At A Loss...Help?

[Kim B Lynn]

My son, 11 weeks, absolutely HATES having his nose cleaned out. At first he would just act frustrated about it, but now it seems like he's mad at me when I try. We run a humidifier in our room and I squirt BM from a syringe in his nose before I start to make it come out as easy as possible. The milk up his nose didn't use to bother him but now it does.

I used to think that he'd just get used to it eventually...but he's getting worse about it.

This morning he was struggling to breathe so I decided I'd better just do it and get it over with. So I did the milk thing. And he cried and yelled and screamed....without me even doing the bulb syringe. So I figured I'd just leave it at the milk (it usually helps on its own sometimes) and tried to comfort him. He wouldn't be comforted. He kept yelling at me if I tried to feed him or sing to him or even hold him. When I set him down with a binki after not knowing what else to do, he calmed down. I gave him a minute and tried to pick him up....and he started yelling at me again. I really feel like he's getting mad at me.

I don't know what else to do. I guess if I just left the snot in there and he was a mouth breather at least he wouldn't be angry at me...but then I couldn't feed him. Not that he's let me feed him yet since I tried.

I'm so confused and I don't know what to do. I can't comfort my son and I can't help him breathe. I hate this. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.

Isn't there an easier way? Something that won't make him mad at me and make me feel like a horrible mom?

[lifeguard]

Unless he's truly blocked up & won't bf I would just leave it alone (I can't tell from your post how severe it is).

Honestly I would HATE, HATE, HATE someone squirting stuff up my nose & going at it with a syringe. I think that would feel just awful.

How about keeping him more upright (that always helps me when I'm congested)?

[Katie T]

I dont have any advise but wanted to share what ive heard. Im not sure how true it is but makes sense, dont use the buld up his nose very often in a day cause it can make the tissue swell causing more congestion. Hope he feels better soon!

[sewaneecook]

Both my DSs have hated having their noses wiped or syringed. One thing that helps with congestion is to run the hot water in the shower (as hot as it will allow) and make the bathroom in to a steam room to breathe in and help get the congestion out. Sometimes I also boil a pot of water and add some eucalyptus oil to it and keep it in the shower to add to the steam. Keeping the drain plugged helps add steam too.

We're dealing with runny noses here too. So not fun.

[kdtmom2be]

I second the steamy shower idea, that's the ONLY thing that I do when my kids are stuffed up. I have not ever used a bulb syringe on either of my kids and they have been just fine. It makes nursing difficult, but it is not impossible, you (and they, which is harder) just need to have more patience.

[texaspeach]

ds hated the bulb syringe but he's so boogery... I got a nosefrida. It works so much better and doesn't go IN the nose. he still doesn't like it but the nosefrida is more efficient so it is faster.

The real reason I broke down and bought it is the cat stole the bulb syringe and chewed off the tip