How to Use a Bulb Syringe on a Baby
Consult your pediatrician., Use a bulb syringe if your baby is severely congested., Buy a bulb syringe from your local pharmacy., Wash your hands., Make the saline solution., Fill the nose dropper with the solution., Swaddle your baby., Drop 3 to 4...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consult your pediatrician.
You should always consult your pediatrician before administering any type of medication or using any kind of medical device on your baby.
Your doctor will be able to diagnose your baby, and provide an adequate treatment regime.
If your baby is severely congested, you doctor might prescribe nose drops, and syringe your baby's nose during the appointment in order to provide immediate relief.
Your doctor can also show you how to correctly use the bulb syringe., Congested noses can make it hard for your baby to breathe, and thus, to eat and sleep.
They can also cause discomfort, like headaches.
If your baby develops a congested nose that is preventing them from feeding and causing them discomfort, you should consult your doctor about using a bulb syringe on your baby's nose.Illnesses that can cause a congested nose are the common cold, influenza, pneumonia, bronchitis, and respiratory syncytial virus. , You can buy a nasal bulb syringe from your local pharmacy, like CVS or Walgreens.
You can also find them at Walmart.
Bulb syringes might also come in packages with saline drops for the nose.
Also look in the baby section at Target or your local grocery store.
Buy a bulb syringe that is made from soft material like rubber or silicone. , Wet your hands with warm running water.
Apply soap and lather your hands by rubbing them together.
Lather your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Rinse your hands under clean, running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel, or air dry them., Place ¼ teaspoon of table salt in one cup of warm water in a jar or glass.
Stir together until the salt is dissolved.You can also buy over-the-counter saline drops from your local pharmacy or drugstore. , Make sure the nose dropper is not cracked or chipped.
While squeezing the end of the nose dropper, place the tip of the dropper in the saline solution.
Release the end of the nose dropper to allow the solution to enter into the nose dropper. , Wrap your baby and its arms in a blanket.
This is to keep your baby from using its hands to cover its nose and face, or swat the nose dropper.
Then, lay your baby on its back with its face positioned towards the ceiling, i.e., looking up.Swaddle your baby by:
Laying a blanket down on a flat surface.
Fold the top corner to make the blanket a shape of a diamond.
Place your baby on the folded blanket.
Holding your baby's right arm down by its side, fold the right side of the blanket over your baby's arm and body.
Tuck the corner of the blanket under your baby's body by rolling your baby over on its side.
Then roll your baby back on its back to hold the tucked corner in place.
Holding your baby's left arm down, pull the bottom corner of the blanket up and over your baby's shoulder.
Tuck any remaining parts of the blanket under your baby's left arm and side.
Make sure to leave enough room at the bottom of the blanket for your baby to bend and straighten its legs.
Pulling the blanket's lose left corner across your baby's front and to the right side.
Wrap the blanket all the way around your baby's back and tuck. , While holding your baby’s head, drop three to four drops of the saline solution into each nostril.
Gently hold your baby’s head back for 1 minute to let the saline solution loosen the mucus.If your baby begins to cough or sneeze, help your baby sit up.
Then lie your baby on its back again.
After the drops are administered, check to see if your baby's breathing has improved.
Sometimes, saline drops alone are as effective as a bulb syringe.
If your baby breathes better after the drops, there is no need to use the syringe. , Before putting the bulb syringe in your baby’s nostril, squeeze all of the air out of the bulb with your thumb on the top of the bulb.Keep the bulb squeezed and place it in your baby’s nostril.
While keeping the bulb squeezed, gently place the tip of the syringe into your baby’s nostril.
Make sure the syringe seals the nostril.Do not push the syringe too far.
This can cause discomfort and/or damage your baby’s nose. , Once the syringe is in the nostril, slowly release your thumb to let the air come back in the bulb.
The suction will pull the mucus out of your baby’s nose and into the bulb., To discard the mucus from the bulb, squeeze the bulb onto a tissue until all the mucus is removed.
Once the bulb is cleared of mucus, repeat steps one through four on the second nostril.
Also, repeat these steps until all the mucus is removed from your baby’s nose., After you have removed all of the mucus, wipe your baby’s nose and face with a tissue.
Make sure all mucus is removed from the outside of your baby’s nose and face to avoid irritation.Avoid placing any tissue or cotton swabs in your child's nose, as this could force the mucus upward and make it harder to remove. , Fill a bowl with warm, soapy water.
Place the bulb syringe and the nose dropper in the bowl.
Squeeze and release the bulb syringe to let the soapy water enter into the bulb.
Shake the soapy water inside the bulb before squeezing it out again.
Repeat this several times until the water runs clean from the bulb syringe.Rinse the nose dropper in the warm soapy water and let it air dry on a clean towel. , Wet your hands with warm running water.
Apply soap and lather your hands by rubbing them together.
Lather your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Rinse your hands under clean, running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel, or air dry them. -
Step 2: Use a bulb syringe if your baby is severely congested.
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Step 3: Buy a bulb syringe from your local pharmacy.
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Step 4: Wash your hands.
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Step 5: Make the saline solution.
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Step 6: Fill the nose dropper with the solution.
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Step 7: Swaddle your baby.
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Step 8: Drop 3 to 4 drops in each nostril.
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Step 9: Squeeze the air out of the bulb.
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Step 10: Release the bulb.
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Step 11: Squeeze the mucus out of the bulb.
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Step 12: Wipe mucus from baby’s nose.
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Step 13: Wash the bulb syringe and nose dropper.
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Step 14: Wash your hands again.
Detailed Guide
You should always consult your pediatrician before administering any type of medication or using any kind of medical device on your baby.
Your doctor will be able to diagnose your baby, and provide an adequate treatment regime.
If your baby is severely congested, you doctor might prescribe nose drops, and syringe your baby's nose during the appointment in order to provide immediate relief.
Your doctor can also show you how to correctly use the bulb syringe., Congested noses can make it hard for your baby to breathe, and thus, to eat and sleep.
They can also cause discomfort, like headaches.
If your baby develops a congested nose that is preventing them from feeding and causing them discomfort, you should consult your doctor about using a bulb syringe on your baby's nose.Illnesses that can cause a congested nose are the common cold, influenza, pneumonia, bronchitis, and respiratory syncytial virus. , You can buy a nasal bulb syringe from your local pharmacy, like CVS or Walgreens.
You can also find them at Walmart.
Bulb syringes might also come in packages with saline drops for the nose.
Also look in the baby section at Target or your local grocery store.
Buy a bulb syringe that is made from soft material like rubber or silicone. , Wet your hands with warm running water.
Apply soap and lather your hands by rubbing them together.
Lather your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Rinse your hands under clean, running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel, or air dry them., Place ¼ teaspoon of table salt in one cup of warm water in a jar or glass.
Stir together until the salt is dissolved.You can also buy over-the-counter saline drops from your local pharmacy or drugstore. , Make sure the nose dropper is not cracked or chipped.
While squeezing the end of the nose dropper, place the tip of the dropper in the saline solution.
Release the end of the nose dropper to allow the solution to enter into the nose dropper. , Wrap your baby and its arms in a blanket.
This is to keep your baby from using its hands to cover its nose and face, or swat the nose dropper.
Then, lay your baby on its back with its face positioned towards the ceiling, i.e., looking up.Swaddle your baby by:
Laying a blanket down on a flat surface.
Fold the top corner to make the blanket a shape of a diamond.
Place your baby on the folded blanket.
Holding your baby's right arm down by its side, fold the right side of the blanket over your baby's arm and body.
Tuck the corner of the blanket under your baby's body by rolling your baby over on its side.
Then roll your baby back on its back to hold the tucked corner in place.
Holding your baby's left arm down, pull the bottom corner of the blanket up and over your baby's shoulder.
Tuck any remaining parts of the blanket under your baby's left arm and side.
Make sure to leave enough room at the bottom of the blanket for your baby to bend and straighten its legs.
Pulling the blanket's lose left corner across your baby's front and to the right side.
Wrap the blanket all the way around your baby's back and tuck. , While holding your baby’s head, drop three to four drops of the saline solution into each nostril.
Gently hold your baby’s head back for 1 minute to let the saline solution loosen the mucus.If your baby begins to cough or sneeze, help your baby sit up.
Then lie your baby on its back again.
After the drops are administered, check to see if your baby's breathing has improved.
Sometimes, saline drops alone are as effective as a bulb syringe.
If your baby breathes better after the drops, there is no need to use the syringe. , Before putting the bulb syringe in your baby’s nostril, squeeze all of the air out of the bulb with your thumb on the top of the bulb.Keep the bulb squeezed and place it in your baby’s nostril.
While keeping the bulb squeezed, gently place the tip of the syringe into your baby’s nostril.
Make sure the syringe seals the nostril.Do not push the syringe too far.
This can cause discomfort and/or damage your baby’s nose. , Once the syringe is in the nostril, slowly release your thumb to let the air come back in the bulb.
The suction will pull the mucus out of your baby’s nose and into the bulb., To discard the mucus from the bulb, squeeze the bulb onto a tissue until all the mucus is removed.
Once the bulb is cleared of mucus, repeat steps one through four on the second nostril.
Also, repeat these steps until all the mucus is removed from your baby’s nose., After you have removed all of the mucus, wipe your baby’s nose and face with a tissue.
Make sure all mucus is removed from the outside of your baby’s nose and face to avoid irritation.Avoid placing any tissue or cotton swabs in your child's nose, as this could force the mucus upward and make it harder to remove. , Fill a bowl with warm, soapy water.
Place the bulb syringe and the nose dropper in the bowl.
Squeeze and release the bulb syringe to let the soapy water enter into the bulb.
Shake the soapy water inside the bulb before squeezing it out again.
Repeat this several times until the water runs clean from the bulb syringe.Rinse the nose dropper in the warm soapy water and let it air dry on a clean towel. , Wet your hands with warm running water.
Apply soap and lather your hands by rubbing them together.
Lather your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Rinse your hands under clean, running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel, or air dry them.
About the Author
Dennis Jordan
Experienced content creator specializing in organization guides and tutorials.
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