2 week old with cold - when to worry

[rhetorician]

DD2 is 2 weeks old, breastfed, she has a very stuffy nose and just seems out of sorts. She is feeding (although we are having to wake her to feed) and has plenty of wet and pooey nappies. No temp, slight cough, esp when on her back. I assume we just keep feeding her as much as possible and let her sleep through it? She was awake and alert for a good 90 minutes earlier on this morning.

Even though she is our second, they are so small - mind you, with DD1 we would probably have been to the doctors about 3 times by now! DD2 is due to see doctor for checkup on tuesday in any case.

Just need a bit of reassurance! thanks

I think you're right just keep an eye on her and get her checked if things worsen.

Try steam and get some saline drops (only certain ones suitable for newborns) which might help clear her nose and also help thin the mucus.

Congratulations on your new baby i wish I had a snuggly cuddly fists all curled up newbie again

thanks - she is a total sweetheart

I heard somewhere that a few drops of breast milk in the nose can help stuffiness in little ones. Never tried it myself tho

yes, I read that somewhere too...not sure about logistics!! have visions of pointing nipple at nostril...

I'd forgotten about that - yes it works - did it with dd. I expressed a big drop onto my finger and then let it roll into her nostril iyswim?

DS had a runny nose from 2wo. After a month of this "cold" I cut cow's milk from my diet and it cleared up. Dr Jay Gordon's website has good info on bf, intolerance to cow's milk protein and other food issues. Just an idea.

Good luck.

I remember the midwife telling me with dd1 that it is very unusual for them to get a cold when that little, more likely to still be general gunk and mucous from adjusting to breathing.

Raise the moses basket/crib up a little so dc's head is raised, and if you an use saline drops try and do it about 30 mins before feeding to allow them time to work.

I do actually think it is a cold though - she was quite mucousy when she was born, but this cleared quite quickly. I think we will take her to the doc today if we can, just because she is so small - she is feeding well and has no temp, but her breathing is periodically very noisy and a bit more rapid than I would like. She's not got a runny nose, just lots of snot!

I could have written this myself! Please let me know how you got on. Watching with avid interest.

hi laura - took her to doc who said she has a cold and the congestion is all in the nose/upper airway. Things to watch out for are becoming listless, not being able to feed and that we should use saline drops in the nose plus a little twist to pull out the snot. She is basically fine, but not being able to breathe easily through her nose is messing with her feeding and her sleeping - it's just harder work than normal. Hopefully she will get better soon.

Turning off the central heating helped a good bit, actually

Have 7 week old whose cold has just got worse so I can tell you 'when to worry' (well perhaps more appropriate than 'worry' would be 'go to a professional') as we have just gone there:

1. Listen to bottom of lungs, front and back. Any bubbling sounds means lower respiratory tract infection = worse than upper.

1. Look at your DC's chest when they're breathing - is there any sign of the lungs visibly drawing in at the bottom or at the edges? This means breath is laboured. It looked quite subtle to me when doc pointed it out.

For the record - both the above were present in our DD and she wasn't otherwise particularly distressed; no temp, eating well, smiling/cooing when awake, good colour, not dehydrated. She is on antibiotics and has today been given nebuliser to help with breathing (I came on to post about that!). Dr also recommended regular administration of saline nose drops & they are asking to see her regularly. So if you see the above don't panic, but get in an appointment before Christmas if possible or go to assessment unit at hospital. Even if fine at the moment, babies can go quickly downhill.

The indicators of an emergency that I've been told of are: fast breaths (>60 per minute), very obviously struggling to breathe, loss of appetite, floppiness, abnormally drowsy. I think you'd know.