Nebulizing Baby While Pregnant

When my daughter was 5 months old she had RSV and the only thing that would keep her still was setting her in a walker. I don't remember if the vapors were away from me that way or not as this was almost 4 years ago. I hope this helps!

My son is also 18M and has to use nebulizer every day for asthma. Some days, nothing helps! But most of the time giving him a small toy to hold or book to look at helps keep him occupied. I also have his older sister come in and talk to him/read to him which also keeps him busy until we can finish.

We do a lot of nebulizing. My oldest son started daily nebulizer treatments at 14 mos. The only thing we found that works to keep him still for the whole treatment is TV. We do not watch TV any other time. So, it is a treat and he actually holds the mask himself. Good luck. R.

Check with your physician first. What was recommended to me (if you mean the svn machine and albuterol or medicine in that catagory-One that has mouth piece) is that sit down with your child giving him/her a book or toy for distraction put mouth piece really close to face and just hold the mouth piece and child will inhale. Be it through nose,mouth, or both. With every breath they take, they inhale the medicine. Hope that helps.

I can't help with the breathing the vapors while pregnant problem other than to ask if you've asked your baby's doctor or yours if it's a problem.

As for the keeping the baby occupied...we always played a favorite video or watched a favorite show. The treatments took so long and it was a treat to watch a show that he barely noticed it.

I have 2 boys, both have asthma, one is severe and the other is mild/moderate with 2 episodes of RSV and many Croup episodes. I feel your pain sweetie, it will get better.

Are you using a pediatric mask? That should cut down on a lot of you inhaling any of the treatment. If not you can get one from your peditrician or asthma and allergy doctor or pharmacy. As for you inhaling some of the treatment is not bad for you and will not hurt your unborn baby,( the only reason I know that is from my OB and peditrician when I was pregnant with our second child and having the same problem and worry.) you sould not be getting enough that it makes you jittery.

For both of our boys we let them choose their mask, either a fish or a dragon. ( they also have them in girly ones too ) then they either watch a movie, or we sing and read books. When we sing it lets the breathing treatments get deeper and seems to have more of an effect or a movie that makes them laugh does the same thing. It takes time but your baby will get used to it.

I had to nebulize while pregnant as well. I would sit her in the high chair or booster seat and sit across from her. I still got a small amount of the vapors but not as much as I did if I held her. As far as sitting during the treatment, I would read books to her or sing songs. If she was having a really hard time with it, I would sit her where she could see the TV and she would watch a short Elmo video. Good Luck and Congratulations on the new baby.

My daughter just ahd RSV and she hated the nebulizer so they prescribed and inhaler (I know how the heck do you get a baby to take an inhaler?). They supply a seperator, which looks like a tube with a nose and mouth piece at the end. So you give them a puff and then hold it there for 2-3 breaths. Ask your Dr. if this is a possibilty. Hang in there and take care of yourself...I caught it after my daughter had it. Make sure your house is well humidified, give her frequent saline rinses and be patient...it will pass and she will be ok.

Hi K.,
Do you have a mask for it that fits the child's face? I know when I first got our nebulizer for asthma it was a make-shift thing with a cup. I was given the mask by my allergy doc (maybe a the pharmacist?). That seemed to help with the meds staying in the mask and going directly into the child's mouth.

We watched kids television and/or baby einstein video's to get through it. Thank fully my son is older now and I can just use an inhaler. Good luck
L.

Hello~ I had to start with my kids as infants due to RSV and now (4 1/2 yrs and 2 yrs) because of asthma. First, make sure that the part that you are putting the medicine in has a cap. The ones we always got from the doctors or ER didn't have a cap just a tube for the medicine. It was National Jewish that said the cap was important because it was not good for the babies eyes.
Also, my doc recommended doing half a dose at a time. So, only 5 minutes (assuming you are only doing one small dose like 0.63 and not two at a time) but then you need to do it twice as often. *Please don't do this without asking your doc first*
Lastly, I would hide my babies favorite toys and only let them play with them during treatments.
I hope you don't have to do it long but pretty soon they get very used to it and don't fight as much.
Good luck to you!

Hi K.,

I am 7 months pregnant with asthma and has a 2 year old daughter with asthma as well. My OB/GYN has okay'd me to take my own asthma medication with less risk to the baby. What they tell asthmatic mothers is that it's better to keep the mother heathly (able to breathe). I've done a lot of research on the internet for this as well and have seen both sides of the story. So I personally decided to take the meds. I also occasionally took the meds during my first pregnancy and my 2 year old had no defects at all.

I would always first check with your OB/GYN to see what they feel, but I have no worries when I nebulize my daughter (while pregnant) up to 5 times daily.

Also, my daughter got RSV last season. It was horrible. I would definitely treat that first and foremost. Purchase a mask of some sort (at Walgreen's) if that will make you feel slightly better.

Good luck to you and I hope your little one gets better soon. Good luck with your pregancy and hang in there!

P.

Hi K.,
My little one loves to look at magagzines or we sit and read to her. We have read to her since day one.

Have you checked to see if there are inhalers for your little one to use? There is an attachment that goes on the inhaler so they can breath in the medicine and it doesn't hit the back of the throat.

In any event, my little one got very sick from her medicine we put in her nebulizer. Check out this website and be aware of the side effects which may take place. www.askapatient.com. Keep in mind, everyones side effects are different and not everyone has a bad reaction even though everyone else may have.

My daughter also had RSV and I am so sorry for you. That is one of the worst experiences that I have had as a mom. Another idea to add to the other moms, is maybe cut the breathing treatments in half? It usually takes about 20 min for the albuterol for us and when she was little I would do it until she was fed up, then stop, eat a snack, read a book and then go back and do the last 5 minutes or so. Just an idea, and then he is still getting all of the meds. Good luck, and another piece of advice for the future, is as soon as he starts coughing with a cold or anything, start using the nebulizer right away and it keeps it under control.

K.,
I have been a Respiratory THerapist for 12 years. I would follow alot of the great advice you got from other when it comes to distracting your son. However if that doesnt work,I know it sounds mean, but if he is upset he usually breaths deeper and get in the treatment even better. The albuterol shouldnt hurt you or your baby unless you are allergic. If he still has problems, ask the Dr. if you can switch to MDIs with a pediactric spacer. It makes the treatments last a couple of minutes versus 10 minutes or more. THen you wont have to get any of the medication at all. Good luck. RSV is no fun.

There is really not a way that you can nebulize your baby without having him breathe in the medicine. I assume that you have an infant mask already, so just try and occupy his mind while on the treatment. Put in his favorite movie or color with him. It's definately a challenge with a 18 month old. Good luck!

I, too, was pregnant when I had to do this with my son. He was about the same age. I put him between my legs facing the same way I was. I used an oxygen mask for his face. I rocked him back and forth and sang songs while I gently held the mask to his face. He usually made it to the end and that way I could turn my face away without breathing it in myself. I am not sure of the dangers on a pregnant woman though, but I just wanted to be safe.

Hi K.. I have to do this for my son as well. Depending on which one you have (some are really loud, some are quiet...) the quiet one I can sometimes sneak on my son after he falls asleep? Sometimes thats a no-go, but generally speaking he is a pretty sound sleeper, so after he is all the way asleep we just strap the mask to his head and turn it on?! Thats one idea. Another... assuming my son is awake... he will not do nebulizer ANYWHERE but in the swing. He loves the swing so thats kind of our bribe to get him to do it (yes, thats bad, but it works). Also, if he doesn't like it... my son started at about 18 months and he HATED it. I finally find him a GREAT pediatrician that said that at this age a lot of kids feel like when you put a mask over their face they are being suffocated... and it terrifies them. He gave us a tube instead, and he you can either just have them hold it in their mouth if they will, or tape the end of it and just hold it near their mouth... thats really a lot easier than trying to wrestle a mask on them if thats the part they don't like!? Hope that helps- Good luck and congratulations on your pregnancy!!

I did a high chair when my son started not sitting then he couldn't get out. He didn't like it, but he has to get the medication. Bribery...not a fan but do when you have too. Give him a special treat of some kind after he completes it.
I too was pregnant and had a one year old with RSV. One thing to know, the medication (allbuterol and/or pulmocort) is not harmful to your unborn baby and has been shown to stop contractions. I had the same fear and that is what my pediatrician told me.
Also, a mask will help control where the medication goes better, if he will keep it on (mine never did).
My 2 year old has croup right now and is on a nebulizer, he sits and watches curious George or Little Einsteins while doing it, if he stops the machine, the TV goes off. It has been working for him but he is older than your son.
Good luck.

Hello, my name is S., I am a mother of 4 and a grandma of 6!! I have asthma and 2 of my children do as well as some of my grandkids. also, 3 of my grankids where born premature and the have had to use the nebulizer for most of thier lives. We have found it easiest to use the treatments when the child is sleeping. We would place the face mask as close to the baby as we could without waking hthem up. This does not always work, but it does make it easier at times. It is not an easy task to get a child to do these treatments, it is noisey and they dont like things on thier faces but our Dr. said if you can at least hold the mask as close to the child without actually putting it on them that they do breath in some of the treatment. I know that it is not recommended for you yourself to be around it that much but while I was pregnant I had to use the nebulizer and things went ok for me!! Good luck sweetie and I hope your child gets well soon!!