Stuffy Nose - Lincoln, NE

My kids all just got over a nasty cold. My 7 month old had it the worst-coughing, stuffy/runny nose, fever. I took him in because he wasn't eating hardly anything and he had an ear infection. If he doesn't improve over the next day or so, I'd bring him in...better safe than sorry! :)

Good luck! It's hard when they're that little, but it does get a little easier as they get older!

Well it looks like everyone else already said what I was going to say about it being allergies and such!! And also, if it's clear snot, that's good, well better than any other color!! Good luck, I hope he feels better!!!!

Hi I guess my little girl started doing that at about 8 or 9 months old. When I did take her in to the doc. He told me it was allergies and put her on singlair to dry her out. It was a powder with no taste but she thought it was the same as a pixie stik and loved it. It solved the runny nose issue too. It might be worth looking into.
Hope this helps,
T.

If his mucous is clear then it is probably not an infection. If his eyes are teary also, he probably has a clogged tear duct. Also, with the saline mist, just turn the bottle upside down and it will do drops, so lay him on the floor where you will have the most control and turn the dropper upside down so it runs down into his nose. Do this a couple times a day and it will help clear it out (what it does is makes the mucous moist enough to run down his throat to swallow... gross but effective). Also, with the nasal aspirator, my baby screams and kicks too, she hates it. But I do it anyway, she probably just hates the tickle-y feeling at the back of her throat with the boogers coming out. Just keeping sucking, he will probably be mad and the boogers will go back into his nose, but eventually you will get it out far enough that you can use your fingers to get it out. Just remember that he probably doesn't like it but its beneficial, especially if its affecting your nursing.

Another suggestion I heard was put some vicks vapor rub on your breast before you nurse so that he gets the benefit of the vapor but no irriation on his belly or face from the strong menthol. Good luck!

Hi L.,
Sorry I don't have any advice to help you but I do have an 8 month old who is just getting over croup. It started off with a runny nose, then turned into a nasty sounding cough. It lasted about 2 weeks. I think the most important thing is to keep fluids in him. If it's a cold, I think you just have to "wait it out".
Good luck to you!
T.
p.s. I did read the other response about teething. That could be a possibility. With my 8 month old he is getting 3 teeth right now.

I had the same issue with my daughter and the doctor recommended sitting with her in the bathroom with the hot water running so that the steam could help to drain her nose. I know it can be very hot and damp to sit in there but it does help a lot. This wa sa recurring problem for a few months, my doc finally decided to try allergy meds and she has been good ever since. Good luck.

Hi. This sounds ridiculous and you'll want to consult a pediatrician or doctor to be sure it's safe for your 7 month old, but try putting vapor rub on his feet and covering them with socks. I've heard it works 100% of the time to ease congestion. Study was done by Canadian scientists...for what it's worth. Hope this helps!

Please do not try any otc meds, they do not work.
Keep trying the saline mist, and the bulb. Try a bulb with a smaller tip, the one from the hospital can actually injure the very sensitive nose tissue. Get one with the big nub on the end. I got one made by the first year company.
The Humidifyer turn all the way up, lay out towels and close the door, spend as much time in his room as you can. You can also put a huge pot of boiling water on your stove (only if you have an electric one, not a gas cause of carbon dioxide). Put a pillow or a rolled up blanket under his mattress, to kinda keep him at an angle.
Give him lots of fluids. Try not to suck his nose out to much, just before he eats..you don't want to irratate him to much.
If he seems too upset you can try just regular tylonal, call your ped for dosage.
If he isn't better in a week I'd take him in.
This is the first of many yucky noses, some kids will eventuly like to do the saline to them selves, it kinda tickels.
Good luck! And try to get some rest I'm sure you are up more at night right now.

Vapor rub on chest--I even heard someone on here say to put it on the soles of the feet with socks before bed.

Have him around a steamy shower before you nurse.

Unfortunately there is nothing else that you can do. All the products have been recalled because of the overdose problem and the fact that they don't work on children that young. Just keep doing what you are doing and eventually it will go away. Clear snot doesn't mean he has a cold, it is the green/ yellowish that tells you he has a cold. I have a 2 year old and this is something that we deal with constantly. It will be ongoing throughout the winter so don't worry too much and use the humidifier.

Cover your baby's eyes when you are bringing the syringe in for a snort! Seriously, it worked for me. If my son couldn't see it coming, he didn't cry. You talk in your nice mommy voice, cover his eyes and go straight in there (gently, of course) with the bulb syringe. P.S. Sounds like he has a cold, and if his snot is clear then he's on the mend.

You've tried what I would try. I have taken a hot shower with my baby before (keeping the hot water off him) so the steam could help loosen things up. I know someone else that used a wedge in the crib to keep their baby propped up so the sinuses would drain. Is he running a fever? If you have a Firstnurse hotline, maybe you could call and get some ideas there too.
Good Luck!

Well it sounds like you are over the worst of the snotties, but for future reference when you need to use the bulb syringe this is the best way to get the to hold still, and yes it looks and sound slike torture, but it is safer to have them still so their little nnoses don't get injured.
Sit on the floor with you baby facing away from you. Lay them back, and scootch them down so their heads on the floor. Put one baby arm under each leg, and then move your legs together, so you are holding the head still. And then suck away as fast as you can.

Hi L.,
I understand about the bulb syringe. My second son HATED it. My husband always told me to do it quickly. Well, when you have a baby kicking and screaming and you are trying not to shove it to far up his nose, it's kind of hard. Not to mention it kind of defeats the purpose of it because now, not only is he snotty, he's worked up and even more snotty.
It sounds like you are doing what you can. I used tissues. It's so hard when they are little and can't nurse. It takes so much longer to feed. If it is clear snot I wouldn't worry to much about it. My kids have had a snotty nose for a month. Good luck. I probably didn't help much.
Chris

L.,

A couple of things I used to do when my children got a stuffy nose was to use a q-tip instead of the bulb. The mucus will cling to the cotton and it seemed not irrate them as much; sometimes it made them sneeze (which helps). You will only be able to use each q-tip side one time becuase after the tip is wet the mucus will not cling to it.

It is very frustrating when your child is sick! This website seems to be a great resource; we are lucky to have it. It is a great way to get advice.

Hi L.,
I haven't tried this, but I just got an email not that long ago that a good way to help fight a cold is by putting Vick's vapor rub on the bottom of their feet and cover them with socks, before they got to bed. I'd say with babies, anything is worth a try :o( Hope your little guy gets better soon!

He may have allergies. Don't force the bulb on him, you might hurt him. No kid likes it though. I'd ask the doc about some over the counter meds. Um, I would also see if he has an infection, since the discharge was colored. It could just be a cold. My youngest is always running at the nose, when the wind blows, when it rains, when he's riding his bike, ect. ect. Good luck.

Create a "steam room" out of your bathroom by putting the shower on hot and stuffing a towel under the door. Sitting in there for with your baby for about 20 minutes can do wonders for the congestion. Also you can buy shower theraflu tabs that will cause a decongesting vapor in the room. (they mights be vicks I am not sure). A gel called AYR can also be applied under the nose it is wonderful and you can get it at the local drugstore. Humidity helps if you have a humidifier. Good Luck.

If you eat dairy your child is too. Dairy causes mucus so that could be the cause. Wouldn't hurt to give it a try. My friend went w/out dairy till her son stopped nursing so he wouldn't have any issues. Could be allergies, also.

Hope this helped, T.

I just got over a cold with my 2 month old. I also had a horrible time. Couldn't hold her down well enough to suck anything out. The trick is to get your baby to sneeze. That is about the only thing the saline is good for. Usually it will irritate their nose enough to make them sneeze and hopefully sneeze something out. Bulbs never worked for me with this one or my last. If you get a bulb with a wider end so it can't go all the way into their nose helps a little. Vicks chest rub helped a little too. Good luck.

my daughter did the same thing, when she was teething. she must have had a snotty nose for 3 months! it was gross, she got frustrated while eating and the works! before she ate i always put vicks vapor rub for babies, on her nose. the menthol cleared her sinuses long enough to eat. and as for sucking out the snot, no, they don't like it one bit! they kick they scream! i used the sucker i got from the hospital, her nose was so small nothing else would fit! i also gave her tylenol for the pain. so i guess the question is, is he teething? if it is helping, keep doing it, he'll be just fine. i hope this helps!

Hello! I have a 3 year old and a 12 month old. Stuffy noses now for a while with the weather.
We have been diffusing Peppermint at night in thier rooms to help open up their nasal passages and help with draining. I have also dripped the peppermint on their beds at the top corner where they wont roll into it when I didnt have a diffuser.

I raise my 12 month olds head a bit. We also use a vaporizor not a humidifyer in his room.

Good Luck!!

I have an 19mo old and from our experience it could be allergies. Only do the snot sucker 2-3 times as their noses are so dainty it can cause swelling if used to much. If the humidifier doesn't work, you can try vicks plug ins IF it is recommended on the package for his/her age. If it is just clear, there is no worry for infection. You can always leave a message for your physicians nurse to ask any question. I do this OFTEN and they are very helpful. Good luck!

As for nursing a baby with a stuffy nose - try having him sit more upright - it might improve his airway a bit.

Hi L.,

I would suggest sitting in a closed bathroom with a hot steamy shower with either some eucalyptus oil mixed in, or you can also by a children's menthol bath soak that your child might be able to breath in to break up some of the mucus. I would look into vapor rub or just using the same oil to rub onto his chest and soles of feet, of course check with your pediatrition first on what age you can use this method. It sounds like his body is fighting the bug quite well! Hope this helped!
Gwyne

It may sound odd, but if they are so congested that they have trouble sleeping, try spraying breast-milk up their nose. At first your little one might find this annoying (mom, you're missing my mouth!), but your milk is an amazing remedy. Just like saline spray, but with added anti-bacterial properties, it may clear up the stuffed nose almost instantly. My little one used to fight it, but now (she's almost 2 now) she'll nod yes if I ask her. I've tried 3 different brands of bulb syringes and never got them to work.

Dear L.,
My mom nursed all five of us kids and she never supplemented, she suggests that you rub a little vix vapor rub on yourself befor you start to nurse. This usually breaks up the stuffiness without being to strong on the baby.

I would possibly try the vapor rub or maybe try getting a vaporizer...the kind with the eucalyptus pads. Vick's and Hall's make one. We have one and it works very well for stuffy noses on the whole family. Also my son gets sinus infections once or twice a year...his mucus is generally clear when he gets these, and it will usually start to move into his chest after a while. I would wait it out a while and if it doesn't clear up within a week or so call the dr. My son's pediatrician classifies a sinus infection as lasting 7-10 days with no improvement. Good luck, I know how miserable it can be!

I think everyone has that same problem with their babies at some point. My husband and I have found a good way that works for us on our children. Take a straw and put it in a shallow cup of water, then cover the top with your finger so the water stays in the straw. After you have some water in the straw turn you child upside down while you are holding him and put a few drops of water in one nostril.(if the child is restless it may take one of you to hold his hands out of the way while the other on puts the water in his nose.) Soon afterward the child will sneeze which will clear out his system. It may seem mean at first, but it does the trick and just lasts for a minute. Then your child can breathe better and you can relax.