Streaming cold...

[snowboarder]

HOW have I been coping without you all!!

Baby snowboarder has had a horrid cold for the last couple of days - this morning is totally blocked up, hacking cough, streaming nose and puffy eyes! Question is - when do you decide it's a doctor-worthy cold? And what would they do anyway? I have saline spray (hates it!) vicks (likes it!) and calpol (YUM)....

Oh - I have it too:-(

Perversely had the best night in about 4 months with wakes at 1.30 and 5am ONLY!

[candj]

My GP once said to me that you should know roughly how many breaths your baby takes in a minute when they are not sick. Then when they are ill and their breathing becomes very quick (I think it was more than 60/min), shallow or are struggling it would be 'doctor-worthy' and you would know based on what their normal breathing was like. But also use your own instincts as a mother when you feel something is not right no matter how irrelevant you might think it is.

School started this week and my eldest already has a running nose. Hurray, here we all go again!

Hope your little one (and you) is/are feeling better soon.

Best,

-C

[ludoscotts]

hi put some books under the head end of the cot or a towel or pillow under the matress at the head end and this will help with the congestion. generally means baby is snotty mess by morning but def helps with their breathing if they are not lying flat. also try some olbas oil in a bowl of hot water under the cot to steam up that can help too. hope you both get on the mend soon.

[carrieon23]

Hi,

You have my sympathies, J is permanently streaming snot it seems. candj is right about counting their breathing, (30-60 per minute is about normal in infants,) and looking at the work of breathing. If they start flaring their nostrils or pulling in their abdomen under the diaphragm, or sound wheezy, then def go to the doctor. (If excessive then obviously go to A&E)

I took J to the doctor (mostly because I couldn't stand the comments from grandma's anymore) as he has had a cough for about 3 months (with several colds in between) that just wouldn't shift. She listened to his chest, said I think it sounds fine and we were on our way having wasted both our time! Its not very pleasant sitting in the waiting room with everyone sniveling around you, we probably came out with more than we went in with!!

I find those karvol drops quite useful when J's bunged up.

Hope you are both feeling better soon.

If you fancy a cuppa when your feeling better pm me.

xx carrie

[Belle]

we got the karvol plug in thing when the latest round of colds started and that really helped - you can feel the difference when you go into his room so must do something! I've been to the doctor for quite a few of his colds as worry about chest infections/asthma (I have it) and even though each time (apart from the last when it was ear infection) they've just said, yeah it's a virus, calpol and it'll pass - I've been glad I went and never felt like they were cross I'd gone. oh also one time they were able to tell me his throat was v inflamed so to use nurofen rather than (or as well as) calpol.

[legalbeagle]

A pharmacist recommended Piriton to me when one of mine was particularly snotty. It doesn't improve the cold but it does prevent the immune system from producing the snot in the first place, or at least reduces its ability to produce snot, so it should improve matters considerably. You can get piriton in a suspension that is for children from any chemist though you might have to hide it in a drink as I'm not sure it tastes that nice! I always take antihistamine when I have a cold and it works a treat!

[carrieon23]

I think piriton has just been relicenced for over 2's only, so they won't sell it to you for babies. (shame cos it makes them sleep well too!!!)

[legalbeagle]

Oh sorry didn't realise that - my wee one is 2 and a bit so I suppose I wouldn't have realised. Is it true of calpol night time and medised too? They're just paracetamol and piriton so would do the same thing.

[snowboarder]

Huh. Sounds great - no snot and sleep. Need it myself, actually...

[ClareC]

My friend says that vicks on the soles of the feet works miracles.......... worth a try!

[snowboarder]

Feet?!! Will try but not tonight! Thanks all.

[hanstands]

I take a little Elderberry juice when I have a cold and have also been known to give my year old baby a drop or two in his drink when he has a cold and it seems to keep our colds quite short lived. I have some ED Elderberry juice, homemade in our freezer if you'd like to sample some [for free of course] - it really does seem to help??

[snowboarder]

Umm - I have elderberry cordial - or is that not the same??!? Would love to try homemade!

Vicks on feet tonight. Hate the firework banging though - grr if he wakes up....

Ah - edited to say it is elderflower cordial...so not the same!

[sunbob]

My GP recently told me that the dosages of Calpol are really based on weight, rather than age. So if your baby is the weight that a small healthy one year old could be (see bottom centile on growth chart in red book) they could have the one year old dose even if they are younger.