Dexter's developed a really nasty chesty cough, it started yesterday morning and seems to be getting worse. Libby's never had a cough so I'm a bit clueless as to what I should be doing....

Is there anything I should/could be doing to help him?? He slept absolutely fine last night and I didnt hear a peep from him from 6:45pm til 8:10 am but he was coughing as soon as he woke. Tonight he went down at 7pm and has coughed a few times since (thankfully he isnt crying or getting upset).

Also, when if at all should I take him to the doctors?? I'm worried that he'll get a chest infection but dont know what signs to look out for and when would be the time to get really worried

I feel a bit silly asking with already having a 3 year old but Libby was/is so rarely ill!

Thank you xx

In all honesty mate if its not affecting his sleep or making him out of breath I wouldnt worry too much. If he gets a bit bungd with it steam is good for loosening it

Thanks hun, he has been getting a bit breathless today but mainly when he's rolling around or when eating.

Its usually the sleep thats effected 1st. I think Oliver's only ever had 2 coughs in his 3yr life lol.
The most recent was last week..but it was effecting his sleep so was just a case of popping a pillow under his mattress.

It may be down to the central heating in your house?! I know my throats been really dry and horse on a morning and Olivers been waking earlier demanding juice cos he's nearly lost his voice.
We don't keep ours on all night either..it goes off at 9pm and back on at 5.30am

elijah has his first proper cough just now.....i am going to go a bit against the grain and say take him to the doctors if you aren't sure. i thought eli just had a nasty cough and it would clear up, took him to the doctors early this week and apparently it is a chest infection (couldn't hear wheezing or anything, and although he was coughing in his sleep it wasn't waking him up and he hadn't had a fever...)

so yeah, i really wish i hadn't left it over a week because now hes on amoxicillin which i didn't want x

Arhh, Oliver's has only ever lasted 3-4 days max. I think if it has been going on a while with no signs of improvement..then doc's yes

Lily has had a chesty cough for what seems like forever. She did get a chest infection which we got anti b's for and then she had her MMR and got a bad cough again .

I took her back to the docs thinking it was a chest infection again as it was really noisy and chesty, but it isnt. The nurse said to keep her radiator on all night and put a damp towel over it.

I have also just been giving her Calpol and putting Karvol drops on her pillow. She does seem to be coming out of the other side of it now (since mid Nov) x

Zee, it's not really a dry cough - more phlegmy and definately on his chest. Typically his reflux had improved so much that we took his cot props down on Wednesday

Ah thanks Mari, we'd kind of decided that if it was no better by Monday we'll def take him to the docs - does sound similar to how Elijah was, hope he's on the mend, bless him.

Thinking about it though - he has been wheezing slightly this afternoon, if you were me would you take him to out of hours tomorrow?

Just seen your reply Laura, see our house isnt really dry even with the central heating on, the windows are always covered in condensation in the mornings, I did give him calpol before bed last night and tonight though xx

i probably would susan if you are able to - but only because im a bit paranoid now!!!

I do worry about chest & ear infections, though Libby has never had anything like that so no doubt Dexter will get loads

I'll see how he is in the morning and if he's no better or worse I'll nip him to out of hours in the afternoon.

Thanks ladies xxx

If his been wheezy then I'd go but then, like Mari, I'm paranoid now because everytime Jamie has problems breathing and all three times we've ended up at the hospital its started with a cough.

Oh the first time we went to the dr (when they sent us straight to the hospital) the dr said if they had been coughing and struggling to breath for a couple of days then to take them to the dr