Hi moms
My 3 month old has a mild cold with a little congestion. I've heard it's good to have a cool-mist humidifier running in the nursery during the winter months, when it's dry, and have also heard one should only run it when the baby is sick, otherwise there could be a mold issue. I didn't grow up in this climate, so have no past experience to draw on.
Should I run a humidifier continuously in his nursery? (We have steam heat in our condo.)
Should I just run it while he's sick, or at night?
Any other thoughts or experiences with humidifiers?
N.
Use it! When one of my twins was sick, we pulled out the humidifier. After his nap, his nose had drained completely and he was able to breathe again.
YES YOU CAN GET MOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trust me i have dealt with it. You can use a cool mist humidifer but keep an eye on the moisture level in the room and don't let it get to high. I went out and bought a room moisture thermometer. I know meijers has them for about $20. Well worth it.
DOn't run it all the time though the moisture will create mold.
We use a cool mist humidifier in our nursery, but our ped told us NOT to use the vicks stuff in it. Good luck and hope your little guy feels better soon.
I would only run it at night, when your child is sick. There is no need to run it all the time, it definitely can cause mold issues. My house has really high moisture in the winter, and we wind up running a de-humidifier in the basement, and the cool-mist humidifier in our son's room, only when he is sick. You might want to consider elevating one side of your son's crib a little when he is sick. It could help him breathe easier also. Good luck!
I've had several "cool mist" humidifiers over the years and I just threw away the last of them. I think they don't work as well as warm mist for a cold, and they tend to get gross easily. Too much trouble and expense to keep them clean. Especially since your newborn is too young to crawl and get injured by it, I'd use a warm vaporizer that you can buy at the drugstore. I like the compact size, easier to use. Make sure it's in the room but far from the baby and that the cord is nowhere where it can be dragged down (I used to put it by the door on the other side of the room from the crib, and on the floor.)
You can clean the vaporizer after a few uses by following directions in the package - soak in white vinegar and rinse. No filters needed.
ETA - I don't recommend it for everyday use, though. Better to invest in a large humidifier that is meant for a house. The vaporizer is just for when someone has a cold and needs the steam. Also, use WITH CARE when you have a toddler because the steam can burn skin.
Hi N.
I am not familar with "steam heat" so I don't know how dry it really is. My daughter has allergy (almost asthma like) problems starting in October all the way through until spring. We do run a cool mist humidifier in her room when she is sick. When our daughter gets real bad we use the vicks stuff in the humidifier too. Although I don't think there would be enough moisture in the air to have a mold problem you should keep an eye on it.
The first winter we had with these health problem of our daughter she was very very sick (now we know it is coming and can take steps to help her) but we also used the vicks patches. She was small enough that we were able to stick the patch at the opposite end of her crib and she wasn't too close to it (They are very stong and not to be near the baby's mouth, eyes, etc.) but if your baby is moving around too much for that you could stick it somewhere outside the crib, even laying it on the top of the dresser would work.
But it sounds like your baby is only mildly sick so you should not need any of that. The cool mist humidifier will help him to breath easier. Hope this helps! :)
