My 8 week old has had a cold and stuffy nose for the weekend now, any advise. I know take her to the doctor, but I'm holding out becuase she has a check up on Wed. so what can I do before then??? Please help.
I use to take salt luke warm water in a dropper in put it in my daughter's nose when it was stuffy. It works and it is safe to do.
Use the nose sucker and little noses too for the nose and you could put a little bit of vicks on the chest or use the baby bath vick stuff.
I would not use any medication except tylenol unless she/he is in distress then I would bring her in. suction the nose and keep up on that, if you want you can try saline drops in the nose, they usually cannot stand it. Medications usually just keep the kids awake other than tylenol, if she/he has a fever over like 100.0 rectal or more I would bring the child in sooner. Otherwise not a lot you can do except fluids, suction and tylenol. Hope this helps!
It isn't necessary to take a baby to the doctor because they have a cold. That may be the worse place to take a baby because a doctors office has lots of SICK patients and your baby could catch something else or something worse.
I would just keep your baby as comfortable as possible and wait til Wed. unless your baby develops a fever, wheezing, trouble breathing or something serious.
I don't bring my daughter to the doctor unless it's serious or I feel she needs a prescription otherwise it's pointless for a cold or virus. They can't do anything for a cold so they send you home. If your worried it's particularily bad or there's more going on then bring her in.
Elevate baby when she is asleep, saline drops or breastmilk drops in her nose to help clear her sinuses (be ready with a bulb syringe to clean out her nose after she sneezes), and a humidifier when she's sleeping all helped our baby. Try to stay away from medicines if you can. In the long run, it should help her immune system to strengthen.
Hope she gets to feeling better soon! I don't think its a big deal to wait until Wed for the doc appointment, as long as she's still eating fine and seems happy.
My daughter (2 months) has had a stuffy nose also, and our dr. recomended a saline nasal spray. There are several out there, but we found two that are specifically for infants. The one I use is called "Little Remedies" I think. I found it at Walmart. Also, we have brought her into the bathroom while we're in the shower. She sits in her bouncy seat in breathes in the steam. It helps loosen everything. We've also (during the "shower hour") used Sudafed brand Shower Soothers. They are a disk you place on the floor of the shower and it releases menthol and eucalyptus vapors. They work for big people and little ones too!
They have Baby Vicks Vapor Rub at the store... it's right by the childrens medicine mostly, and at bigger stores like Wal-Mart Target... you could also run the shower on hot, so that she can breathe in the vapors of the room. Also, in the children's medicine find the infant cold medicine that comes with a dropper. The cold will last for a few days, around the time it last for any adult. In most cases, all the doctor will say is "keep doing what you're doing." And wont give you much more advice than that. God bless you both!
Try a cool-mist humidifier or sit in a steamy bathroom to help ease the congestion. I had my girls sleep in their infant carrier carseats when they had colds--the elevation seemed to help them breathe better. Miserable, but avoid the doctor's office if at all possible--it is a dangerous place this time of year!
I good way to help?.... Use a humidifier. My son had a cold about a week ago. We plugged in a cool-mist humidifier, and a Vick's night light, and he cleared up in about 4 days. The night light disperses Vick's Vapors into the air, so it's safer than applying it to his chest. We didn't give him any over the counter meds. The doctor said they don't help.
Good luck.
