Newborn and Serious Nasal Congestion When Sleeping

When my first daughter was born she was not breathing and needed her lungs cleared, she had 22ml of fluid sucked out of them... she never had a problem with breathing after that... My point is there is more than likley something else going on... Get a second opinion!!! An infant that chokes and vomits while sleeping is NOT normal!!! My best advice temporarly would be to have her sleep in a swing, car seat, vibrating bouncy chair to keep her at a semi-sitting position to help her breathing. PLEASE get a second opinion...

I would agree with Tricia. Either there is something else going on or she needs more attention to that fluid thing. Eitherway, more seems to be needed. If you feel that you can not leve her alone, that would be way too scary for me. I would try to get into the office on Monday. If her own ped is unresponsive, be sure to be an advocate for your child, yourself and your family and get a second opinion. In the meantime, I would also have a sleep semi-reclined. My daughter had spit-up issues and slept best cradled by her boppy cushion.

Best of luck!
D.

Hi J., I read a couple of the replys, my second and third had this too. At the hospital they gagged a lot right after birth and turned gray. The nurses really didn't seem alarmed, but it really scared me. They told me the same thing about coming down the birth canal quickly and not being squeezed out. Anyway, my pediatrician suggested that I elevate the crib on one side only (where you would put their head) I used a three inch rise under two of the legs by the headboard and propped rolled towels next to each side of my baby to be sure he would not roll around. He cleared up relatively quickly with much less gagging after that. Run it by the pediatrician, a phone call is a lot cheeper than scheduling a visit...Take care,
S.

I would take her back to the pediatrician and let them know this is still happening. This just doesn't seem right. If they are still not concerned, ask them to tell you exactly why they are not concerned, exactly what is going on, and what to expect in the future with her (how long this will last, etc).

I understand exactly what you are talking about. My son will be 6wks old tomorrow and from the day he was born I have had the same concern. He came out after only one push (he is our fourth child)and has been congested and nasally ever since. I had concerns while staying in the hospital so the nurse did nasal drops and suctioned his nose. It worked temporarily, but his nose still remains the same. His pediatrician says he is fine and eventually it will clear up. I continue, on occassion, to give him nasal drops and suction his nose too. Although it isnt cleared all the way it is getting better. Good Luck and congrats on your new lil princess.

Hi J.,

I have a 4 months old. He was born through C-section, but he had cold and cough in 2nd week after birth. He had difficulty breathing and woke up often due to discomfort. Our doctor told us to lie him down in 45 degree position. We actually put him to sleep in the car seat and he slept well. We bought him a papasan swing and put him to bed in that till his cold went away. This helped. Not sure if this will help you, but try and see. Hope your baby feels better soon.

This is reminding me of EXACTLY what happened with our son. He came out super quick and had lots of congestion. I took him to the doc and she wasn't worried. I think we took him in around 3-4 weeks. He is now 7 weeks and has been great for about 1 week now.
We just had him sleep in an inclined position which helped. the doc also told us to use the nasal sucker thing. I told my husband it wasn't going to work because the drainage was in the back and there was nothing to suck. but it really did work. the sucking brought all that stuff that was in the back up front so that we could get rid of it.
good luck

I am obviously no Dr. but is it possible her lungs are not clear. It sounds like a breathing issue which should be addressed by a pulmonologist. Foriegn fluid/matter left in the lungs can lead to lung disease. Just be proactive and go with your gut.It's your baby and you love them best.

I would see a cranio/sacral therapist (CST). Preferably a Chiropractor who has had the CST training or an advanced CST.

It's extremely gentle touch that helps the cranial (head) bones move into the correct positions. It might sound scarey, but the movement is so slight. My boy had to be pulled out with a suction cup on his head and so he was squeezed sort of differently. He had congestion and trouble nursing. Anyway, I found a chiro who is also a CST and it helped tremendously. Also, my boy preferred to sleep on his belly and I let him. You'll have to decide if that choice is right for you.

Go on www.upledger.com to find a CST in your area. They MUST have a CST(P) designation in my book if they are going to work on my kid. P is for pediatrics. It also means they have completed at least level two in addition to the pediatric training. Level four is the highest (you'll see it in roman numerals).

I really believe this will help you. My boy was also late to crawl and the chiro helped him there, too.
Good luck,
B.

HI there. My daughter took a long time to get out and she had nasal congestion for a while. I used a sleeping wedge. It worked out really well. You can get them at babies r us. My daughter was so congested that at her night feedings I had to suck out her nose or she could not breathe to eat.

My daughter is now 5 months and is still a little congested at times. I was told it has to do with babies going from a water environment to dry air.

Good luck

J. - this really sounds like reflux (gerd). Please ask your pediatrician about it. All 4 of my kids have had it in varying degrees. It's usually diagnosed around 4-6 weeksk of age.
Best Wishes!

Are you sure it's lung drainage? Serious gastric reflux will do the same thing. A girlfriend's baby had this...

Regardless, go to another doctor and get a second opinion.

Secondly, you might try a wedge pillows to elevate her while she sleeps so she's not flat on her back...

M.