Help! My DD is sick and wont nurse.

[Auraji]

Hello everyone, my DD is almost 11 months and we both got a cold yesterday. She's been very congested and is been difficult for her to nurse. Yesterday after giving her some tylenol and clearing her nose with the nasal aspirator, she eventually nursed and fell asleep, but today is been a lot more difficult.

I've sat in the bathroom with her with the hot water running. I've used the nasal aspirator. I've had her head raised. I've tried all kinds of positions to nurse, nothing works today. I think the last time she had a feeding was around 3-4pm and she's been crying so much, it's breaking my heart. She tries to nurse, but either pushes the breast away and/or bites me. She's still breathing through her mouth.

Any ideas?

[Pookietooth]

My dd has been going through a similar thing although she mostly refuses at night. Have you tried different positions, especially with her upright, like in a mai-tai or sling in the cuddle hold? My dd seems to prefer nursing upright when she's stuffy. Hope she gets more milk soon.
Here is this:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...to-breast.html

[kismetbaby]

Will she take a cup or a bottle at all? If she will and you can pump that will be easier for her (as a temporary solution of course) while she is really stuffy. But this is just for fluid/hydration and probabyl won't solve the whole issue. . . they want to nurse for comfort b/c they are sick and then can't.
Hope her nose gets better fast!

[Auraji]

Thanks Mamas, she ended falling asleep without nursing. I cried, because she fell asleep with my nipple in her mouth, but her mouth was open so she could breathe. It just made so sad that she wanted to nurse but couldnt, both my breast were completely engorged from her not eating.

She did wake up at like 1AM and her nose was clear and emptied both breast, but then she got stuffy again. Was snoring and the whole trying to nurse, stopping began. She now has a runny nose but doesnt seem to be so congested. It does seem to happen more at night.
I did try nursing with her upright, but it didnt quite work. What work best was with her laying sideways and me holding her head up. It was such a sad feeling to know your baby is hungry/looking for comfort and you cant provide it. Oh and she hates cups and bottles, she has started drinking water from cups, so maybe if it happens again I should try that. i didnt even think about it.

[Hannah'sMommy]

Have you tried the saline nasal spray and nasal aspirator? Maybe you could try that before a feeding to help clear up her nose for a while. I've done that for our DD and it seems to clear her up some for a little bit if she's congested. She hates it, but it helps her.

[Auraji]

Originally Posted by Hannah'sMommy

Have you tried the saline nasal spray and nasal aspirator? Maybe you could try that before a feeding to help clear up her nose for a while. I've done that for our DD and it seems to clear her up some for a little bit if she's congested. She hates it, but it helps her.

I thought about using a saline nasal spray, but wasnt sure if I should. Will try that today if we're having problems again. Thanks

Im sure she will hate it too. She hates the nasal aspirator alone. I think I'd hate it too if someone was putting things up my nose that I didnt know what they were for.

[PoppyMama]

Do you have a nosfrida? They clear so much better than the bulbs.

[mkksmom]

I've read that you can get it at whole foods if you don't have one.

[j_p_i]

mama! We went through this a couple months ago, the good news was it only last two days/one night. I had good luck taking a bath with her and nursing. Also nursing her first thing in the morning worked as well, otherwise she had food and would take breastmilk from a sippy. Good luck mama, hope you and baby feel better soon.

[cheryllynn]

We sometimes use either an adult teaspoon or a syringe when trying to get fliuds into baby. This would be tedious because it's such a small amount, but then again if it's the way that works, it might help.

[cheryllynn]

ok, just looked at the nosefrida site. Those pictures are a hoot! Where do you get babies who will lie still while trying to suck snot out of their nose? If I can't do a stealth swipe-by with a kleenex, dd is whipping her head around so fast it's amazing that the snot just doesn't fly out on its own.

[akat]

I've been expressing milk and putting that in my congested 8 wk old's nose w/a dropper instead of saline.

I read a good thing about saline/aspirating yesterday, can't remember where. It said the main mistakes are not using enough saline, not waiting long enough for it to loosen stuff up before suctioning, and that an aspirator w/ a clear 'mucus trap' works better than the blue bulbs. Also be sure to gently hold the other nostril closed.