Newborn with a cold.... :-(

[Picante]

DD is two weeks old tomorrow and has a cold - she's very congested which is affecting her feeding (bf).

Is there anything I can do / give her?

oh bless her, i remember DS having a cold when he was 2 weeks old and i was petrified.

i thikn saline drops are ok for a newborn, but that is pretty much all you can do

keep her upright as much as possible to help the mucus drain away

she's too small for any of the drugs, or even for the vicks stuff etc to rub on her chest

either sit with her in a steamy bathroom or take her out into the fresh air - one will work and the other make it worse , depends on the cold and on the child!

if the steam works you can try a drop of olbas oil in a bowl of hot water to make the steam eucalyptus-y.

if she is sleeping in a crib raising the head end sometimes helps, so the snot runs out her nose not down her throat (iyswim)

Thanks I'll try some of those. I just didn't expect her to catch one so early!

i work in a pharmacy and you can buy saline nasal drops which are the same ph as the lining of the nose and if you put 2 or three drops up each nostril 10 mins b4 feeds..this is wat the gp's prescribe and it wont harm her

There are things a bit like Vicks, but you put them on a hankie nearby - there's one called Karvol and one called Snufflebabe. I think they're suitable at any age.

i think snufflebabe is ok for that age but check as i hav a feeling it is from 3 months upwards but definitely not vicks as it is contraindicated for that age. saline is honestly briliant and it unthickens the the mucus and makes it less viscous

Yup, saline drops are fantastic and you can use them as often as she needs. They help immediately and are totally harmless. Do keep an eye on her temperature, you need to see the GP if it reaches 38 degrees C.

I hope she's feeling better soon.