Help, new baby with terrible cold - finds it hard to breathe! Anything work? Sleeping in car-seat helps but is it advisable?

[sizeofahouse]

Help - my dd, four weeks old has had a cold since day four, yes she's breastfed and the next midwife who tells me breastfed babies don't get colds will get a slap. My poor poor dd is so congested, seen the doctor three times but little he can do, its not on her chest just all in her nose and her temperatures okay. So far I've tried carvol and snuffle-baby from a distance as she's under three months, steamed water to inhale, cool boiled water to try to wash down the mucus - she's vomiting alot the nasty stuff, the only thing that relieves her seems to be sleeping in the car-seat but I'm really nervous of leaving her in too long as I've been told four hours is maxmimum, her neck looks crumped when she's in there and also I've been told babies brains can get starved of oxygen after long periods. Does anyone know whether this is true? She is sleeping three hours, then shorter expanses through the night until she wakes hourly at dawn because she's so congested. She is in with us but doesn't want to go out, I'm propping her up best I can - my poor poor baby she's so distressed when she wakes, does anyone out there know anything that would give her relief, my heart is hurting watching her. I know it will go, she's my second but I hate that she hasn't had more than three days of her short life without a cold - help!

[stitch]

i dont see why it should be a problem having her in the car seat.
what about those bouncy chairs? you know the ones where when they kick, they bounce themselves. i think i got mine for 14 pounds for mothercare, and i think they support baby well.
i think i would go see a homopathic doctor now, as it has gone on for so long.

[stitch]

i hope you are manageing to take care of your self as well?

[daisy1999]

try raising the mattress at the head end (eg a tolled up towel underneath the end of the mattress).

[dinny]

and put a damp towel on a warm radiator.

[HappyMumof2]

Message withdrawn

[triceratops]

Is she latching on OK or can she not breath through her nose at all?

[toria77]

yes damp towels on radiators and folded towels under the mattress- you could sit with her in avery steamy bathroom for a bit to see if that helps - just dry her afterwards!!!!

[sizeofahouse]

Yes she is latching on, but her nose is very blocked, sounds terrible and she is taking in lots of air which gives her wind. Puking lots
still, feel like I want to sit up all night with her - going to put her in the car seat for first sleep and then I think put her on my chest, sat up
for second - long night but she sounds awful. Doctor said its just one of those things, that the cold will pass. My toddler had a cold and so have we all, we live in West Yorkshire in a valley and its wet here, everyone always has colds so that could be a reason. Might try a homeopath, need to check the pennies. Hohum, thanks everyone. Will try everything

[smellymelly]

I know how you feel, my 5mth old dt's have had coughs and colds since they were 2 weeks old, and bronchilitus twice! They are breastfed too!!!
I have 2 older kids and we have colds going round our house constantly... really at least one of us at any time has a cold. Right now I have a stinker and both twins have it too... pisses me right off that they are always poorly when I am breast feeding...(sorry for the rant)

We put them in bouncy chairs at night when we were desperate, and used olbas oil for them to breathe. Also you can use normal saline drops bought from the chemist in her nose to clear her so she can feed ok. Thankfully at 5 months they are sleeping better, but when they are ill we go in with them. Actually they sleep through except when they start coughing.

I'm not sure sleeping on your chest sounds like a good idea, though.

[moondog]

size..I used to put my screaming colicky dd in a carseat occasionally. Didn't do her any harm.
If you sit up with her,don't go to sleep like that (eg on a sofa) as they say this is a cot death risk.
Not trying to freak you out though. Sorry you're having a tough time.

[sizeofahouse]

Thanks everyone, better night. She slept in the car-seat for a bit and then on a v-cushion propped up like a little princess on our bed - I slept at the bottom of the v-cushion incase she slipped down, poor dh was squeezed on the edge of the bed - at five in the morning I noticed his poor blue feet sticking out the bottom of the covers, someone must be sleeping sweetly somewhere! I am beginnng to wonder about allergies, can babies be allergic to breastmilk?? - also I have a dairy allergy so might knock dairy on the head to see if it helps clear her, at this point I'll try anything!

[starshaker]

i was in tesco the other day and i saw this thing so u can clear out ur babies nose dont know if it would help but thought id mention it anyway

[Moomin]

My gp said that he used to do this (put them in car seat inside cot) with his kids when they were babies quite often. Echo what everyone else says about damp towels on radiator. We also put a kettle in dd's room and kept topping it up and boiling it (automatic switch off of course!) which was very effective.