Feel like such a failure, really unsure.

[worrywart15]

My lo is 16 weeks tomorrow, for the last two days she has had a horrible little cold with a blocked nose and a cough. I'm not extremely worried as its a common cold, however my parents and I laws are saying she sounds very chesty. They have been saying this for a while although I don't think she does. I'm a first time mum and still trying to get everything right, I just can't help but believe she must sound chesty for both sets of in laws to say this. I just don't understand how I couldn't have recognised this. And surely if she does sound chesty there must be a reason. I booked a doctors appointment for tomorrow because I'm now beginning to worry. Is this normal for a baby to sound chesty? So if it's a stupid question, I'm just really unsure and just want to make sure she's ok. I can't help feeling that i am failing if I can't even recognise this simple symptom. Please make no judgements.

Trust your own instincts and don't let well-meaning grandparents put you off your stroke. A snotty nose can easily cause a cough due to the gunge dripping down the back of the nose. A baby with a chest infection is a whole different ball game, and I'm sure you would recognise if she was properly poorly rather than just snot-ridden. A trip to the Dr will be reassuring for you anyway!

.. err you sound like a nervous person. Moms get it right, and moms get it wrong ... aim for middle ground and you`ll be doing well.
Lots of coughs about, DS fine, DD needed meds, but DS sounded worse, you cant tell.

clobbered they are such amazing grandparents, that's probably why I panic so much when they say anything. However I'm almost certain she doesn't have a chest infection.
sally I'm still surprised at how much one little baby can make me So nervous.

If she's feeding well and doesn't have a temperature, there's unlikely to be much wrong. Get her checked for your own peace of mind, but don't stress about it. GPs will always find something to worry about, in my experience. It sounds like you're doing great.

You would probably have noticed if she did and she'd be more grumpy of she was really under the weather.

Saline and snot suckers are the non-glamorous solution to stuffy noses. A trip to the doctors is unlikely to hurt if you want reassurance but it's most likely a virus and so you won't be given any meds.

Don't worry - if she was properly under the weather you'd know.

I always thought my mum was much more laid back than me but, my God does she overreact about the smallest thing with DD! If your little one is feeding ok, doesn't have a temperature and isn't straining to breathe (watch the chest and tummy), just keep doing what you're doing. Can't remember what age you're allowed to give Calpol but that could be something to just make your DD more comfortable. You sound like you're doing great though!

Take her to the GP just to be sure but generally speaking try to learn to trust your instincts because, as her mum, they are usually spot on. More importantly, you say "I'm a first time mum and still trying to get everything right..." let this idea go cos none of us get everything right, we just learn from our many many parenting mistakes and most of the time are making it up as we go along! X

Inneedahug ... like the swan ... calm on top, paddling like mad underneath ....

Yep

GPs above meaning grandparents, not doctors, by the way!

My mum says my little girl sounds chesty whenever she had a cough. There was only once it was a chest infection, mum didn't hear her then anyway but I took her to doctors cos it had been going on for a while the cough and she was moaning really bad all day and I mean all day though so you could tell it wasn't normal. But mum would say she sounds chesty whenever she had a cough!

I had this when DS had his fest cold at around that age. He was chesty and coughing. Took him to docs who said that babies get like that with colds as they can't move around to clear it or blow their nose etc so the snot just sits there. I remember him saying to only really worry if he had a temperature or if there is some other cause for concern (basically trust your instinct). Also babies have coughs that linger for weeks/months and they are rarely more than just a lingering viral cough.