm breaths as the office told you—often 5–10. Give each further puff separately. It works best when your child is calm or drowsy; when crying, hardly any medicine gets in. After steroid inhalers, wipe the face and offer a drink. Wash the spacer about once a week in warm dishwater and let it air-dry.

And you? A baby with a cough often means several short nights in a row. That’s exhausting, and worries feel bigger at night than they do during the day.

• Set your limits in the daytime. Write the warning signs from the three stages on a note beside the bed, or take a screenshot of the “Watch for these signs” box. Then at 3 a.m. you do not have to overthink—just check.

• Get everything ready: drops, thermometer, tissues, water, a charged phone, your health insurance card, and your baby’s immunization record. And for the next cold, keep a small supply of single-use saline vials, a digital thermometer, and a nasal aspirator at home.

• Sleep whenever you get the chance, including during your baby’s daytime naps. If there are two of you, split the night: one is on duty, the other sleeps—even in a different room if needed.

• You don’t have to get through this alone, even if you don’t have family nearby. At night, your pediatrician’s after-hours line can answer medical questions. If you feel completely overwhelmed, call or text 988 any time. In the US, you can also call or text the National Parent & Youth Helpline at 1-855-427-2736, day or night, and some communities offer free home visiting programs for new parents.

If you’re sick too: you can keep breastfeeding—your cold does not pass through breast milk; instead, you pass protective antibodies to your baby. Wash your hands before feeding and diaper changes, cough into your elbow, and feel free to wear a mask during close contact. Advice that sick people should avoid contact with babies under 6 months applies to visitors and siblings, not to breastfeeding and comforting. For your own medicines, ask at the pharmacy or a medicines-in-breastfeeding advice service: pseudoephedrine, for example in combination cold medicines, can lower milk supply, and codeine should be avoided entirely while breastfeeding. And anyone taking a medicine that causes drowsiness should not sleep with the baby in bed or on the couch.

If you feel scared at night, that does not mean you are overreacting—it means you are paying attention. A call that ends with “everything is okay” is not a wasted call. It’s a calmer night.