Baby with a cold

[Guacamole]

My DS is 7 months and since Saturday has had a cold. We've seen the GP and he has said his throat and inside his ears are a little red indicating soreness. For the past 3 days we have been really struggling to get any solid food into him. Is my breastmilk sufficient (at 7 months) to sustain him through his cold or should I really try to force the solid food issue. How long should I leave it before I see the GP again. We're getting plenty of wet nappies and a soiled nappy on e-twice a day.
Thank you!

I'm not an expert but would think that it would be fine to feed just bm for a few days till feeling better. you could always ring your gp to ask. or nct or la letche.
hope he feels better soon. x

Thank you. I told the GP on Tuesday he wasn't eating and he wasn't concerned but its now Thursday!

Oh dont worry about food, the only thing that matters in milk (unless he was already really underweight).

So long as its just a cold and he doesnt have a temp and is otherwise happy (ish) then I wouldnt worry too much

only thing that really matters in fluid actually

is (argh sorry!)

Thanks. He doesn't have a fever just this ridiculous cold and he's on the 50th percentile. I'm supposed to go to weigh in today, but I don't want other babies to catch his cold.

I'd go to weigh-in and talk to your health visitor, don't worry about other babies catching his cold, there are so many colds and germs / viruses flying around you can't protect them from catching one anyway (as you know only too well!).

What are you doing to help him with his symptoms? Karvol capsules on his cot sheet and Snufflebabe on his chest will help, tilt his cot slightly so he's at a bit of an angle, to help his sinuses drain so he can breathe easier too. My 7 month old also has a cold at the moment which has turned into a chest infection, and was off his food a bit for a couple of days but I'd be worried if he didn't eat anything at all for 3 days. Maybe try and tempt him with a bit of pureed apple or something sweet? But would definitely go to weigh in and talk to HV. Hope he's better soon.

Thank you... I've tried to tempt him with everything, I even went out and bought rusks because they're ridiculously sweet! He wasn't having any of it.
I've never heard of snufflebabe... I will look for some later. I'm struggling with propping up the cot because he moves around so much, he ends up facing the wrong way. We've been using Karvol and steaming bowls of water in his bedroom.
I will take him to weigh in... Hopefully won't get evils from other Mums, it might put my mind to rest! Thank you!

Don't worry - he'll eat again when he's ready.

My 10 m.o barely ate anything for almost a week when he got a cold. His nappies even went back to being wet like pre-weaning ones for a day or two. He's started eating normally again now that his cold is improving. We do BLW so we're pretty relaxed about whether he eats or not.

Until 12 months food is only supposed to be a complement to milk, not a substitute it. Lots of babies don't take to solids at all till 9 or 10 months anyway.

When he had a stomach upset a couple of months ago and was off his food, the HV said that they'd expect babies to lose weight in that sort of situation, so if your DS has lost a bit, I wouldn't worry.

I think Kellymom recommends offering a feed every 1-2 hours (during the day) in that situation, then you know they're getting fluid as often as they need it.

Thank you AngelDog that's very useful, his nappies have returned to his pre-solids days. HV said not to worry!
I'm pretty sure he's getting plenty of breastmilk... It's a battle to get him to latch because he can't breathe but saline drops are definitely helping there!

Not to do with the feeding, but I have found that DS has been much better at night with some baby vapour rub on, I got some from Boots. I had only used Karvol, vapour drops and propped up his cot before and he had been up crying a lot at night all blocked up.

Don't know if it's a coincidence but the last few colds he has had have been a lot easier with the rub on at night. (I think he collects colds as a hobby, he's got another one now )

Hope he's better soon. :)

It's worth checking what you're rubbing on before applying it because there have been cases of products containing menthol or camphor (e.g. Vick's Vapour Rub) causing breathing or liver problems in babies.

See info from Kellymom here.

Glad your HV was reassuring. We all worry the first time it happens. :)

I got Boots baby 3 months+ vapour rub so I hope it is ok

I think I have tried everything as he has had about a cold a month since he was 2 months old! :)

Just read the info on kellymom, thanks btw Angeldog...

Ooh, that doesn't sound like much fun, jaggy. I'd imagine the rub specially for babies would be fine. :)

It's probably not as many colds as that but it feels like it! He was steamed in the bathroom many a time when he was tiny.

He is 13 months now so I just have to chase him to contain the snotters...

It always feels worse than it is!

Wiping a LO's nose is always hard work, whatever stage they are. :)

God yes... and who'd have thought such small noses could produce so much snot!?