4 week old dd has a blocked nose any suggestions how to help her.

[addictedtolatte]

i've used saline drops to help her drink her bottle as she is getting full of wind. she has no sign of temperature but is just getting frustrated trying to sleep as when she lies down her nose becomes more stuffy. i know i cant use snuffle babe at this young age but wondered if anyone knows of any vapour oil you can use to help her breathing. someone mentioned a karvol plug in. any advice would be appreciated thankyou

One thing you can do is to raise the head of her cot with books etc.
Having her head higher than her feet will help the congestion.

Also, although you can't use the snuffle baby directly on the skin, you can use some on a cloth close her nose, on her clothes etc.
You can also use a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the same way. Just don't allow it to touch her skin.

Do you have anything to mechanically help to unblock her.
You can buy little suction tubes that you can use to help unblock her nose. Some of them have a bulb that you press to form the suction. Don't bother with those, they are useless. Get one where you suck on a tube with your mouth and the other end can be applied to her nose. Don't worry, there's a chamber to catch the mucus, it doesn't end up in her mouth.
You should be able to get one at any good chemists.
I found mine invaluable, particularly with DS as he caught every cold his sister brought home from school. It really helped him to breath and settle, even though he didn't like the actual sucking process very much.

I actually preferred the ones you press - much easier than the ones you suck yourself. Just need to get the hang of it.

You can also get spray saline (for use from birth) which is better than drops. Brand is sterimar? Spray once up each nostril, leave for a few mins then use the bulb syringe to suck out the snot.

Also give the bedroom a clean - not saying is dirty but clearing any dust can really help - just wipe down with a wet cloth.

I also use a drop of olbas oil on a muslin and tie the muslin to the cot. Also make sure the room doesn't get too stuffy.

thanks ruth and iggly i will both of them things suggested see if it helps fingers crossed