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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To get another opinion on my baby's breathing

8 replies

QueenOfThePumpkins · 30/03/2020 10:16

My daughter is 6 weeks old and was born via c section at 35+6. She didn't need any extra help / time in SCBU and seems healthy overall. However I have been worried about her breathing right since she was born. Sometimes her ribs suck right in and belly bulges out - from videos online it looks like "retractions". It's almost like she is straining. She breathes like this about 20% of the time. At these times she also makes horrible grunting noises, almost like a harsh kind of snoring, even when awake. She also tends to breathe through her mouth a lot, especially when she looks like she is "struggling", and I understand that's unusual? Occasionally I see her nostrils flare but not a lot. She feeds perfectly now, despite some problems right at the beginning.

I've asked various midwives and the health visitor about this, and also took her to the GP who looked at a video of when she does it. They all basically said that babies do breathe in a very irregular way and not to worry unless she becomes cyanosed... But surely any problems would be quite advanced by then?

Anyway, last night I had no sleep at all because she was breathing very fast through her mouth, sort of panting. She was awake and seemed quite happy and alert, but I was too scared to go to sleep Sad

As several professionals have said she is fine, I really don't want to waste any more NHS time and resources if I don't have to - especially at the moment. I am thinking of getting a private consultation. Am I being paranoid or does this sound fairly normal for newborns? I am a first time mum but she is a twin, and her sister doesn't breathe like this. I have no idea how worried I should be.

OP posts:
SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing · 30/03/2020 10:22

How fast is she breathing? When she's breathing fast, just have a count, do it a few times and record it. Also video any sternal recession, or nostril flaring.

Id get another opinion, this doesn't sound quite right. Plenty of HCPs saw my DD when she was a newborn (midwives, HVs, GPs, nurses, A&E doctors, paed doctor, paeds consultant), and they all said she was fine and it was normal. It wasn't, and needed admission and treatment.

"I really don't want to waste any more NHS time and resources if I don't have to"

Generally, this would be a reasonable response, but you have a newborn with unusual breathing and no real answers. I'd seek further investigations.

SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing · 30/03/2020 10:23

One more question - does she drink more milk than her twin?

QueenOfThePumpkins · 30/03/2020 10:33

Thanks for replying @SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing. The fast breathing is new since last night. I'd say it was 2-3 breaths per second, but only for say 5-10 second bursts in between slower breathing. Both babies are greedy little things and usually finish the bottle without wanting a break.

OP posts:
Amam3 · 08/06/2022 12:02

my newborn is in exact same condition as yours one. Did it get better? Or did you receive any diagnosis?

Sponge19 · 08/06/2022 12:07

I would take have taken her to A&E during the night

BlackandBlueBird · 08/06/2022 12:24

I would want this investigated, definitely. My youngest had strained breathing as a baby and when the GP saw him for his 6 week check she sent us straight up to the hospital - he was fine but she was obviously pretty worried about it.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 08/06/2022 13:27

OP I could have written your post- I saw drs, GPS went to A&E- showed videos and was dismissed as a panicked mother at every turn, some health care professionals wouldn’t even look at my videos and one told me to come back “when she turns blue”.
eventually 1 decent gp saw something unusual about her ribs as she breathed, referred to an amazing paediatrician who diagnosed Laryngomalacia- within 2 weeks she’d had an aryepiglottoplasty.
do YouTube and see if it may be that- keep bothering whoever you need to!!!

Amam3 · 09/06/2022 17:32

Thank you so much for the replies guys. I was in similar condition where no one took me seriously and said every newborn does that and then health care visitor came and instantly pointed at her breathing and told me to go to GP who referred me to peads and they diagnosed her with Laryngomalacia. Glad at least someone took me seriously. Hope it goes away on its own and doesn’t cause any issue to my dd.

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