First week of spring for those of us in the southern hemisphere. I have to say I’m glad to see the back of winter with its constant colds, coughs and snotty noses but this introduction to spring has brought the cough from hell and sleepless nights.

My 5.5 year old has had a persistent pain in the ass cough like no other. It started on the weekend and has continued over the days. He starts coughing and at times you’d swear his head was about to come off. In the evening his eyes get watery and ‘stingy’, as he says, from the coughing. Now before all the do-gooders come out of the woodwork, I’m not a full-blown bad mother whose letting him cough away without considering it might be more than a cough. I can, however, assure you, it is just a cough. It’s the type that the body needs to work out of its system.

I was lucky enough to receive a ‘Little Range’ survival pack recently with Little Coughs medicine, FESS Little Noses and Little Eyes cleansing wipes, and had been using some of it on my 4 year old who had a little cough but a big congested nose. He was very much open to the FESS Little Noses nasal spray. In fact he would bring it to me nearly every hour to stick up his nose but I finally convinced him he really only needed it when he couldn’t get air up there! The spray made a massive difference to his breathing. Added to that, the Little Coughs syrup with ivy extract also helped get rid of the cough. This child would happily take any medicine you offered him! And no word of a lie, within two days of using both he was practically sounding normal again!

I went searching for the pack and started giving the cough syrup to my 5.5 year old. With this child I practically have to hold down to get any medicine into him but his brother convinced him the medicine tasted ‘yummy’. Once he had it I knew he’d take it again because I didn’t get ‘That tasted disgusting!!!’ I used the FESS Children’s Nasal Spray on him which I got in the chemist. He was reluctant at first but when it worked straight away and he realised he could breathe through his nose without feeling stuffy, he allowed me to do it again a couple of hours later.

For the last two nights he’s slept in with me due to waking during the night from a coughing fit and getting frustrated. Last night I noticed he wasn’t coughing every hour and we managed to get at least four hours sleep before he stirred again. If he had woken up I might have scared the living daylights out of him as I sat there staring at him in the dark, making sure he was breathing!!!

I’ve never been big on giving over the counter cough medicine as I thought they were too young. That’s just how I felt about it – everyone is open to doing what they feel works. However, I do remember someone mentioning ivy extract once as an ingredient that works for mucus (gross, I know). I will put a disclaimer here and say I also used vapor rub on their chests and feet and elevated my 5.5 year old’s pillows when he was in with me. I’ll try anything to ensure they, and me, get good quality sleep!

How has your spring started off?

Did you survive the snot noses and coughs?