The NoseFrida Snotsucker

Every person who has ever cared for a stuffy-nosed infant or toddler who is incapable of blowing their own nose knows the frustration of trying to keep their nose clear. Most babies can't stand those horrible bulb syringes that the doctor gives you when you have your baby. Have you ever tried putting one up your own nose? It doesn't feel good.

When I had Jackson, I vowed to try things on myself before trying them on him so that I would be able to empathize with his experience. Bulb syringes are irritating, especially to a poor baby that doesn't feel good already. And they don't even work very well. I remember taking shower after shower with Jackson trying to loosen the mucous in his nose so that it would come out as easy as possible. I remember how excited I was when he would sneeze because all of the snot would come out on it's own without me having to suck it out for him. And Jackson wasn't even all that bad whenever I had to use the bulb syringe on him. Using it on myself, I figured out the most comfortable angle to hold it so that it wouldn't irritate so much. He got used to it and would allow me to gently clear his nose.

Not all moms are as fortunate to have a baby who allows them to suck their nose out. My sister has a daughter who can't stand to have her nose touched. Meredith had to hold her down just to clear her nose so that she could breathe. It's not so bad once the baby is older and able to eat food, but what about the breastfed baby? They have to have their noses cleared; otherwise, they can't eat. And the frustrating thing about the bulb syringe is that you use it to clear the mucous in the nose, but most babies cry so much that their nosed fill right back up with snot. It's a heartbreaking cycle for both mommy and baby unless...

you own The NoseFrida/The Snotsucker! My sister, mom to Madalyn who hates all things touching her nose except probably flowers or cupcake icing, introduced me to this wonderful tool. Here's a picture so that you can have a visual:

Do you see the two ends? The red end goes into your mouth. The other end goes into your baby's nose. Notice how that end widens quickly? It barely enters the nose before completely closing off the nostril and creating a seal for great suction. It's not irritating at all because it doesn't go way up in the nose. Once you put that end to one of your baby's nostrils, you gently suck on the other end and draw the snot out of their nose. It's that easy and it works super fast! You don't have to put it in a jillion times just to get all of the snot out. It comes out quickly and easily and without irritating your baby's sensitive nose.

Are you worried that snot might travel up the tube and get into your mouth? Don't be! There is a filter at the base of the tube (the dark blue part that you see). This filter keeps you from inhaling bacteria and the snot has never even reached the filter in my experience. I promise that you can't even suck hard enough to get the snot to travel up the tube that your suck from.

Do yourself a huge favor. Buy one of these! They are fantastic and you will be so glad you have one. I have used this more than any other thing in my baby tool kit. And every time Jason or I have used it, we are so amazed that every parent doesn't own one. Here's a link where you can buy it:

NoseFrida - The Snotsucker

Depending upon where you buy it, it will cost about $15.00. I can assure you, it's worth every penny. Trust me on this one! And if you don't, google it and watch a video of someone using it.