Breastfeeding a baby with a cold

[JustSaying99]

Looking for any tips or advice here - 9 week old DS has developed quite the little cold and horrible cough, making it quite difficult for him to feed. He is still feeding but keeps fussing and knocking himself off....ensuring milk is all over him and me! Any advice on what I can do to help him get over the cold quickly (I’ve got saline nasal drops and calpol) and tips for ensuring he is feeding comfortably even with a blocked nose?

Have you got a snuffle babe? Its the best thing to suck the snot out of their nose especially after using the saline drops. Also try sitting in the bathroom with the door closed and the shower running on hot to get a steam build up in the room. This really helps clear their breathing. Finally make sure the air in the room they are in is nice and humid so try bowls of hot water around the place and put a teaspoon of Vicks vaporub in a big hot bowl of water, wet laundry on the radiators etc this really helps!

Good luck

When the baby is latched on, push the top part of your boob off their nose! Helped with my baby.

Thanks 1stTime for your reply! I don’t have a snuffle babe, is that the one when you put it in your mouth to suck it out? I have a nasal aspirator that came with a set but haven’t had a lot of luck with it. Will try the steam shower room too :) thank you!

Angle them so head is higher than normal for the feed. Part of the blockedness of a cold is swollen nasal passages rather than snot so a higher head reduces pressure.

Breast milk works the same as the saline drops, so try squirting some up his nose just before a feed.

I thought snuffle babe was a baby safe version of Vicks.

Sterimar spray works better in my experience that the drops.

Try feeding him more upright, in a steamy bathroom can help.

Thank you everyone for your replies. Breastmilk does seem to be a wonder for everything so I’ll give that a go too!

I’ve always found the nasal spray better than the drops. Good spray just before latching on.

Get one of the baby nose sucker things.

www.boots.com/snufflebabe-nasal-aspirator-with-case-10076203

Yes the snuffle babe is the sucker that yoynuse with your mouth so it's easier to get a continuous suck than with the squeezie ones. Snuffle babe also make baby vaporub too.

Definitely try the nasal spray as it seems to shift quite a lot.

Good luck!

Sorry 1st when I read your post I thought you meant the Snuffle Babe stuff that is like baby Vicks. I didn’t remember they were the manufacturer of the suckers too.