Problem with newborn babies

eunicelouise658eunicelouise658 Posts: 1,869
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Does anyone know why they have stopped using those little suction things to remove mucus from babies noses after birth?

It's a bit of a long story but when my 3 year old granddaughter was born they had stopped using the little suction things. My granddaughter choked on 2 or 3 occasions on this dreadful stuff and on the last occasion the midwife rushed in after was daughter was struggling with her and had to hold the baby upside down as all this yucky mucus poured out of her.

My latest grandaughter is hospital in Liverpool after visiting my daughter's MIL, she has breathing problems due to this mucus and having caught a cold shortly after her birth on Feb 22nd.

I feel alot of worry to my daughter, her OH and both families and suffering to the little one could have been saved as in hospital she has had to have the build up of mucus removed by suction, if the original practice had not been abandoned perhaps she would have been ok. I am in constant contact with my daughter and hope that my granddaughter will be discharged tomorrow but I still feel so worried for her.

Comments

  • KathrynhaKathrynha Posts: 642
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    My daughter had problems with mucuc when she was born too.
    It is quite distressing as a new mum to see it.

    No idea why they have stopped doing it, but it is silly because it is obviously something that needs doing.
  • ogg monsterogg monster Posts: 5,347
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    Does anyone know why they have stopped using those little suction things to remove mucus from babies noses after birth?

    It's a bit of a long story but when my 3 year old granddaughter was born they had stopped using the little suction things. My granddaughter choked on 2 or 3 occasions on this dreadful stuff and on the last occasion the midwife rushed in after was daughter was struggling with her and had to hold the baby upside down as all this yucky mucus poured out of her.

    My latest grandaughter is hospital in Liverpool after visiting my daughter's MIL, she has breathing problems due to this mucus and having caught a cold shortly after her birth on Feb 22nd.

    I feel alot of worry to my daughter, her OH and both families and suffering to the little one could have been saved as in hospital she has had to have the build up of mucus removed by suction, if the original practice had not been abandoned perhaps she would have been ok. I am in constant contact with my daughter and hope that my granddaughter will be discharged tomorrow but I still feel so worried for her.

    If you mean the things that look like little turkey basters that you put to the nostril and then suck mucus out then you can still get them. They are made by NUK and they sell them at my local chemist. Try Pharmacy online.

    If that is not what you are talking about then sorry, can't help.

    edited to add: is this what you meant? http://www.nvspharmacy.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=3643&category_id=343&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=26
  • quiniequinie Posts: 1,493
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    I think the OP means the hospital ones they used on newborns.

    When I had my daughter the moment she was out the midwife stuck a small tube down her mouth and up her nostrils to remove mucus.

    That was 20 years ago but I don't know why they started/stopped doing it?

    What did they used to do before hospitals I wonder?
  • susie-4964susie-4964 Posts: 23,143
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    I don't think I'd be too keen on doing this myself, but I believe it's quite common for the parent to actually suck the mucus out of the baby's nose themselves (sort of like mouth to nose)! It's supposed to be a very effective method if you don't mind doing it.
  • eunicelouise658eunicelouise658 Posts: 1,869
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    I was talking about the ones they use in hospital almost directly after birth. We were told when my 3 year old granddaughter had problems that babies were able to get rid of this mucus themselves by quite an unhelpful midwife. My experince has been that many perfectly healthly babies suffer distress because they are choking on this stuff and new mums are left really upset.
  • susie-4964susie-4964 Posts: 23,143
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    I was talking about the ones they use in hospital almost directly after birth. We were told when my 3 year old granddaughter had problems that babies were able to get rid of this mucus themselves by quite an unhelpful midwife. My experince has been that many perfectly healthly babies suffer distress because they are choking on this stuff and new mums are left really upset.

    I don't honestly think it's that common, and you've only described your own two grandchildren and one hospital.
  • eunicelouise658eunicelouise658 Posts: 1,869
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    susie4964 wrote: »
    I don't honestly think it's that common, and you've only described your own two grandchildren and one hospital.

    Are you saying other hospital still use the suction tubes or that it was unusual to my particular hospital? Alot of friends of my daughters who have had babies in the last 3 years have had similar problems with the babies vommiting mucus.

    I have to admit I am very stressed about this at the moment as my 11 day old granddaughter is still in hospital and I waiting to hear if she can be discharged.
  • KathrynhaKathrynha Posts: 642
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    I think it is quite common, because of the 18 mums at my postnatal class, 11 of the babies had had a mucus problem.

    And to answer the question of what they used to do before the suction thing was invented, my mum whose an ex midwife told me they used to use a long tube, and the trick was to try not to get any in your mouth cos it tastes foul
  • eunicelouise658eunicelouise658 Posts: 1,869
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    I have just had the call from Liverpool to say that the little one has been discharged from hospital. She has a cold but my daughter is just glad that they are now back at MIL. I felt useless being so far away but I am just glad they will be home in the next couple of days.
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