To take my newborn to a&e?

[SleepForTheWeek]

Posting for traffic.

DD is almost 5 weeks old and has been very congested and mucousy since birth. I know this can be quite normal and Inwas told it would probably be the case and I was told she would probably be like that due to how quickly she was delivered.

The mucous that she manages to get out is usually quite green and can be blood tinged.

I've been issuing saline spray/drops and a nasal aspirator (which has been quite effective at getting visible bogies out). HV doesn't seem too concerned and is confident it will pass.

However, it's getting worse. Night times are horrendous as she can't lie flat for too long as she starts choking and spluttering.

We traveled to family today and it was quite a long journey, DD started struggling near the end breathing, she was coughing and really raspy, couldn't breath through her nose etc.

Since we've arrived she hasn't got much better and her breathing is so raspy, she sounds really uncomfortable.

She doesn't have a temp and although can get quite distressed when she can't breathe through her nose she seems to be content enough.

Is there anything I should do? Should I take her up to a&e for them to check her over or am I being a bit precious?

X

This happened with my DD2 and ds1. It was a dairy intolerance (dairy passed through breast milk) but do take your little one to a+e for peace of mind. Hope you are both ok x

I hope that if OP isn't posting she is on her way to A&E.

My DS1 has breathing difficulties on his first day at school - A&E for him too.

Are you not still under the maternity ward?! Pretty sure I was told I was until baby was 6 weeks

Honestly, any links between baby and maternity ward are severed upon discharge in my experience. Care then transfers to community midwives but only for first two weeks. Then it passes over to health visitor/GP.

I'd do what you are doing, she's comfortable, sleeping & breathing easily now, I don't see any point in disturbing her to take her now. You can take her straight to A&E if necessary later.

Next time she's breathing strangely take a video on your phone, pull up her vest so you can capture any visual effects. Often going out into different temperature air etc can alter their breathing so they seem fine at the doctors/A&E, but may still have an underlying issue.

Look for videos of 'respiratory distress in baby' on youtube. You're looking for retractions under the ribs, especially between the stomach and lowest ribs, and a 'tracheal tug' a pulling in at the base of their neck. This, grunting, bluish lips, ANY of these require a trip to A&E or even an ambulance.

Another thing to do is count how rapidly she is breathing (when calm/asleep, not whilst crying). Time on your phone and count her breaths, often helps to watch/feel. At this age anything over 60 breaths per minute (so faster than 1 a second) requires urgent medical attention.

Raise cot up on books or something, keep her upright after feeds. Be careful with the cramped position and long periods unobserved in a car seat, as her condition could deteriorate without you noticing.

Does your baby have reflux at all?

Not a doctor but have been trained to nurse my own DS with ongoing respiratory distress.

If she is raspy and rattly she needs seeing. If she has a chest infection it could become quite serious quite quickly at that age.

One of the easiest observed signs of respiratory distress is nasal flaring, so be alert for that.

I had a similar problem with my DS. Took him to A&E twice and they couldn't have been more brilliant dealing with him. Both times I thought his breathing was laboured, chesty sounding etc etc, lots of mucous. They always aaid they'd rather I was over cautious than not at all! Then again, both times I was told it was probably a virus. We had weeks of saline drops, positioning, getting rid of mucus etc etc and I thiught he'd caught an awful cold twice in eight weeks.
Third time I took him to emergency gp appt and they discovered it had all stemmed from a milk allergy!
He's been fine ever since.

(After he was on a dairy free milk that is)

Newborns can't breathe through their nose. Take your baby, they'll be pleased to help.

Of course newborns can breath through their nose, how do you think they manage when feeding?

I'm just heading up with her now.

Thank you for all your posts.

Interesting about dairy - I've cut that out since Monday and have seen a HUGE difference in her bowel movements so maybe it's linked

Glad you're taking her, I took DS when he was 10 days old and we ended up being admitted for 3 nights

Hope all is ok

Dairy was my first though too, but I'm so glad you're taking her.

Go to A&E.

We went twice within the first 6 weeks with one of our twins- it was the non emergency 24 hour walk in thing at the hospital near us actually, but each time we were told they would rather see us than not with a tiny baby as we were apologising profusely for being "those" new parents.

Op if you worried at all take her straight to A&E. My DD was born view emcs. She was so mucousy when she was born she struggled to feed so badly (I was also told that a vaginally birth squeezes the mucous our whereas a section they don't) she made a speaking sound everyt ime she breathed in right up until she was around 5 months old then it randomly stopped.

We tried raising the cot, saline drops, aspirator, baby menthol rub on a bib at the end of the cot, menthol wafter on top of and under the radiator. At 1 point the gp gave us piriton (apparently it helps break up mucous) i was a bit hesitant but as it was prescribed used it.None of which helped unfortunately. She just stopped making the noise 1 night.

But if you are worried/concerned/panicked take her straight to A&E

Let us know how you get on. Hope baby is ok

Glad you're going. Best wishes.

Glad you're taking her, hope they can help her tonight.

Hope you get sorted x

I hope she'll be ok. Nothing worse than a poorly baba x

Yes could be diary allergy. We had similar issues and ended up at A&E. they didn't detect it at a later point due to other symptoms. Recommend you take a trip to A&E with such a young baby.

Some reassurance for you our DS sounded very mucusy, chesty etc especially when sleeping on his back! At night sounded hell of a lot worse too! Got recommended the saline drops which helped a little, and the nasal sucker thing did help but sometimes when sucking did bring bloody mucus (could only link to sucking to hard maybe) however didn't use that for long. Like yours, DS would sleep soundly led on my chest and I admit many a nights I let him to get a few hours shut eye myself - looking back I know I shouldn't but when your that tired you do what ever it takes! It didn't lady forever possibly by 4 months it ended for us... sometimes it felt and sounded like he was grunting with it?? If your at all worried get it checked out tho.

*didn't detect till a later point

I think any medical professional would rather you came to see them or called them about something you are concerned with no matter what than miss something. Plus who doesn't love look at tiny babies!! (damn broody-ness). Call 111 now and talk to them. xx