How to make a baby sneeze for relief?

There are fewer things that irritate a baby more than a stuffy nose. Think about it. Your poor little one still can’t blow the nose in order to clear out mucus. So in the meantime, you will need to learn how to make a baby sneeze.

Making your baby sneeze might sound a bit uncomfortable. However, this would bring much some needed relief and even prevent a minor cold from getting worse. After all, mucus build-up can lead to a sinus infection or worse yet, a chest cold that comes with coughing.

Necessary items to have in the nursery

When learning how to make a baby sneeze, you will need to have the following items close by:

• A small amount of spices, like coriander or pepper
• Facial tissue
• Saline drops
• The family pet (if you actually have one)

If any of the methods that we will cover do not work, then there are some other alternatives that you might consider acquiring if you don’t already have them:

• A vaporizer in case the congestion has worsened and breathing is difficult
• A bulb aspirator in the event that the saline drops, by themselves, don’t work or if nothing comes out after a sneeze, but you can still hear the sniffling sound when your baby breathes
• A long tubal aspirator which is similar to your traditional aspirator but only if you’re not too squeamish.

These are likely to be the final options if your baby’s congestion cannot be dislodged by a sneeze.

Instructions on how to make a baby sneeze

There are different methods for learning how to make a baby sneeze. So a few of these will be presented to you to choose from. Remember that it’s good to have a back-up plan if a particular method doesn’t work.

Some of these methods include:

• A little sprinkling of coriander (or pepper)
• Getting the family pet involved
• Tickling with a little tissue
• Dropping saline solution
• Blowing into your baby’s face

A little sprinkling of spices

• Step 1: You will need a small amount of pepper or coriander, both of which tend to induce sneezing when accidentally sniffed. If you’re worried about your aim, then sprinkle a small amount onto a tissue.
• Step 2: Hold the tissue containing the pepper as close to your baby’s nose as possible so that he or she can get a little whiff. You might try holding your baby in a semi-upright position to avoid sprinkling pepper into the eyes.
• Step 3: Repeat these steps if the first attempt does not work.

Getting the family pet involved

• Step 1: Call Fido (or whatever your dog’s name is) over close by. Some important factors to remember is that dogs or even puppies respond to the owner’s commands if trained, and ideally, you’ve already taken a blanket or some other cloth that has the baby’s scent on it and helped your dog to adjust to having a new family member. (How, you might wonder? That could be a blog for another day.)
• Step 2: Pet the dog for about a minute or two; then lightly touch the baby’s nose. If your dog sheds, then the baby will come in contact with a small amount of fur. In turn, this will prompt a sneeze. But be careful not to get any fur in or around your baby’s eyes.

Tickling with a little tissue

• Step 1: Take a facial tissue and lightly tickle the tip of your baby’s nose.
• Step 2: This step can be repeated until your baby sneezes.To get an idea of how this works, check out this video.

Dropping saline solution

• Step 1: Although you can buy a saline solution over-the-counter, you can easily make your own also. The best option is dissolving baking soda in water since salt is too course.
• Step 2: Using a dropper, very carefully place one drop in each nostril. If you opt for an over-the-counter product, read and follow the instructions closely.

Blowing into your baby’s face

• Step 1: This is another simple method. All you need to do is blow very gently in your baby’s face. The air has the effect of causing a sneeze.
• Step 2: Again, you can repeat the process to get results. Better yet, you can also create a game of pick-a-boo out of this method that will surely put a smile on your baby’s face.

Conclusion

All in all, you’ll be able to best judge which method would help your baby to sneeze out the congestion. Inducing a sneeze is one of the safest ways to clear up a stuffy nose. This will definitely help whenever your baby get some relief at least until he or she is old enough for nose-blowing.

One final tip is to perform any one of these methods well before a meal. A stuffy nose can make drinking a bottle or nursing difficult when the baby has to breathe through his or her mouth. Also, if congestion is accompanied by fever, then you should contact your pediatrician immediately.

And please feel free to share any of your comments, questions, or tips. We look forward to sharing ideas with you.