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How To Use a Nasal Aspirator

mother using a nasal aspirator

It is horrible when a tiny baby gets a cold and seems to really struggle to breath. They don’t know that they could simply grab a tissue and blow their nose, and neither have the strength to do it, so this is something you will have to help them with. A buildup of mucus in their sinuses is incredibly uncomfortable and also gives them a bad taste in their mouth. However, you can help your baby by using a bulb syringe or nasal aspirators.

Nasal aspirators are generally powered by batteries, whereas bulb syringes are manually operated.

What You Need
Besides your infant nasal aspirator, you also need to purchase some saline drops. These will help to make the thick mucus looser, so you can suck it up very easily. A lot of aspirators or syringes simply look like a rubber ball, which you squeeze, leading to air being sucked through the little tip at the end of it. These will only cost about $5 and can be purchased from any store that has a baby and child section. The more expensive models can cost as much as $80, which are generally battery powered. These come with a disposable tip, meaning you will have to purchase some of those too.

Do make sure you only purchase natural saline drops. Decongestants can be very harmful for your baby. If you are unable to find any saline drops, dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in around 8 oz of boiling water and leave to cool.

How to Use a Nasal Aspirator
Babies tend to be horrified by getting their nose cleaned out. So much so, in fact, that they will learn to start crying as soon as you approach them. They don’t understand the link between that device and them being able to breath. Unfortunately, using an aspirator can cause the gag reflex in your baby to kick in, which is why you should use the aspirator before giving them a feed.

Put your baby’s head on your knees and their feet comfortably on your tummy. Tilt their head down a tiny it and put two drops of saline in each nostril. About 20 seconds later, squeeze the bulb on your syringe or press the button on your aspirator, pulling out the mucus. Next, squeeze the bulb to expel the mucus and repeat if necessary.

If your baby doesn’t seem any better within 10 minutes, you will need to repeat the process. However, you should not aspirate more than three times daily, because it can irritate the lining of their nasal cavities. Never use saline drops for more than 4 days running either.

Unfortunately, using a baby nasal aspirator is not always a fun thing to do. If you find it upsets you and your baby more than the congested nose, just leave the congestion there instead.

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