2Month Old, Stuffed Up

Try a couple of drops of saline in her nose first and then use the bulb syringe. All bulb syringes were not created equal - we have some that work great and others not so well, so it could be that, too. You can raise the head of her crib with a couple of large books to help her sleep better (or bassinet). Use a humidifier and leave it on all day and night with the door of whatever room she sleeps in closed so the humidity level builds up. You could get some Johnson's Soothing Vapor Baby Cream - its an infant version of Vicks but its only for the chest, not for by the nose.

I always used saline drops and put them up her nose before I used the bulb to suck her nose. I would also use the humidifer at night to help losen the gunk.

When my son had RSV at 6 weeks, I was told to put the Vicks on me and then lay the baby on my chest and let him sleep with me, so that he gets the vapors without the Vicks actually on him! It worked well (there is also a Vicks Baby Rub too if you want to put that directly on her. My friend mixes it with some baby lotion first to cut it a little bit more). You can also get a cool-mist humidifier and there is liquid Vicks that you can put in the humidifier water as well.

We also used saline drops (either store bought or homemade with inch of warm water and a few pinches of salt using a medicine dropper) before suctioning and then put a little in after to just sit in there. We did that once in the AM and once in the early PM and once before bed, but don't do it too much because the MD office said you can cause an increase in mucus production (like max 4-5 times per day). We would do it in the middle of the night if it sounded like he needed it.

Also, have the baby sleep "sitting up" either in a swing or bouncer or put a pillow under the crib mattress to raise the head a bit. Good luck and hope this helps!

S., 25, mom of 10-month-old boy

go in the bathroom and hang out in there while a hot shower runs and fills the room with steam a few times a day

also you can put a pot of water steaming on the stove and add some essential oils, I like eucalyptus, pine, and lemongrass, makes your house smell great and helps with sinus issues

as opposed to Vicks there are more natural rubs you can get at a natural store

K.,
If your breastfeeding the best thing is a drop or two of breastmilk in her little nose. It's natures best medicine. My son is 5 months old and had a horrible teething rash on his face, I squirted a few drops on his face and rubbed it into the rash and within a few minutes saw a drastic improvement. You can't go wrong with it and there are no toxins to worry about. Good luck with your little one.

Oddly, one of the best things you can do for your daughter is a few drops of breast milk up her nose. Nature's magical remedy. And lots of nursing will help clear her system of whatever has caused the stuffiness - she'll benefit from your natural immunities and antibodies. Make sure that during this time your diet is good and clean - no dairy products (notorious for causing mucous and congestion).

YES, stay away from anything that says it is not for use on infants. YES, anything you put on her skin (and yours, for that matter) will be absorbed, if not into her blood stream, then things like this can often build up in the fat, and when the fat begins to burn off, dangerous levels of toxins can be released.

Menthol is very powerful and, depending upon what else is in the rub (I don't have one here to read the ingredients), could very well burn her delicate skin.

Take good care.

Blessings,

M.

At her age, don't give her anything unless it has specific doseage for her age and weight, or calling the dr. (My first had a cold at about 6 weeks old, I called the Dr for dosing on the Tylenol and got it right away.) Saline nasal drops work well in clearing out mucous. First drop about 2-3 drops in her nostril, let it sit for a moment, then use the bulb syringe to pull it out (make sure you squeeze the bulb before putting it in her nose). Do only one side at a time so she doesn't feel like she's drowning.

Since she's not feverish and it's only lasted a week, it's probably a cold. The raspiness your hearing could be her pulling air through the mucous (aren't 2-month-olds still obligate nasal breathers? - only breath through mouth if crying). Colds generally take about 2 weeks to really clear up. But if she suddenly starts getting worse or develops a fever, call the doctor.

Hi, K.. IT's hard to have your little one stopped up, isn't it? You just feel for them, trying to breathe through their little clogged nose. Try saline spray/drops first, then use the bulb syringe about a minute later. The saline loosens everything up in there. My doc told me not to use the bulb syringe more than about 3 times a day, though, b/c more than that can inflame their nasal passages and make the stuffiness worse. Also try a humidifier. Hope your little one is better soon! And, yes, I know what you mean about a fairytale life--kids sure make your heart swell!
Oh, and re: Vicks, we found Baby Vicks at Target that you can start using at 3 months old.
S.

I would try two things if you haven't already... a humidifier in the room while she sleeps and in the room where you spend most of your time during the day. And "Little Noses" this is a nose spray it is a over the counter saline wihtout preservatives, in the Safeway store I get it at it is located inside the pharmacy area though but you don't need a perscription. I use the Little Noses 2-3 x a day to help my 4 month old clear his nose the moisture helps loosen the mucous so he can easily sneeze it out or it brings it closer to the nasal opening so that I can easily grab it....

Hi. My baby was really stuffed up at two months of age, and the pediatrician just said it was because her nasal passages were tiny. He said if he had a nickel for every parent who reported stuffiness at two months, he could retire. He recommended saline nose drops, which seemed to work well. I put them in, then used the bulb syringe, and it worked better after the nasal drops because the drops softened some of the nasal secretions. The stuffiness passed on its own in a month or two after that.

Good luck,
J. Elizabeth

Hi! My little ones get stuffed up sometimes too. I use a natural chest rub called "Bager Balm" that workes wonders. I think you can only get it at a health food store, maybe Fred Meyers or the Co-Op. I also use the waterless Vicks Vapor that you just plug into the wall. the kids seem to breath better at night when I do that. Good luck with whatever you try.

one suggestion with the vicks that the doctor told me to do with my daughter, she has a lot of breathing problems when she was little, was to put the vicks on myself (or yourself) and wear a loose fitting tank or nothing at all, and let the baby lay on you. That way the vicks was not directly on their skin, but they were still getting the affects of it. Hope this helps!

I used the Ocean nasal spray for kids/babies. All it is is saline with Glycerin (for a mositurizer). It will help thin the mucus (if mucus is the issue) and then you'll be able to use the bulb syringe with better results. I also rolled up a bath towel and put it under my baby's mattress for a little elevation.

Have you called the doctor? If her lungs sound raspy or she has trouble breathing (wheezing or coughing), then she needs to be seen (it could be RSV which can be very serious in an infant so young). A cool mist humidifier is one of the best things to invest in - leave it running by her crib or wherever she sleeps. You can also prop her up (put a pillow or wedge under her crib mattress so she sleeps at an angle) or let her sleep in her carseat or swing/bouncy seat. A saline spray is one of the best things to do since they advise against giving any type of cold medicine to infants or toddlers anymore. You can find it in the cold med section of the store and either drip or spray it into their nose - you wait a couple of minutes for it to help break up the mucus and then use the bulb syringe to suck it out. There are no side-effects to saline spray so you can use it as often as you'd like. I'm not exactly sure why the menthol isn't supposed to be used on anyone under 2, but I would follow directions and ask your pediatrician why that is. Good luck!

They make a vicks rub for baby's. I think it says to use it on 6 months or older but I started using it when my son was 2.5-3 months.
http://www.vicks.com/babyrub.php

K.,
I sympathize with you. It sucks when the little ones are sick. I used vicks on the bottom of my daughter's feet when she was an infant, and tried steam baths. (or at least filling the bathroom up with steam then taking her in for 10 minutes or so).
I hope that helps!
S.

Get a Vicks Vaporizer-it releases Vicks into the air and is safe for babies-they breath it while they are sleeping and it helps with congestion. I have used it with my twins at the first sign of congestion and had great results! I hope your little one gets to feeling better soon. As for OTC meds-I don't think there is one really all that safe for that age sorry. But I agree with PP about letting the nurses know about the raspy sounds-my son had RSV at 4 weeks and it isn't anything to mess around with. Also as PP said the saline drops in the nose before the bulb suringe works wonderfully.

There is this natural medicane (next to all the other children cold stuff) it is called 'get better bear'.... We found it at walmart. It is for infants and toddlers. It works great! It is really hard to find (cuz there is nothing else to give infants and toddlers) but you can also buy it online. There is also baby vicks it doesn't have as strong as a smell or burn. Good luck, I know it is sad when there is nothing you can do to make them feel better.

there is baby vicks, but it says for 3 months and up. those store bought bulbs almost never work, i still use the one i got from the hospital, it works great. personally i haven't found much over the counter meds that do work except for (her age) infant's tylenol/cold. if you try that, make sure of the dose, call your doc if needed to find out the right amount based on her weight. keep a VAPORIZER not humidifier on in her room at night. the one i use is a vick's one and there is liquid vick's you can put in the water. but because of her age also ask her doctor if that specific one would be ok to use. if you can't get baby vicks you can also put some adult vicks on your chest, put on a shirt and let her sleep on your chest. the vapors has something in it that can get into their lungs, at least that's what i was told by my peds nurse.
hope this helps

Take her to an ear, nose, and throat doctor! We had to do that with my youngest. Your child could have adenoid problems or simply have allergies.

I am pretty sure you can give her Benadryl for the congestion, plus it will help her get some much needed sleep. Call her doctor to be sure and get the amount you can give her. I beleive Baby Vicks should be okay, but again I would double check with her doctor.

Are you using a humidifier? I have found that to help a lot with my girls when they are stuffy. It is hard when babies are stuffed up and so little...there's really not much you can give them. We use either a cool or warm air humidifier...for stuffiness, either one is fine. But if she has a cough, use the cool air humidifier. Hope this helps!

Set up a vaporizor in the baby's room, you can even get special vicks stuff to put in it. It works great.
Also set the baby in her car seat or bouncy seat and put her in the bathroom while you take a nice hot shower and get the bathroom really steamed up.... this worked the best for my son. If your shower is big enough, you could even take her in with you for awhile.. just don't get it too hot, and it's probably best not to put her head under the water, but her back and tummy is ok.
HTH,
S.

Vicks should only be used on the chest. They make Vicks Vapor plugins that are awesome and fill the room up with that smell and it lasts for 8 hours! It will help but you should ask your Peditrician first. I use them all the time for my kids.
You can raise her crib if she sleeps in one area where her head is so her head will be elevated. I used saline, humidifier and that plug in for my kids all the time.
The rasp can be from the mucus in her throat if it is in her lungs you need to take her in!

Hi K.,

I also remember hearing that menthol should not be used on young children, so I wouldn't suggest using Vicks. Now that the kids are older, we use the Vicks baby rub, which does not contain menthol, when they have colds.

When my babies were stuffy, we used the saline drops every day and the bulb syringe. I also carefully used a wet Q-tip every morning and cleaned out their noses.

Nasal stuffiness at this age can also indicate a dairy allergy, so you may want to discuss with your pediatrician or lactation consultant (if breastfeeding) if none of these suggestions seem to help.

Good luck!

Saline spray in the nose, just a drop or two, and a hot air vaporizor. Don't used anything on her that isn't recommended for her age. The age limits are there for a reason. Run the vaporizor when she sleeps and see if you can elevate her at all. Put some towels or something under the crib mattress to put it at an angle. See if that works.

Vicks has a formula for babies. Works great! Especially with the humidifier through the night. Little noses saline drops helps, too.

i agree also:
saline drops
standing in steamy bathroom
humidifier
you might try a sleep positioner (since you baby is still small.. the slightly elevated head might help.
also, out of desperation we bought a battery powered nasal aspirator...

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...

I realize $25 is a lot to pay for a "booger sucker" as we call it, but the dang thing works wonders... and when a clear nose equalled sleep in those early days and honestly that is worth more than gold. besides, the bulb syringes never worked well for us (i think my kid had bigger than average nostrils or something...or it was operator error) but anyway, a few drops of saline, wait a few mins.. then suck out the nose... and then breastfeed (helps clear anything you missed).

good luck!

I would run the humidifier 24/7 (and over your baby's head while sleeping (cool mist). Also use saline drops in her nose then the bulb syringe. Also leave a message with the nurse at your pediatrician's office about the raspiness, just because she is so young. Also have her sleep in the carseat or swing as much as possible (the elevated sleeping position should help drain her once it starts running again.
Good luck!
R.

Have you tried loosening the mucous with a drop or two of nasal saline? That has always worked well with our stuffy little one. Let it sit for a minute, and then use the bulb syringe. You have to put the syringe in far enough to get the gunk out. GL!

Saline nose drops! Put a few in each nostril all day (and night) long. Our pediatrician recommends against using the bulb frequently. There is Baby Vicks. There is something about menthol being bad for babies, but I can't remember what it is.
Good luck! I hope she's okay!

Use Saline Drops/spray and it will help tremendously. Also there is a form of VICKS that is made specifically for babies. I think it is just more gentle on their skin to be honest although I have never seen an issue with the times I have used regular VICKS either. I don't know what the concern is there, but since they make an infant formula...I would just suggest that.

I would run a humidifer when she sleeps at night and nap time. I would also try the little noses saline spray. I used it on my son when he was little and it helps them sneeze everything out. Good Luck!

They do make baby vicks. They must have reason not to use big kid vicks so I wouldn't. If you have to my mother told me that if you put it on their shirt first then it wouldn't be so bad?. As for a stuffy nose I have used saline drops I can't remember the name but they are in the isle with cold medicine and that seemed to work and you can use it whenever because it is not medicated.

My oldest went through that at the same age. I used the saline, wait 30 seconds or so and use buggar snatcher. Also turn the shower on really hot, close the door and let him breath in the steam. I used a humidifier and put the baby vics on a onsie then put the onsie on him. There is also a thing you can plug into the outlet that lets out the vapor smell. Good luck!

Be careful with the Vicks!! It is not recommended on children under age 2 b/c it will irritate and can actually burn their skin. There is baby Vicks, but even that is not recommended (by Vicks) until baby is 3 months or older.
Tylenol is a pain reliever/fever reducer, so unless she has a fever or seems to be in pain there is no point in giving her that.
If you want to try some type of something like Vicks, Johnsons makes a vapor cream that is safe to use on a 2 month old.

The best route to go is like others mentioned-the humidifier, and some saline drops if you feel they are necessary. Sleep her upright (car seat, swing, etc) and that will help her sleep better. My baby is also two months old and we've had this problem for the past two weeks; keeping her upright makes a world of difference, and has prevented us needing anything else to "treat" a minor cold that will just run it's course.

You could try a humidifier around baby and also they make battery opperated nasal asspirators now, i just picked on up at walmart for my 6 month old when he got a cold and it really gets alot of that crud out of their nose and it is quick and painless.

I would ask your pediatrician if you could use Vicks. Johnson's has a soothing vapor baby cream that works well. I've heard that putting Vicks on the bottom of feet covered by socks really helps them breathe too. I'm sure there's something you could put in her bath too. Baby Magic makes a calming milk bath. I've heard great things about saline rinses too. I believe that a humidifier is definitely a must though, even if you don't do anything else. Best wishes!

I use saline drops..and put vicks on an old bib around their necks.

Use the Vicks. It is good, and there have not been any problems with it, they have a baby version if you are really worried. My grandma always told me the only way that she kept her kids healthy through the winter was using Vicks, and I believe her. I put it on my babies chest, armpits, back of knees and bottoms of feet, that is where the skin is the thinnest and it is absorbed into the body better. Sometimes doctors like to scare us too much I think :) Anyway, there is also the Little Noses nasal spray, that helps a lot too. Or you can go to using Echanacea drops.

Get a hot steam shower going and then sit in the bathroom with your baby so she can absorb the moisture into her lungs. Don't actually put her in the shower though!

Until they were recently taken off oxygen, my twins were always stuffed up. My doctor said not to worry about it unless they were struggling to breath. In that case, she recommended using saline solution. My kids hated it, but it worked. A humidifier sometimes worked. If your daughter is breathing okay and not acting like she's bothered by being stuffy, I wouldn't worry.

I remember using the baby vicks on my babies, I always just used a small amount. The bulb sucker doesnt work very well Ive never had good luck. I've found the best thing is steam from the showers and humidifiers but the shower is just temporary. Is she just stuffy or is she having boogers? It could be a nasal irritant that is more dry and just dripping saline like little noses or something can help the nose. If you drip the saline I wouldnt suck it as oversucking can also irritate the nasal passage and make it more stuffy (from what I've been told) If she is having boogers hold her in a warm shower and let them drain out.