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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Advice needed! baby with blocked nose struggling to breastfeed

26 replies

RBH · 10/12/2006 19:58

Hi there, my daughter is now 6 weeks old and has had a cold and blocked nose since meeting her snot monkey of a sister on day 1. Because her nose is so blocked she struggles with breastfeeding as to create a proper latch she would have to breathe through her nose which she struggles with. At the moment I breastfeed her for 40 minutes and then give her a bottle as I know she can't get enough food otherwise (she screams and anyway when I was just breasfeeding she was losing weight even at 2 weeks old). Does anyone have any advice on helping the poor little mite? Can't use snufflebaby until they are 3 months and the health visitor didn't seem to think using olbas oil in an oil burner was a good idea while she was tiny. I would much rather just breastfeed but obviously want the child to eat but am getting worried that she will give up trying before her nose finally clears up. I had an NCT breastfeeding woman come out who said she is an ineffective sucker! Although her suck is definitely getting stronger as she gets older. Any advice very gratefully received! Thanks!

OP posts:

gothicsanta · 10/12/2006 20:00

have tried to dlear her nose you can buy asperators, try her in different feeding positions, I think dd fed better with a cold if I had tucked under my arm like a rugby ball

belgo · 10/12/2006 20:03

Squirt saline drops up her nose, also try and steamy bathroom and menthol baby bubble bath.

Have you taken her to the doctors?

Original poster

RBH · 10/12/2006 20:17

I've tried saline drops which don't appear to make any difference at all. I asked the doctor about it at her 6 week check and got the same advice as from the health visitor which was colds suck cos there is nothing you can do! The blockage seems to be fairly high up cos I often can't see snot but she snorts away like a lttle pig. She definitely finds the bottle easier which I think is partly as she is more upright and she can breathe easier than when she is lying down. Taking her to be weighed on Friday so think it might be time to start kicking up a fuss with the health visitor as this 'just wait til it clears up' stuff is really irritating me now. And 6 weeks seems like a long time to be snuffly.

OP posts:

belgo · 10/12/2006 20:19

yes it is a long time to be snuffly. I hope they come up with some good advice!

bctmum · 10/12/2006 20:21

Get one of those contraptions to suck the snot out of the nose! - gross but really works.

EmkanaCookTurkeyLikeICan · 10/12/2006 20:22

I agree with bctmum - get one of those snotsuckers, start sucking after putting saline in

You can get it in Superdrug

belgo · 10/12/2006 20:23

the problem with those contraptions is that you're not meant to put them inside the baby's nostrils as the suction could do damage. They're only meant for use on snot coming out of the nose.

gothicsanta · 10/12/2006 20:23

yes it's called an asperator (maybe I should have explained)

Original poster

RBH · 10/12/2006 20:27

Not holding my breathe! On the positive side her feeding must be getting better in general as she is piling on the weight and I haven't increased the amount of formula she is offered for almost 3 weeks. And after a good feed from me she leaves some of the bottle. The worst time is when she has got all worked up and is crying because I have been in the middle of something I can't stop- like up to armpits in toddler poo!- because then she is so blocked we have to go straight to bottle as she just can't latch on. DH now wonders whether it is possible that her nose got broken during birth which is why she can't breathe through it. Mind you I think that is because she snores like me and that is because my nose is trashed from falling off horses, walls etc!

OP posts:

belgo · 10/12/2006 20:29

I'm not sure if it's possible for a baby to break it's nose while being born - I'd have thought they were too soft and squidgy. But it's something worth mentioning, that you also snore. Some people are prone to chronically blocked noses.

Original poster

RBH · 10/12/2006 20:30

She doesn't really have snot coming out that often any more so not sure if there is anything I can suck out. She sounds like you do when you are blocked up with a cold rather than when your nose won't stop running. (Not holding breath comment was about getting decent medical advice bythe way- took so long to type that it didn't follow the message I was replying to!)

OP posts:

snowleopard · 10/12/2006 20:37

Steamy bathroom definitely worked for us, but you do have to sit there for ages (a good half an hour) and get it really hot - also our bathroom is very small so filled up with steam very well. We ran the hot tap and the shower on hottest setting and it really cleared DS's nose before a feed.

snowleopard · 10/12/2006 20:37

Obviously I hope the environment police never see this

PanicPressiePants · 10/12/2006 20:42

What about karval? Is she old enough for that yet?

Original poster

RBH · 10/12/2006 20:46

I used to love Karvol when I was a kid! Just looked on their website and you have to wait until they are 3 months old with that as well. Same with Olbas Oil for Children. Am tempted to put Snufflebaby on me when feeding but as I don't know why they all say to use from 3 months I am a bit hesitant.

OP posts:

Original poster

RBH · 10/12/2006 20:48

We don't ever get enough hot water to be able to run it for half an hour! You would think the health visitor would have some useful advice cos I can't be the only person to have a baby with a cold!

OP posts:

PanicPressiePants · 10/12/2006 20:51

Thats a shame. Thankfully for us, ds didn't have a cold until he was 4months old.

How about a wet muslin (or a couple of them) left on a radiator over night, and in the same room where you feed to moisten the air.

Original poster

RBH · 10/12/2006 20:55

The muslin idea sounds good. I could just hang my neverending piles of washing on the radiators and it will also save me a fortune as I won't have to use the tumble drier!

OP posts:

snowleopard · 10/12/2006 20:57

Could you put a kettle in the smallest room you have, and boil it several times?

crayon · 10/12/2006 21:31

We had the same problem at about the same age and steamed the bathroom and used saline drops. Poor little thing - hope it clears soon.

Original poster

RBH · 11/12/2006 15:00

Spoke to the health visitor again and am currently trying using snufflebaby on me! Fingers crossed that it helps. She just fed for 30 minutes and hasn't shouted for a bottle yet so maybe she got more milk from me than usual.

OP posts:

stressed2007 · 09/02/2008 21:31

anyone know what the snuffle baby medicine is referred to in this post? Thanks

TinkerbellesMum · 09/02/2008 22:49

Snufflebabe is like vicks for babies.

I had this problem and still do as Tink was 31 weeks and rather prone to chesty things and the nose that goes with it.

I have put Snufflebabe/ Olbas etc on a tissue and tucked it in my bra whilst cuddling Tink and that helps, when she's been too young for it I've put it near her bed. I also try to feed her sitting on my lap when she is at her snuffliest. My HV said it looked very awkward (this was when she was about 6lb and 2 months old) but it did make a difference.

Drops before a feed do help, even when you can't see the difference, I think.

A pillow under the head of the mattress or tilting the bed helps with sleeping.

maisy2 · 09/02/2008 23:00

hi there,
a nasal aspirator does help> i used it on my baby boy, hes 5 and is still a snotty child!
I got mine from tesco, it was a contraption with a tube attached, and you have to suck the snot out.

as for topping up on formula, if you can and you are happy with weight gain, I would stop (if you want to carry on BF), the more your baby sucks the greater your supply! therefore you will always produce what he needs. The first few days will be difficult as it will take a little time for your body to adjust. you can offer water post BF are you drinling pleanty of water? pints of it, this will boost your supply!

good luck

JendleWendleBells · 13/02/2008 23:57

This type of tube nasal aspirator which you operate by creating suction from your mouth is much more effective that the hand held pump type ones. I think NCT catalogue has one. In France, you can buy saline in a spray pump with a special nozzle that fits into the baby's nose - easier than just using a drop bottle or eye dropper but obviously not so easy to buy! So I would use the saline first to loosen everything up and then suck it out with the aspirator.

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