Andrea’s Weblog

Elizabeth had a runny nose the other week and was having a hard time
sleeping. At midnight, we left Frank in the bedroom downstairs and I
went upstairs to rock her in the recliner. She just wouldn’t settle and
became more agitated when she couldn’t breath.

I realized the bulb snot sucker was down on my bedside table. As I
pondered whether to drag a screaming Elizabeth downstairs and wake up
Frank I remembered what I’d read online about alternative snot removal
methods. The Swedes have some high tech device that you hook up to your
vacuum. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the snot suckers. This
is what moms without bulb suckers do, and it is exactly what it sounds
like: putting your mouth over the baby’s nose and giving a quick suck.

When I read about it of course I was as grossed out as you are right
now reading this, but after dealing with baby poo, it isn’t nearly the
grossest. Besides, everyone has had a loogie in her mouth at one time
or another. So, I decided to give it a try. I took her into the
bathroom, laid her down and gave her a quick suck on the nose, spit it
in the sink and rinsed my mouth. The result was better than the bulb
sucker! Instead of crying more, she immediately quieted (in surprise)
then stayed quiet when she realized she could breathe. It proved way
more effective than any bulb sucker.

I guess I need to add this to the list of things I never thought I
would do as a parent.