Upper Respiratory Infection

Have you tried propping her bed up when she sleeps? Either use a wedge or put some blankets under the matress. This can help with the stuffiness while sleeping. Have you tried baby vicks? We have found rubbing a little baby vicks on my daughter's chest seemed to help ease some of the symptoms. If it is going on for over 2 weeks I think I might go see another doctor for a second opinion. Good luck!

I say you definitly go for a second opinion. Your kids might need a little prednisone or something to help them kick this infection. Although it is not safe to use often, a couple of doses should help the other medication and move the sickness out quickly. Another option you can look into is a nebulizer for breathing treatments. Besides oral medication to help counter normal symptoms, the breathing machine can deliver medicine straight to the area that needs it, the chest and sinuses.
Good luck, and definitly prop baby up a little while sleeping. Get well wishes for the little ones!

Take some of your Mommy milk and use it in her nose instead of the medicated drops. It is amazing. As she nurses, your body "reads" the pathogen and then makes the antibody required to fight it. Mother Nature has this down.
And also if you email me, I can send you info on a natural and safe anti-viral/antibiotic that belongs on every Moms shelf.

Hi - G. - this is a longer term fix, but if you want to avoid colds, or reduce symptoms/shorter illness when they do catch a cold, get them on Juice Plus soft chews (at least for your three year old). It ensures they are getting whole food nutrients from fruits and vegetables in their bodies protecting their health, making their body function better and lowering their risk of virtually every disease. If you'd like more information on Juice Plus you can go to wethriveonjuiceplus.com or reply to this email. My kids have been taking for five years and hardly ever get sick and I have peace of mind that they are getting their fruits and vegetables. Hope they feel better soon!

I can't give you much advice but I will let you know that we are in the same boat. We also have a 7 month old daughter and a 3 year old daughter. It seems our baby has been sick her entire life because she keeps catching colds from our older daughter. My older daughter never got sick like this until she started preschool last September. I think her preschool is a revolving door for every cold virus there is! Try as we might with hand washing and hygiene the two of them have had numerous colds this year. (Strangely, though, my older daughter does not have this one at all.) This is by far the worst one my baby has had. She has had a fever for almost 4 days, is congested, sleeps only a couple hours at a time, and is not nursing as much as usual. She doesn't want to spend any time on her tummy or her back and generally just wants to be held by me, too. The doctor said that as long as she is having at least 4 wet diapers a day not to worry with dehydration. My daughter has been nursing mostly during the night and I've just had to pump during the day. Are you using a humidifier or taking her in the bathroom with a hot shower running? The steam will really help her congestion. The dr mentioned to be careful not to use the syringe too often as this can irritate the lining in her nasal passage and then it may take longer for her to heal. Also, I rolled up a couple of towels and placed them under the crib mattress so that she can sleep a bit more elevated. I know I don't have much to contribute but hopefully some of this helps and I just wanted to let you know that I feel for your little girl - we're dealing with it, too.

There is something called "Little Noses" which are specifically for babies/children. It is a nasal spray... to help stuffiness.
I get it from my local Longs/CVS store.
And it does help a lot.

I would, make sure she is not getting dehydrated...
nursing is the main thing. For the 1st year of life, breastmilk or Formula is a baby's primary source of nutrition... not solids and not other liquids.
But she is sick and her intake has lessened... so make sure she is not getting dehydrated... because in a baby, it is dangerous.
Look it up online and here is a link:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_dehydration_11527.bc

all the best,
Susan

this is going to sound horrible to most moms but it will help your baby. if your older child is on meds give your baby half of a 1/4 tspn. continue to suction her out and cluster feed her. also keep taking her to the dr until shes better they can give her something they are just choosing not to. my daughters dr gave her medication called rondex dm at 8 months for the same thing so i know they have it its just weather or not they want to prescribe it. oh oh oh! get a cool mist humidafier if you dont have one already.

Sounds like your little one is dealing with allergies not just a cold or URI. My 1st kiddo went through such misery from 18 mo on with croup, cold like symptoms, ear infections, etc. The cough certainly can be caused from junk going down the back of her throat, but the fact that she has come down with laryngitis and the cough, and the nasal crud lasting for two weeks just puts me on alert. Allergies played a huge part in my son being sick throughout childhood. For some reason pediatricians even back in the 70's and 80's just would not acknowledge allergies as a possible cause of both my kids illnesses. And even now in my grandsons, who begin coughing in April and again in Sept. - Oct., just as the pollen counts go up and set everyone who has allergies off, their pediatrician will not refer to anything as allergies. If I could get my daughter to make note that in March and Sept. she should start the boys on childrens Zyrtec, she likely would find that they could avoid getting into the heavy coughing. She would come down with horrendous strep infections in April and Nov. and it was not until she was a teenager that her doc said she needed to get a Kenalog shot in March and Oct. to avoid the strep caused by allergies. You'd think she would figure it out for her boys. I have horrendous allergies and this year due to the tremendous rainfall in CA, the pollen counts are just sky high. My body could not fight back even though I take Zyrtec & Sudafed daily. I have just gotten clearance after six weeks of being sick with a sinus infection, laryngitis, pharengytis, and bronchitis that I'm clear of the infection. I do have to wear a special face mask if I'm working outside and I do now go in for Kenalog shots every 3 mo's. I did the allergy shot routine for years but never got much relief. 25% of people aren't helped by allergy shots.

At 7 mo's, the baby is in a tough situation as you say. I honestly don't know if the pediatrician would consider giving a bit of a steroid (don't freak) to help her get past the inflammation in her chest, larynix, and sinus'. Yes I know your frustration w/pediatricians. Generally I had very good guys but I do feel they can get complacent and I did have to change in an emergency situation because the doc just wasn't listening or doing anything assuming a virus that had to be waited out but my daughter became infected and was failing. I knew the Director of Nursing at our local hospital and asked for the best pediatrician she knew of. That guy saw her within a matter of minutes of my calling his office. He was great, took wonderful care of my daughter and always respected me because I had persisted and kept track of her symptoms, temp, changes, etc. All of that is valuable to a doc. Depending on your insurance, if you can go to an ENT or allergist, you will get more info and they can tell you exactly what is happening with your kids. If you need a referral, ask you pediatrician for it and shake him up a bit. It is only when you begin looking and sounding knowledgable about your kids that they change their tune. They do tend to hear moms as worried and a little hysterical. So go in with a new look, ask for answers, ask for the referral, be a stronger, more direct personality. Take in notes of your observations of both kids. This change in your directness will help because you won't be as easy to brush off. You know your kids, not all docs got A's, and the doc does not necessarily know more since he isn't living with and observing your kids on a daily basis. Don't ever fall into the thinking that the doc knows best, that is truly dangerous. Be informed, read, study, know what meds do what. And that goes for you and your husband. Be a smart patient.

When your older daughter was a baby she did not have an older sibling bringing home school age illnesses. I am a preschool teacher and many mothers of multiple siblings have this problem. Use warm compresses on her nasal passage. Put baby vicks vapor rub on her chest. Or better use the plug ins that go in the wall. Try everything and anything. In the end your baby will build up many ammunities and be stronger. Also raise the crib angle by putter a piller under the mattress. This way her nasal passage will drain better and not stuff her as much. Good Luck.

Nursing is the best thing you can do for her. Your body is producing anti-bodies to the infection, and you're passing them on to her. You're also helping to keep her hydrated. (Make sure YOU drink lots of fluids, too, so you can pass them on to her.)

The drops and suction are what I would recommend first, so that she can breath easier, but you're already doing that. The next thing is to take her into the shower with you. Or to just let the bathroom fill with steam and sit outside the bath with her in your arms. Steam will be very helpful to loosen the mucus. You can also get a humidifier to put into the room she sleeps in. More moisture in the air will be helpful.

Let her sleep as much as she will; sleep with her if you can so that she sleeps better.

So much good luck to you and your little one.

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Good luck,

E.

The Nursing is great.
Because as long as she is well hydrated that is all that maters, It's true about the Nursing, but the usually say that it improves your baby’s chances of not getting sick all the time because they get your antibodies. But you also have a 3 year old now that does bring home a lot of colds and stuff. It always happens with the new sibling of a toddler. Use steam either from the shower. Or a great humidifier. Just don't let her get dehydrated if that happends then that is very bad. So again it’s great that she is nursing.
good luck

Hi, I wonder if you have tried the alternative medicine?.....I had lots of respiratory problem with my doughter until she was 3 years old. It was then that I took her to a doctor of natural medicine and he gave me a especial medicine. made out of naturals ingridients......and she took it for a month....after that she never again had problems. Maybe you could try alternative medicine.......for me since my doughter got better, I trus it a lot!.

Hi G.. I'm so sorry to hear about your little one getting so sick. Sometimes doctors tell you one thing, but when you are with a sick and fussy baby, it's a hwhole different thing. But I don't understand why the doctor did not recommend baby tylenol, it's very mild. She should be at the age where she is at least able to take half of the recommendated dosage which is .4 milligrams. I gave my son baby tylenol whenever he had a fever, mild or high. Baby Motrin may be a little strong, but i have also given him small dosages when he was just too sick and when the tylenol did not kick in. They are 2 different types of medication, so when you do give her at different increments, it's not harmful. But if you are not too sure, just start with baby tylenol, keep nursing, keep using the saline drops and aspirator, and defintely use a cool mist humidifier, also put lots of baby vicks on chest and back, may help her to breathe at night. Also try and keep her elevated when she does sleep. My husband used a pillow under the crib mattress to keep our son somewhat elevated. It helped. I hope this helps! Hang in there! as long as she has wet diapers she is getting some nutrients and is hydrated, food may not be a great idea, b/c when you're sick no food is appetizing, even as an adult, she's stuffed up. The milk is enough for her right now, and when she gets better, start food again. BM should be sufficient. Also some weight loss may be occur, but she will gain it back. My son lost some weight when he was very sick, doctor just said, keep hydrated as much as possible. Good Luck G., it will pass soon!!

Something that worked well for my little ones and still does is vapor rub or Mentholatum on the bottoms of their feet as opposed to their chests. The pads of our feet absorb very well and I've found this to really help when they're too young for medicine. My children are 5 1/2 and 2 1/2 but I still use this method as opposed to the chest because it seems to work better and they sleep through the night without waking up congested.

Hello, I am so sorry that your babies are sick. Have you tried a cool air humidifier? Also, I don't know about this one, but I have actually heard that if you rub Vick's vaporub on their feet it will help. I haven't actually tried it, but I have heard it works.
Good luck with your precious family.
K. K.

Maybe see a allergist she might be allergic to something....................
Seeing a specialist and a second opinion could help you and your baby. Does anyone in your family have Asthma? Or do you have cats or dogs in your house?
I kept taking my son to the Dr for a constant cough and dripping nose and she mentioned he might have allergies, so I took him to a allergist and it turns out he was allergic to the cats in our house, so (now the kitties live outside) and my son is much better no more dripping nose or cough. But it could be something worse, moms know when something strange in going on...................................

First off, I don't think that Danielle is for real. Made me laugh what she has to say as it is so ridiculous...

Second, congratulations on nursing! That is a great thing to be doing to help your little one get off to a good start. I would take a look at my diet and hers and make sure that I stop all dairy for now. Maybe she is developing food allergies. Other common ones are eggs, soy (these two were my daughter's first ones), wheat, corn, yeast. These are all common ingredients in most processed foods and vaccines. If you look at the list, a lot of the ingredients are genetically modified (not good) and /or are hormone and antibiotic induced (meats, chicken, fish, dairy unless organic and specified that it isn't).

Third, no vaccines right now and look at a modified schedule. Dr. Robert Sears has a good one with logical advice.

Go into Whole Foods, Henrys or Sprouts and talk with the person in the Supplement/Nutrition section and see what they recommend.

Find another doctor.

Hi, My 10mon old daughter has/had the same problem. when ever she gets sick it goes right to her chest. the best thing you can do is 1. turn the shower on HOT and let the bathroom steam up sit in there for 5 min or more and that will help with the congestion. also, the vapor bath wash works well, just a few drops in the bath water helps. Her Dr. also gave us an inhaler to only use when she is coughing and congested. this breaks up the mucus and makes my baby feel so much better. you may want to ask her Doctor if this is something that will work for your baby. good luck.

I've been down your road more than once with my now 19 month old and 5 year old and here is what I can share with you...First, good for you continuing to nurse because it truely is helping your baby get better (and don't worry about her lack of appetite because generally don't eat when they are ill). For the congestion, I have always used Kaiser's version of Benedryl called Q-dryl. It helps to thin the mucus to keep it flowing. If you have access to a Kaiser pharmacy (if you live in CA), you can buy this over the counter and it is very inexpensive. Also, try Simply Saline nasal spray. It has a very fine mist and they have them for children so it has a soft tip. The other item I LOVED was the baby asperator (which I've nicknamed the "baby baster" because that is what it looks like to me). Your baby is still young enough where she won't like it but atleast you will win the battle and get some of that crud out of her! Finally, for that cough, get a cool mist humidifier and run it at night. It really helped my kids with their awful coughs after using 2-3 nights. Just be sure to open up her room during the day to eliminate any moisture that might accumulate in the room. These are ALL tips that my kids pediatrician has shared with me and that have worked. Oh...one last item, it helps to prop-up the crib mattress. I've used a small blanket to place between the mattress and the matress springs/base. It works better than putting one under the pillow. Hope this information helps your baby to a speedy recovery!

If the breathing is very labored or the baby is wheezing don't hesitate to take him/her to the hospital. Even if it ends up being again (nothing you can do) as the doctor stated then you have at least peace of mind and a second opinion. Some doctors are not as good as others you are the baby’s advocator and trust your instincts.

Hi G.,

I'd like to inject a little real science into this discussion. First of all, just because you're nursing your daughter (good for you!) does not mean that she will not get sick. If YOU have already been exposed to whatever she has and have antibodies against it, this will protect her. Unfortunately, viruses mutate very rapidly and there are many different types that can cause URI symptoms, so even if she has something you've been exposed to in the past, the virus could have changed just enough that it is not recognizable to the antibodies you pass in your breast milk. Also, if you're not sick with your child, your body will not produce antibodies to viral antigens in large amounts.

As for dropping breast milk into your daughter's nose, I've never heard of this folk remedy and would not think it likely to be effective for the same reasons as above. Further more, your body will not be able to detect viral antigens in your daughter by some kind of magical transference. Wireless works for Bluetooth and other devices, but not for immunology!

The funny thing is, anything you try at this stage is likely to "work" within the next few days. Most viruses run their course in 10 - 14 days, sometimes a little longer. What you do want to be on the look out for is a secondary bacterial infection, namely bacterial pneumonia. A recent study of over 19,000 children at a large pediatric hospital in Australia was just published in the prestigious British Medical Journal. The algorithm used by the doctors there to predict bacterial pneumonia in infants and children under the age of 5 years includes several clinical signs. If your daughter begins to show these signs, take her back to the pediatrician or ER ASAP:
Fever over 101 deg. F (38.3 deg C), especially over 103 deg. F. Very unwell appearance. Cough. Breathing difficulty. Slow capillary refill (press the pad of one of her fingers so that it blanches [turns white]. If it should return to a normal pink color in less than 2 seconds). Reduced or no liquid intake. Reduced or no urine output (a possible sign of life-threatening sepsis). Crying a lot.

I'm a little concern that she's lost her voice. If she begins to drool a lot and develops a wheezy, whistling sound, pack cool packs around her throat and get her to an ER as fast as you can. This can be a sign of viral epiglotitis, which means she's in danger of her airway closing.

As for allergies, yes there is a possibility of allergy to foods or pollens, but if she wasn't showing any signs of an allergy before, than this is not a likely explanation of her current symptoms. If there is a history of allergy in your family, it's certainly worth getting it checked out, however. One thing to keep in mind is that we're learning that general screening for allergens if there's no good indication can result in a higher rate of false positives. If you're going to test for allergies, try to determine if there is a specific trigger, and then test for that trigger. BTW, the most common allergens affecting children your daughter's age will come from food: milk, eggs, wheat, corn, tree nuts, peanuts and fish. Allergies to pollens and other inhaled antigens, such as cat or dog dander, cockroach feces, dust mites, etc., usually evolve following previous sensitization to a food allergy, and usually at a slightly later age (2 yrs and above).

BTW, most doctors DO know what they're talking about. That's what they spent 8+ years in medical school and residency learning. The problem is, they often either don't know how to explain medical issues well to lay people, or don't have the time. Remember -- your pediatrician sees hundreds of sick kids each week. You're dealing with only one. So, while you certainly know your daughters better than anyone else and should absolutely trust your instincts about how sick they are, your pediatrician is well practiced in figuring out what is causing the illness. You certainly don't want your doctor prescribing antibiotics if there's no need. This can only lead to bigger problems, such as antibiotic resistance, later on.

It's hard when your baby is sick! Do your best to keep her comfortable until the virus passes. Keep on doing what you're doing, and also try to keep her upright or semi-reclined as much as possible. That will help her breathe a little easier.

I hope everyone is feeling better soon!

R.

Updated

G.,

I forgot to add that rapid heart rate and rapid breathing are also signs of a worsening infection, and, along with fever, warrant an visit to the doctor or ER.

R.

My daughter got this around 4 months or so. It was scary. She seemed congested and sickly since birth, although very smart. She is strong willed and very determined. I did take her to the doctor and they gave us a nebulizer to bring home because she was weezing a little. After 2 bad ear infections in 2 months around the same time I decided I needed to do lots of things different or at least try. My husband has bad allergies and my 3 year old son is in preschool bringing home germs. I started using a humidifier with her everytime she sleeps day and night. That worked wonders. I started using the peroxide occasionally for her ears and some mullein and garlic ear drops when it looked like she had an ear ache. On top of that I have been giving her infant probiotics to boost her immune system. In addition I read an article and have been in contact with the clinic in arizona that supports this: A dropper (more for older children) of kosher pickle juice a day is supposed to almost completely clear up allergies, even asthma. I have also been vacuuming almost everyday because she started crawling at 6 1/2 months. I started getting all herbal and natural after having her on antibiotics twice in two months and after getting the bronchilitis. Not fun. She has had some congestion since then, but it has not caused any more ear infections. I did alot of reading on this so you will want to do your research, but just thought I would share. It was just killing me seeing my little girl sick all of the time. I was taking her to the doctor constantly. I still took her to the doctor to check her ears after the last cold she had and they said they look perfect. The docs don't want you to think anything natural works, but it does. Her pediatrician told me it was just coincidence and it may be, but I couldn't just sit back and watch her be sick and not at least try to fix it. Let me know if you have any questions. Anyway, good luck to you and your sweet babies! I definitely know how you feel.

Oh, not to knock another mom, but Danielle's post below not only irked me but made me laugh. BF babies are NOT more demanding, insecure, happier or more independent than formula-fed babies -- as you and I both know!! 8)

Have you tried a humidifier? You can also steam up the bathroom and sit in it with baby throughout the day. Humidifier would be easier,though. I haven't checked the label in ages, but you may look into Vick's Vapor rub, or one made for babies w/out the petroleum base (check the age posted, not sure about that one)

I remember when our daughter was an infant and had her first major cold w/ stuffy nose. So worrying. Hang in there, ok?

you should buy Gentle Vapors ..its a plug in..u use that instead of a humidifier or vaporizer b/c those u have to clean with white vinegar
..u can get it at the pharmacy..in the meantime u can steam up the bathroom and sit with her in there if she struggles ..sorry she's sick i remember those days..make sure she sleeps upright..put a pillow under her crib mattress to elevate it or have her sleep in a swing or stroller..when they lay flat the mucus pools around the throat area...
try to nurse while steaming in the bathroom so she can breath better while nursing

xo

Hi G.,

We haven't had any sicknesses in our home since I detoxed it five years ago. Removing things that break down the immune system means that the little germs that usually pass through our lives just go on to the next weak vessel. My kids are strong. Laundry detergents, soaps, even a perfume you could be wearing can weaken an immune system. If you are interested, I can tell you what I did.

Elderberry syrup is safe for infants and should clear up an upper respiratory infection in a couple of days. You can get it at the health store and confirm the dose with them. It tastes good and I've never seen a baby refuse it. I keep it in the house and it's real tasty in tea for me just as a treat. It's simply food.

The cool vaporizer and the wedge is also a good idea. This will give your little one comfort while she is getting better.

Chiropractic care is also a great tool in building the immune system and getting her well. I suggest a principle upper cervical specialist. If you don't know of one check out ucspine.com and find one in your area. They can elaborate on how chiropractic care can enhance the immune system to do the job it is meant to do.

God bless!

M.

In my opinion I would take your baby to a different Dr. That tight chest is scarey. Have you tried using a humidifer ?

Normally, it is not advised to give infants medicines like decongestants, because you never know about side effects. But If I were you and my baby is as miserable as you seem to describe, i would give her sudafed PE children's decongestant. If you type in Google search "sudafed dosing chart", you will get the dose to be given by weight. Accordingly you can figure out what works for her and give her that, at ;least to help her sleep at night. At least she will be comfortable enough to eat, sleep and recover faster.

Wow, I would get a second Drs. opinion..

take her in the warm shower air, or give her as warm a bath as she can stand it... it will help her drain better, and you won't be using the aspirator on her, which can cause swelling, and make it difficult for her to breathe also. also for my son we bought a humidifier, which really helped at night. prop her up on pillows when she lays down, and put a warm cloth on her forehead for drainage as well... for everything else, kisses and snuggles... that's all we can do...

Keep doing what your doing. Nursing helps prevent and heal sickness. Make sure you put a humidifier in her room when she sleeps. The moisture will help her clear up. Also use saline in her nose use as much as you want - you can't over do it b/c saline is not medicine. Hang in there an upper resp. infection takes a least 2 weeks to clear up in adults w/o meds. So it may take longer in babies. She'll gain the weight back.

If she has a soar throat she may also have post nasal drip. This is another reason your should use a humidifier. BTW, I'm giving you advise based on my own experiences. I've had upper resp issues since a child and my son has them too. I know it's difficult to see your child suffer but just take a deep breath and try not to search for too much answers on the internet. Doctors DO know what they are talking about. If you don't feel comfortable with their answers just take another breath and ask them to explain again or ask for another opinion. Finally, if you're still worried go and see and ears noes and throat specialist for babies/kids.

Lastly, doctor's expertise is WAY better then mom experiences. B/C what work for me or my son or some other child may not work for yours. All of my advise cam from my docs and it works for me.

Hang in there, breath and make her as comfy as possible.

PS

Don't use any form of vapor rub on your child. The skin will absorb it.

I suggest you take her to the hospital, it sounds like she needs some help. All her symptoms as well as her loss of appetite, behaviour and lack of energy would have me worried and sometimes doctors can miss things. My daughter who was 8 years old at the time, had pnuemonia and pleural effusion and I was taking her to the doctors every other day. By the time we got home she couldn't even walk up the stairs, so the next day, I walked her all around the grocery store then took her to the doctors, they had her in Childrens hospital a couple of hours later and were surprised at how bad her illness was. We were there for a week and it took her 6 weeks to recover. I just knew in my heart something wasn't right. I think you are feeling the same. Just take her, and tell them everything you have put in your email.

Our doctor prescribed a machine that put extra moisture into our daughter's nose. We also used a humidifyer all day every day for a couple of days. The other thing I do is press gently on her toes and the balls of her feet. I was told it helped with the upper respitory and it certainly seems to.
Good luck.
R.

Hi G., I'm sorry to hear your babies are sick. The good news, is that she is still eating. I had a similar situation w/my 2 boys. Now 3yrs & my baby who is 8 months. After 2 weeks with the baby being conjested we went to the doctor. He prescibed an "AeroChamber" w/ the inhalation aerosol. It worked great! Within a day he was doing better. It was great because babies can't cough up the yucky stuff inside. This helped break it down & clear it up. I hope this helps. All the best.

Nose Frida, the snot sucker. they sell it at whole foods.
the pain and infection is caused by the snot. this sucker gets it all out. my infant had three colds before he turned three months. I swear by this tool.

Make sure you close her little mouth if open. Even if she is stuffed up. Breast feeding is good and that makes her breathe through her nose. It helps immune and inflammation in her lungs. If you do this you will notice a difference right away. ButeykoBreathingclinic.com. Don't let this cause her to start mouth breathing causes a multitude of problems later. M., BBPractitioner and oral facial myofunctional therapist.

Have you tried elevating her mattress so her sinuses can drain or having her sleep in a swing or her car seat? This will allow her to breathe and will also allow those sinuses to drain.
Another tip our doctor showed us was how to irrigate our child's nose well by squeezing a large volume of salt water in his nose with an eye dropper, then tip him upside down so his nose can drain. Then you can use the nasal aspirator to get the remaining nasal fluids easily. Be warned, if you thought you had a lot before, you'll be surprised how much you will get doing this.
Finally, are you using a humidifier? This acts as an expectorant to get the stuff out of her chest and nose. You can also sit in a bathroom with the hot water running to create steam to get the same effect.

I totally feel your pain. I have a 9 month old (breastfed) and she's been sick twice. The first was a cold but she was so stuffed up and couldn't sleep because of it. A trick I learned when I had my son was to put breast milk in their nose. It acts as a natural antibiotic and helps clear it up. I would express some in a cup and use a medicine dropper and sort of shoot it in to her nose. I know it sounds weird but it does help. You can't do it too often so whenever she's stuffed up, try it. I also bought a eucalyptus, lavender rub that I put on her chest and back when she's sleeping. It's by "Little Colds" and it's great. You can also make your own if you have essential oils and olive oil. Mix one or two drops of each oil with some olive oil and put it on her chest/back.

I just said the same thing; "I thought breast fed babies weren't supposed to get sick" but I guess they do. My son didn't get his first cold until he was 1.

And about the eating, my daughter was doing the same thing. She didn't really want her solids and she wasn't nursing as well or as much. I know she just didn't feel good. As long as I could still see her rolls I knew she was ok. My daughter hasn't gained much weight due to this and might have also lost some but she seems to be doing fine and thriving. I'm sure yours is as well.

Good luck, hopefully some of this will work for you
A.

Hi! I hope your baby is feeling better. I work with a company who offers an excellent multivitamin with a probiotic that helps to build an infant's immune system. It will help your baby to fight off the infection sooner. Have you heard of Shaklee Corporation? They are a 53-year old, CA-based, privately owned company, whose products are constantly quality-tested for purity. Here is the link. Please feel free to contact me for more information. All the best!
http://sharon4health.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku...

Try using a humidifier, it works weel for my little ones.

Okay, first of all, if a doctor tells you that breastfed babies don't get sick, they are yanking your chain. ALL babies get sick. I've done breastfeeding and bottle feeding and the only difference is that formula fed babies are happier, less demanding and more independent. Personally, I am not a fan of demanding, insecure, spoiled babies, so I stick to formula feeding now and every one of my kids is healthy as an ox with the energy of one too and smarter than I give them credit for... Yeah breast feeding is cheaper, but eventually all moms realize that you don't need to breastfeed to make a bond with your baby. Just my opinion, call it wrong, most first time moms will. I'm just speaking from experience here.
Now onto the sick baby part. You are doing everything you can do. I know, as a mom, you always want to do something more and feel helpless and frantic when you can't make everything better. Everything you have done is exactly what you should be doing. She'll be fine.
I do have one bit of advice though. These are all the other things I did with mine when they are/were sick.
Fill the bath with hot water (I added mint or jasmine with my son but that is up to you) and just sit in the steam with her, loosen everything up and then use the sucker on her nose before nursing. She'll eat a lot more.
Express some breast milk and use it to make oatmeal or rice cereal. Adding some baby food to the rice cereal is just fine too.
If you can manage, you can sleep sitting in a recliner with her.or if you have the pillows that keep her on her side when she sleeps, that works too. Keeps everything draining without interfering with breathing.
Other than that, you're doing everything I would do, everything all the books say, and she is in good hands. Just relax! Stress multiplies and it doesn't do anyone any good!

Hi,
I am a Grandmother of one but a caregiver of several under three. My advice is to use a humidifer or vaporizor when baby is sleeping, this helps open up airways. I also use on the little ones, Baby Vicks, it is much milder than what we adults use, this too opens up stuffy noses. Whenever I have a little one having trouble breathing I rub their chest and back with the Baby Vicks when they lay down for a nap,as the vapors work well during that time and place a little around the nose off and on during the day, but not too much as they will get it in their eyes.
I hope this works for you as I know how frustrating it can be when babies are ill.
GRAMMY O