Saline and Rubber Bulb Syringe

My daughter did the same thing! This is going to sound crazy but I laid her on the floor and placing her inbetween my legs. I was able to position my legs from letting her move her head and gentle placed her arms under my legs to where she could no longer push the rubber bulb away. I hope this helps!

My daughter is sick allot and starting fighting the syringe right away. She is 8 months old now. The only way I can clean her nose with the saline and aspirator is to sit on the floor or bed with my legs spread out and her head between my thighs and at least one arm under my leg. She usually squirms one arm out. Then I am able to saline her and sck it out. I hate doing it and she cries, but she gets over it fast. Good luck.

The reason why your son is protesting this act is because it makes him uncomfortable. While you may dislike the snot and you might think his congestion makes him uncomfortable he would rather deal with the snot than the syringe. Syringes are very invasive and really not necessary. Try using a humidifier, vapor bath, keeping him elevated, and the outside areas of his nose well moisturized... and please listen to what your son is trying to tell you... put away the bulb syringe!

what about getting the bottle of saline soution from teh store they sell it with the eyedrops and nose stuff like Afrin it's a different look and maybe even let him do it. Good Luck, I always say I got lucky with my two kids they never fought me on medicine and stuff like that.

He's old enough to blow his own nose. You have to be careful re using the syringes all the time, you could be reintroducing or passing on new bacterial and micro organisms.

Be sure to boil the bulb syringe between uses. My husband didn't and now he has an ear infection after using the syringe on the baby then using it to rinse out his own ears.

Hi R.
Here is 2 ways I accomplish this 1st way sit on the floor almost to sit indian style but instead extend your other leg out, then put you son in the triangle part of you leg. Make sure he is laying on the floor in between the back of your calf muscle and the back of your thigh. Close your leg tightly around him so he can't move.
2nd way fully extend your legs and lay your son in between your legs, put the top of his head closest to you and put your legs over the top of his arms. When he gets mad he won't be able to go anywhere and he will hold onto your legs.
Also make sure to plug one nostrile with your finger while sucking out the other side. Hope this helps W.

Hi R.. I used to have just as much trouble with my son, who's also 11 months old. I now use the saline spray right before I get him out of the tub, and some of it goes on down his throat. Then when I'm putting his jammies on a few minutes later, I use the syringe--but it doesn't take as much effort to get all the gunk out of his nose. Hope that helps. Good luck!
C.

I would just use the saline at this point and stop the bulb. The saline alone will help it move down his throat.

I would also start to wonder why he still has a runny/snotty nose at almost a year. Could be lots of things like teething, but I would have the doctor check him for allergies.

Also, there comes a time when they get to the stage that you have to hold them down to get what you need accomplished. Sometimes it's a two man job. But if he really needs it, you have to do it. You could also reward him afterwards with a treat or something, that would take some the pain away if he knew he would get something out of it afterwards. Kids are selfish (they have to be to survive, that's OK) if he's not getting something out of it for himself, he's not going to like it. Good LUCK

My son os only 9 months old, but I've had success with a battery operated suction device from www.onestepahead.com. It plays music as a distraction, then you hold a button down while it keeps a steady suction. No repetitive nose sucking. It has few parts so it makes for easy cleaning. My baby has actually responded great to this. He was kicking and throwing his head around a bulb syringe as well and I was scared I would hurt him with the bulb.

Lay him on his back with his head between your knees and his arms under your legs. They can't get away that way. I promise you it will work. He wil get mad at you but he will get over it. N.

My daughter is 6 months old and she was getting the same way. We bought her a battery operated aspirator and she loves it! Now she giggles when we use it and never cries. And we get so much more out of her nose than before. Here's the website...check it out: http://www.bebesounds.com/products_nasalclear_description...

Hi R.,

Sometimes we just have to hold them down against their will and just GET IT DONE!! There is no easy way when it comes to putting things in their noses, I've figured out. It is about what's best for them--even though they might not like it. My son is 2 1/2 and has HORRIBLE allergies, and if I don't get that junk out, he starts gagging on it and eventually throws up. I'd rather him be a little upset with me for a couple minutes than have him get sick and me have to clean up a big mess. As mothers, we don't want to upset our children or make them uncomfortable in any way. But we do have to think about their health and do what's best for them in the long run. Our children also need to know who's in charge, and that we just want them to be safe and healthy. :) Don't feel bad about being firm about this--we've all been through, or will go through situations like this at some point. I have 3 kids and have come to realize that they're not always going to like what we do, but as long as they know we love them, they'll eventually be grateful for everything we've done for them. (HOPEFULLY!)

Hope this helps a little bit,
Liz W.

Hi R.,

Have you tried to get him to blow his nose? I know the bulb works best but unless you want to hold him down and do it the only other thing I would suggest is having him blow his nose. You will probably have to show him how to do it. Another suggestion would be to consult his dr. to see why he always has a runny nose maybe there is something they can give him to dry him up or maybe they can give you some suggestions on how to handle it. Good luck!!

hi R.! i'm a pediatric nurse and we do this ALL THE TIME here at work, and i do it constantly at home, too. my daughter would bite me if i didn't have her on her back with her arms at her sides, between my knees, with one hand clamping her forehead so she couldn't flip her head around and "attack." now that she's 16 months she's much more used to it. we use little noses drops, in the orange pack, to seal up the nasal cavity, they're called neosynephrine drops and you can buy them at walmart. but ONLY use them for NO LONGER than 3 days without a few days break or their their nasal passages will swell shut as a rebound reaction, not allowing air thru. good luck!

Give him some power. Allow him to have his own (clean or new) syringe to pretend on you or a stuffed animal, etc. Then tell him it's his turn. It may help.

R.

My little boy is almost two and his nose gets pretty nasty at times. He does not know how to blow yet, so I take a Q-tip and gently rub it around the inside edge of his nose. I don't stick it in there far so I don't hurt him or push stuff back up. I don't know if anyone else does this, but sometimes it is the only way I can get that nose clean.

Hi R.,
Well my son isn't that old he is only nine months and has a mind of his own and until recently he didn't like the syringe bulb but I have made a game out of it, I got two and I showed him that I could do it and that it made me laugh so he lets me do him, while I'm using it on him I make funny noises like sucking spaghetti noodles and he laughs and by the time he's done laughing I'm done, but each child is different so you just have to find your own routine all these suggestions are good but only you know what is best for your child.

Good Luck
F. and Manny