Baby it’s cold outside!
With the winter months drawing in, our little bundles of joy can often catch their first (or
many) colds and sniffles. Feeding can be miserable for them and us, so we’ve listed
some of the things you can do to make it easier on you both!
Offer your baby frequent feeds: They might be a bit off their milk when they have a
cold, so little and often is the way to go, to keep them hydrated. (You can also offer
water to babies over the age of four months)
Saline drops and nasal aspirator: Although some babies lose their appetite when they
have a cold, others simply find feeding difficult because of their nose being all stuffed up
they need to be able to breathe. If this is the case, pop along to your local pharmacy and
buy some saline drops. You can put a couple of drops in each nostril 15 minutes before
a feed (which will loosen up the mucus in the sinuses) and then try using a nasal
aspirator to suck out some of the snot.
Humidifier: Often feeding with a humidifier creating hot moist air can help loosen the
snot and help your baby to breathe – a steamy shower room can also work wonders.
Feed upright: Try keeping your little one upright as they feed, either sitting them in an
upright position to breastfeed or sitting up with their bottle.
We also know that if your baby has a cold this can pass on to you. For most minor
issues you don’t need to stop breastfeeding, but if you are not sure please do talk to a
health care professional.
For more information about looking after your sick baby:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/looking-after-sick-child/