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Travelling with Baby this Winter? Here’s What to Do.

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Compensation for this post was provided by hydraSense®. Always read and follow the label.

We first travelled with my sons when they were ages 2 and 4 – and since then, they’ve been on an airplane 38 times.

I think we have this “travelling with kids” thing down pat.

Of course, we’ve learned a few lessons along the way! Travelling with children requires a heightened level of planning and organization (if you think it could go wrong, it probably will) and when it comes to vacationing over the winter months, it’s even more important to be prepared.
img_3777-1If you’re planning family travel around the holidays or in the new year, here are a few of my tried and true tips for travelling with young ones!

1. Don’t ignore a runny nose (for too long). I know, we’re told not to run to the doctor for every little thing. But if you’re travelling with young ones, especially in flu season, it’s better to have them checked out at home (or even abroad) to properly diagnose and treat the ailment. In one instance, I ignored the onset of cold systems and decided to fly with the boys, only to have Ryder clutching his ears and howling with pain for the entire flight. We had him checked out when we landed – you guessed it, ear infection. Had I taken him to the doctor before we departed, I could have saved time, money and most importantly, protected him from a painful experience. If you think your child is sick, don’t take chances! …

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Because When Baby Breathes Better, You’ll Feel Better Too

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Sponsored by hydraSense®

Just in time for cold season, keep reading for information on hydraSense®, the number one nasal saline brand in Canada for children*. Made with 100 per cent undiluted natural-source seawater that helps reduce and relieve nasal cold symptoms such as nasal congestion to help baby breathe better.
20161106_141738I’ll never forget my baby’s first cold.

He was just over five months old, and one chilly afternoon in fall, it all began with a telltale stream of thin, watery mucus escaping from his sweet little nose.

“Uh oh,” I thought to myself. “Here we go.”

By nightfall, he was fussy, refusing to feed and increasingly congested. It was heartbreaking to watch my baby struggle to breathe through his nose, knowing that as every hour passed, the runny mucus was turning thick and yellow. I don’t think my husband or I slept a wink that night, taking turns walking up and down the hall, soothing him to sleep. …

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hydraSense Nasal Aspirator

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I’m embarrassed to admit that I all but fall apart when my little guy is sick. I just can’t bear to see my child in any sort of discomfort (which mom can?) and constantly hover like a neurotic hen. Thankfully, Ryder has only been sick twice in his 22 months… once at five months old, and again right now :(

So my review for this product could not have come at a better time~

The hydrasense Nasal Aspirator and its filters were developed with pediatricians, and are brought to you by hydraSense, the leading brand in saline solutions for the whole family. The hydraSense Nasal Aspirator is a gentle and safe way to relieve your baby’s nasal congestion quickly and effectively. It’s soft nasal tip is specifically designed for babies’ delicate noses and its transparent design allows for you to see the amount and type of mucus that is being removed. hydraSense Nasal Aspirator has a protective single-use filter that traps excess mucus, providing hygienic aspiration. Unlike squeezable nasal aspirators, the hydraSense Nasal Aspirator allows you to control the strength of the suction with your aspiration.

The good folks at hydrasense sent me a complete hydrasense kit to review. But when I first watched an accompanying instruction video, I thought, “Huh? You have to put this in your mouth?” I couldn’t decide if it was incredible revolutionary or incredibly silly. But after reading the instructions, and inspecting the unit, I realized that by gently sucking on the valve, you can actually control the amount of pressure used to remove the mucus – particularly wonderful for newborns and younger babies. (And, the addition of single-use filters trap the mucus, keeping it hygienic for both you and baby.)

So now came the test – using it on Ryder’s runny nose. He’s still in the early stages of his cold (mommy’s got it too) so his mucus is mostly clear and runny – trouble is, he’s got a lot of it. Time to aspirate!

Now I won’t lie to you and pretend that he stayed perfectly still – he actually thrashed around the bed screaming while I locked his arms down and my husband tried to get within an inch of his nose. Of course, this is normal behaviour for him any time he sees a syringe – even though the last time we used one was over 10 months ago! Don’t tell me that babies don’t have amazing memories…

By the time we were able to actually place the aspirator in his nose, we were amazed at the loud suction noise that came from the tip – in addition to the gobs of clear mucus that made their way into the chamber. LOVE that the chamber is clear – you can easily see the amount and type of discharge collected into the unit. My husband assured me that inhaling on the valve was no more difficult than trying to squeeze a rubber bulb syringe – but this way, he controlled the amount of force and suction.

Now I’m not sure if you can get a good look, but here’s what we collected after just two attempts.
Best if all, after initially freaking out (just a little), Ryder didn’t seem to mind the gentle suction! That tells me that the aspirator is safe and comfortable for babies, too.

The hydrasense Nasal Aspirator is definitely Lena Approved! No more bulb aspirators for me – I can’t go back. It truly is a quality product that works.

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central and received a Mom Central gift pack to thank me for taking the time to participate.