advice needed on bunged up baby

[fledtoscotland]

DS (6months) has had a cold/viral thing for about 10days now. hes not coughing or sneezing much now but you can here the snot at the back of this nose/throat.

my problem is i cant get rid of it. have tried carvol/snufflebaby, nasal aspirator, have put a pillow under his cot sheet to raise his head, he always has a bath in a steamy bathroom. not sure what else i can do to get rid of all the gunk before it does end up on his chest and cause a chest infection.

any suggestions gratefully received.

It does hang around for ages. At the moment the last dregs of snot run into the next cold in this house. Anyway, a doctor told me once that running around outside will help, "steam is your friend" and a good howling bawl will clear some out (I would have thought that would produce a load of fresh stuff, but this is what he said).

thanks nobunny but running round outside isnt really going to happen for a 6mth old

anyone else? pleeeeese?

Have you tried saline drops along with the aspirator. They soften the snot so it's easy suck outable. Put the drops in whilst baby is lying almost flat then very gently turn them upside down and round again a full 360 degrees then use the aspirator.

yep Ledodgy. He had a broken nose as a baby so have always had to use the drops/aspirator even for the slightest bit of mucus. looking up his nose there's nothing but you can hear it at the back of his nose/top of his throat. play a "game" of tickling his feet so his head is lower to get drops to run up his nose and then sit him up to get him to sneeze but this isnt really shifting it.

just really dont want it to end up as a chest infection.

I suggest you go to your GP. There are mucus-shifting medicines, but you'd need the nod to give them to a 6 month old.

just got back from the GP - thinks DS has an infection so has started him on antibiotics. went to the GP last week as well about this and just got told "you're doing the right things". this GP has agreed he's not well so if the antibiotics havent worked by friday we have to go back