Sometimes when your infant has a cold or stuffy nose, you may decide to use a rubber bulb syringe to remove some of the mucus. This removal will sometimes make it easier for the baby to breathe, eat or sleep.
You can either use saline drops to moisten and loosen the mucus and make it easier to suction out, however, if the baby has mucus that is already wet and moist it isn’t necessary. Saline drops can be purchased at your local pharmacy.
The baby isn’t going to enjoy it, but it isn’t painful or very hard to do. Make sure you do it before feeding your baby so the baby doesn’t end up gagging from the saline or suctioning and spitting up any food.
Lay your baby in your lap with the head dropped back a little so you can see good into the nostrils the feet and but of the baby will be against your tummy. If you use saline drops put one or two drops in each nostril but don’t gag the baby with the drops just a little will do the trick. Keep the baby’s head still for about 10 seconds. Squeeze the bulb of the syringe to create a vacuum and then insert the rubber tip into one nostril. Slowly release the bulb to collect the mucus. Remove the syringe and squeeze the bulb forcefully to expel the mucus. Wipe the syringe and squeeze the bulb and repeat in the other nostril.
If you baby is still congested after about five minutes you can repeat but don’t suction more than two or three times a day because you will irritate the lining of the nose. Don’t use saline drops more than four days in a row because over time it will dry up the natural mucus and make matters worse.
Remember this is a gentle process so if you are new to this get help doing this procedure so you can do it easier until your comfortable. If you baby is a struggler you may end up suctioning to aggressively and the nose will become inflamed, this will make things worse. If the baby resists let it go until they are calmer.
Placing a cool mist humidifier in your baby’s room will make the air less dry and the baby will breathe easier and the nasal passages will be allowed to drain easier. Dry air makes congestion worse.
Steam on the other hand like sitting in hot steamy bathroom while the shower is running will also work as a natural decongestant.
Baby products with eucalyptus or menthol in the baby’s bath are soothing but are meant for babies 3 months or older.
I have four children and over the years a cool mist humidifier used whenever they were congested was vital. It kept them from getting clogged up with mucus and it also kept the drainage loose so they didn’t get worse with heavy congestion in their lungs. The loose drainage is easier for them to cough up.
Remember always consult a pediatrician if your infant is sick. The Internet articles on how to take care of congestion or remove mucus are only helpful tools if used properly, but they do not replace proper medical attention. If your child is sick seek out a physician for proper guidance on what steps are necessary to make your infant better. I have been a nurse for a long time and if you have an infant that is ill it is a must that you get the proper attention for that infant. Babies can who are ill can become worse faster than adults because their little bodies are more susceptible. Making sure their healthy is and always should be a priority.
References for this article include: Baby Zone, Fisher Price and Web MD.
