Mucus in newborn babies

I think most babies do sound really snuffly for the first little while because of mucus etc.. if you think about it.. while they are inside everything is full of fluid.. so it can take a bit for them to get all that out of their lungs and get breathing properly. when they are being born, once the head is out, the chest is compressed while going through your pelvis.. so once they come out it's like a release and voila.. it makes them take that first big breath to open their lungs. but alot of the fluid is still there.

Suctioning only does so much.. they used to suction the airway just down the nose as baby's shoulders were waiting to be born..just to help them take that breath it still doesn't get all that stuff out of the lungs.. just the nose and throat. there's no way they could suction all the way down to the lungs, nor would you want them to do that. Most babies are seriously ok, but it is scary and even more so when your baby does choke etc, Ayja choked on her first night, just after a big feed, and vomited really violently because of it, choking on that too. It scared the heck outta me..

It just wouldn't be usefull to suction all babies. Most are fine, alot of the time it's just that a decent amount has come up at once and might block their throat for a sec, or they can't co-ordinate their breathing to get rid of it, (whereas me or you would just cough it up or whatever). If the doctors or midwives had any worries about there being too much fluid/mucus in bab's lungs or whatever, or breathing difficulties they would do something for that baby. But even in the NNU where i work i haven't really seen many baby's suctioned unless it's a major choking event or something like that.


Edited by mum2paris

I dont remember if the girls were suctioned or not as I was lying flat on my back unable to move - both c-sections but that is what I was going to ask, do they suction section babies because they don't go through the whole birth process?

Hannah had quite a bit at first and the midwife told us to sleep her on her side for the first few days so if she did bring a bit up she wouldnt choke on it.

Janine, you would suction the ventilated babys tho?

i don't think either of my c-s babies were suctioned but we've had charli at the docs alot since she was born because of her snuffly breathing.
she's still like it after a chest x-ray came back clear so we have to take her to the specialist at the hospital in feb.
sorry a little O/T

Ella was sooo full of mucus but they didnt suction her we had some probs with breathing to but otherwise shes ok now.