Asking the impossible - how do you get rid of snot?

[MancMum]

I realise this is a long shot but for the sake of my sanity thought I would ask anyway...

My 7 month DD is currently producing snot for Europe but annoyingly mainly at night.. this means she is swallowing loads of it which makes her cough and wakes her up ... and if she is up, then of course so are we! This has been going on for the last 3 weeks and we are averaging 3 hours a night sleep. During the day, the production seem to be slower but builds up during the evening to an almost continual flow. She is sounding a bit rattly on her chest - but bless her is very happy in herself and does not seem to be ill with it - unlike the broken heap of humanity that is her parents!!

I have tried raising her cot up but this just means she ends up in a heap at the botton of her cot - I have tried Medised a few times - that does not even make her sleep!

any ideas on how to dry it up? PLEASE!?

[MammyShirl]

hello
you dont have to raise her too much, i just put a big photo album under the mattress right where her head lays. it really does help with just a bit of elevation. its better thatits runny rather than being blocked though - there would be more tears!
My dd had a cold just before xmas and it lasted just over three weeks, snots the whole day, everytime i looked ather it was balancing on her lip - funny!
she did develop a rattly cough as ll the phelgm was sitting on herchest so i got a cough mixture fromthe chemist for this andit broke it all up over a couple of days. i just let it run its course and stood by with soft tissues and reg applied vaseline around her nostrils. sorry i cant be of more help. there are so many colds right now and a few people i know, their babies had it for about 3 weeks too.
x

[MancMum]

Thanks for that - can you remember what medicine you gave her>? Makes me feel a bit better that other cold are going on for 3 weeks... seems like forever!

[Sonnet]

My youngest DD is 2 and I prop her up with another pillow. When she was younger I use to put the pillow under the mattress.

Have you checked with the DR it is not on her chest?

I hope it clears up soon and you all get a bit of sleep

[nutcracker]

Will look at the replies on this thread eagrely (spelling), as ds3 has a cold and very runny nose too. And guess what ?? just for a change I think i'm getting it too. Bloody typical. Me and dp are actually going out on sat night on our own, not a kid in sight (first time since oct 02) and now i'm gonna have a bloody cold.

[twiglett]

message withdrawn

[mears]

What about a vapouriser for the room? I personally used Karvol on a hanky tied to the top of the cot but I know of mums who found vapourisers better.

[MammyShirl]

its called Hills Palsan chesty liquid for children from birth. tastes of orange and my dd had her mouth wide open as soon as i walked in the room with the bottle. i also let her sleep on her stomach for her day naps so it all ran staright out then. she was 9 months then so i know its less dangerous at that ages. a couple of nights she slept on her stomach for the whole nigt and i really think that helped her.

first speak with your hv/doc as i they usualyy tell you to reduce the amount of dairy products you give her. i stopped yogurts and reduced her milk intake by a few ounzes and offered more water and solids. one day i only gave her two bottle of 5 ounzes and more water/food and i noticeed that snot reduced dramatically - that was near the end of the three weeks. you can just call your hv ov erth phone, they might ask your babies weight etc b4 they suggest reducing the milk/dairy as it increases phelgm production

[nutcracker]

You can get those plug in Karvol things now. I have one, it's o.k but probably just as effective as buying the drops and putting on a hanky.

[nutcracker]

I always stop giving ds yoghurts e.tc when he's got a cold as it does reduce the phelgm. Chocolate doesn't help either.

[Loobie]

Karvol do a plug in which is kinda like a glade plug in idea,but its karvol obviously.they can be bought in boots or superdrug dont know where else cause thats were i buy them.Put it on 20 mins before baby goes to bed and they can be left on all night,close the bedroom door for a better effect,they are totally amazing.I even used it in my own room to help me sleep when i had sinusitis and it worked wonders though not as strong as in dd room cause hers is smaller.(room that is )

[MancMum]

Thanks for the advice - will try the Karvol plug ins and the Hills medicine tonight - not sure if DD could sleep on her front - she is rather large around tummy area and could look quite beached!!

I do find it amzing though that there is no real cure for snot - as I ranted at the TV at 2am last night when George Bush was going on about spending billions on space research.. why does he not spend on inventing a cure for snot and most of the worlds mothers would vote for him despite the rest of the crap he does!!

[Angeliz]

when dd has a cold i also put a damp towel on her radiator

[morocco]

a cheap tip I picked up on mumsnet is to turn your steam steriliser into a vapouriser - stick more water than normal in the bottom of it and a few drops of eucalyptus oil or another oil that's a good decongestant, turn it on and voila - less snot - have to keep the baby well away from it though!

[bobthebaby]

We bought one of those bulb things that they use in hospital to clear out newborns. It was about a pound from a baby shop and our ds stops crying when he sees it. As we fill it up he goes "ahhhhhhhh" and relaxes. We feel slightly sick from the squelchy mucus noise, but it's good he likes it. You can get an amazing amount out.