When your baby is coughing all night what do you do?!

34 answers /

Last post: 22/03/2023 at 5:19 pm

NATALIE H(422)

01/11/2012 at 7:43 am

My little girl ( 12 months ) has had a cough on and off for 3 weeks now which means most nights I am sitting up with her in the spare room or downstairs for a good few hours.
I generally try to comfort her cuddling her or giving her some warm milk and if that's not helping I'll distract her instead by taking her downstairs to play with her toys etc.
Isn't this what everyone does?!
Just bumped into our next door neighbour ( well staying with her sisiter for a while, not perm neighbour ) who is a nanny putting out some rubbish and she mentioned that she couldn't sleep last night as she had a migraine and went downstairs to watch tv and could hear us playing at 4am.
I said that she had an awful cough at the minute and this cold weather doesn't help and she said that I can't tend to her every need and that she can sleep through coughing and i should let her get used to it?!
I said I needed to go and came back in but this isn't the first time she's given her ( unwanted ) opinion and I just wonder if other mums do actually just leave their babies to cough all night?
My little girl gets very upset when she has a coughing spell do i cant imagine even trying to do that to her x

lynsey r(39)

01/11/2012 at 8:18 am

Hi I would take your LO to her GP as a cough that keeps a baby/ child awake at night needs looked at, especially when its been 3 weeks. In the meantime Id give some calpol before bed. x

NATALIE H(422)

01/11/2012 at 8:29 am

Hi,
Thanks for your reply.
We've been to the doctors, she was given antibiotics the first time and the second he said the chest was now clear and just have some cough medicine.
Will be taking her back now that the cough has resurfaced though

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Anonymous

01/11/2012 at 8:43 am

i'd go to mine whatever age if the cough upset them or choking sounds or not catching their breath etc which i'm sure is what you're doing, maybe she meant a little cough is ok to leave. any way i find calpol good for easing the cough, better than cough medicene. now she is one honey is great for coughs, most drs i've seen say cough mixture is a waste of time. trouble is once they're awake it takes some time to resettle to sleep esp at 4am when they've had most of a nights worth. coughing at night can be an early sign of asthma so def worth checking or see if the infection has come back and she needs more AB's 3 weeks is a long time, you must be exhausted:hug:

Anonymous

01/11/2012 at 8:48 am

I've been really lucky (touch wood) with my 3 year old that he doesn't suffer too badly with coughs. When he does have a cough/cold I do everything to make him as comfortable as possible but also have minimal contact during the night if that makes sense? I would be wary of going downstairs to play in the night as she will learn very quickly that when she crys she gets mummies attention and fun playtime Saying that, every child is different and the lady shouldn't have 'told' you what to do as she's your little girl, not hers and its up to you how you want to help your daughter with her cough.

Anonymous

01/11/2012 at 8:50 am

I am guessing she is in a cot at 12 months? When my daughter had a persistant cough, I put a pillow under the mattress so her head was raised - the catarrgh gathers if they are lying flat and this makes them cough as it cannot drain - vicks on the soles of the feet if she has a cold, or a bit of time in a steamy bathroom - and rather than giving her milk, give her very diluted squash or water. the milk might make her congested and cough more

I hope she gets better soon - your love and attention is the best medicine for her heart xx

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Anonymous

01/11/2012 at 8:58 am

I would have politely told the neighbour that its not her child so none of her business.

Every child is different, my son preferred to be left alone but i just checked on him lots. My daughter however really struggles when she has a cough and cold so i tend to sit her up on me so she sort of gets some sleep but isnt lying down. I do try to stay upstairs and encourage her to sleep, not play but there have been times where its been clear she is not going to sleep so we just get up.

You know your child best so do what you think is best, but i would go back to your gp just cos its gone on for quite a while.

Hope shes better soon.

Jo x

Anonymous

01/11/2012 at 9:01 am

I'd go back docs defo my lb has now been given an inhaler and cal cough helps Xxx

Anonymous

01/11/2012 at 9:03 am

Have you tried calpol or nurofen before bed and have the bed tilted so that your little one isn't lying flat? Nurofen might work a little better as its an anti-inflammentary and so if the throat is irritated, it might help.

Personally I haven't got up and played during the night, I've always kept my DD either in her bed or my bed (her preference, lol) and tried to get her to sleep between coughing.

I would suggest going back to the doctors as a cough that is as bad as you are describing should be checked out.

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NATALIE H(422)

01/11/2012 at 9:10 am

Jo,
Your message made me quite emotional maybe a lack of sleep!!
I have tried everything, putting a pillow under the cot sheet, humidifier, Vicks, everything
The cough seems to ease only when I'm holding her or when she's playing!
For some reason when she's lying down it gets a million times worse x

Can't find your answer?

Sinead K(10)

01/11/2012 at 9:36 am

Hi I just had to reply. You should do what you think is best for your child.One of my best memories is my dad bringing me downstairs and wrapping me up warm on sofa making me a hot drink and talking to me till I was ready to go back to bed.
My daughter was born with a heart condition and often coughs all night long. Doctors didnt want to listen even when I videoed her choking.
I have done everything you tried raising her matress, vics, calcol etc etc.
What might help though is get the doctor to show you how to clap her back to loosen the mucus and do it regulary throughout the day. Also put steam on in the bathroom 3 times a day and play with child there making sure she dosent get burned.
Your neighbour went downstairs with a headache so whats wrong with a child going downstairs because they cant sleep. She contradicting herself a little. Just smile at people and thank them for their advice but then do what you think is right.

Anonymous

01/11/2012 at 9:36 am

When my 3 year old was about 8-9 months she had such a bad cold and an awful cough, the doctor couldn't give her anything so I searched the internet for a way to ease her cough. I ended up putting Vicks on the soles of her feet with socks on, my family thought I was mad but it really did help

Katie M(142)

01/11/2012 at 9:41 am

I would highly recommend getting a calpol plug in vaporiser. You can buy them in supermarkets next to the cough medicines for about £6 i think. They are brilliant. My DD sleeps so much better with one of these plugged in when she has a cough/cold. It fills the room with a smell like vicks which helps keep the chest and nose clear. I also give her tixylix (there is one out now for children aged 1+). Seems to work much better than calpol. I put some vicks on her chest as well and prop the end of her bed up so shes not laid flat

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samantha b(559)

01/11/2012 at 9:59 am

In answer to

Anonymous

i do this with my girls when they have a cough, it was something my nanna said years ago bless her about a cold being drawn out through the feet!. . . . thought it was a bit bizarre but i always do it and i think it works xx

when my youngest has a cold i also elevate her bed either by putting a pillow under the top end of her mattress or by a couple of books under the top end of the beds feet that way she isn't laying flat and not so much gunk collects on her chest which starts her off coughing. she had a particularly persistant cough last year that went on for about 4 weeks and i went to the doctors a couple of times to be told her chest was clear, the final time we went he prescribed a ventolin inhaler and a spacer device to issue the dosage and we were told to just use it at night to clear her airways a little that seemed to work too.

i hope your little one feels better soon xx

Beth J(15)

01/11/2012 at 10:13 am

My DS had a cough when he was about 2 and after waking up every night for 2 weeks we saw the nurse. She prescribed an inhaler which made me feel awful for him but it worked brilliantly. He doesn't have asthma (I don't think!) but occasionally when he's got a cold he has the inhaler for a few nights to stop his coughing at night.

He could also suddenly walk far further, due to better oxygen supply, before getting tired and we only used it for a about a month to start. When the nurse put the oxygen monitor on his finger it was 95%, after an inhaler puff it was 97% and ideally should be 98%.

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