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Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

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Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Children's health

It's 4.30am, I'm going to be up all night with DS, company appreciated

46 replies

OmicronPersei8 · 14/12/2009 04:38

So DS is breathing fast and shallow, I've been on the phone to the out of hours doctor and he's had calpol and has had a steamy 20 mins in the bathroom. The doctor's phoning back in half an hour. The noise of the shower woke DD up, so we're all sitting on the sofa watching Horton hears a who.

So I'm waiting to see if DS's breathing improves/stays the same/deteriorates, and whether I get a home visit or a trip to A&E.

Anyone out there to hold my hand/keep me company? Poor DS is exhausted - he woke at about 3am. I'm hoping he'll have a kip now.

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SofiaAmes · 14/12/2009 04:49

Poor thing. I am in los angeles, so am awake. Hope your ds gets better. Did you try putting him out in the cold air to breath for a few minutes. I had sick dc's all week and dh out of town so can completely empathize with the staying up all night with the kids. If it makes you feel any better, it could be worse. Ds got 3 different illnesses in one week starting with a sore throat, then a sinus infection and finally a tummy bug and when managed to vomit all over the living room, including into the indoor pond!!!! I removed the worst of it and have left the rest for dh to clean....

nappyaddict · 14/12/2009 04:51

Sounds like croup maybe?

For croup you need nurofen or calprofen. Croup is an inflammation so they are better than calpol. Also those sudafed/vicks vaporiser or plug in things are fabulous as is olbas oil and karvol capsules.

Turn the bath/shower on really hot and make the bathroom really steamy. Add some olbas oil to the water as well. Is he still in a cot? If so and he can't climb out yet put bowls of boiling water on the radiator in his room. If this wouldn't be safe then just use warm water or damp towels. You could also try a humidifier if you've got one or boiling a kettle in his room. If you keep the lid off it keeps boiling constantly (well it does on ours anyway)...

The idea is to sit them in steam for 20 minutes followed by cold air for 20 minutes. NHS direct recommend sitting in front of an open freezer for 20 minutes or go out in the cold night air out for a walk in the pushchair and then coming back in and opening the bedroom window and hanging damp towels about (over the sides of the cot is good if he's still in one)...

HTH xx

OmicronPersei8 · 14/12/2009 04:55

Sofia your poor DS and poor you! Mine is still not great, he's 20 months and can't tell me how he feels. I'm usual;y fairly laid back, but thus kind of thing shakes me up.

I am intrigued by your indoor pond - is it in the floor, raised etc? how big is it? How do you child-proof an indoor pond?

Are there fish? Are they ok?

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OmicronPersei8 · 14/12/2009 04:58

Thanks nappyaddict - I've done the steam, and this time of night it's pretty cold at home! He's had calpol on the advice of the out of hours doctor I spoke to. And his cough doesn't sound croupy. But he's sitting next to me wheezing away at speed.

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SofiaAmes · 14/12/2009 05:03

Do try to open a window and get him to put his head out to breath. I have asthma and even now as an adult, when I get a cold and have problems breathing, it works almost as well as an inhaler.

OmicronPersei8 · 14/12/2009 05:03

What happens if you go to A&E with something like this? I'm an old hand at bumped heads, but this is all new to me.

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OmicronPersei8 · 14/12/2009 05:04

OK, I'll have a go with some cold air.

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OmicronPersei8 · 14/12/2009 05:07

The window is open, lots of cold air coming in now, fingers crossed.

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SofiaAmes · 14/12/2009 05:08

Indoor pond is in the floor. I am an architect, so when I did an addition to my house, I couldn't just do a simple box. I had a pond/river formed into the new concrete slab. It's actually quite cheap if you do it as part of the new slab construction. It is lined with slate to match the floor. Unfortunately there seems to be something leeching out of the slate, or its adhesive, which is deadly to fish. So after murdering 100's of goldfish over the years, I have given up on indoor fish. We do have koi and mosquito fish in our outdoor pond who survive quite happily when they are not being eaten by the local blue heron (an endangered species as I keep trying to tell dh who wants to shoot it with his slingshot).

SofiaAmes · 14/12/2009 05:08

How old is your ds?

SofiaAmes · 14/12/2009 05:10

My ds used to get ear infections with every cold and we had 2 zillion visits to a&e when he was little. It was awful. It seemed to take forever to find someone who knew how to deal with a baby, or even a toddler.

nappyaddict · 14/12/2009 05:10

Yes the above croup advice works for wheezing, asthma and bronchiolitis too (DS has had all of them)

OmicronPersei8 · 14/12/2009 05:12

My DS is 20 months.

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nappyaddict · 14/12/2009 05:12

Unless he needs oxygen then there is little they can do in hospital that you can't do at home tbh. Unless he seems really bad I would wait for the doctor's to open in the morning who will maybe prescribe some inhalers or steroids.

OmicronPersei8 · 14/12/2009 05:13

It seems to be helping, so thank you both.

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SofiaAmes · 14/12/2009 05:14

At that age, if he is breathing and not turning blue, and doesn't have a fever I would try to keep him sitting up as much as possible and take him to the doctor in the morning, unless you happen to have a paediatric a&e near you.

SofiaAmes · 14/12/2009 05:15

Oh good!

MumGoneCrazy · 14/12/2009 05:18

Im still up.

I have a 12wk old who has a cold and keeps jerking awake while sleeping because she cant breath through her nose properly, she sleeps for 5 mins then jerks awake crying and its taking 20 mins to settle her back off each time, so i gave up trying to go to sleep tonight.

DP watched the wrestling then fell asleep but has promised to take over from me at half 7 when the other Dc wake up for school.

Ok the first part of this post was written 25 minutes ago just as i was about to hit post message the baby who was on my lap was sick all down the front of me and over our new sofa, it seems to have cleared her chest abit as she dropped straight back to sleep after being changed.

SofiaAmes · 14/12/2009 05:18

I'm not sure why they told you to give him calpol though. Seems to be the thing they tell you to take for everything. Never did any good at all with my ds and I spent the first few months of his life thinking there was something seriously wrong with my ds because calpol didn't work on him! It turned out that ibuprofen was the drug for him....he has been to A&E multiple times a year since he was born and luckily everything (and he has had some weird and rare ones) has been curable with antibiotics and ibuprofen.

OmicronPersei8 · 14/12/2009 05:19

That's what I thought - the doctors will be open in a couple of hours anyway!

Actually, the out of hours doctor just rang, she's coming round in half an hour just to check him over, but says it sounds ok.

I love the NHS.

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SofiaAmes · 14/12/2009 05:20

oh poor mumgonecrazy.....it's handy to keep a saline nasal spray for babies in the house for occasions like that. Ds had that problem quite a bit. Nasal spray clears out their nose so they can breath. Never stopped ds from throwing up though....he is quite the expert at it.
Hope your dp is more useful than mine at "taking over."

SofiaAmes · 14/12/2009 05:21

You must not be in london...I never got a doctor to come and visit, day or night. Barely even got one to call me back.

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nappyaddict · 14/12/2009 05:24

Oh they may give him a nebulizer in hospital as well if you find he needs to go. BTW don't use cough or cold medicines as they dry the throat out.

OmicronPersei8 · 14/12/2009 05:25

I've left DH in bed in the hope that he can at least do the school run with DD (although now she's up too she's going to be exhausted). I hope you get some catch-up sleep MumGoneCrazy, with a 12 week old as well as older DC I bet you're already a little sleep-deprived! It's amazing how you'll do it if needed though.

I think calpol was in case of temperature - my bloody ear thermometer is next to useless and DS just screams and twists if I bring it anywhere near.

Also I do feel better that no vomit is involved. Sorry you've had to deal with it!

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SofiaAmes · 14/12/2009 05:29

Just get a regular thermometer and take their temp under their arm. Practice when they are well, so they are used to it.

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