Sick newborn - what to do? « Back to Group Discussions

[Code Name Mama]

Ailia woke up this morning with green snot, a slight congested cough, and runny eyes. Guys, Kieran has been fighting this crap for 10 days, me for 7, and we are still miserable. What do I do for my sweet little newborn?!

None of the natural, preventative stuff has done anything that I can see. We've been taking tons of vitamin C and zinc, we've done elderberry, I've used Thieves on feet and in the diffuser, I've tried peppermint oil for congestion, we've done chamomile tea on eyes and ingested, we've been drinking hot tea and oj and water all day, etc.

This morning I put breastmilk in Ailia's eyes and nose - I have not done that yet w/Kieran (well, I did put colostrum in his eye back when it was goopy).

I am trying hard not to freak out.

[IwannaBanRN]

I'm so sorry. :( That's gotta be hard. I'd say if it doesn't start clearing up in a day or two to have her looked at. Breastfeeding in general would help my daughter fight off everything very quickly when she'd get sick. She actually never came down with anything until I stopped breastfeeding her.

[Mal85]

We've got it here too. All of us, including Greta. She seems to be handling it pretty well though. She sometimes gets mad if she can't suck very well because of her stuffy nose. I use the evil-nose sucker before she eats. She hates it, but it helps. She gags on the mucous sometimes though, which makes her spit up more. I'm just hoping it doesn't last too long...

[Code Name Mama]

I haven't gotten out the snot sucker out, b/c she's still breathing fine - while nursing and while sleeping. My main concern is this cough - Kieran and I have been up hours every night hacking, and it's painful! I finally resorted to OTC medicines - motrin and tussin - for both of us, because none of our natural remedies were having any effect. But I can't do that for a newborn

[Abraisme]

It's likely that she'll get a very mild version of what you have.  Your breastmilk will have antibodies in it that should help her recover faster than you and K.  Hopefully it will pass quickly! 
 

Originally Posted by Code Name Mama 

I haven't gotten out the snot sucker out, b/c she's still breathing fine - while nursing and while sleeping. My main concern is this cough - Kieran and I have been up hours every night hacking, and it's painful! I finally resorted to OTC medicines - motrin and tussin - for both of us, because none of our natural remedies were having any effect. But I can't do that for a newborn

[Jaimee]

I'm sorry Dionna, that sucks!  But also a reality with #2.  I think ds got sick just a few weeks after he was born, too.  Breastmilk in the nose for sure, keep dosing yourself on vitamin C, elderberry, vitamin D, echinacea, etc. and a humidifier could help with that cough.  I've recently become a humidifier convert as I saw just how effectively it relieved my dd's cough after trying all sorts of other things (including OTC and prescription meds).  If she has a lot of snot it's probably draining down her throat, exacerbating her cough, even if it's not causing full on congestion.  So I would still suggest sucking her nose out.  But not with a bulb aspirator, with the NoseFrida.  You can usually get them at natural parenting stores or Whole Foods, but if you can't find it locally order one online ASAP.  You will not regret it.  It's the best thing ever for baby/toddler congestion.  I still use it with my dd who is 4.5 years old and ds (almost 2) literally laughs while I do it.

http://www.fridababy.com/

[Code Name Mama]

Jaimee - we love our Nosefrida I do have our humidifier running, and I will dig out the echinacea, I'd forgotten about that one!!

[Jaimee]

Oh good!  Well, I hope you find a combo of things that helps soon!

[KayPea]

nobody uses saline nose drops? That and steam were the only things I used for any of DDs colds.

[Jaimee]

I use saline nose drops when breastmilk isn't handy- like right now since I'm not currently nursing or if I'm not the one doing it.  Ds loves those, too.  He'll put them in himself.

[Code Name Mama]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

I use saline nose drops when breastmilk isn't handy- like right now since I'm not currently nursing or if I'm not the one doing it.  Ds loves those, too.  He'll put them in himself.

ditto; in my experience breastmilk works faster when available.

we also all went to the chiro this morning, hoping that helps (but kieran and i went last wk with no immediate effect)

[jbk21]

well seems like my little man is a bit congested.  I hope this doesn't turn into anything, but we'll see.  Argh.  I was hoping he couldn't catch it from me, but hopefully it will be really really mild.

[Jaimee]

Ugh, J, that sucks!  I hope it's super mild and over quickly!

[Abraisme]

Some babies simply get congested really easily, even when they aren't sick.  I had to use saline drops in both of my children's noses pretty much every day when they were tiny babies.  They hated it, but it was the only way that any of us got any sleep.  Hopefully it's nothing to be worried about.
 

Originally Posted by jbk21 

well seems like my little man is a bit congested.  I hope this doesn't turn into anything, but we'll see.  Argh.  I was hoping he couldn't catch it from me, but hopefully it will be really really mild.

[LiLStar]

Hmm... I wonder if I have one of those congested-but-not-sick babies :( Evan doesn't seem sick, no runny nose or goopy eyes or cough or anything like that. But the last couple days or so he has seemed kinda congested/mucusy. He can breathe fine and its not affecting nursing. But last night, ugh, idk if it was just one of those newborn things, not having days/nights straight yet or if it was because he was congested and uncomfortable, but he was awake for 2 hours or so, from 4ish-6ish. Finally seemed able to relax and fell asleep shortly after spitting up all over me. I had him laying on my chest so it went all over my chest/neck/hair..ugh! Luckily I had a blanket under us so the sheets didn't need changed, but I very nearly ran straight to the shower.. decided to just do a good wipe down with a wet prefold and shower in the morning. There was mucus in the spit up. yucky. poor baby. 

[Code Name Mama]

Originally Posted by LiLStar 

There was mucus in the spit up. yucky. poor baby. 

Ailia's had that a couple of times too I would think that he's probably fighting off some kind of bug - if there is enough congestion for there to be mucus in the spit up, I'd say that's more than normal.

[jbk21]

Ugh Dylan is still so congested.  It's really making him uncomfortable but breastmilk and suctioning aren't doing much good.  Any other ideas?!  The humidifier doesn't make much difference since it's already humid here (yay Portland rain!)  I wish I could tell him to sneeze haha.  We're going to get the nosefrida today.  This is awful!  It's making sleep that much more elusive at night.  I hope he gets over it soon!

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by jbk21 

We're going to get the nosefrida today.  This is awful!  It's making sleep that much more elusive at night.  I hope he gets over it soon!

Good!  I really think you'll find it super easy to use and effective.  It's way easier to use in the middle of the night than a bulb!
 

[jbk21]

anyone know anything about eucalyptus oil?  We use it in the humidifier for older DS, and in the shower to create a nice steam.  Is it too much for a newborn though?  That vaporub-on-the-feet trick is for older kiddos as well from what I remember.  

[Jaimee]

It is a very strong EO, but I would imagine it would be okay since it is diffused through the steam.  But I don't have any research to support that.