Baby with Green Snot Nose and MIL Coming Tmrw!!

Relax...mother-in-laws are over rated...take a chill pill and if he sneezes and gets green snot all over her...she'll get over it!!!

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Try to have him blow his nose or rinse out with saline if you can.
(You can sit on the floor with his head between your thighs, your legs bent, knees raised so they are over his arms/legs, and with those gently pinned down, you'll be able to irrigate/suction his nose. It works for medicine taking, too.)
A steamy bath will make snot blowing easier.
Anything to dry it up will make mucus thicker and will have more potential to develop into ear troubles so I'd stay away from that.

If worse comes to worse - he has a snotty nose when Grandma sees him.
So what?
Like she's never seen a kid in that state before?

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Come R., what did WedMD say?? haha!

Our ped says with a cold its normal to wake up with green snot, because its been sitting in there all night. Yuck, I know! If its green all day, that might mean an infection, but if he doesnt really have anything other than runny nose and cough,, its probably just a little cold.

Hope he feels better!

Oh P.S.- I tried giving my 6 year old benadryl this week when she was coughing in her sleep, it didnt work. :(

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Well Benadryl will make him sleep. :) Oh yeah and it does dry a bit but only if it is allergy related.

I will deny this in a court of law but I would go with Benadryl and a cold medicine with expectorant in it. I can't remember the name of the actual drug but it constricts the nasal membranes so that the snot flows. Add one of the bulb things to suck while he sleeps and you should have a happy camper. :)

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It pretty much has to run it's course. Giving your little one OTC's pretty much interferes with the body's immune system processes and could set him up for an ineffective viral response in the future. This is also why it's best to let a fever run it's course. The body kills the virus by raising it's own temp. Until a fever exceeds 103-4 degress, let it go. There are, of course, mitigating circumstances where you would want to intervene, but it's best to wait it out. Giving tylenol just extends the duration of the event.

Sorry your little one has challenged your plans. Have the 'snot sucker' ready and roll with the flow. Good luck. D.

PS. Go to www.askDrSears.com and see if you can find that answer there. I know there is an opportunity to ask them yourself.

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Hi R..
So sorry your little one is with a snotty nose.

I would use mild saline drops to try to clear up his nose. Also I would put a cold air humidifier in his room. Vitamin C. Juice etc.

I perhaps would not go the meds route....especially without a dr's OK. I hope the other stuff will make him more comfortable and that you will all enjoy a great time together.

GL Jilly

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Relax! I seriously don't think they are going to care. All they care about is seeing him, regardless if he has a runny nose. It's that time of year. I really don't think a doctor is necessary unless he spikes a fever or something gets into his chest. I recommend a humidifier at night, some Puffs with lotion, and a warm bath to get it to drain. It will run its course. Just be thankful he doesn't have a fever and all that to deal with. Remember he's a 2 year old and at this point you are still limited to pretty much Tylenol or Ibuprofen.

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That's what happens when I try to brush teeth! Yes, I use Benedryl when necessary. Good Luck,
Your fellow germaphobe.

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It could be from the change in weather, or dry air too. Yes, it is true, green or yellow snot doesn't necessarily mean a bacterial infection. If he doesn't have any fever, and doesn't look or act sick, I would try to use a nasal spray. Try Little noses, they work well with young kids, and might help him clear some stuff out. If he is allowed Benadryl, I might give him that, but I would wait to clear it with the pediatrician. Good luck, I always hate it when my son is sick when we have company too!

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Hi, R.:

Go to the Health Food store and get some Hyland 5 mg
Vit. C tabs.

Read instructions for the age of the child.
Hope all is well.
D.

i second the mucinex idea. I have also heard that giving them a teaspoon of honey, or mixing the honey in whatever they are drinking, works really well for the cough/sore throat. if you still have those great big nasal snot sucker dealy i'd use that, if you think he wont go into attack mode...lol. very warm baths, have him sit in the bathroom while the shower is running on all hot water, the steam can help. i know everyone says its just a myth, but chicken broth/chicken noodle soup works wonders.
of course, you could always meet the in-laws at the door and hand them both a box of kleenex and warn them to watch out...lol

I would try to suction his nose (unless he's old enough to blow on his own) as often as necessary. Push the liquids and allow him to get plenty of rest.

You are bigger than him-you CAN get saline up his nose, it is by far the cheapest, quickest and easiest way to dry him up. Take an eye dropper and put a few drops in while sleeping or pick him up and cradle him with one arm(his) behind your back and you pinning his other and quickly put some drops in. Or he might just hold still if you ask him to! Or you can ignore it-doesn' sound like a big deal anyways.

My kid loves sipping ginger "tea". It's not tea really, but an infusion. There are tea bags filled with little bits of ginger, which we then steep for a few minutes and cool off before serving. A tiny dab of honey can be mixed in for taste, but my kid likes it without sweetening. The more stuffed up the kid is, the stronger the ginger needs to be. It gets the snot out fast, so we keep a damp cloth nearby for a thorough wipe down after.

DO NOT GIVE HIM BENADRYL!!!

It will dry up the snot and cause him to have a sinus infection and an ear infection. Benadryl is NOT FOR COLDS OR COUGHS.

Benadryl is for an allergic reaction. It is for serious issues. If the mucus was clear and running like a faucet along with runny eyes and hives, then Benadryl would be the right choice.

Give them Sudafed to make it more runny so it can get to where it needs to be and gone.

Go buy a snot sucker that has a clear bulb on the end. It is a blue bulb and the little clear bit comes out when it's getting washed.

Burrito that baby, be the adult here and just do it, get someone to help hold him if needed, and put one finger on the other side of his nose to hold it shut and push all the air out if the bulb, put it up to the other nostril and let go slowly of the blue bulb. It should suck all that stuff out. Push it repeatedly onto a paper towel to get the snot out then do it again and again until the snot is not coming out anymore. You can put it into the nostril a bit too.

There is a spot that will even suck it out of their throat. That can make one puke if you are not prepared for that....it sounds disgusting. But think about it, that was in your baby's throat and in their sinus', how would you feel if it were in yours, you would go blow the heck out of your nose.

Then, after the syringe bulb is empty do the other side. One side is usually more gooey.

This is the way to stop an infection before it becomes one. The drainage goes to the ears, the eyes, the throat and lungs. It spreads and just turns even more nasty. Getting it out of the sinus' is the best way to combat what is starting. Doing the snot sucker several times per day is the same as a bigger kid blowing their nose.

You have to do this or have someone else who knows how to do it. It is not fun for you, it is healthy for the baby. So just do it. Wrap them up in a blanket so their hands and feet can't get to you.

get some cold medicine that is made for little kids for 2-4 yrs like hylands or something that is all natural! it works i have had to use it on my daughter a couple times because she is 2.5 and needs something to help clear her up or she would be sick for 4 months