Breastfeeding mummies: suitable cold remedies please!

[muddylettuce]

Also, because this is the 4th time this winter I've been ill (bloody baby groups) your best immune system boosters! X

rest and sleep (with the help of you dp/dh)
you can take paracetamol.
inhalation with hot steam.
saline nasal spray.

I took nasal spray, just one spray into one nostril, before bed, so that I could sleeeeeeeeeeeep. but might not work for you as the active ingredient could have an effect on supply (didn't have for me). depends a bit on how established you bf and supply is.

do that thing where you alternate pressing your finger between your eyebrows and pressing your tongue hard on the roof of your mouth for about a minute. It will clear your nose.

I learned about this on here, it does work, however unlikely it sounds.

Also take some paracetemol.

Haha! Waiting I particularly liked your biscuit suggestion, if only I could taste them! Humphrey I am going to try the nose clearing thing, I've never heard of that before?! Thanks folks, have been soldiering on today but so sick of being ill! Grrr.

Thanks waiting. After faithfully trying all your suggestions (including biscuits: white chocolate dipped oat cookies, couldn't taste a thing ) I think it's on its way out!

My dh used to swear by a light treatment. He used a product called a virulite, and I think it cost about £30. But I see that Lloyd's have a £10 offer for a cold sore light.

He said it stopped working for him after a year, but it's worth a go.

Berocca

Paracetamol

A couple of teaspoons of honey in hot water with a big slice of lemon

A small whiskey/ brandy if you've not already had that week's units!

A hot bath with the door closed to let the room get steamy

Karmel/ Olbas Oil/ Vicks/ similar

*Karvol

Homemade chicken soup. It's important you don't drain off the fat. Apparently that's where the healing properties come from. You can add slivers of ginger and spring onion too which will help.

For stuffed nose/painful sinuses, get a facial steamer (£10 in Argos) and add a drop of olbas oil to the water then inhale. It's brilliant, and can even relieve real sinusitis.

And to keep the germs at bay: two hours of fresh air a day, whatever the weather. Bundle the baby up in sheepskins with the rainhood to keep out the cold and go for long walks every day. Don't know how or why it keeps the germs away but it does.

Also, don't be afraid of being the neurotic one at play groups. I used to Dettol wipe shared toys and wash my hands and DCs hands, or wipe them with anti bac all the time.