Handhold please.. 3 week old admitted to hospital

[miniworry]

My 3 week old baby has just been admitted into hospital due to spiking a temperature- the doctors have taken bloods and are growing blood cultures to rule out sepsis but have inserted a cannula and have started antibiotics in the meantime whilst we wait for the results.

I'm sat here absolutely petrified just watching him to check he is breathing, feeling so alone so anyone awake that would like to keep me distracted from sobbing all night would mean the world. My husband is at home with our little girl who is sound asleep and I just want to scoop them both up and never let go right now 🥺

Ah OP I’m so sorry you’re still in the zone and so worried. I was so hopeful you’d been discharged and all over. Everyone here has been there at some stage, and here for you to vent ❤️

Thinking of you and your DS

This must be so frightening for you and your family. Thankful that they seem to have got a diagnosis and started treatment. Sending you a hand hold and wishing a speedy recovery for your baby boy 💐💐💐

Terrible situation to be in. I hope you have answers soon and he's on the mend quickly.

So sorry for what you are going through x

Sorry to hear your ds isn't well, my dd was in the same position when she was 5, they also suspected meningitis and started her on the antibiotics just in case.

In the end she didn't have it but they never found out what it was, she spent a week in hospital and same as your son was fluctuating with a temperature that went up to over 40 then dropped a little with calpol, she also developed a rash.
It's such a worrying time but it's good that he's in hospital and already receiving treatment.x

💐💐💐

Thinking of you OP. As others have said, it is so so scary but just from me and my friends I feel I’ve heard so many good outcomes of children bouncing back so quickly

Sending best wishes to you, hope you and your bub are ok x

@miniworry - ds1 is a lanky 13 yo with an attitude to match! He's crazy and I adore him!!

Initially DS1 was very hard to settle - we had a whole week in hospital where we were unable to pick him up as his temperature would just rocket back up. A nurse created a 'hug bed' for him with a couple of pillows and a sheet so it felt like he was being held but we didn't have to worry about making him more poorly. He's always been a clingy child and we've put it down to that particular period.

He was under the peds for a while as his development was a little behind for his age. But this last year he's really caught up. He is also autistic and has adhd.

We don't and never will know if this was a result of the meningitis or something he will always have had as he was so young, although he was also a difficult baby right from day 1. It did predispose him to higher temperatures when ill up to late primary years but these were manageable and we didn't have any more hospital stays apart from 1 when he was 12 months, for awful viral tonsillitis.

In short, the effects were probably felt more keenly by dh and I than by ds1.

And yes, viral meningitis is the 'least worst' one to have. Drs told us they always prefer that to be the diagnosis than bacterial so ds1, although tiny at the time, was very lucky and we are very grateful to our gp who insisted he be checked out so early.

@miniworry I really hope your ds has turned the corner and recovering. 🤞💕

If you do skin to skin with him it will help to regulate his temperature, so don't worry about making him hotter as I don't think you will. Also your smell and your heartbeat will be be very comforting for him.

Sending you all the love OP, it's so frightening when they're tiny but he is in the best place

So sorry OP, I read this half asleep this morning and didn't register that you'd posted earlier in the week and your subsequent updates. My comment seems rather tone deaf in light of those and wasn't intended so.

I hope the tests come back clear for me meningitis for you little one and that the ABs do the trick xx

@miniworry any update? Thinking of you!