This winter was brutal for colds. It was by far the worst cold season since I can remember and I’m not talking about temperature, I’m talking about colds as in illness! Kayla started daycare in October 2009 and since then, has been sick several times with varying symptoms but one common thing: nasal congestion.
It’s tough when your baby has a stuffy nose because before the age of 3, toddlers do not know how to blow their nose. Congestion not only makes baby miserable and sleepless, it can also lead to ear infections if the nasal passages aren’t cleared properly. One way to ensure that you help cleanse and moisturize your baby’s nasal passages is by using some kind of saline solution.
Kayla’s medicine box is stock full of a lot of things and one thing that I always make sure I have is Hydrasense Ultra Gentle Mist for babies. This is the best saline solution product I’ve used and I’ve tried quite a few. I suppose you can say that from a chemical standpoint, they are all the same (salt water) but it’s the application that differentiates Hydrasense from all others and makes it stand out. The mist that you spray into baby’s nose is a fine mist that gently cleans baby’s nose while keeping the delicate nasal membrane moist. The design is a one-way valve which prevents contaminiation so you never have to worry about back-flow into the solution. They’ve recently redesigned the nozzle so it now has a soft, rubber tip.
So how do you use Hydrasense? It’s important to make sure that you get the angle right in order to properly clean your baby’s nose. Make sure that the tip is parallel to your baby’s nose and depress the nozzle. You’ll likely see the solution drip out fron your baby’s nose so have a tissue handy. Repeat to the other nostril. If you have an aspirator, I would use Hydrasense first to liquify the mucus and then aspirate. You’ll be amazed at how much mucus comes out when you use Hydrasense prior to aspiration.
During the first time, your baby will likely be surprised and may cry and resist you so it will probably take some time for him to get used to it. I don’t recommend forcing or holding your baby down, especially if he’s a toddler. You don’t want to associate the product with something unpleasant and toddlers do not like being held against their will so it’s best that you let your baby touch and examine the product; maybe even depress the nozzle once in the air so he sees what it does and explain to him what you’re going to do. When I’m about to use Hydrasense on Kayla, I tell her that I’m going to “do her nose” and show her the bottle. There are times she resists and then I have to get creative so I tell her that she can do Elmo’s nose if I do hers first. So far, this has worked and she hasn’t put up much of a fight.
I use this as many times a day as I need to and I’m not worried about side effects. Hydrasense doesn’t cause rebound congestion that some other products could and it’s perfectly safe for your baby. I swear by this product and is a must for every parent. I even use the adult one whenever I’m sick!
Product rating: 10/10
