2 week old DD has crappy cold

[lou belle]

Hey all my little woman has been so off the past 2/3days. Cant sleep longer than 20mins at a time cause her nose is so stuffed up it wakes her nd shes really irritable. No fever but shes starting to sound chesry now too. she'll sleep if kept over my shoulder but obviously this isnt practical! shes ebf but her feeds are much shorter now as shes tired out easily nd falls asleep really quickly. im exhausted nd still recovering from a perineal infection so its all a bit full on! have routine dr appointment in 3.5hrs. not expecting much help from it. shes also been straining nd grunting a lot even in her sleep. shes acting like shes constipated but shes not, shes passing a lot of gas also but is really acting like shes having a lot of digestive discomfort. i feel like i cant do anything to help soothe her as even boob is a struggle for her now!

 

[Bonnie11]

Oh I know how you feel! Dd had a cold at 3 weeks and she was bloody miserable!

My tips, close the bathroom door and put the shower on as hot as you can so it gets super steamy, then sit in there with her for a while before/during your feeding. Really helped dd.

I used baby olbas oil also, it says not below 3 months but my gp ok'd it as long as it's not touching their skin. I put a few drops in the bathroom when I steamed. I also put a few drops on a muslin and held it near her nose while feeding and tied it to her cot at night. I also put wet flannels on the radiator with olbas oil on so it steamed into the room. Do you have a baby humidifier? They are very useful also.

I know how miserable colds are when they are little, at least we can take cold and flu tablets!

 

[Bonnie11]

Also prop the end of the Moses up high as it lets the congestion run down instead of stuffing up their heads x

 

[Loui1001]

My DD had a cold when she was just born, it was awful as there's so little you can do at that age. I did the same as Bonnie, olbas oil on a muslin beside a radiator, kept room well ventilated etc. I also elevated her Moses basket a little so that she wasn't lying completely flat and this seemed to help. Hopefully it'll pass soon x

 

[lou belle]

Bonnie nd Loui thank you so much! god i feel so srry for her shes not herself at all the little crature. will definitely try olbas nd steaming up the bathroom. did either of u use saline drops in babys nose? no Bonnie im afraid i dont have access to a baby humidifier! i currently have her propped up on her breastfeeding pillow beside me on the couch. shes sleeping comfortably enough here for now. shes starting to get pretty chesty nd im afraid to let her out of my sight!

 

[Bonnie11]

Yes used saline drops too, forgot to mention them. You can buy baby humidifiers from argos or larger pharmacies, they definately help. It's horrible to see them so sad! Keep an eye on the cheeriness to make sure it doesn't turn into a chest infection which can happen when they are so small. Keep checking her temperature and any sign of an increase go straight to docs as she is so small.
I'm sure she will be fine, DD was over hers in 3/4 days but you may have some sleepless nights till then! X

 

[Loui1001]

We used the saline drops, sometimes they made her sneeze which definitely helped!

 

[lou belle]

thanks again Bonnie i feel very clueless! Lucy has her 2 week GP check up later anyway but my usual GPs gone nd this one is very inexperienced so id rather ask other moms just in case. ya its not gonna last forever and we'll get over the sleepless nights (lets face it shes not exactly a good sleeper anyway ). just a head cold i wasnt too worried about but a chesty newborn is very scary. im sure she'll be fine in a few days while i have a mini heartache lol

 

[Bonnie11]

Yes these babies do like to worry us!
I'm sure she will be fine, it's just hard when they are so tiny! Hope the gp gave you some good tips!

 

[clever_blond]

I dont want to scare upi but If she is sounding chesty then I would definitely take her to the gp sooner rather then later. it sounds like she could have bronciolitis which is very common in newborns as they have small airways. Its not usually serious and babies recover within a few days but some need a little help to get over the worst of it with oxygen. My dd had it at 6 weeks and while scary I am glad I took her to the docs as shr just needed a little extra. They recommend that if lo is struggling to feed then take them anyway as they can get into a cycle of being too tired to eat but*they need to eat to recover quickly. Also Bonnie's advice is great, baby olbas, steam etc will help too. Hope that lo feels better soon. Xx

 

[lou belle]

Thanks all! Took her to GP yesterday evening and her chest is clear thank god! got olbas oil (fab!) and saline drops plus a nasal aspirator which has helped a lot. she is so much better today, a lot better to feed and less cranky. GP was very good and full of tips and big interest in breastfeeding. at a little over 2 weeks old her weight is very good, shes now 8lbs 6ozs from a birth weight of 7lbs 12ozs! Thanks for all the advice ladies, a great help and reassurance

 

[clever_blond]

Glad she is ok and on the mend. Xx