Were you worried about your newborn's breathing?

Question

I feel over paranoid about my 3 week old's breathing. Sometimes I just stare at him and make sure that he is still breathing. This is partially because I had a HORRENDOUS dream that something happened to him, and also because he sounds a little stuffy. So I would love to know, did you feel this way too, and what "breathing noises" are normal for an infant?

Answer 1

Yep. And it's not just with the first child that you do this. I'd say all parents go through this. 'Normal' is hard to define with a newborn.

Signs of breathing distress would be when the lips, bed of the nails and other areas of the baby's body turn blue/purple, if you look at the lower edge of the baby's rib cage and the skin is sucking in with each breath, a wheezing sound in the chest (not the throat or very upper chest, this is usually caused by milk/formula getting stuck in the soft tissue of the throat.) Whistling with breathing (can just be a sign of mucous in the nose), grunting or a persistent cough can all be signs of trouble too. Breathing that stops for more than 10 seconds can be a sign of apnea.

If baby is a bit stuffy use the nasal aspirator that you should have received from the hospital. I suggest every parent ask their doctor to demonstrate the correct usage of these, I went through my first child's infancy using it, not incorrectly, but far from efficiently :P You can put some plain saline (usually under $1 for store brands, doesn't have to be a 'baby' formula) into the baby's nose (he will NOT like this) wait a moment for it to soften things up. Squeeze the bulb of the aspirator then insert it no more than 1/4 inch into baby's nose, while using your second set of hands to hold the other nostril shut and hold baby's head still, let the bulb of the aspirator expand (fairly quickly but it's not a big deal). You will hopefully get a satisfying sucking sound and a glob of yuck. Hold the aspirator over a tissue or paper and squeeze the bulb vigorously a few times to get the gunk out. Repeat as needed.

I've included a couple of sources on breathing in newborns. Hope this helps. Keep in mind the majority of babies don't have much problem with breathing. It's most common in premature infants (my second child was in the NICU for 8 days for lung prematurity, think I didn't worry when she came home?!?!?) Good luck.

Answer 2

What you are feeling is sooo normal....I would guess this is your first child. 99% of new mothers feel/felt the same way. Checking every breath, fearful of every new sound and then fearful when they are not making sounds. The dream is probally a result of the fear too! The responsibility you feel is huge...but its what lots of new moms go through. Its a sign of a good mama....The stuffy sound is probally just that....a "stuffy sound"..if it seems to make it hard for him to stay asleep or he seems to struggle as if he cant be comfy with it then you should worry,,,,Just keep an eye on him...AND try to chill out. Its scary but probally all is well. If it makes you feel any better,,,,by the 2nd child you will be such a pro the fear factor will be soooo much less. Relax and enjoy.....
I took my son to the dr when he was 1 week old for the same reason you have stated...when the dr walked in and asked me what was going on..I told him my fears, and he said ..."new mom, right?".....But he checked him out and reassured me and things were fine.
Good Luck and Congrats!!...Babies are wonderful creatures....

Answer 3

OH YEAH !! ha ha this is just the start of being a parent ,you will always worry .When my daughter was born she sounded stuffy and her breathing was loud ,but this was normal especially if you had him by Cesarean section ,this noise is caused by small amounts of fluid in the lungs that would normally be pushed out when baby travels along birth canal .I used to have dreams about falling down the stairs when holding my daughter .This is again normal and it is only anxiety which will fade in time .I would get up and check my daughter about 15 times an evening till in the end i used to wake her up !!! Just RELAX it will all come naturally ,but the worrying will never stop .

Answer 4

I know how you feel....my son is 3 months old and for the first month i stood over his bassinet and watched him sleep. Kept putting my hand under his nose and on his chest. You are normal. The noises he makes are normal sometimes my son would make noises like he was losing air. Dont worry your ok. To be honest i still make sure he is breathing so its a normal mom thing! Its better to check him then to not check him though. But, if you are worried give yourself a piece of mind and call doctor. Thats what they are there for and they know how new mommys are!! Good luck and CONGRATS!!!

Answer 5

If he's a little stuffy, try gently using the nasal aspirator that you got from the hospital to remove some of the snot. If you squirt a tiny bit of saline in his nose, first, that'll help loosen the crud.

I remember worrying about my daughter's breathing, too. It was so hard for me to believe that I could create a whole person who could just function perfectly. I kept waiting for the "other shoe to drop," so to speak. But she's fine, and chances are excellent that your baby will be too.

If you find that your anxiety about your baby's health interferes with your ability to enjoy him, you might want to talk to your doctor. You may have post-partum depression. I did, and it was awful, but I got on the right anti-depressant and now we're doing really well. I'm even pregnant with #2!

Good luck!

Answer 6

I did the same thing when my daughter was a baby, and my mom said she did, too, with me. I think it's normal to be a little paranoid, as the media has everyone scared about SIDS all the time. I have always been a noisy sleeper, and my daughter tends to snore a bit, too, so it was normal for us. If you're worried, though, take him to the doctor. My daughter's pediatrician said it ALWAYS okay to be over cautious with a new baby.

Answer 7

I was always paranoid with both of my kids when they were babies.I still would be if I had another one.I constantly would get up in the middle of the night and see if they were still breathing...and it wasn't even because they had a cold,it was just that I was afraid if sids.

Answer 8

Yeah thats normal for you to be paranoid, infants breath very weird sometimes when they are in REM sleep and breath very quietly when in deep sleep