Croup
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I’m quite a veteran mommy when it comes to dealing with croup. For one reason or another, when my kids get colds it always seems to start out with croup…which always comes on right about the time I try to head to bed at night.
The first time I dealt with croup I was absolutely scared out of my mind. My daughter was around ten months old, and she all of a sudden started coughing a peculiar cough that sounded a lot like a barking seal. Then she started wheezing, and I remember clutching her to me because I thought for sure she was going to stop breathing. When my husband arrived home from the store (he had gone to get some Infant Tylenol for her) I was frantic, so we jumped into the car and headed to the ER. I ran into that emergency room like a madwoman, yelling “My baby can’t breathe! My baby can’t breathe!” so they rushed us to the back and that’s where all the fun of breathing treatments, steroid shots, and all sorts of other stuff took place.
Croup can be dangerous, according to our doctor, but it can also be treated at home in many instances. By the time my son came along we knew the drill really well:
- First take the baby out into the cool night air. This usually causes my babies to cough up a huge ball of phlegm and it makes them feel much better.
- If that doesn’t work, sit in the bathroom with the shower going so a ton of steam builds up in the room.
- Humidifiers can work pretty well too.
I also know when to actually head to the emergency room. Once when my son had croup he seemed to be having a really hard time breathing…his chest was heaving with every breath and the barking seal sound (called stridor) was going even with simple breaths. We took him the the ER that time because I’m not willing to take chances when it seems like my little kiddo can’t breathe.
You may have to deal with croup at some point. You can probably guess it’s croup if it comes on in the middle of the night and your baby has the barking seal sound. It’s hard not to freak out when it happens, but remember to trust your instincts. If it seems like a dangerous situation, by all means head to the ER. That’s been my experience, anyhow.
Lolah Lee says...
How long does this croup cough last? My son has had it for a few days now is that normal. He seems to get it during the night and I have the humidifer going for him. Then during the day he gets better. But he never gets so bad he has a hard time breathing he just has that awful cough.