# Newborn Night Congestion



## Chronic Chrissy (Sep 4, 2006)

DS is 3 weeks pp and was completely clear the first week. around week 2 he started getting congested at night. Not just in one room or one sleeping place, or temperature. We have slept in many different rooms, some nights hot, some cool, some dry, some humid, some nights he's a little elevated, others almost completely sitting up on my chest, some laying in bed or the hammock flat. Normally he is a very gassy baby because of his latch being a little lazy but it is so much worse at night becasue he is congested and can't breath, so i can hear him sucking in the air and it meeting the bubble in his stomach. Execept for that he is just a happy content calm baby even with the gas. I know he isn't sick and doesn't show any other signs or symptoms except being very stuffy at night. It's making my nights very long, especially with the longer more involved feedings, increased burping, and the rattle as he breaths and sleeps.

Any ideas of what to do or what could be causing this?


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## Mama Lo (May 11, 2009)

Place a couple slices of onion on a plate near his bed. Sounds crazy but my dd had a congested cough last week, and after two nights of doing this...totally gone!
I read about it in Dr Lauren Feder's book Natual Baby and childcare, and have since found out it's actually an "old-fashioned" thing to do. Worth a try!


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## SandraS (Jan 18, 2007)

*Vick's BabyRub* is the greatest invention next to the sling.


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## amanda1188 (Jun 20, 2006)

I noticed the same thing with my ds when he was around a week old and it just kept getting worse and worse. I finally cut out dairy when he was 3 weeks old and his congestion completely cleared up within a couple of days.


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## jeliphish (Jul 18, 2007)

It's normal. I worried about this too. The congestion is due to the nose and throat making extra mucus to protect the lining of the nose and air passageways. Usually it starts after the baby has a bit of spit up come out of his nose. The nasal lining will then over produce mucus to protect itself from the milk. I posted the SAME exact question when DD (12 weeks) was 3 weeks old and this is the answer I got:

Originally Posted by Peppermint Poppies
*The neonatal paediatrician at the hospital I birthed at said stuffiness was really common in breastfed newborns. Apparently while they're getting the hang of swallowing increasingly larger amounts of milk, they siphon some of it back into their nose. The nasal passages secrete extra mucous to protect their delicate lining from the milk. He said it's not a cold, it's not allergies, and it's nothing to worry about. HTH*

It has occured in every breastfed newborn I know and it will be gone in about a month. I wouldn't jump to change your diet or anything yet.


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## LisaG (Feb 23, 2003)

This is good to know, because I've been really scratching my head over it. DD gets so congested some nights we have to go sleep on the couch so she's more upright. I thought it might be related to the little bit of chocolate I had, but even 4 days without hasn't significantly changed things. She did have a couple big throw ups where milk came out her nose. She's 9 weeks now, hopefully this will improve soon. Not so much a problem during the day, although she's rarely sleeping flat during the day.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

We were there too! I've also noticed that it happens after a really big growth spurt too (which makes sense with lots of nursing and swallowing)

I dripped BM in his nose and then sucked out the boogers that I could. (BM made them soft enough to suck out)


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