4-1-1 on infant colds

In Tucker's fourth and fifth week of life, he got the worst cold I have ever ever witnessed in an infant (which awesomely coincided with Christmas, parties, late nights - as if the nights weren't late enough with a newborn already). I jokingly said that Tucker's Christmas present was gifted in co-pays to the Pediatrician because if we went once, we went five times for this cold.

We had both him and Sophie tested for RSV. Which, to parents of infants, is a horrifying virus (in severe cases, think potential spinal taps, IV's etc). Thank God both of them came back negative. The nights are long with infants to begin with. Add in a child that coughs so hard he can't catch his breath and then tell me how many times you pack up for the children's ER in the middle of the night. For me, it was three almost trips to the ER, usually around 3am.

The most we could do for the poor fellow was keep him comfortable. For our house, keeping sick babies comfortable means the following:

Saline nose spray

Warm mist humidifier with Vick's vapor

Keep their heads elevated (Tuck's bassinet is already at an angle)

Vick's baby vapor rub on the bottom of the feet

Warm baths

Vitamin D

And... this fantastic contraption called Baby Comfy Nose. I think the product exists under different names, but this is the one I found in a pinch.

Germaphobes, get ready, because you literally suck the mucus out of baby's nose with this. I thought it sounded horrendous, but it works 10x better than the bulb syringe from the hospital and there is no risk of potentially shoving an instrument too far up their itty bitty noses. This one sits right at the opening of the nostril and a tissue in the big bulb catches the boogies when you suck air through the other end of the tube. Unless you have major user error and forget the tissue, there is no way you can get snot in your mouth. Are you still grossed out?! It's amazing. Seriously. You know you want to see this sucker (pun) in action. Go get one. Now. Before baby gets first cold.