6 Month Old Really Congested; Help!

Updated on November 07, 2006
A.G. asks from Lakeland, FL
21 answers

My 6 month old little girl randomly came down with a crappy cold, her nose is constantly running, and when she nurses she has to take a break every so many seconds so she can breathe. It breaks my heart to see her havin' such a hard time, and being so miserable. I tried to use the snot sucker/saline drops method, but it does nothing. I hate seeing her like this. Is there anything I can do?

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So What Happened?

Thank you all for your wonderful advice! Y'all are great! Lillian is doing much better now, I did the breastmilk in the nose approach and it worked, yay! I'm so glad she's better now. Thanks again y'all! ^__^

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L.W.

answers from Melbourne on

have you had her tested for RSV my son got that and had a really hard time breathing it was not just like a cold thing either. He got the virus form daycare. You might want to consider getting her tested if not done so already. The virus is one of the worst. Good luck and I hope she feels better.

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J.V.

answers from Miami on

I breatfed my daughter for 2 years. I understand how congested they get and how hard it is for her to eat when she is having a hard time breathing. The humidifier and fresh air was great in combination with the saline drops and the boogie sucker. I would take her to the doctor just in case but otherwise a humidifier and what you are already doing should do the trick. I hope she gets better soon.

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V.

answers from Boca Raton on

Hi, A.!
I agree with other moms, that you need to go to your pediatrician first. If he'll say that is just a cold, than you can do very simple and very effective thing. I did it when i were brestfeeding my kids. Every time when they had runny nose, i dropped warm breast milk in to the baby nose. You can buy a dropper, or i did just from a breast. 3 times a day, and in 2-3 days no cold, worked like a charm. Breast milk is a life saver for babies, everything they need, breast milk has it.
Best wishes,
V..

3 moms found this helpful
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R.

answers from Port St. Lucie on

The saline drops are good, but your breatmilk has more antibodies in it. I would express a little milk by hand into a cup and us that instead of saline. It worked great and helped my son. It also didn't have a horrible taste to it and ditn't dry his nose like the saline. I hope this helps
R.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.H.

answers from Fort Myers on

Hi A. - I too am a SAHM - my husband and I have 6 children all together - my oldest is 21, his twins are 12 (they live with us - their mom pasted away when they were 2) and our three children together are 6, 4 and 16 months. I have breastfed all of my children exclusively. I have found that when one of them was congested I would put a very little teeny, tiny bit of the Johnson's baby soothing vapor cream on my breast where the babies nose would normally be - the vapor always seems to help - but like I said use just a little bit to start. Hope this helps and would love to chat sometime seems like we have a lot in common.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.B.

answers from Port St. Lucie on

My daughter just had the same thing, and I had to bring her for breathing treatment(nebulizer). It helped alot. PLease call your doctor, my daughter was gasping for air and scared me to death.

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J.C.

answers from Raleigh on

My daughter had this problem. Our ped referred us to a respitory specialist in West Palm. He put our sweetie on a nebulizer that he said she would need every time this happened. She cleared up within the first month and has not had the problem since.

I guess what I am saying is call your pediatrician. If they can't help let me know and I can get you the name of our specialist.

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O.B.

answers from Boca Raton on

Good Morning A.,

My daughter just went trough this too. I will sound weird for you but what I did (that's what we do in my Country) I cut a hole on the back of the nose/ear sucker (you need to cut a hole like you vacuum cleaner�s hole) and put it on the end of the vacuum cleaner. Put it on check on your self first make sure not sucking too hard and if not clean you daughter nose, it will suck it out really good and you can do it as many as you want to. Let me tell you, my daughter nose was bleeding when I was doing it without the vacuum and when I started to use the vacuum it stopped bleeding. Now we are healthy again. Good luck to you, and I hope your baby will be better soon too.
Orsi

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M.A.

answers from Fort Myers on

My dd had this a couple weeks ago. I asked my ped and they suggested the pediacare decongestant for stuffy noses only. You might have to ask your dr about the dosage though. I only gave my 8mo 4ml or whatever the measurements are.
I hope she feels better soon!

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P.P.

answers from Orlando on

Hi A., I am realy going to need you to trust me on this one. This a medicine I've been using sense 1983 for my children and now grand babies. from infant all the way up the oldest of age. Go to the grocery store and ask for some turn-up bottoms. You can either get them at walmart or Albertons, the way they look. They look like rooterbagaers, purple and white in color. You peel them dice them pour a cup of pure cane sugsr over the dice turn-up bottoms, you can use domino. Put the medicine in a plastic container with a top leave it in room temperature, it will make its own juice. The first time the baby takes it she will throw up thus cleaning residue mucus from her stomach area. Administer the medicine like regular medicine, at least three time a day. She should show designs of releif after one day.

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S.M.

answers from Miami on

A.,
I would bring Lillian to the pediatricians immediately. My daughter had similar problems when she was an infant and needed breathing treatments from a nebulizer.
she may not be getting enough oxygen and this is a scary thing. Please don't delay. it was so scary when my daughter was 5 months old and i brought her into peds and she was given a nebulizer treatment while we waited for the ambulance to come to bring her to the hospital. she was not getting enough oxygen due to the congestion .

hugs,
S.

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T.Q.

answers from Orlando on

A.,

My son came down with some random congestion at that age too. It's terrible to watch them go through and it is so frustrating when they can't eat (drink). My son used a binky and he would spit it out and cry. I used the decongestant for babies called Little Colds. You may not want to use it since you're doing everything else so naturally. But it helped him to breathe because it dried out his nose. The congestion was at its worst after he slept, so I came up with a bedtime routine that helped. Before bed I would give him his usual bath. Because the steam from the bath made his nose drain, I used that as an opportunity to suck out the snot with the nasal aspirator. I used the big one they gave us from the hospital. It took forever, and he was screaming by the time I finished, but I got ALL the snot out. Then I rubbed Baby Vicks behind his ears, under his chin, across his chest, and on the bottoms of his feet (I know it sounds stange, but it's very soothing). I dresssed him for bed and gave him the medicine. Because we co-slept at the time, I was able to prop him up on pillows without worrying about him tumbling sideways. He was all but verticle. To keep him from slipping down I rolled up a blanket and put it under his knees. He was very cozy and, though he still produced new snot, it kept him from draining into the back of his throat and he breathed normally through the night. He was even able to suck on his binky. His congestion cleared up in about 48 hours.

He's a year old now and recently had his first bad cold. Unfortunately the congestion lasted for weeks and the decongested didn't work. But I did find another product. It's a night light made by Vicks that doubles as a vaporizer. It fills the room with menthol. It really helped.

Good luck!

-T.

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S.L.

answers from Boca Raton on

Try setting up a humidifier in her room. That really seems to work for my son. You can use just plain steam or add vicks liquid to it. They sell them at any drug store - I think mine was about $30.

Good luck!

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L.N.

answers from Washington DC on

hi A., try baby vicks, a bit on her chest that should help her. the snot sucker is the only thing i used as well combined with saline drops.
vlora

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C.B.

answers from Lakeland on

You could try showering with her and use the Shower Soothers tablets that dissolve and give off a vapor. I think they work great!

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D.C.

answers from Lakeland on

Hi,

I empathize with your dilema. I had a child with similar problems. It turned out to be allergies. Have you checked with the pediatrician? Changing environmental hazards in the home may help as well, i.e., cleaning products, open windows, etc. Hope it clears soon.

D.

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B.F.

answers from Orlando on

Have you tried turnning on the hot shower in the bathroom and letting the steam clear her nose? This helped with both of my children, I would sit with them in the the bathroom with the door shut and let the bathroom fill with steam from the shower and nurse at the same time, this helped them a lot. Hope this helps.

bonnie F.

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R.T.

answers from Orlando on

Hello,
I know what you are going though. My son also was like that. My uncle who is a DR. (family practice) said to just use a humidifier or even just a glass of water by his bed. And to use the nose sucker when he looks like he is really suffy. Also to cup my hand and hit on his back. and that will bring anything up. But he told me not to but in vickis because it opens up the lungs and can cause him to get real sick. But that unless he had has a cold there really is nothing to do. i hope that what i told you will help. R.

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S.G.

answers from Gainesville on

Hi A.,
I hope this helps. I use many of the same things that other moms that replied do. I use baby vicks (although it seemed to irritate my 6 mo old's skin...she has sensitive skin) on both my daughters (my 6 mo old and 2 yr old). I also use a humidifier, nose/saline suction. Also, I believe it's Gerber that makes a bath soap that helps with congestion.

Per our pediatrician, you can use the triamin chest strips instead of baby vicks. They are very strong and should not be put on your baby. You simply open up the package, take it out and place it next to where your little girl sleeps at night. I prefer using these to the vicks just because it gets everywhere and irritates baby Michelle's skin, but they were sold out at the store this week when we went.

I hope that Lillian is feeling better quickly and that no one else catches it!

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T.H.

answers from Dothan on

Maybe try baby vick on her back. Also maybe try warming a damp towel and placing on her back or her chest. Also try going into the bathroom and let it steam up for a few seconds. Hope this helps. Have you been giving her any decongestion medicine. Good Luck!!

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Z.C.

answers from Gainesville on

A., I had a situation like your. My son's doctor told me I can give him Children Dimetapp(Cold and Allergy). It is good for nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose.

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