my breastfed 4mth old has a bad cold!!..

[emma6222]

my  4month old daughter is having her first illness.
we have been awake for the last 2 nights.
shes coughing,sneezing and cant breathe out her nose!
last night i gave her some medicine and she couched and it all came back out again aswel as lots of clear mucus!is this just a cold or could it be something else..im abit worried about all the mucus on her chest
thank you

[Still a mom]

Try running a steaming bath and set in the bathroom with her. The steam is suppose to help clear her chest up. Also have a vaporizor(sp?) running in her room to help.  I read that breast milk is best for baby's while they are sick, because your body recognizes the baby's germs and produces antibodies to fight it and they are transfered through the breastmilk to the baby.
Mandi

[Niki73]

I used a vaporizer in my daughter's room also just with water in it so it kept her room moist and loosened up her chest and I found putting a pillow underneath her matress so that there was a little bit of an incline when you laid her down at night it helped her breath and she slept pretty good through the night. Otherwise we were up holding her in a rocking chair because she could sleep laying flat either. But the incline made it as if she was laying on our chest so it was easier to breath. Just an idea! The bath is a good idea too!

[lovinmom]

Are you nursing your little one?  If so, take tons of vitamin C.  I would suggest 500 mg. with each meal.  The vitamin C will go through your milk to the baby.  Also, eat lots of greens.  That will really help to nourish your baby and get her extra cold fighting nutrients.  I hope that she gets better soon!  Also, I would hold off any vaccines until she gets better.  At four months, I don't think infants get any at that time.  Take care!

[nurse12hr]

You can also get saline nasal drops in any drug store.  They have no drugs or medication in them, but you could use them to thin out the mucus in her nose, and suck it out with your bulb syringe.  Might help her breathe a little easier at night.  

Otherwise, if she develops a fever, acts unusually ill, or the clear mucus changes to greenish, consult your doctor.  

Hopefully, she'll be just fine.  The first illness is so hard.

[emma6222]

thanks so much!the 1st illness is definutly hard!i think shes dealin with it better than me!! :)

[Still_AndiJ]

They have a little kit called Little Noses, it comes with the saline and a bulb syringe. It is just regular saline solution (like you would soak soft contacts in), you place a drop or two in each side (one at a time) and then take the bulb syringe and suck it back out. If your little one sneezes, you don't have to use the bulb syringe.

I also love the vapor bath you can add right to your little one's bath water. Johnson's also makes a vapor rub similar to Vicks, but much less harsh that you can apply to their chest to help open them up.

Pedicare stuffy nose formula works great if you feel the above suggestions aren't working. They have many formulas to treat specific symptoms and they make non-staining formulas. If you need to give medication to babies, my best advice is to ask the pharmacist for a medication syringe (they are usually free). They are much easier to maneuver than a dropper and you can get an exact dose : ) They also fit nicely against the inner cheek, much less mess and chance of spitting it out!

I am all for trying anything SAFE before going the actual medication route. If the steamy bathroom, vapor stuff or saline fail to work, definitely ask a pharmacist for advice on OTC cold medicine.

Keep checking to make sure there isn't a fever and definitely call your pediatrician if symptoms aren't improving or are getting worse.

Good Luck!

Andrea

[emma6222]

thank u all for ur comments and time.
i will be trying your suggestions