It's a cold, but still ...

Hello, welcome to the land of first time motherhood, where a cold seems like a huge deal, particularly when DS gets mammothly upset when you want to wipe his nose (as he's too little to blow it) and a cough is devestating ...

I've looked up fact sheets, I know that most coughs and colds are viruses and your average baby will get 6-12 of them per year, but I feel so helpless ...

I've chatted with the gals in my mothers group, who have purchased expensive vaporisers and humidifiers and spent hundreds of dollars on pediatricians who have sent them away with this remedy or that remedy, but none of their babies seem to get over their colds any quicker than those of us who don't ...

I'm drinking fenugreek tea as I type, hoping that (in addition to increasing lactation) the congestion-reducing properties might carry over into my milk, and help my little J man out a bit ...

and I've been taking him into the shower every couple of days, hoping that the steam will help clear out his nose a bit too (it seems to help a bit in the short term, but nothing longer term) ...

does anyone else have anything they find helps?

or do we just ride it out ... ?

poor little man :(
do you have some fess spray and the snot sucker?

no ... a friend who uses it said that it only cleared out what was there, and it just comes back worse! and that it doesn't actually fix the problem ...

do you find they help?

omg i loved it, worked so well for us.
as for the humidifier, i love that too, you can get a cheap one from chemist warehouse for under $50

fess nasal spray works really well, it is definitely worth a go. Other than that my tips are to raise the head of the cot (a pillow under the mattress worked best for us) and keep the air in his bedroom moist. I used to put my damp washing on a clothes airer in his room, but a bowl of water under the cot works well too with the benefit that you can add eucalyptus oil to it too which will possibly be of some benefit. The simple things work the best IMHO.

We use a cheapo humidifier from the chemist, about $40 I think I paid. I also love fess, it doesn't stop it building up but it helps remove what's there which will help with feeds.
Taking him in the shower is a good idea too. I also use the baby vicks and put it on their feet.

I hope he's better soon xx

We have a snot sucker too, they are great but you have to get a decent one, cheap ones are useless. We also use Fess, it helps to loosen everything up. I usually use it about 10 minutes before a feed and she can feed heaps better. Fess helps everything to drain, it won't clear a cold up quicker but in the mean time it can help get whats in there out.

Fess, snot sucker (lol), humidifier (they aren't that expensive!) and Vicks vapour rub

BTW, did the other mum's in your MG really take their kids to their paeds with colds?! That's a little OTT! I'm suprised the paeds didn't just suggest what we've all suggested.

I hope you're little man is better soon. It's so tough when they're sick, that feeling of helplessness is awful :hug:

thanks for all the replies!!

and merry Christmas :D