Do humidifiers really work?

[Anonymous]

My 4 1/2 month old DS has been stuffy for 2 weeks, our ped recommended a humidifier. I feel like it just made him worse, do I need to give it more time? I had it on for 2 nights, then off for 2 then back on but I feel like he was more congested with it on.

[Anonymous]

In my experience, yes. I prefer warm mist......

A nice warm bath in a steamy bathroom can work nicely too....today DD's nose ran the whole time in her bath, clearer out lost of gross stuff!

Try also saline nasal spray.

[Anonymous]

Maybe things were just loosening up more with the humidifier? Just a thought...
I've never been able to really tell a difference in DS's stuffiness with humidifier but I know it helps mine in the winter when the air is so dry from the heat.

[Anonymous]

yes. I had one and it NEVER worked so I did not believe in them until one time when my son was incredibly stuffed up and did not sleep for 3 nights straight. I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and asked the sales person for the best one and it has been my life saver! It proved to me that the other one was broken all along. My son now sleeps through the night even when he is stuffed up. I put it on cool mist and give him warm steamy baths before bed time and rub vicks on his chest.

[Anonymous]

Yes, they do, but there are other (less expensive) ways to get around it - warm baths, steamed bathroom, etc. But if you need a moist room for an extended amount of time than a humidifier is helpful.

You just have to clean/rinse/dry it out everyday - otherwise mold is quick to buildup in it and the last thing you want is mold being spread around.

[Anonymous]

the vicks humidifier works for our 4.5 month old.wakes up much less when stuffed up if we have it on. that and saline spray

[Anonymous]

We use a warm mist humidifier every night. It helps DC sleep better because he has allergies and is often congested. Yes, you have to rinse it out every day. We soak ours in vinegar once a week, which works well to disinfect it, and isn't as nasty as bleach (a much better disinfectant, but not necessary unless the humidifier gets really gunked up).

[Anonymous]

we had t splurge and bought the air o swiss one- def. works MUCH better than the others....it's $$$, but WORTH it.

[Anonymous]

what happens if you don't clean it out weekly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:what happens if you don't clean it out weekly?

Rinse, clean, and dry daily.

You'll be surprised how quickly mold will grow (great for an instant science experiment, but not so great unless you want to have a gross humidifier).

[Anonymous]

we have a holmes brand cool-mist humidifier. it has replaceable filters and does not require daily cleanings. i was skeptical, but i do believe it has kept my son from having the dreaded snotty nose. he seems to breathe better at night with it on. the bonus is that it makes a humming noise that acts as a white-noise machine. i think that also helps him sleep better (we live on a busy city street).

good luck!

[Anonymous]

Yes, they are a BIG help with a stuffed up little baby. They keep the mucus from turning solid and hard. Keep things moving.

Warm steamy showers work too. Bring the baby in with you.

[Anonymous]

Oh and I also use cool mist with removeable/replaceable filters, no problems. I rinse the filters every day or two to prolong their life.