How To Help Your Little Baby Through The Sniffles

It is inevitable that every mum will have a sick baby with the cold at some points in their little life.

Having a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, fever, loss of appetite and sometimes dizziness or stumbling really does unsettle most babies and toddlers and make them feel miserable.

While there isn’t much we can give our little infants there are a few tried and tested things which I found have helped ease their symptoms and give them some relief.

When your little one is all stuffed up and congested it can be hard for them to breath and feed so you might want to try a Saline Nasal Spray. I really like the Calpol one as it is suitable from birth and the bottle is easy to use and having tried a few other brands I found this one seemed to work the best and helped keep their noses clearer for longer.

When using the spray, don’t try to wrestle with them as the more distressed they are, the harder it will be to administer the spray in the future. I found just after a bath or when they are sleepy and due a feed is the easiest time. Lie them on their side and spray into a nostril then again on the opposite side.

If you find the spray a little difficult there are drops available instead.

If your baby is over 3 months you can add a few drops of Olbas Oil for Children to a hanky and place it just a little bit out of reach to help sooth and relieve a blocked nose especially at night. You can also place a few drops on their pillow or corner of cot.

Just make sure you use the Olbas Oil specially for children as the traditional Olbas Oil is just too powerful.

I love Snufflebabe Vapour Rub which can be used from 3 months. This is a mild decongestant containing a gentle blend of eucalyptus oil, menthol and thyme oil. The vapours help to ease your little one’s nasal congestion much like the sprays however less invasive and an alternative to those babies who just do not like the sprays.

Another vapour rub I like to use if I am unable to get Snufflebabe is the Boots Mild Vapour Rub. This vapour rub is a little stronger than the Snufflebabe and I found the essential oils lasted for longer.

Another thing I do is rub a little bit of the vapour rub on my babies feet and put socks on. I have no idea why this works but I found it did stop the coughing a little.

There are a few other products in the Snufflebabe range to help relieve symptoms of colds including a Nasal Aspirator, Nasal Drops, Nasal Spray, Inhaler Dummy and Vapour Oil.

Nasal Aspirator – helps physically clear your baby’s nose for instant relief. You place a tube to just outside their nostril and gentle suck from the other end which then gathers the mucus in a compartment. Not all babies will like this being used and I didn’t feel it worked for mine it only distressed them more, but every baby is different and it is just trial and error with what works best for you and your baby.

Nasal Spray – just works the same as the Calpol and helps loosen any mucus helping them to breath easier.

Inhaler Dummy – Suitable from 3 months and designed by doctors, this clever dummy has a specially designed chamber that holds Snufflebabe Vapour Oil which is sold separately. There is a gentle, safe steady stream of decongestant vapours released beneath your baby’s noise while the dummy helps calm them. Quite useful for on the go.

Vapour Oil – Made of essential oils that release soothing vapours with a blend of lemon, pine and tea tree. Add a few drops to a bowl of warm water and place near a radiator. Also used in the Vapour dummy. Never place the Vapour Oil directly onto baby’s skin.

Nasal Drops – The same principal as the spray, just place a few drops into your baby’s nose to help loosen any mucus and help clear.

If your baby has a fever and is 2 months or older you can use Calpol to help reduce their temperature and offer gentle pain relief against sore throat, headache and general aches and pains from the cold.

If your baby is over 3 months you can use Nurofen for Cold, Pain and Fever which is clinically proven to last longer than Paracetamol and starts to work to reduce fever in only 15 minutes. I am pretty impressed with how well the Nurofen has settled and helped my babies and I do find it works better when they have the cold than the Calpol but again what works for one baby might not be as effective on another.

Make sure you keep offering your little one lots of fluids and if at any time you are worried or they get worse please seek medical advice.

Calpol have a very handy little App which is free and available for Android and iOS devices which helps you keep track of medicine your giving your little one and also giving you some handy advice on symptoms and treatment tips.