8mo cough disturbing sleep

[CoodleMoodle]

DD (8mo) has had a cold and cough since Monday. During the day we're coping okay apart from her lack of interest in milk, and this is mostly because she's struggling to breathe.

The worst time is at night. She lasts 10-20 minutes in her cot until she starts coughing uncontrollably. We've raised the mattress and the cot itself which gives us a bit longer (before this putting her flat was an instant coughing and choking fit), but still isn't working.

I have to sit up and hold her all night. She won't let DH do it. Sometimes she won't let me sit up against the headboard, but when she does I'm falling asleep with her in my arms, which is neither safe nor comfortable. I was able to slide her onto the bed so that we were both semi-vertical, but now she just cries.

I don't think my shoulder and back can take much more of it, either. I'm getting no time to eat or do anything for myself as I have to hold her all night and for all naps.

We're giving her Nurofen on the advice of the GP, and rubbing vapour rub on her feet/back/chest at every opportunity. This helps briefly. She won't let us use a nasal spray at all, and I doubt she'd let us do the nasal sucking thing. I've tried sitting in the bathroom with the shower on, and we've got a Calpol plug-in. Neither of these are doing the trick either, at least not for long.

I can't hold her all night again. I've got it too and need some sleep! I also need to be able to change her nappy without her choking on her own snot, etc. She's just over a viral infection and her nappy needs changing more than usual.

Sometimes after the little bit of milk goes in, it comes back up. This only really happens when she's been on her back at any point in the last hour, and we never put her completely flat. We're used to that from when she had reflux, and then undiagnosed CMPI (now managed). The GP said to give her reflux meds again to help the milk stay down, but this doesn't do much good when she's throwing up due to her cough.

Please tell me there's something I'm missing? I've read about wet towels on the radiator, but this isn't really something we can do all night. Would a humidifier help? DH isn't convinced but I'm willing to try anything.

I know these things take time but she seems to be getting worse with the coughing, and none of us are getting any sleep. Sometimes even sleeping on me doesn't help her, and I don't know what else I can do. She's so miserable and so are we!

(Sorry if a bit of a mess, I've got DD sleeping on me at the moment.)

[mewkins]

My dd really suffers with coughs and was eventually diagnosed with childhood asthma aged 1.5 after frequent bad coughs. She is now 4 and inhalers (blue and brown) do help relieve the symptoms and clear it up quicker. It's worth another trip to the docs so that they can listen to her chest?

[dottytablecloth]

Have you tried the Vicks steam vapouriser in her room?

I'm currently using it with my toddler who has a horrific cough and it seems to be helping.

[Madamecastafiore]

Was going to say same as dotty.

[CoodleMoodle]

Thanks all. DH actually went out and bought a Vicks humidifier about half an hour after I posted that, then I saw your responses! We just used water instead of the actual vapour pad and we had a much better night. Up once choking at 1am, but gave her some Nurofen when she calmed down and she went back to sleep. And so did I! Amazing, she actually slept in her cot for the first time in days! Seems much brighter today, although still off her milk, but getting there.

DH and SIL both had childhood asthma (DH can get wheezy still) and DN has it too, so I'll be keeping my eye on her. Hopefully this is just a normal cough!