feeding advice for 3 wk old bf baby with cold (or allergy?)?

[BrummieOnTheRun]

this is a sort of feeding / allergy / health question but I'm thinking some other breastfeeding moms may have had a similar issue.

my newborn's night time congestion is driving me mad with lack of sleep - up 15x a night checking she's still alive! can anyone offer any advice on treating either the cause or the symptoms?

I assumed the nasal congestion was a cold, but am reminded that my son had the same issue so am wondering if it's an allergy. I don't have much dairy and am pretty wheat-free (errr, apart from the odd bit of cake!) so there are no obvious culprits.

The snorting, choking and vomiting after night time feeds scares the hell out of me, so I've had her sleeping on my chest which helps her breathing but also scares the hell out of me as we're bombarded with cot death scares. Starting to find the sleepless nights difficult to cope with as I have 2 other children under 4, so any advice appreciated!

Am trying small amounts of decongestant near her to alleviate symptoms.

my DS2 has this - he is 10 weeks now and it is getting better, I think it is just his system getting used to the milk and also because their nasal passages are so tiny, any congestion is really has a huge affect. It is awful to listen to though isn't it, especially the choking bit.

Wet towel over a radiator to make the room more humid?

Sorry, I'm going through similar with my 4 month old and its horrid. Much worse with a really tiny one I should imagine.

saline nasal drops are quite good (and harmless)

Get some saline solution (a big hospital bottle of physiological solution), a syringe (obv without the needle!) and squirt copious amount up each nostril. It looks much more brutal than it is but does offer instant relief, particularly as they have tiny sinuses at that age that block really easily. This is what the paediatricians and nurses tell us to do in Italy, I used to hate doing it but must admit it does work.

Also, if you have heating on in the house, get a humidifier and add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil. This works quite well for a stuffy cold, as does raising the mattress slightly so the head is higher.

HTH

yes, it's a horrific sound, although she does seem to improve once properly asleep. was ready to go online and order a bedside cot at 4am this morning!

will look out for saline drops.

does increasing the humidity work? have not tried.

have elevated mattress but doesn't stop the choking as she falls asleep.

tks for suggestions, by the way! really appreciated.