what can i do to unblock my bf babys nose and should i still be bf 25 + times a day ? is this normal?

[tastychristmaspud]

dd is almost 6 months, and i still feed around 25 times a day, is this normal? also she has a cold and her nose is totally and i mean totally blocked making it v hard for the poor little mite to feed

th nuk descongester isnt working
ive tried using ebm
although i just put it up there. is there any special tecnique to using ebm for this ?

what else can i try ?

saline nose drops

keeping her upright

bit of snuffle babe on her chest and back

when she sleep, prop up the cot or moses basket so she is not totally flat

sit in the bathroom with her, with the hot tap on and let her breathe in the steam

not sure re the breastfeeding, but i think that feeding on demand at 6 months is just fine

Saline in a syringe, squirt up the nose, tip baby on her front and clean nose. Repeat for other nostril and as necessary. Looks cruel but works wonders. It helps a lotwhen they've got the dry crusty snot stuck in their tiny sinuses.

Also prop up mattress and humidifier with a few drops of eucalyptus in their room at night.

Oh, and it's normal to bfeed loads when baby's unwell. They need the comfort and the antibodies.

definately dont stop bf as this could be preventing it from turning into the D&V bug going around. a cup is another thing to try if you're not happy to keep bf, just put your ebm in a little cup, a plastic one. i think that's fine, she's probably just a snacker, you could try breast compression to get more in at each feed, but it;s not got a fantastic success rate and if she's happy with it and you are then dont change it

thanks so much
is saline just salt water?
how should i put it or squirt it up the nose ? should i hold her upright?

ill def prop up her cot tonight

saline is just sterilised water, it;s better to ring GP and ask for it over the phone as a prescription as it comes in a handy bottle that fits in the nasal passage, or jsut by over couneter think it;s about £3

oh i mnt the 25 times a day as a sort of seperate question

dd has always fed this often
ill or not
and i just wondered if you wise mn thought it was normal?

how long for at each feed? and both sides?

medised works wonders
as does sucking it out yourself after having 'steamed' her in the bathroom

keep her upright and toasty warm

i wont stop bf dd or anything, ill feed her this often for almost 6 months, just thinking of number 2 really !
and what i could do differently next time
[just thinking it would be quite difficult to feed baby 2 that many times a day, although i think alot of people say its easier 2nd time round]

sorry multi thinking again

belgo - yep both sides and for upto 45 mins each side.

oh i could do that if desperate sucking it out i guess

thanks for all your advice it is most appreicated

then how long in between?

it totally varies in between time could only be 10-20 mins or a couple of hours

there is no guessing when it will be

Saline in this instance is physiological solution, the stuff they use in hospitals to rehydrate you. It's got very little salt in and won't harm your baby's membranes. I bought a huge hospital bottle of the stuff from the chemist's for a £ or so. You then stick your syringe (complete with needle) through the rubber cap to fill the syring up, then detach the needle for squirting. Much more effective and much cheaper than those much hyped saline sprays. All the maternity nurses and paediatricians here tell you to do that insted of buying the spray bottles.

Re the squirting, best done when baby's lying down, if only for gravitational effect (that's how I was shown by a nurse). Squirt, then quickly roll over. Repeat as necessary. Don't be timid with the amounts, best to do one squirt of a syringe full than 3 little squirts.

ah thanks im going to do that today

thankyou

definately sounds like a snacker to me, or just lvoes your boobies! lolthere;s not really a problem with it, except to say are you sure she's hungry, not jsut comforting? and does she have solids yet?

lol yeh she lovvves boobies !!
i can't really tell if shes hungry or not really, but she def makes out she is

im starting her on soilds next thursday lol
thats when shes 6 months

maybe baby 2 won't be such a frequent feeder

i really wouldn't worry, if you;re both happy with it, keep it up

well i won't lie i'd prefer it if dd only fed say every 2 hours but i just really wanted to bf so thats why i fed her whenever she wanted it, although im looking forward to giving dd some food, bf can only get easier from then on eh

yippie !!!

she's old now to be going longer between feeds. distraction really works at that age, so if you only want to feed every few hours do, just disract with games in between, she'll still be getting more than enough. it mmay take a few days for her to adjust, but she will and your boobs will adjust too. it'll br a good indicator as to whether she's actually feeding as your boobs may feel fuller in between, try it and jsut ee what happens.

i have honestly tried evrything to get her to go longer between feeds but seeing as i only have a week to go until foods ill just stick with the demand thing, iv done ot for nearly 6 months another wek will be a sinch

but i might try harder if i have another lol

thanks for all your help bealcain

that's ok hun, just remember solids dont solve every problem!!!

i was hoping that, they may help dd to have the odd nap too lol

maybe i shouldnt be getting to excited about soilds as dd may just spit it all out!