Stuffed up baby; are there any tricks to help her breathe better?

[hannabee]

So W's been stuffy on-and-off for the past three weeks; I understand that a little bit of stuffiness is normal, but in the last few days she's gotten more stuffed up, has actually had a runny nose twice, and will wake up in the night crying because her nose is so plugged she can't breathe.

So far I've been doing the following:

   - steam up bathroom and sit in there for about 10 minutes or so (I usually do this once a day, and we 'chat' and work on her leg muscles; she loves to stand!)

   - run the warm-air humidifier in the bedroom during the night.  She also sleeps beside me so after nursing I'll prop her head and shoulders in the crook of my arm; it seems to help.

   - if she naps off me, I prop her on her breastfeeding pillow, again so her head and shoulders are elevated.

I've tried aspirating her nose a couple times, but there's nothing to suck out; it's like all the congestion is in her sinuses, plus, how does one actually successfully aspirate a baby's nose without them being comatose?  When I read directions, all it says is something like "gently insert nasal aspirator into baby's nostril and suction" and it doesn't say anything about how you have to practically lay on them to keep them from moving while you do it...  I've tried shooting breastmilk up her nose but again, it's so difficult to keep her head still to actually hit the target :P

Is there another way to get breastmilk up her nose?  Do I need to be worried?  She has no fever or anything, so I don't really see a point in taking her to the doctor. (She has her two-month checkup and vax next week, so if she's still stuffy I'll ask my doctor then)

Could it just be the weather or how dry our apartment is??  We're supposed to hit 9 degrees Celsius today, and I'd love to walk to the library, but should I be taking her out if she's so stuffy?  I know for me, fresh air always makes me feel better, but does that go for babies as well?  Ack! 

Any tips and tricks or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[AfricanQueen99]

My trick (and it works on all ages) is to get the two of you in the shower - as hot as she will tolerate - and close the shower door/curtain.  Her nose will just start pouring all the goo out so keep her upright.

[futuremamaheather]

Can you express a bit of breast milk and use a dropper or syringe to drip a drop or two in her nose? A few drops of saline have also helped my little guys nose clear out - it loosens things up and moistens them, and then either his sneezes are more productive or I'm able to suction better.

[coldandsleepy]

Originally Posted by AfricanQueen99 

My trick (and it works on all ages) is to get the two of you in the shower - as hot as she will tolerate - and close the shower door/curtain.  Her nose will just start pouring all the goo out so keep her upright.

We're in the same situation and this is one of the things I've been doing.

I've also noticed he's most stuffy after lying flat on his back for a few hours at night, so a couple of times I've moved him out of bed and into his bouncy chair and let him snooze in there for the next couple of hours.  It seems like keeping him upright as much as possible helps him out.

My older son was congested as a baby as well and our pediatrician told us that unless there's a fever, not to be too worried about it (no matter what color the mucus is).  He's of the opinion that you put a baby at more risk bringing him into a doctor's office full of sick kids in the winter than you do waiting to see whether or not congestion develops into an actual illness.

I hope you find something that helps!  Stuffy babies sound so miserable, even when they're not.  As a parent, it's a little heartbreaking.

[hannabee]

Thanks gals! It's reassuring to know that this is rather common :)  We've incorporated showers into our daily 'routine', and she seems to be less stuffy on the days we get outside, so I'm trying to do that as often as possible.  Off to the library tomorrow!

[lactatinggirl]

I second the breast milk tip. Helped clear things out with DD2 when we all got colds when she was less than 2 weeks old. Also, google Nose Frida. It seems really weird, but it works SO much better than a normal nose aspirator. Much easier to do on a screaming baby too.

[AfricanQueen99]

^^^ The Nose Frida is amazing!  Seriously, it feels a little gross at first, but it really helps.