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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Stuffed up baby can't feed

13 replies

berri · 22/02/2009 04:25

My 11 wk old (8wks prem) is so bunged up he can hardly breathe and is having trouble feeding. I'm starting to get really worried, he sounds like he can hardly breathe and feels like he's got a bit of a temperature.

I've got some Calpol in the cupboard but haven't used it before, but is there anything I can do to help him breathe?

OP posts:

Tryharder · 22/02/2009 08:08

What about karvol on the pillow? There are some ones that you can buy for infants/children but check with your pharmacy or NHS direct first as I can't remember which ones they are. I sympathise because DS2 suffered the same when he was little.

You can also get those saline drops that make the snot runny(!) and so they can clear it better. My GP gave me this - cant say it made much of a difference but hey..

I personally resorted to sucking the gunge out of my baby's nose myself, sorry to admit to that, it sounds disgusting I know, but I was desperate.

You could try Calpol if he's uncomfortable or in pain but Im not sure if it actually relieves a blocked up nose or not. Again, as your baby is so little, I'd check with someone first as I am writing from work so dont have a bottle in front of me to read the label!!

LIZS · 22/02/2009 08:13

Second the saline drops and a use a simple nasal aspirator to unblock a snotty nose or after using the drops, especially before a feed. If he won't feed see a gp as htey can dehydrate rapidly and become quite poorly. You can run a vaporiser at ngith but that is suually only for 3 months plus so you may want to check with gp first or use a humidifier instead. Calpol won't help with the cold, juts any temperature.

DitsyMe · 22/02/2009 09:44

I'm secret bogie sucker too!

warthog · 22/02/2009 09:46

saline drops. if don't help, a&e. he mustn't get dehydrated.

when was his last feed?

Tryharder · 22/02/2009 10:14

How are you getting on, Berri? Agree with warthog actually, no use faffing about with karvol etc if your lo is not actually able to feed. I'd take him to the out of hours GP if you're worried about dehydration. They always see babies straight away (or at least they do in my town)

CantSleepWontSleep · 22/02/2009 10:24

have a warm bath with your baby and feed him in there. The steam and water will help to clear his nose so that he can feed.
Karvol vaporisor also good and i'd have no qualms about using it at this age.

nicm · 22/02/2009 22:11

i use a nuk sucker for ds. works really well. also saline drops from the chemist or eucylyptus on an oil burner. hth. how's your wee baby now?

Qally · 22/02/2009 23:09

Warm bath/shower with the baby, so the steam gets his nose running. Saline drops from the chemist up the nostrils before a feed (ebm works too, if you are bf). Karvol on the pillow/sheet. Calpol works a treat at bringing temp. down.

My son had that awful cold that just drags on forever last month, and we had the same problem. He cried piteously every time he tried to feed, he kept trying to suck then letting go with a shriek - and cried more when the drops went up his nose. But they worked, as did Karvol. My nerves were shredded - it's awful, isn't it? Hope he's better tonight.

TinkerBellesMumandFiFi2 · 22/02/2009 23:22

Shouldn't really use Calpol at that age anyway and if he is still small then you need to adjust the dosage. Calpol do a nightlight that is like a plug-in with lavendar, chamomile, eucalyptus and menthol, I've been using it on my 2 year old ex-prem who suffers badly with her chest she seems to be better in the morning after it.

GPs and A&E should be happy to see a premature baby because they suffer more and so does Mum

If you are breastfeeding use some EBM as drops in the nose.

Qally · 22/02/2009 23:46

My GP said to use Calpol with a fever from 8 weeks, as the fever needs to come down - I called to ask her at the time. (Though perhaps a prem baby has different guidelines, and should count as weeks from due date?)

TinkerBellesMumandFiFi2 · 23/02/2009 00:22

Yes, with a prem you have to go with the CGA and you have to adjust the dose.

Original poster

berri · 23/02/2009 13:14

Thanks for all your replies, I've only just had a chance ti log back on. He's not much better but feeding now - although very spluttery, sporadically and with quite a lot of sick too. I bought a sucker but I don't think it's doing much as the snot seems to be further back I think. Poor thing, it's awful seeing him so uncomfortable, he can hardly breathe and has red rings round his eyes.

I'm going to try the steam in the bathroom later.

If he doesn't improve can the GP do anything? If it's just a nasty cold there's nothing they can give him is there?

OP posts:

aendr · 23/02/2009 14:10

I've had something similar with mine...

If you can't keep the temperature down (with no more than 2 doses of infant paracetamol) then it's advised to see a doc, especially in an under 3 month old. Read the instructions on your packet.

A baby who is very congested can get too tired to eat because it's so much effort to eat, and they may be sicking a lot up because of snot being swallowed, again reducing the amount of milk taken. This can lead to dehydration as well (check that fontanelle). Congestion can also cause low oxygen levels.

My little one got admitted to hospital and monitored - if he'd got worse it might have been a naso-gastric tube or oxygen tent or both. Luckily he got better, but I was glad that we were there so if he had got worse it would have been caught and dealt with immediately.

If it's just a cold, then they can't do anything about the virus but can help with feeding and breathing, and that will help the child fight the illness. If there's a bacterial infection then they can give antibiotics.

Steam, saline drops and a nasal aspirator (wait for around 5-10 seconds after dropping before aspirating), especially just before a feed will really help. My baby hated the drops though they really helped.

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