snuffly baby when laid flat

once i lay our 15week old down to sleep we are lucky to get 30minutes before they are making snuffling noises like their nose is blocked, snorting, coughing or gulping a lot. they become more and more distressed and wake themselves up - this has been going on since birth. some night are better / worse than others. they don’t have a cold, have tried saline and diffusing oils. once awake we start the whole process again, feed (this seems to help regulate their breathing through the nose again), transfer to bed etc. during day baby contact naps but will play flat on floor etc for short periods so typically shows very little ‘symptoms’ when at the doctors. asked our hv and all i got was ‘they really don’t seem to like it do they’ 🤦‍♀️ and doc have said newborns are snuffly. we just need a way to sleep 😴 has anyone experienced the same or has anything else to try please?

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What do they sleep in at night, can it be put on a slight angle? My LBs next to me is raised higher slightly on the side his head is and his Moses basket is propped up higher on one side, only a touch but it helped a little, my boy has been sniffly from birth id say haha!

We’ve just put a dehumidifier in our room for this reason and it’s really helped x

Hello! I don't want to diagnose but it sounds to me like reflux, because you mentioned the gulping, have you thought about that at all, particularly silent reflux? It can cause congestion, loud breathing, wheezing, coughing, spluttering when feeding, visible discomfort laying flat, back arching, excess spit up (or not), pauses in breathing, trouble sleeping, frequent hiccups and more (different for all babies). Just because you mentioned the congestion and gulping.. maybe look into it and see if anything matches with your LO. They can have many or very few of the above symptoms I mentioned. My baby has had it since birth (is able to lay flat while playing), so feel free to msg with any questions. Hope you get it sorted xx

I agree with the comment above, it does sound like reflux (perhaps silent?) to me, my babe has it too but it’s much better now.

So if baby have reflux what can be done ?

@Oreoluwa different feeding techniques and positions for breast feeding, different bottles and slower flow teats for bottle fed, holding baby upright for 30 mins after meals to aid digestion before laying flat, medicine such as omeprozole, renitidine and infant gaviscon, antibiotics which strengthens stomach sphincter and operative procedures as last resorts. The stomach flap strengthens naturally as the baby matures but can take up to and above 1 year old.

Wow… thanks so much @Beth I’m doing breastfeeding tho

@Oreoluwa That's okay, there are positions that can help, do you know if you have a fast flow? You can still give baby medicines if you needed to. Speak to your feeding team/ HV or GP for more info but I'd encourage you to do lots of research first so you know where your starting point is, there's also lots of advice and videos on the internet/ tiktok etc. Some people believe there's always a reason for reflux, intake of excess air for example, possible due to position of feeding, latch, tongue tie. Or some people think it's due to intolerances, like maybe baby is intolerant to dairy, gluten, soy, eggs for example. It's basically process of elimination, but before changing your diet or cutting out food groups, maybe speak to a professional and try the other things first, it might help xx

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