One of the most tiring and teary-eyed experiences of a parent comes when a little baby is congested. Babies breathe primarily through their noses, particularly while breastfeeding or bottle feeding, which makes the experience all the more uncomfortable, and increases their risk of dehydration.
On top of this, a snotty, weepy baby is a pitiful sight that makes this mommy cry.
I have collected some tried and true tricks for relieving baby congestion and bringing comfort. Now that the Federal Drug Administration has declared cold and flu medicines unsafe for children under 2 years old, it becomes all the more important to have alternative methods at your disposal.
If none of them work and your baby is unable to breastfeed or take a bottle, this is a situation in which I recommend consulting a pediatrician or naturopath. Sick babies need to eat and drink more frequently, not less.
1. The Bathroom Steam
This is one of the first things I try when a baby’s nose is stuffed up. I bring my baby into the bathroom, shut the door, and turn the shower on very hot in order to turn the bathroom into a steam room. We sit there for a good ten minutes. Steam helps loosen the mucus in the nasal passages so that you can clear them.
2. Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus essential oil is one of the most useful oils you can have on hand. If you do not have a store nearby that sells it, it is worth the small investment to purchase it online.
Eucalyptus is a superior treatment for all things related to the respiratory system, including congestion, colds, the flu, coughs, and asthma. In addition to being a decongestant, it has antiseptic and astringent properties that help sooth mucus membrane inflammation.
To use for your congested baby, add 2-3 drops to the shower head or shower stall when creating a steam room. Your baby will thus inhale the vapors.
Be certain to use pure oil from the eucalyptus plant and not a synthetic oil. The scent is pleasant but does not have the healing properties of actual eucalyptus oil.
My favorite trusted brand is Aura Cacia. I buy it at my local health food store, but it can also be purchased online at http://www.auracacia.com .
3. The Bulb Syringe
There’s not a child on earth that enjoys having mucus sucked out of their nose. However, a baby cannot blow their own nose.
A bulb syringe needs to be used very gently. The suction power not only pulls out mucus, it also pulls on the baby’s breath. It is a sad, sad thing to hear a baby cough and choke when you use a bulb syringe. Keep this in mind when you use it.
This is going to sound dreadful, but if there is no one to help you and the baby is resisting you, my trick it to place my baby on the floor between my legs so that I can use my legs to hold her head and arms still. I clear each nostril as gently and quickly as possible. I then cuddle my baby while rinsing the bulb syringe with hot soapy water.
This is an easier process if the mucus in the nasal passage has already been loosened by the bathroom steam.
If you have been sick (and I know you have) and had a congested nose, you know that blowing your nose is only effective for a short time before you have to do it again. It is not a good idea to keep using a bulb syringe on your baby, however. It is harsh and should only be used a few times a day or you risk giving your baby a bloody nose. It’s therefore important to take advantage of the cleared nose once you are done and breastfeed or bottle feed your baby right away.
4. Breast Milk or Saline Solution
Both breast milk and saline (salt) nasal sprays can be (gently) inserted into the nostrils to help loosen mucus. Breast milk has antibacterial and antiviral properties that make it especially effective, plus it tastes better dripping down the back of baby’s throat than salt water!
I use a dropper and squirt a small amount of breast milk into each of my baby’s nostrils a few times a day, even when the congestion is clear, so long as she is still sick.
5. Keep Your Baby Upright as Much as Possible
You yourself probably know that the moment you lie down with a stuffy nose, your nose clogs up, particularly the nostril on whatever side you are laying on. The moment you sit up again, your nasal passage often clears. This is also true for babies.
While you are awake, hold you baby in your arms or in a carrier as much as possible. During the night, adjust your baby’s bed so that he or she is at an angle rather than lying flat. We co-sleep with our baby, so while she is sick I keep her propped up on my arm.
6. Use a Hot Water Vaporizer at Night
For general purposes, it usually doesn’t matter if you use a cold water or hot water vaporizer. However, when your baby is congested, the hot water vaporizer is preferred, as it is the warm moisture that will help decongest your baby. Some models are designed with places to add essential oils, so if you don’t own one yet, I recommend getting one of these so that you can add a drop of eucalyptus.
It goes without saying that the vaporizer should be kept a safe distance from your baby, as it poses a burning hazard.
7. Alternatives to Cold and Flu Medicines
My favorite herbal remedy to keep on hand for baby sicknesses of all shapes and sizes is Dr. Christopher’s Kid-E-Well. It contains yarrow, elder flowers, peppermint and Echinacea and is designed to stimulate the immune system during colds, the flu, and fevers.
Dr. William Sears of www.askdrsears.com also recommends a product called Sinupret. This plant-based pharmaceutical grade natural cold and cough medicine has been used in Europe for decades as a primary treatment for kids of all ages, and it just became available in the U.S,” he writes. Not only does it relieve nasal and chest congestion and help clear out mucus, it also boosts the body’s own immune response to infections to help clear them out faster. It comes as a liquid or capsules. For more information, visit www.BionoricaUSA.com.”
8. If You Breastfeed, Breastfeed Twice as Often
Breast milk contains custom-designed antibodies for your baby. Not only does your baby need to stay hydrated, he or she needs the added immune-boosting properties your body provides. It is exhausting to breastfeed day and night, but it will shorten the length of your baby’s illness and give much needed comfort.
