I'm not sure if I'm fooling myself or if we may really be turning a corner. Cora has been sleeping really well this past week (even with getting over her cold). She's only been waking once or twice and then only for a quick paci plug in. Last night, she actually slept the whole night through and when she woke up, she didn't cry but just started playing with/talking to her crib toy (a plush rattle). It was a wonderful thing to wake up to. I don't want to get too hopeful but I can't help but wonder if we're heading for a good place. Of course now that I've said that she'll learn some new trick (sitting up, standing, etc) and will wake herself up trying her new tricks all night. Its always something so I hear.
Anyhoo, here is my quandary - I'm wondering if part of the reason that she's been sleeping so well is because we've been using the Vick's Vaporizer in her room each night (starting with her most recent cold). It makes it nice and moist and super warm in there. The only problem is that each morning when I go to empty the thing of the 10 or 12 ounces of water left in the bottom, the water is filled with a black silt and some floating particles. Methinks that cannot be good. I thought originally it could be some of the Vicks liquid residue so I've been skipping the Vicks liquid and just using plain water - same result. I've read that its minerals and goo left over from the water but we have a water filtration/softener system so I have a hard time believing that. The heating unit that slips into the water is encased in black plastic and I have a sneaking suspicion that is the culprit.
I'm torn between wanting to continue to use the vaporizer through these cold dry winter nights if its helping her sleep well, and between thinking that whatever that black silty goo is that magically appears overnight cannot be good when sprayed into the air in a fine mist for baby lungs to breathe in. So -I'm calling on all you moms... anyone have any experience with this contraption? Anyone have the same result? I've seen a few web posts about people who have but no one seems to know what it is or if its harmful. Yes, I'd like my baby to sleep comfortably but not while poisoning her little lungs. Perhaps a call to Vicks is in order. They got some 'splainin to do.
3 comments:
Why not try a warm mist humidifier? I'm not a mom, but I have one in my room and it runs all day and all night (well, it runs when the humidity gets below a certain level). No icky black stuff in mine and I get the same result (but then again, I sleep through the night on my own, just fine *grin*).
Maw & I were just talking.....it's just mineral deposits from the water. Every vaporizer I've ever used has been like that. Just dump it each day & use fresh water. No biggie.
Also did you happen to think that maybe she's sleeping better not necessarily because of the vaporizer, but because of the NOISE. Maybe even if you don't use the vaporizer...a fan or something like that. I've even heard of folks putting a fish tank in the baby's room....you have a built in night light, plus the soft noise of the tank bubbling. Our kids (& us too for that matter) ALWAYS had to have some kind of background/white noise to be able to sleep.
Ooooh good to know Amy. It at least makes me feel better that you've had the same things happen. We used to have a white noise CD we played for her during naptime (honestly she loved the "jet engine" track!) but the vaporizer is actually silent so I guess its just being toasty and humid in there that's doing it?
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