Newborn Baby Feeling Under the Weather

I have put VICKS on my baby's feet bottom then socks. That helped her breathing.
Being that young, I would just put a very thin layer on.

My newborn is under the weather, as well. What has worked for his comfort is warm baths, elevating his head while sleeping, and lots of feedings. Just like for adults, babies need lots of fluids and rest. Good luck!

If you're not already using one, a cool mist humidifier right in his room will help him be more comfortable. They do wonders for colds, allergies, dry skin... Also setting him on a slant where his head is elevated just a bit. They make those foam wedges or put a folded blanket under his head and shoulders.
My now 4 year old got a cold as a newbee too and and both items helped quite a bit.
I hope this helps!
M Moore

Congrats on your new child! I have 3 boys and found with all of them that suctioning the nose with a blunt tip, not the pointy ones sent home with you from the hospital, really does wonders. They will put up a fuss but they'll breathe better.It helps get the really sticky thick mucous out that often makes them gag and vomit. You can find the blunt tipped bulbs at Target or most other stores...
Humidity helps also....
Good luck, A.

What helped my baby when he was stuffy, runny, and weak was to turn the shower on as hot as it goes. . .and no, not put the baby in it. Let the steam fill the bathroom and sit him in a bouncy chair or hold him. This worked great and helped me get a shower in while he sat in his bouncy chair. Also, a humidifier (in the rooms you spend a lot of time in with your baby). Good Luck

My 3 month old caught a cold from her older sister last month. I found that Little Noses saline nose spray helped a ton. Just spray up his nose wait a few seconds a then suck them out with a nose sucker. He wont like it but it should help. Also I gave her a warm bath every night. Good Luck!

I also have a newborn under the weather. I was a humidifier next to her bed, with her matress proped up a little so she is not lying flat on her back. Baby Vicks helps also. Keep a close eye on the him, my babys cold just turned into Croup.

I found keeping a cool mist humidifier going 24/7 in the baby's room to be helpful - especially in this dry Colorado weather! I had my babies in Minnesota but the mist really helps. Also, you can raise the head of the crib/bed a little. Tylenol helps some - check with your physician. Good luck!

Whenver our girls get sick we use a hummidifier while they sleep. When they were babies we would bring them with us whenever either of us showered. We would sit them in their bouncy seats (now we just let them sit wherever they are comfortable in a steamed filled bathroom). The steam really helps with the congestion.

My baby girl got a cold at 2 weeks old and it's so pitiful! We used a cool mist humidifier, put a couple books under one end of the crib to elevate her head, i found some Johnson and Johnson soothing vapor cream which I put on her chest and back, and I even used the smallest amount of desitin on her nose when it got too red and sore from wiping it all the time. If they have trouble sleeping, I ended up sitting fairly upright and held my babies all night a couple times when the cold was at it's worst... and prayed a lot. :)

I recommend nursing whenever the baby wants day and night and keeping him held on your body. There are natural antibodies in breastmilk that heal children fast! I know from nursing my own that it can be challenging when their nose are stuffy, but stick with it. You can even put a drop or two of your magic milk in his nostrils to help heal his tissues. And, keeping him close to your body day and night will soothe you both. This will pass...

In Utah a cool mist humidifier makes the room too cold (in winter) for an infant when left on for long periods of time. Our pediatrician's office told me to only leave a cool mist on for 15 minute periods every couple hours. When our now two yr old was sick as an infant we purchased a vaporizer (the heated kind) to help with the humidity in the room. Just make sure it is across the room from baby so there is no chance of injury (pulling on cord, ...) This actually helped to warm the room in the winter for him. Also you can put a blanket or slim pillow under the top of the crib matress to elevate. With an infant it helps to have a side/back positioner so the little one doesn't roll funny. We even had to put a rolled towel just below his bum and under his legs so he wouldn't slide. (We were questioning at one point if he had reflux and elevating helped). Good luck!

You could use Little Noses or BabyAyr and put a drop in each side of his nose, let it sit for a minute and clean his nose out with a bulb syringe. He won't like it, but if his nose is stuffy, he'll feel better afterwards. It's so hard to see your little guys sick. Hang in there. Congratulations!

just fyi if you can't find the little noses brand, regular saline nasal spray works well too. we used a humidfier with our little one, when he got to three months we put baby vick on his chest, also you can ask your pharmacist about the correct dosage of tylenol for his age if he seems achy or fussy, this may help him sleep, along with elevating his head

try a cool mist humidifier and baby vicks, that's about all we can do for newborns and infants these days. and if your baby has some congestion and nasal stuff going on, try to elevate his head while he sleeps so he can breathe easier.

My four month old had a cold about 3 weeks ago. It turned into RSV and she had to be hospitalized, so just keep a close eye out. But before then I bought vicks baby rub and rubbed it on the bootom of her feet and put socks on and it seemed to help her congestion and cough. Also a humidifier works wonders with saline drops and suction.

Brittany G.

Get a humidifier. It works wonders! Put it near his crib while he sleeps, and he will breathe much better.

When my son was that age he got the same thing. I did a lot of what the other moms suggested plus, I would take him into the bathroom and let the HOT water run for a while. The steam would loosen the congestion in his nose a great deal. It seemed to relax him too. I would hold him up on my chest and let the steam work. Just don't stay in there for too long, you don't want to over heat him. I would put my son in a little onezie. Good luck!!

Have you tried the vapor plug ins. I love them! They are great for babies when they have colds because you don't really want to rub them in with Vicks. I also like them for my older kids because then they aren't all slimy in the morning from being rubbed in. Also I will bring the baby in the shower with me right before I put her down to bed at night. That way they get the benefit of the steam. Hope your little one feels better.

At 8 weeks my daughter had an awful one, bad enough for me to worry as she would not eat. This sounds horrible but worked for us like a charm, if he is taking a bottle put his bottles in the fridge, the cold formula helped my daughter a ton, I even gave her cold breast milk. It thinned the mucus, I did saline drops and a humidifier. I didn't prop up her crib as she was a wiggler anyway. That is about all you can do at this age. Find out when you can give them a vapor bath too, it may be 6 mos, but Johnsons and Johnsons has this great baby bath stuff you put them in warm water and the vapors help clear their passageways! My kids both loved those baths. Even sit him on your lap on a rug in the bathroom and put the steamy water on, that will help his nose open up.

A humidifier and vicks!

I use saline and a battery operated aspirator to clean out my boys noses. The battery operated one works way better than a bulb. You can find them online from walmart, target, and one step ahead. (I know you'd have to wait for it, but they are totally worth getting for the next cold they would surely get) The sleeping on an incline helps too. And another product I've found to help is those little vapor fans. It's in the pharmacy with the cold remedies. I hope you're little sweetie gets better soon!

Hi M.~
You could try a humidifier-I use filtered water. Also, proping up his head during sleep by putting a pillow or blanket underneath the mattress of bassinet or crib. Also you can gently squirt nasal saline spray into his nostrils. I suppose having the room not too hot will help with breathing too. And perhaps when you are showering put him in the bathroom with you- a little humidity may help with breathing.I hope this helps! Also, I have my family see a chiropractor who uses the Gonstead Method and he has done AMAZING things to heal our family-especially with colds. The nose drains after the adjustment. T. Sigler

A warm mist humidifier worked well for my little one when she had colds. When they are that little there really isn't much you can do for them:(

M.,
I have several tricks I used for colds: raise one end of his mattress so he sleeps propped up, frequently use salt water nose drops (1/4 tsp per cup of water - I usually use warm water) Use a qtip to gently drip it into his nose while he is laying on your outstretched leg with his head down hill. This just helps loosen up the congestion and get it running. If he is having a hard time nursing, offer a bottle of water occasionally to keep him hydrated. The unfun trick is using the aspirator. Push one nostril closed and suction the other quickly. Don't pick at babies noses with fingernails. Use a wet wash cloth gently. Humidifyers also help but I don't know what is on the market today as far as safety goes. Good Luck.

This will sound strange, but a very old remedy for anyone with a cold was to boil onions in the house. Do not get the baby near the steam. Just the moisture in the house will help.

I'm an older mom of two grown boys and 2 little grand-daughters (22 months & 10 months) that we have overnight often due to their parents work schedules and when they get to feeling under the weather like the baby has lately we just snuggle up together in grandpa's rockers with her favorite blankie and I hum to her to let her know its ok to feel yucky (this has been going on since she was 3 months old when the girls came to live with us) and also with her sister when she was little and didn't feel well too. Doctors can tell you only so much, but with cold symptoms they will be so much more comfy if they are upright - like when cuddled up with you in a rocker or recliner - hope this helps!

You may already know this but if you prop your newborn's head up just slightly, he or she can breath easier. I put blankets under the mattress on one side so he was slighly elevated and it worked great.