Sick as a Dog and Nursing

Been there!! In addition to the great suggestions below, I recommend taking a hot shower and splashing some eucalyptus oil liberally on the floor/walls of the shower. This worked well for me. The Vicks chapstick-like thing was great, too. Ultimately, it is a lot of just get through it. I feel for you!!!! I had a horrible cold when I was pregnant that lasted almost 4 weeks, same deal with not taking any drugs :)

Try something like Musinex that helps break it up and gets it cleared out. Decongestants really just dry it out and packs it in there anyway. Even when you're not nursing, decongestants aren't the most effective.
The best thing to do it make sure you are drinking enough and rest as much as you can and have a box of tissues and a trash can handy.. Neti pots are great as well as saline mists. Get a cool mist humidifier and run it while you sleep. Take a nice steamy shower or bath to help break it loose.
I have a head cold myself so I know how you feel. My nursling is older so my milk supply doesn't suffer as much now but I still don't like to take anything.
Feel better soon!

Humidifier. Long, hot shower. Lots of liquids. You can also call a lactation center and ask them to look up what is OK to take. I forget what I was allowed to take. Kellymom.com may also have a list of common meds and their "rating" on how much they affect your child.

Try Vicks near your nostrils.
Or the Vicks "stick" thing. It looks like a chapstick.... but you put it near your nose and inhale. To clear it up.
Or try saline nasal drops.

I take lots of hot showers.

Steam will help. Hang out in the bathroom with hot water running in the shower, or boil water in a pot and inhale the steam. You can add a few drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil to make it more effective. (Or, if you have the oils, you can put a few drops on a rag and sniff it. Do NOT try to put the oil in your nose though... Lol.)

Saline nasal sprays in addition to the neti pot.

Fenugreek tea actually helps with congestion a bit, and is more often used to help increase your milk supply. So, if you DO have to resort to a decongestant, drinking some Mothers Milk tea will help with the congestion AND help keep your supply.

Also, drink lots of extra water, and eat foods high in vitamin C. :)

Breath as much steam as you can.
It's great if you can work in lot's of steamy showers or stand over a steamy pot of chicken soup.
I got this the last time I had a cold that lingered for a long time and it made steam sessions so easy it was totally worth getting it.

http://www.amazon.com/Mabis-40-741-000-92-741-00-Steam-In...

I was going to recommend Afrin, but I googled it to make sure it was safe since I didn't breastfeed. Go to www.breastfeedingbasics.com and click on Articles. If you scroll down there is an article about nursing while sick. It tells you what you can take and side effects. Afrin is listed as safe to use. I know most doctors don't like it, but I love it. It says to use 2-3 sprays, but I usually get cleared up after 1 spray. Don't use it past the 3 days it recommends. Also, when I was pregnant, I did the Nettie pot in the shower with the steam and that seem to help a lot.

Vicks in/around my nostrils. Steam. (When I wash my face, I use a HOT towel and hold it under my nose.) Ginger tea. (I use chunks of ginger to make tea. It's good for digestion and just keeps things flowing through my body.)

Recently, my grandmother gave me a Himalayan salt inhaler thing. I put my mouth on it and breathed in through my mouth and out through my nose. About 10-15 minutes twice a day. It's supposed to cleans the entire respiratory system, including lungs and sinuses. I can't tell you if it works, but whenever I would use it, I could feel that stuff loosening up overnight, and I'd wake up coughin' and spittin' and feeling less clogged.