Baby's First Cold... :( - Butler,PA

N.,
It sounds to me like you are doing mostly everything right I would just add a few suggestions.

I find Motrin to be better because it lasts more like 6 hours not just 4 for Tylenol, which is great overnight especially. We use a cool mist humidfier every night for our son so I know they work well. I would ask your pediatrician about the vicks additives.

I know its hard as parents to have to do something you see as hurting them or upsetting them but if you are lucky enough to be able to suck gunk out of her nose with the aspirator then do it! You are only going to help her breathe better and she will never remember this. Maybe have your husband do it if that's an option. Have you used the Saline Drops for her nose? I think they are called Little Noses and they are good too.

I also would elevate the head part of her crib mattress some with towels or blankets so that it makes it easier for her to breathe. Hopefully she lays in one direction and isn't all over the place!

I love our pediatrician and they have a nurses line. Feel free to call your ped's office and get their advice on the formula versus juice issue as well as what they suggest for cold remedies. From what I can remember formula is just fine to give them, they need their nutrition when they are sick and don't want to eat cereals, etc.

If she is running a fever call the ped, they may want to check her ears and lungs and throat.

I wish you luck! She needs mostly love when she is feeling like this and you sound like a great Mom.

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N.,
I wouldn't give her Tylenol if she's not running a fever.
Prop the head of her crib up with thick books (Or fold up a blanket & put under the mattress) under the legs so it's on a slight incline with her ehad elevated. That will help her breathe better. Vaporizor running all night will help. I'd skip the rub--she may be too little yet. Saline spray or drops will really help with the ...uh....snotty nose. Yes--I would push clear liquids as much as possible. It helps thin the mucous. Hope she's better soon!

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My son was congested and coughing recently. if she starts to have a cough that sounds barky she may have the croup. take her to the doctor if she does not get better. make sure it is only a cold. give her warm baths. may be get in the shower and make it steamy so it will break the congestion up. another thing to do is to use saline spray-called simply saline. most kids do not like bulb syringe. use a cool mist humidifier and elevate her crib where her head is.

break up her feedings into smaller, more frequent ones. this will keep her hydrated and will not add to the congestion. i agree that some diluted juice between bottle feedings helps too. motrin tends to work better than tylenol. don't worry, it will pass in a few days! the more colds she gets now, the better her immune system will be down the road!

I'm sorry to hear that your baby is sick, it's def never any fun for baby or parents. My son is also 8 months but he had been through a few yucky colds so far. I'll tell you what always worked for us...stick with the formula, its the best for baby right now cold or not, some juice/water in between is def ok though (I always use 50/50). Skip on the food and cereal (my son always gagged on it too when he had a cold) a few days without it isnt going to do them any harm. Also the bulb, my son also hates it, screams and cries when he sees it! So, needless to say, I dont use it much! I always use the Vicks BabyRub on him when he's congested. Our bedtime routine during colds is usually this, a nice warm bath with Johnsons Vapor Bath, BabyRub, warm jammies, some infant ibuprofen or tylenol and then a bottle. I also use a vaporizer, with the menthol/eucalyptus liquid for it, in his room. All of that stuff combined seems to help my little one when hes down with a cold.
I hope this helped. Good Luck with everything and I hope your little one gets to feeling better soon!!

N., sounds like youre doing everything you can possibly do. I know that i was using a syringe with a long "neck" until i discovered the ones with the stubby type neck. It doesn't go up into the nose, just sits on the nostril and it works even better and didn't seem to bother them as much. Its tough to watch your little one go through this. I hope shes better soon.

N.,
The other moms responses are right on with the exception of one thing. They are confusing Vicks Vaporub with the liquid you use in the vaporizer. Definitely use the liquid, it will help keep her nostrils moist and dilated which makes it easier for her to breath and get the congestion out. Mine are 21, 9 and 7 y/o and the pediatrician told us it was okay to use liquid, but NOT the rub at your daughter's age. As far as formula, I would dilute it until the congestion is gone.She will receive enough nutrition between the formula she gets and the baby food.

I am so glad you asked this question! I feel I have "solved" the clogged nose problem...

First of all, trhrow away that bulb syringe. They are no good unless you want to baste a really tiny turkey. Then, go to www.nosefrida.com. Buy one of those. Then go to BabiesrUs or Burlington and get a "BeBe Sounds NasalClear. If you use these in conjunction with each other you can get that nose cleared in 10 seconds flat. The nose frida looks weird but it really really works. The NasalClear has songs it plays to distract your baby while she's getting her nose suctioned.
Seriously, these two products TOGETHER are the best way I've found (and my dd's nose was congested for her first 3 months...I have experience in this). Good luck!

Hello! Yes, you are very fourtunate for this to be your daughter's first cold. Have you tried using a humidifer in her room? This will keep her room nice and cool and help to open up her nose/breathe better. Giving her a little less formula (if possible) would help. The milk will definetly make her mucus thicker. Any type of juice (particularly baby juice) would be helpful. The key is to keep her hydrated. The Vicks baby rub is also helpful. I have put a little on my daughter's chest so she can breathe it through her nose vs. putting it directly on her nose. The Vicks vapor plug in works wonders as well. Honestly, if her mucus does not have a color (if it does she should see her pediatrician possibly infection) the Dr. will just tell you to let it run it's course. I hope some of this info helps. Good Luck!!

I use a product with my kids that works wonders. It is called Sudacare. This plugs into the wall outlet and fills the room with a medicine that helps to clear the sinuses so that you baby can sleep. I have had lots of success with this product.

Everybody's response are very good my little hates the boogie sucker as she calls it so i use a vicks vapo plug along with a humidifier and saline drops by little nose also prop her up in an upright position so it runs out of her nose and good luck i live in nj and most peds will not prescribe antibiotic unless there is an infection they will tell you let it runs its course just a note

So sorry your little one is sick. Please call your pediatrician's office to go over their recommendations for babies with colds, just in a phone call. They'll probably be glad to get the chance to tell you what they think is safest. A lot of the advice you're getting here is against what our pedi has told us (for example, we were told not to cut back on feedings or dilute drinks at all-the baby needs nourishment to fight the infection, and studies have shown that milk does NOT cause mucus buildup except in the case of an allergy, and it can actually help fight a cold). If you're nursing at all, that's really helpful b/c your antibodies can help fight the baby's cold. Tylenol can sometimes help the baby be more comfortable, especially with a fever, but all other meds (including vapor rub) can cause real problems in little ones. What worked best with my kids when they were little with colds was to elevate them for sleeping. Putting blankets, etc under the end of the crib mattess never worked for me-the baby would always roll/slide down the incline. I eventually learned to put the baby to sleep in her car seat, inside the crib (with sides up just in case). I'd put a folded blanket under her so the straps weren't poking her, then tuck her on top. If it feels safer, you can strap the baby in. My kids always slept much better like that, because it was easier to breathe. A humidifier helped a lot too. Good luck!

The baby rub is great I use it for my son. I even use it myself sometimes. it really helps open up nose passages. Put it on babies back and chest. My sister said to put it on the soles of their feet too and then put socks on. I do that too, figured it can't hurt. Run the vaporizer as much as you can especially at night. When you are laying down it is harder for passages to stay open. I do hold off on milk when he is nasally. Juice will keep them hydrated and not add to phlegm. Good luck.

Another thing you didn't mention but I found helps a lot (especially if it's less runny nose and more congested nose) is saline (basically salt water) nose drops. It's no fun trying to get the drop in that tiny nostril, but the saline helps to break up the mucus - and the worst that happens is that it makes them sneeze, which also gets stuff out. I've found that doing a drop in each nostril loosens up the mucus, and then it's easier to suck it out because it's farther down the nose (closer to the opening, if that makes any sense). Vaporizers help a lot too - but we always have one running in the colder months because of my daughter's eczema. I've never tried the rub for that reason (she breaks out extremely easily).

Skip the tylenol unless the fever is very high - it only reduces her body's ability to fight the bugs on her own. As for aspirating, it helps for such a short while (when they are in that snot-making mode) that I never found it worthwhile. We have tried the rub - but on their feet, not their chests - but we've never really decided if it helped much. Basically, you give them lots of fluids and just wait it out. As tough as it is to watch, it is the best thing for their little immune systems . . .