Nervous New Mother with Sick Infant

Sounds like she's doing fine. No fever. Two days into a cold, you can tell how bad it's going to be usually. If he just has a runny nose, consider yourself lucky.

That being said, nasal congestion can be tricky for a nursing baby, because you can't really nurse when you can't breathe through your nose, and you get frustrated and cry a lot, all night long.

When my son was very small, not as small as yours, maybe 2 or 3 months, he got a bad cold, and I learned a few things. Nurse more than usual- if he cries, nurse him, if he opens his mouth, stick a boob in it. They need the comfort and the fluids. My son woke in the night miserable and congested, crying because he couldn't nurse. I took him in the bathroom and ran a hot shower and just sat in the room holding him. It helped his congestion and he nursed himself to sleep.

Another very primitive solution- I'm warning you, it's kind of gross- is to just forgo those nasal aspirating bulbs and do it the old fashioned way. Do you see where I'm going with this? Once or twice when my son was sick with his first cold, and it was the middle of the night and I was desperate, I just put his little nose in my mouth and sucked the yuckies out of it. I couldn't believe I did that, I just did it by instinct without thinking twice. It worked. And it wasn't even as gross as you would think. It's a tiny ammount of baby boogers. It's not like being on Fear Factor.

Anyway, good luck. Try to relax. It's going to be okay.

Congrats! I have a 4.5 week old baby boy. Don't worry so much about the cold, as most of the mothers have already posted. They will get sick. The only thing you need to watch out for is RSV, which my three year old got when he was one month old. It can be quite serious. You can get more info about it here:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/respiratory/rsvfeat.htm

best of luck to you!
A.

H.,

Congratulations on your new baby and family. I too have a new born. I also have a toddler boy, two years old. He came down with a cold when my daughter was a week old. I was so afraid she was going to get it, and then eventually she did get it. I must say he had it much worse than she did. She developed thick congestion and an uncomfortable cough. I just kept nursing. That's the best thing to do. She eventually got through it without a fever and all that other stuff.

Watch her closely. If she develops a fever higher than 100.4 take her to Children's Hospital (my preference). Other wise keep her comfortable, head elevated, maybe let her sleep in her carrier or car seat. Keep a humidifier or cool mist vaporizer near.

If the congestion seems to be making her too uncomfortable, you can squirt a mixture of salt and water (little noses can be found at Walgreens) in both nostrils and suction her nose with the little nose bulb. Steam also helps. Take her in to a steam filled room for about 15 minutes or so.

I hope this is helpful. Try not to worry too much, and above all keep nursing.

We had it, my hubby and I felt way worse then my little one ever let on. She was stuffy, loose cough, but did fine. We did not breast feed. Just watch her, keep her hydrated. If she is lethargic, running a temp, has breathing issues, call your MD. Hang in there, it is scarier to think about but I think most kids do just fine.

My question would be how old is your baby? Under 3 months old is always more concerning. Of course, talk with your pediatrician.
I think the main concern is breathing and hydration. Breastfeed as usual, even more if the baby seems to request it. Use a nasal aspirator if the baby has congestion. Putting a little breastmilk into the nostrils to loosen passages, and then aspirating is a good way to clear the nasal passages. Put a vaporizer in the sleeping area. Take it easy and monitor the symptoms!

something you can do is to be sure and drink good stuff to pass onto baby through your breastmilk. for example, orange juice and echinacia (sp). i don't know if this definately helps or not, but it at least feels like i'm doing something to help my son when he's got a cold.

OK, I know you're a new mom & this baby thing is scary but, gonna be blunt, babies get sick....it's a fact of life. And in some respects, it's a good thing. They need to build up immunity to germs. So, don't stress yourself & call or go to your ped cuz there's no drug to make it go away. Just keep her hydrated & make sure she gets plenty of sleep. If she does get a cold, she may wake up more thru thee night more than usual & not wanna eat but just be cuddled. If she seems to be congested, you can prop the top of her mattress so she has a better time sleeping. Babie's R Us sells this slanted mattress-like pillow that you put under their fitted sheet & keeps them slightly elevated & helps w/the congestion. Our second son had a cold at about this same & since his brother was in preschool, it was the first of many. I bought one of these things & it really helped him. Good luck!

Don't worry, my daughter had her first cold when she was two weeks old (she has an older brother). Make sure that she eats and if she has a hard time breathing when she sleeps, let her sleep on you and you can sit up.

Congratulations on the new baby. My daughter (6 mo.) has had two colds this season. The first one she got the same time I did when she was 3 mo. and the second she brought home from daycare a few weeks ago. The first one was the worst. She was very congested and had trouble breathing while nursing. The second one has just been the sniffles.

Some things I did that seemed to help her with the symptoms:
1. When she would wake up really congested I would always give her a little nasal saline (just a few drops on each side) and then use a bulb syringe to get everything out. We call this "sucking out your brains". There's a song we sing when we're doing it. She thinks it's hilarious.

2. If she has trouble breathing while nursing pop a menthalated cough drop in your mouth and then breath on your baby while she nurses. I figured this one out while we were both sick. It doesn't work great, but it does help.

Good luck and try not to fret about the antibody thing. You have been exposed so you probably are making some antibodies your viral load just isn't high enough for you to actually feel sick.

Hi H.. I also have a 5 week old baby who got his big sisters cold when he was 10 days old. It is really nerve racking to say the least and we didn't get any sleep. (you already aren't getting that I would imagine!) This is my second child and I was nervous with a sick newborn so I know how you are feeling. The pedi said we had to get by with supportive care at home unless baby gets a fever or stops eating. If that happens, go to the Doctor right away. I also am breastfeeding and did not catch it even though mt husband did. These are the things that helped us: Keep baby upright as much as possible, especially when sleeping. Some people have had the baby sleep in the car seat but we used a foam wedge in the bassinet. Use breastmilk or saline drops in the nose 4-5 times a day to thin out mucous and then gently use a bulb suction if needed to remove goo. Go easy on the bulb suction, once or twice a day..it can cause baby's sinuses to become inflamed. Steam up the bathroom and stand in there with baby for 10-15 minutes. Use a humidifier at night. Even with all my experience as a mom the most important thing for me was to go to the pedi when I just didn't feel right, which we did twice, once to after hours care. Follow your gut instinct. It was a long 9 days but baby is fine and you too will get through.
Stay strong and be well!

Don't worry about the anti-bodies. As I'm sure your ped will tell you, if you've been exposed you are producing antibodies...in this case enough to keep you symptom free. That's great, and you are passing them on.