Baby with blocked nose

[miriamw]

My 6 week old has been stuffy practically since birth - presumably due to contact with ds1 (age 2) and his fellow germ-carriers at nursery. However he is really struggling at present, and feeds are getting shorter though more frequent, but with a lot of bobbing off the breast, and accompanying noises which would put me off my food. He is still getting enough milk (at least I assume so from the constant wet and dirty nappies), but he does seem to be suffering a bit - any thing I can do to help him at this age?

hi miriam
my dd was slightly similar and i was recommended by pharmicist, Karvol, on her sheet or on a hankerchief to help her snuffles.
i think it helped

I was going to suggest karvol as well, but I think they tell you not to use it on babies under 3 months. I used to put some eucalyptus oil onto my oil burner and that helped a bit. Hope he feels better soon.

Try a nasal aspirator (most chremists have them) to suck out wet snot or saline drops from your Health Visitor to soften dry snot and let it run out by itself (all babies seem to hate these two but they do work quickly and they can get back to feeding).

'Kinder' but slower remedies include putting a cushion under head end of mattress to raise them safely during sleep so snot can drain more easily. Also perhaps Karvol in a mug of steaming hot water in the room (but not too close as I'm not sure what age it's safe to use with very little ones).

Have lots of experience of this as my dd (now 8 months) has been Queen of Snot since early days, especially since starting nursery.

It will go away eventually but I know it's distressing while it lasts. Good luck!

I used to squirt a few drope of breastmilk up his nose before a feed. It works very well, until they are big enough to be too wriggley to aim straight! You an also buy saline solution to squirt up their nose, and that works well too, but I think it is pricey for a tiny bottle. By the way, does Karvol have menthol in it? My nurse friend warned me never to use a menthol based nose clearer (like vicks) on a small baby as menthol can inhibit their breathing. Although the packets say 3 months, she wouldn't use it under a year. But you can buy menthol free ones. HTH

I used saline with my young daughter when she had a cold. Although not pratical for this weather a friend also suggested a damp towel on the radiator with karvol on it which disperses well when the radiator is on. Hope your son feels better soon.

just a thought but if you reduce your dairy intake it may help him not to be so stuffy - dairy products pass over in breast milk and make my dd very mucusy.

My son was like this. I rang nhs direct once when he was just a few weeks old and struggling to breathe properly - they suggested taking him into a steamy bathroom or boiling the kettle lots to hydrate the atmosphere.

I used to use eucalyptus oil too - I put a couple of drops into a bowl of warm water and put it under the cot (although not directly under the baby's head). "The Fragrant Pharmacy" by Valerie Ann Wormwood suggests the following:
Sniffs and snuffles synergistic blend
Eucalyptus 10 drops
Tea tree 10 drops
Lavender 10 drops
Mix together in these proportions. Place 3 drops on an infuser in the bedroom for overnights, and again during the day. If breathing is very difficult, place 2 drops on a piece of cotton and place it under the edge of the pillow as well. When you bath the baby add 1 drop of the synergistic blend to the water and swish it around. (For babies and children between one year and five, add 2 drops to the bath.) Also, you can make a massage oil using 3 drops of the synergistic blend to 12ml vegetable oil; massage this over the bsby's back and chest. This three-part treatment should not be given for more than a week at a time.

Thanks guys. Certainly a few tips here for me to try!

See the thread ....

"Blocked noes making baby breastfeeding difficult"