Seeking Mommy Advice

Prop up one end of her crib this way she isn't lying flat. Use a humidifier/vaporizer in her room while she sleeps. Load her up with liquids (not milk) it helps loosen all the congestion. I also read that honey helps with the cough.
Good luck

I swear by vicks. J&J sells a menthalated vapor bath for babies that I allow my duaghter to soak and play in and then I put the vicks on her chest. I cover the area with a t-shirt and then put a snuggie footie pajama on. Use a warm mist humidifier and raise the end of the bed (or mattress) that she sleeps on so she is on an incline. I also used the vicks vapor mister when she was too little for the cream stuff (i.e. less than 1 year). I coax warm liquids into my daughter by making her decaf tea, warm apple juice, and thin chicken broth based soups (like the Noodle-Os you can buy at Shoprite) which can flow easily through sippy cups or cups with straws.

Lots of luck.
~C.

Hi C.,

I would take her to the doctor! Coughing and fever are the two top signs of swine flu. Yes, I tend to freak out with the whole flu thing, but it is better to be safe than sorry!! I have a 21 month old daughter who just got over a cold - just congestion, no fever or cough...the cough and fever are what you have to watch.

Hope she is feeling better soon,
L.

Go to the doc! She may need antibiotics or a nebulizer treatment.

for her congestion, go to the bathroom, put on the shower with hot water and let the vapor decongest her, try alittle vicks at night rub on her chest and back for she could be alittle more comfortable, there are some cough medicine for kids just give her very little, or try to go to a store where they sell health products ask about aloevera juice if you dont have a store I sell aloevera base products

Try a humidifier and some vics ..sometimes the old remedies still work really well.

Vicks vaporub on her chest after a warm bath will clear the congestion.
Well, is it a dry or wet cough? Is she spitting mucous?
Soup or warm tea should help too. Make sure it isn't swine flu bc of cough. If it is give her tamiflu + it'll go away.

You are right not to give coughmeds till age 6!!!

This home remedy works wonders! Go to an asian market and buy an asian pear. Put the asian pear in a pot and fill to the top of the pear with water. Add some honey and some fresh ginger. Boil covered for about an hour. (Watch water level and re-add water if needed. Cool and serve in a cup. I make a batch and keep it in my refrigerator. When I have coffee in the morning, I pour half a cup of this juice in a coffee mug, heat it slightly in the microwave to take the chill out and my 21 month old son thinks he is having coffee with me. He never gets sick. My tWo year old nephew who was always getting colds started this ritual and he hasn't had a cold since. Good luck. If she doesn't tolerate the ginger, you can leave it out or just add a tiny bit!

You cannot give her ANY kind of couch meds until she is atleast 6. If you read the box it will tell you that. I have looked for every kind of med that will help and they all say not to give if under 6. I know crazy. They were good enough when I was a kid but now you can't until they are 6 years old. So just be careful and take her to the doctor. She may have a sore throat. Try giving her ice pops to soothe her throat. ( I know ice pops in the winter but they do help and it will keep her hydrated.)

Try a humifider if u don't have one run the steam in a bath & have the nasel aspirater on hand. J & J also has a vapor bath for babies with a cold. Your family need to relax. She is only a baby & she can't control coughing. Unfortunately at that age there isn't much you can do.

Poor baby! (And tired mommy, I'm sure!). We just went through this. Definitely sit with her in the bathroom, door closed, and hot water on full-blast so that it steams up the room. My 3 year old actually liked cuddling in my lap with me sitting on the toilet lid while we breathed in the steam--I think it comforted her. I think 5 minutes or so did the trick, and got her through at least the first part of the night. Also, if you go to the health food store, there is a homeopathic cough syrup made with honey called "Chestal". It's expensive, but it definitely eased my daughter's cough for about two hours or so after each dose. It is fine to use for children under 6. It tastes good, too (tastes like honey). If the cough lasts more than a few weeks, definitely bring her to the doctor because she might have bronchitis, which needs antibiotics (my little girl was still coughing after 4 weeks--it would start to get better and then get worse again) and a 3 day course of antibiotics finally cleared it up. Good luck and hang in there!

Offer warm lemon non caffenated tea often.
long warm baths.
Encourage her to 'blow bubbles' with her nose in the bathwater, so her nasal congestion will be reduced.

If she is coughing so much that it hurts, you should take her to the doc to make sure its not pneumonia, bronchitis or wheezing, all of which may require special treatment. Good luck!

There are natural products on the market that do not have to be ingested that work very well. There is a line of products called Swiss Just that sell sprays, ointments and lotions that are natural and work very well. My daughter also suffers from bad coughs and I use a product called Eucatol (a spray that you can put either on her back, feet or chest) and it helps very well with congestion. Only drawback is that it is a very strong scent, but it works.

I understand about giving meds and I don't usually do it unless it is really necessary.

Good luck.

Hi C.,

I would get her back to the doctor she may need nebulizer treatments for the cough. I had a little boy last week that attends kindergarten at my preschool who coughed non stop the entire morning. It was to the point where he couldn't even do his school work. It was not a loose cough just a nagging constant cough. I called his mom she took him to the doc he started him on treatments and he was back to school the next day perfectly fine. I have quite a few kids at my school who get treatments and they really help. If she is up all night it probably is the same thing and I am almost sure she will get relief and so will your family. Good luck

Try Delsym that was reccomended by my children's pediatrician it works wonders. Good Luck and God Bless.

I would take her to the pediatrician or something because id she's coughing that much, it may be something else and it sounds like she's hurting and also, I am sure the cough is keeping her up.
Everyone else will have to deal with it and I am so sure you are tired but that is one of the things about being a mother as you already know.
I would take her to the dr's and let us know what came out of it.

Call the ped. and ask if they can prescribe something safe, a decongestant that will help her breathe better and break up her cough. Use a cold water vaporizer in her room at night to keep the mucus loose. You can use saline nose drops and the Triaminic vapor fan to help her breathe better which should help with the coughing. If possible, elevate her head while sleeping (2 pillows or raise the mattress up a bit. Good luck, it's no fun when they're sick! : (

Hi C.:

It could be a number of reasons why your daughter is experiencing cough and congestion. I recommend consulting with a qualified healthcare practitioner, one who specializes in natural wellness. In the interim, if you have a humidifier, add up to three drops of tea tree essential oils in it to assist her respiratory health. For further support, feel free to consult with my office.

All the best,
N.
www.wholecreations.com/wombfull.html
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When you have her in the steamy bathroom be sure to firmly pat her with the heal of your hand all over her back. This helps to break up the congestion in the lungs. You should also pat her all over her back several times a day outside of the steam bath. It helps because littleones can't cough up/out what stuck in there. Also warm honey and lemon does wonders and it tastes yummy.

Hi C.,

Sorry to hear your little one is sick. My daughter is 21 months and has the same thing... First I would take her to her ped. I definitely agree with the moms that same NO VICKS VAPO RUB. If your daughter is anything like mine, she has very sensitive skin! not to mention she is still a baby/toddler they are still very delicate. I took my daughter to her ped. just to make sure that she didn't have more than just a cold and it turned out she had an ear infection! She perscibed amoxacillan and she is doing much better. I have been giving her soup, steam showers and vapo bath for baby (Johnson and Johnson makes it. )You can also put vasaline around her nostrils to bring down any boogers. They have bulbs for baby where you can suction her nose. My daughter hates it but it does help. It's aweful when your baby is sick and you can't do anything! You feel helpless! Good Luck and hopefully some of these suggestions helped!!!

Honey will soothe her throat and reduce her cough. I give my child ( currently 2 1/2) some warm water with a big squeeze of honey in it. It definitely helps. Do not use cough medicines until she is 6.

steam up the bathroom with a hot shower. You can get a small bottle of eucalyptus oil at a health food store, put a few drops in the shower and it will mix with the steam. If there is a window in the bathroom you can open it and the combination of cold air and hot steam are great for breaking up a cough congestion.

my mother has a great remedy, i think iti s disgusting, but i've made it for my husband and he swears by it. here it is and is safe for all. cut up an onion-medium size pieces. sprinkle about 2 Tbs of sugar over the chopped onion and cover it with plastic wrap and let the onion "sweat". let it sit overnight and give your daughter the juice --maybe a teaspoon every couple of hours if she will take it. if you are in a hurry, you can put it in the microwave to help speed the "sweating" process, maybe 30 seconds at most and make sure it is cool before you giver her the juice. you can also try straight honey. good luck.

she is over a year so you can give her a spoonful of honey. it helps. elevate her head. aslo did u take her to the doctor, both of my kids had those symptoms and were treated for the flu. good luck

Although you cannot give her OTC medications, your doctor might tell you to go ahead and do so (or might give you an RX). So go and see the Dr. I agree that it might be causing some wheesing and he might give you medication for that after testing her.

Try using a cool mist vaporizor in her room whil she sleeps. It will help with the conjestion and in turn should help with the cough. Another idea is to turn on the shower, HOT, and sit in the bathroom with her. Let the steam do the job. If that doesn't work call the dr.

You should have her see a doctor first before trying anything. She could be wheezing or have something less common, like pertussis.

That said, assuming this is the usual cough from regular colds, try:

1. a humidifier at night (I like the Vicks humidifiers)
2. A spoonful of honey mixed in small amount of warm water or mild tea (like chamomile) given right before bedtime

Possible asthma or post nasal drip. Either can create
coughing.

Give her honey in a drink or a spoonful of honey, which is a natural cough supressant. Also, it has really helped my son when we give him a steam bath: turn on the shower hot, close the bathroom door, and sit in the room together for 10-15 minutes to let the steam break up some of his congestion. We do both before he goes to bed when he has a cold, and it helps us ALL sleep better. Good luck. Your doctor may have other ideas, too. Humidifier in her bedroom, of course.

Dear C.,

I JUST took my 3-year-old son to the doctor after with a cough that simply did not get better for weeks. She said that sinus infections in young children can sometimes manifest as chronic coughs and prescribed Augmentin (an antibiotic).

I recommend that you do the same. Over-the-counter treatments are really only good for things that resolve on their own anyway, like headaches. If it's not going away, you should check in with the doc.

Hi C.,

When my daughter was your child's age I gave her UMCKA by Nature's Way. I bought it in the natural health store but it is now sold in CVS Walgreen Rite-Aid, etc. UMCKA treats any upper respitory of any kind and shortens the duration of illness because it gets to the root of the infection and cures it. My daughter is now 11 years old and has rarely been sick. I amdminister it 3 or 4 times a day (check w/ nutritionist at health store to find out how much she should take) and within a day or two she is fine. The best way of stopping the cold is to treat it right away at the first sign/symptom. I highly recommend this product. It's safe and taste great. Cherry is the flavor that my daughter likes. You can Google the product to learn more about it. It's all my family uses. Best of luck!

A.

Coughs are worse at night. It stinks. Take her into the bathroom and take off all of her clothes except her diaper. Turn the shower on as hot as it will go and sit in the bathroom with her in the steam. It will loosen the congestion in her chest significantly. She might not like it, but if you try and turn it into a fun adventure or game she might go along with it.

I also use a Vicks Vaporizer in my son's room when he has a particularly bad cough. I use the Vicks Vapo Steam in the vaporizer and it also seems to help.

Lastly, try some honey in some lukewarm chamomile tea. It will not only soothe her throat, but it will help her sleep. All of these things have been approved and supported by our pediatrician.
Good luck. I hope she feels better soon.

Hi C.,
i'm sorry about your little one. There is nothing more heart breaking than a sick baby.
My daughter (23 months) just went through the same thing. Her dr told us to give her a steam bath, meaning sit in the bathroom with her (not in the tub) and run a shower of just hot water giving your bathrm a steam rm effect. You have to stay abt 20 minutes & make sure she is wrapped good and tight with a warm something when you leave bc it will be cold when you walk out.
Also, we asked the dr is we should rub baby Vicks on her, she said no, bc contrary to popular belief it actually will make her cough more.
So, I would stick with the steam shower, it won't cure her rt away but it will loosen things up in her chest & move it along faster. Also, I gave my daughter lots of oranges for vitamin c.
Sorry you & your baby are going through this, bu know you're doing a great job.
All the best

I dont know about putting it on 20 month old but Vicks Vapor rub works

let her cough it out, give her children's mucinex, that's the only other OTC medicine I give my daughter besides tylenol for high fever. SAline spray in the nose at least once a day,
And have her sleep propped up in her bed as much as possible, like put an extra pillow or two under her, should keep the coughing down at night. Good luck, hope she gets better soon