I feel like I'm traumatizing my sick 13 m/o clearing out her nose

O

organicjello

New member
he started daycare 2.5 weeks ago and has been sick ever since. It's so bad she seems to have forgotten how to breathe through her nose even when she's cleared out.

This may sound stupid but most days we have been having to clear her out multiple times a day using the aspirator or frida and I hate it. She gets so upset every time. I feel like a terrible mom holding her down and doing this. I feel like I'm traumatizing her and hurting our bond. Is this silly or do others have the same experience?
 
@lizhoney Yeah, something like this! We started trying when their nose wasn't blocked, just blowing through your nose and making fun with it. We practiced on dolls, stuffed animals... And when their nose was blocked once again, we explained we could suck it out or we could blow our noses and let them choose. They choose the handkerchief and, very inefficiently, blowed their nose lol. We never looked back.

Edit: oh and we use a nasal spray/breast milk after they blow their nose to really clear it all the way!
 
@organicjello Have you tried a nasal rinse? Like a Neti pot but you squeeze it. It’s nice cause it really clears out their nose and once a day helps so much compared to suction having to happen lots of times a day.
 
@organicjello Is the blocked nose causing difficulty with breathing or feeding? When my 16 month old is snotty it doesn’t really seem to bother her so I don’t do anything about it as it doesn’t feel worth it.
 
@crucker2 If I can advise and you take it as you want, we took this route and it led to my sons first ear infections. As sucky as it was /is, if you let the snot collect it can lead to an Ear Infection, and after having to give TWO rounds of anti biotics, as soon as I hear him congested we suck out the snot (pediatrician went as far as to recommend every 2 hrs, nobody has time for that lol).

Please don’t take this as a YOU must DO THIS, just our experience and if it helps prevent discomfort for others, happy to share.
 
@organicjello My baby also hates the nose frida. My husband figured out that he loves the air being blown in his face though.

So now before using the nosefrida we blow into it and it blows air on his face which makes him giggle and gets him in a good mood.

He still doesn’t like the snot sucking part but he doesn’t get nearly as mad as he used to. He used to start crying as soon as he saw it but now he is happy to see it.
 
@organicjello I have a little electric aspirator, I have been trying to get my daughter used to it by trying to have fun with it, like I'll use it on her belly and laugh at the way it makes a pop sound when you pull it off (it's not strong enough to leave a mark). We both giggle about it and she thinks it's a really fun game, she's 17 months now and she can even turn it on and wave it around. We also practice things, like I'll hold it up to my nose and then hold it up to hers and say "sniff" and she voluntarily puts her nose up to it. Then I'll turn it on and laugh, and even though I was barely touching her it's still good practice you know?

That's all to say she's still like fifty fifty with it, sometimes I can press it into her nose and it's part of the game, and sometimes she's just not in the mood and when I sneak it towards her and actually suction it becomes a big tantrum. But honestly it's getting better the more we use it like a toy, like she seems like she's getting more and more okay with it the more we have fun with sticking it in our noses and laughing.

I know mine is older than yours but it's never too early to start trying to have a good association with the aspirator as a funny thing (maybe stick it in Dad's nose? Lol) and laughing about it.
 
@organicjello Try little remedies saline mist plus boogie wipes. Our 11 month old hates the nasal aspirators but actually seems to like the mist and tolerates the boggie wipes pretty well. He didn't like it at first but eventually learned he felt better after.
 
@organicjello We had the same problem. My kid would get so upset anything I was able to remove was immediately replaced by more snot so it wasn’t worth it. Sometimes he lets us but on the days he won’t, we hold him in a steaming shower or have playtime in a steamy bathroom and let his nose run as it will into the bath.
 
@organicjello I believe it was in this sub that I discovered these nose syringes and they made a world of difference.

LO wouldn't let anything near her nostrils while sick, and it did take some tears or distraction to work through the first tries of using the syringes. Honestly though she very quickly adapted and now it's quick and painless.
 
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