During the obligatory post-birth oohing and ahhing, some friends of ours came over last Monday to see our new baby and brought their 5 year old. After letting her hold my daughter and kiss on her for 10 minutes, she coughed a few times and they then informed me that their daughter was sick. My daughter had been sneezing off and on and coughing a bit since birth, and the doctors assured me that this was normal, since they have so much gunk in their system when they're first born. But lately it's been getting worse, and she's been really fussy. I might just be paranoid (she's not running a fever or anything), but I'm worried that she's sick.
The last couple days, the sneezing and coughing have picked up. She also sounds congested, but doesn't have a runny nose. Every once in a while she'll sneeze and some snot will come out (whitish color), but that's it. Nothing visible in her nose. She's been eating constantly (periods of 6 hours at a time where she eats every hour, sometimes on the half hour). I'm breastfeeding, and she'll go anywhere from 10-25 minutes then fall asleep at the breast. Since she's been so fussy, I don't want to wake her, so I usually just let her sleep there on the Boppy pillow until she gets fussy again. She's not been a real big burper so far anyway, and usually just falls sleep when I burp her, so I've not really been bothering lately. Also, she seems to just want to sleep on me or my husband, not in her bed. When we lay her down, she's instantly awake and within minutes is screaming to be fed again. She's been really gassy the last few days as well, screaming her head off, sometimes for 10 minutes, until she passes gas or messes her diaper. Also, she's had a ton of messy diapers (counted 7 so far today, starting at 6am). I don't know if that's just from eating so much or if she's got diarrhea. We've taken her temp a few times, and it's been at 98.1 or below (armpit), so she's not running a fever. I figured with all the Thanksgiving leftovers and pumpkin bread/pie that I've been eating, she may just be having some intestinal discomfort, but it's been a few days now, and she doesn't seem to be improving. We've been giving her Mylicon drops several times a day, and they seem to help her somewhat, at least she sleeps for a few hours at a time after we give them to her a couple times, 2-3 hours apart.
Do you guys think she's sick or just gassy?
Thanks for all the advice. She sleeps in a co-sleeper next to our bed (when she's not sleeping up against me on the Boppy pillow), and we have a cool-mist humidifier in our bedroom. When I'm nursing her, I always rub her head/cheek/feet to keep her awake. It's only when she doesn't respond to it that I let her sleep. I've been burping her more frequently and for longer, and that seems to be helping. She's been getting quite a bit of gas out. She still wakes up and cries if I lay her down while she's sleeping, but she was actually awake this morning for a couple hours and wasn't screaming for most of it. Also, she just fell asleep on my chest without being nursed. Score! She hasn't done that for 3 days.
***We went to the doctor, and they said she probably had an upper respiratory infection. It went away after a couple more days.***
Did you add the one degree difference for taking it under the armpit, the hospital told me that if you take it that way add one degree to the temp to get what the real temp is.
The pooping all the time is normal for a Breastfed baby. My 10 week old just started having a few diapers that were just wet. Every time I changed her for the first 2 months there was poop on her diaper. Just wanted to give you some peice of mind on that. If you are concerned that she might be sick then take he to the Doc if that would make you feel better. Good luck!
A.
Arm pit temps aren't that accurate with a newborn as they have trouble regulating their body temperatures to begin with..I would go rectal. Also when it comes to a newborn, especially being a first time mom, I would advise you like this...when in doubt check it out...it's better to make the call to the doctor or the trip to the hospital than to take a chance on missing something serious. Also keep in mind that it's RSV season. Here are some things to look for...you know that rattling congested sound that you can usually feel in the baby's back when she breathes? Lay her on her back and turn her head to the side, if you still hear it call the doctor...if you don't then it's most likely just congestion, give her plenty of fluids to thin the mucus so she can get it out...if her nail beds and/or lips are turning blue, call 911....if it looks like she's sucking into her rib cage when she inhales, get her to that hospital. Those are signs of a child with RSV or other breathing problems. Normally as long as the mucus stays white or clear, you're ok...if anything it's most likely viral just keep an eye on the temp and keep pushing fluids. If it starts turning a nasty yellow to green then it's most likely bacterial and she will need a trip to the doctor for antibiotics. If you're just really scared or nervous, then call or take her to the doctor, if nothing else for your peace of mind.
Hi my name is D. and I have a 4 month old son. I was induced a month early due to severe toxemia so we were so frightened of our son having problems. We also have the other problem that his father was born with almost no immune system at all. our son coughed and sneezed a lot too at birth. The doctors told us the same thing. :) Also since she's not running a fever that's a good thing. Our son would go thru spurts where he refused to actually lay down to sleep. Even now he prefers his swing to anything else. I would have to lay him on my chest so he could get some sleep. Your little girl may be going thru a growth spurt too. She's eating more often. Also from what the doctors told me, Breast milk doesn't hold the children as long as a bottle so they will eat more often than a bottle fed baby. I breast fed while I could, but I still had to suppliment with bottle. Our son made it thru all that just fine. If you are afraid she is sick then take her to the doctor. If the doctor is a good one then they will say they'd rather make sure the baby is ok then know there was something they could have done and you didn't bring her in. My hubby is a little more of an alarmist than I am. He was convinced that our son had an ear infection. Come to find out it was extra wax build up. Still we went to the doc to make sure. Babies can be fussy for any number of reasons. A growth spurt, gass, constipation, and any number of things. It's been so frustrating figuring all of them out. Hope your little one is ok. :)
-Dani
Dear M., you are doing a great job, but I do not believe she is sick. I am a respiratory therapist and I work in a Neonatal Intinsive Care Unit. Trust me, when she is sick you will know. They will have goobies oozing from the nose. :0) The sneezing and coughing is VERY normal for a newborn. They are clearing their airways. Sneezing and coughing is a good thing.
As for the rest, I am a proud mommy of b/g 6.5 mo old twins. So,a s for the discomfort, you are probaby right. . . it is probably just gas. I would definately try to burp her every time, because if the gas bubbles don't come up. . . they have to come out somehow and it does cause them some serious discomfort if they have to push it out the other way. My kids would fall asleep during burping time too, but if I kept burping them they eventually burped it up eventhough they were alseep. They would wake up long enough to burp and then fall back asleep.
My son had bad gas and my mom had me turn him on his belly on my lap so his head was resting on one of my legs and rub/pat his back until he tooted. It seemed to relieve the gas and he would fall back asleep there. Then I would go put him to bed.
Good luck!
I haven't had time to read all of your responses in depth but I agree with trying to get her burps out after feeding. I think the rule of thumb is burp every 2 ounces at her age. It can seem like they have 'nothing' to get out but with some patience it will pay off. I also want to say that most breastfed babies have beautiful immune systems and can fight off most common illnesses. I came down with a nasty cold when my daughter was only a few months old and she never had one symptom. It's hard to imagine, since I had to be 'hands on' all of the time with her. I'm sure she has a visit scheduled soon since she is so young but if you are still concerned, give her doc a call. Trust your 'mother's instinct.' Good luck.
Everything you mentioned sounds pretty normal for a newborn. My little girl had a perpetually runny nose for the first three months after birth. It was clear and I was convinced she was either sick or had allergies. It is normal for you to be concerned at this fragile point in your infant's life. If you really feel something is wrong, take her to your doctor. I have read that babies have a pretty good immune system for the first few months of life, so she is probably just reacting to her new surroundings outside of the womb. When my daughter caught her first real cold at around 31/2 months, it was apparent that she was sick. (She stopped eating, she cried all the time, fever, congestion, the whole bit). As far as her only wanting to sleep on you, this is normal as well. Many doctors call the first three months of life the fourth trimester. All your baby knows is the sights and sounds of the womb they know you will take care of them and they want to stay close. An excellent book and video you should get is "The Happiest Baby on the Block". It gives you five tips that help you recreate the womb environment for newborns. This creates a "calming reflex" that comforts them enough to sleep. My daughter had colic and this was a godsend for us.
Good luck.
I would definitely make sure and burp her after every feeding. Even if she falls asleep, you don't want that gas building up inside. Also keep in mind the furnace is now on and dry in the house. We had to have our daughter sleep in her car seat for the first three weeks because she is more upright and therefore can breathe easier. Being a first time parent is hard and you definitely worry about everything, so it doesn't hurt to take her to the doctor as well, you are paying them at that is what they are there for. I hope everything works out.
Sounds like gas! I used to swaddle mine (papoos him) and rub his belly til he toots, or what the neonatal nurse said. My sisters boy has had issues with constipation and when he was a baby rubbing his belly when he's nice and warm in a blanket always helped him get everything out!
And remember infants poop all the time; seriously, eat poop sleep, that just what they do.
If you're really worried check with the doctor, but with no fever he will tell you she is fine. Sneezing and coughing up all the weird things in the air that she isn't used to from having breathed amniotic fluid for the last nine months.
I am a new mom as well with a 4 month old. I was having the same issues with my little one in the beginning. It doesn't sound like your baby is sick, especially since she isn't running a fever and she isn't sneezing out green or yellow snot. I had a preemie, so she would fall asleep on the breast very quickly. My lactation specialist told me to pump after each feeding and begin supplementing with a bottle of breast milk after the baby finished nursing. She stayed awake longer and took more milk. This made her less fussy and able to go 2-2 1/2 hours between feedings. Also, it is ok to wake her up during her feedings by rubbing the bottoms of her feet. This helped too. Always burp her, even if she is asleep. Babies can burp while sleeping and trapped gas will definitely cause her discomfort. You might want to try swaddling her for sleep. It will feel warm and confined, like she is being held by you or your husband. It really helped us get our daughter into a good sleeping habit. With breastfed babies, you are going to have many poops per day. Seven poops in a day is pretty normal. My daughter pooped every feeding for the first 2 months. Good luck and enjoy your new bundle of joy.
I would take her in. She is much too young to be getting sick especially being breast fed.
Whenever in doubt, do NOT hesitate to call or visit your doctor! They are there for you for whatever questions you have, or call the hospital where you delivered your baby!
My baby sneezed a lot when she was very little & the doctor said that is very normal. I would not skip the burping, and as of right now, they don't have a "normal" feeding schedule, most doctors just say to feed them whenever they want it!
Good luck!!
I had a breastfed baby with a stuffy nose and coughing. I took her to the Dr. and she was fine. But I was worried because her nose was so stuffy. Try some saline drops and nose bulb suringe. It doesn't work wonderfully, but it works. All her dirty diapers and gas sound pretty normal to me. My daughter went ALL the time and was very gassy when she was that little. I wouldn't worry as long as there is no fever.
M.-
I am a mom of a 2 1/2 year old little girl.
You know, my advice is that you are probably in need of a confirmation, for your sake as well as the baby's, to see if she is ill or not. If I were you, I would go to the Dr. to be sure. You don't need the stress that comes with the unknown...I believe the baby can feel the uneasyness of the mother. I say if your gut is uneasy and you have too many if's then go to the Dr. If they won't see you, then go to Patient's First or something (on Bardstown Rd in the Highlands). They are good, and have helped us so many times with our daughter. Anyhow, better to have no stress, and to have the answers.
Good luck-
A.
I would say she has a little cold but I am no doctor. Infants have so many issues going with their systems at once you could drive yourself nuts trying to figure it out. If she is stuffy it will irritate and make her mad when she is trying to nurse. It makes her more tired to nurse when she is congested too. It is hard enough work normally! I would see your doctor just in case because you don't want to mess with a sick little one at that age. Try and keep her away from germs as much as you can. My youngest when she was a baby got RSV at 4 months and she now has Asthma from it. Winter babies have a hard go of it. Enjoy the fact there are no siblings bringing home germs because it is next to impossible to protect them from that! You are doing the right thing by keeping a close eye
This sounds like all pretty "normal" stuff. Give it some time! If you are worried about her breathing from congestion, put a cool mist humidifier in her room at night and you can use some Simply Saline. If you give her that, spray it right before you nurse b/c the sucking motion will help "get it in there" and the mucus will break up. Afterwards, use the aspirator to get all the gunk out. However, be careful with aspirators, don't shove it up in the nostril b/c it can damage nose membranes. If you just want piece of mind, it wouldn't hurt to go see the doctor--I did the same thing! :)
This all sounds like a normal infant who might have some collic going on. Obviously she will react to what you are eating and you might keep a food journal and see if there is anything in particuliar she If she were really sick from being around the little girl, I would expect her to develop a fever and her appetite would diminish. I know I took my third daughter in, just to be sure, mostly to be told that things were fine.
I breastfed, too and mine all slept on me alot. I don't evan think my third spent much time in her bed at all which I don't feel guilty about. I think they are comforted by the sound of your heart as well as familiar smells. They are only little once, I don't believe you can spoil an infant.
Deffinately try to burp after evreyfeeding. Babies need the help. As for the "cold". It never hurts to talk with your pediatrician. The worst he could say is there is nothing wrong. I would also let anyone else coming to vixit understand that she is your baby and if they are sick, please don't hold her. Try getting a humidifier and see if that helps her breathe. I had to use one with all four of my kiddos.
