Breastfeeding with bogies!

[susanmt]

My 10 month old ds has the cold - well we all do - and is having real difficulty breastfeeding. He still gets most of his liquids in the form of breast milk, though he will drink water and milk from a cup along with his meals.
Breastfeeding has been really hard the last couple of days as he can't breathe and suck at the same time. I know I need to keep his fluids up as he's' not eating much (and there's not that much liquid in the calpol! ) but each feed (he has about 4-5 per day, usually takes 10-15 mins and today they have each taken half an hour. This would be OK if it wasn't that I also have a 2yrs10months old dd who is also miserable with the cold and demanding a lot of attention.
I don't know whether he would find it easier to feed from a bottle at the moment (he does take a bottle under sufferance from dh) but I suspect not, as I think the breast is a comfort as much as anything when he's not feeling well. Has anyone else fed through the bogies and does anyone have any tips about how to make it easier. We have done all the usual stuff to make things nicer for him by propping up the end of the cot, using olbas oil in a burner, etc etc ... Hoping it will all be over soon really, and we will all be better for Christmas.

susanmt, I was holding off because I can't really offer much advice but I don't think many people are around today so I will offer my sympathies if nothing else.

I find that every time the kids are ill I am ill too and it isn't any fun! A couple of weeks ago we were all ill and DS2, 6 months, was struggling a bit with the feeding, I found it uncomfortable more than anything as he kept pulling at the nipple either with frustration at not being able to feed and breathe at the same time or he was trying to breathe and feed. I let him feed as much as he wanted, including during the night, he would wake up coughing and needing a wee drink! A bit tricky as well with your DD feeling rough too, if it is any consolation my DS2 was better before the rest of us, wonderful breastmilk (or at least that is what I put it down to)! Would your DD be happy to snuggle up beside you and read a book while you feed your DS, or watch a favourite video together or maybe even all go and snuggle up in bed together and you could feed DS at the same time.

I have heard others on the site talking about things you can get from the chemist to suck to the bogies from their nostrils, don't have any personal experience of this mind you. I found with DS2 it was quite satisfying to pick them out when they were dry and crispy! Mind you this was towards the end of the cold when he was feeling alot better. I would agree about the breast v bottle thing, he probably wants the comfort more than the milk and probably wouldn't be too impressed with a bottle just now, I personally would just keep on with the breastfeeds although perhaps easier said than done.

I can't really offer much advice but hope you all feel much better soon!

Hi susanmt - I had this problem once with dd1 and the doctor prescribed saline nose drops, which unblocked her nose quite quickly. Good luck!

Breast milk down the nose also works. To prevent the hilarity that happened last time I proposed this, you express some milk first, then put a few drops into each nostril, not try to aim directly from the nipple
When this came uup before somebody else also suggested sucking the snot out - if you can bear it.

Try to keep the room cool as it will make the snot more runny. Use a cotton bud to keep the end of the nostrils unblocked. My dd has a cold just now but fortunately depsite lots of snot she doesn't seem to be blocked. Best to just keep feeding as the breastmilk is nature's 'medicine' anyway.

Thanks for the sympathy, folks. We are all still fairly bunged up but it is the cough tonight that is keeping me (and poor dd - keeps coming through for a cuddle) awake. Ds slept this afternoon for 3.5 hours - he never does that, I had to wake him up as we were going shopping for all the last minute veggies etc. Since then he has been a lot better - he went to bed as usual at about 7.30 this evening (I gave him his weetabix early as he had refused his tea and then started to feed him at about 7 rather than the usual almost 7.30) and he was sleeping at about his usual time, and he hasnt woken at all, despite dd being up and crying in their room a few times. So I think he is getting better - you are right, it is probably the breastmilk that is helping him as dd and I are still really under the weather (think dh is immune to it - he has seen so many folk with it in surgery this week).
Thanks for the sympathy - I often think this makes me feel better than lots of advice!

You should hear him snoring though - he is rivalling his Daddy and that takes some doing!!!

Poor you! Have you tried junior otrivine nose drops - they are quite potent but useful for really terrible situations where the baby can't feed or sleep. Also I cover all bedding or a hankie with karvol capsules which you can carry round but put out of reach. Boots do a burner which releases vapours which is very good. Hope this helps and you all get well soon.

Old wives remedy of butter rubbed onto the bridge of the nose worked for me many years ago - and me a professional too
I also got great satisfaction in poking a rolled up bit of tissue up the nostrils and janking bogies out.Also not professionally recommended. Definately keep giving the breast rather than bottle - comfort is needed when unwell.

slightly off subjet - but I recall having ds 'stuck' to my breast with snot on a number of occassions, one such time was swiftly followed by a nasty bout of mastitus - please learn from me and be extra carful with hygene at these times, the anti-biotics I had to clear up the infection then gave ds (then about 3 months) really bad nappy rash!

I also have the stick-on-with-snot variety of baby at the moment (again). I like the Barefoot Doctor's advice of massaging with a finger under the eye socket on the bony bit (with or without Mears' butter which makes it nice and smooth) and to do it 36 times. It works on my sinus and is a lovely relief partic when followed by the 36 times over the evebrows.

Just spent a couple of nights feeding every hour and now I think i',getting what ds2 has. Drat.