To call an ambulance for my baby?

[Kanfuzed123]

So my baby is 3 weeks and caught the horrid cold I had at delivery. Day 10 and 14 midwife and HV said he seems ok but watch out for retraction, as colds can become bronchilitis, if he starts retracting he needs to get to a and e asap. He looked worse today, couldn’t get to see GP so sent a video, GP said he seems ok but monitor. Tonight he started retracting more significantly and he’s been so sleepy, falling asleep in feeds. So I went to take him to hospital but my fucking car won’t start, and an error message has come up on the dashboard. Ubers keep cancelling and the only taxi firm answering have more than an hr wait.

I should call an ambulance right? I don’t want to over react and drain NHS but equally my little boy is struggling

I hope bubba is ok now and that you’ve not had too much of a hard time. Kids aye! Hope you’ve made it back for Christmas with the rest of the family xx

I hope he gets better soon, you did the right thing, little airways are vulnerable. Sending love to you all xx

Op I just want you to know from your update on page one.

It's ok to be "that mother" with a baby that young.

My little boy kept being sick, like lots of posits, and the HV told me it was just cos I had an oversupply, but then she called the children's hospital and they admitted my little boy, and it turned out he had meningitis!

HV totally made me feel like "that mother" but no doctor worth their salt takes risks with babies so young.

Hope he makes a quick recovery OP!

My son developed bronch from a cold and ended up in hospital. He was pretty poorly and needed some oxygen for a couple of days but they sorted him right out and he was back to himself soon after 🙂

One thing with bronch is the symptoms can come back if he gets ill again shortly afterwards so he may get chesty with his colds for a while after. My son had it 3 times in one year after that first time!

And agree your GP is appalling for not seeing him! At mine and most I know, any baby is seen or at least given a telephone appointment if appropriate on the same day, usually within a couple of hours at most!

What is "re tracting"??

My doc put dd toddler on steroids she looked abysmal and sounded like an organ but he said she would be OK. The next day mothers instinct I rushed her to hospital. They could not believe in a and e the doc had said she was OK. She was straight into nebs, ex Ray, oxygen etc..

Always call 999 they can triage you for babies. Hope he's OK

Before we all have a complete GP bashing thread can we just consider the following-
on a video the GP can count the resp rate and see the work of breathing. Most GPs can't check oxygen sats in babies, and listening by to the chest doesn't change anything- they'll sound fill of gunk. The GP told OP to monitor and gave advice about going to ED if any retractions. The OP then said the child got significantly worse- did as they were told and went to ED. Despite them being much worse, their obs were still normal. Babies with bronchiolitis go downhill quickly, which is why safety net advice is given. The OP was right to get them checked out, but I really don't the level of GP bashing is warranted- and I work in ED, so see the results of plenty of crap GPs! I understand that people feel more reassured by seeing the GP, but if their obs were normal in ED, they'll have been normal when they were less sick, so all you would've got was an extra trip out of the house and then still have to call an ambulance in the middle of the night.

Hope you've got home and have a lovely peaceful christmas!

Well done for following your instincts and not just going with what the GP said. Hope baby is ok and you all have a good Christmas.

Oh and my post is not supposed to be anti GP before any take offence.

@daschundsanddancer

Before we all have a complete GP bashing thread can we just consider the following- on a video the GP can count the resp rate and see the work of breathing. Most GPs can't check oxygen sats in babies, and listening by to the chest doesn't change anything- they'll sound fill of gunk. The GP told OP to monitor and gave advice about going to ED if any retractions. The OP then said the child got significantly worse- did as they were told and went to ED. Despite them being much worse, their obs were still normal. Babies with bronchiolitis go downhill quickly, which is why safety net advice is given. The OP was right to get them checked out, but I really don't the level of GP bashing is warranted- and I work in ED, so see the results of plenty of crap GPs! I understand that people feel more reassured by seeing the GP, but if their obs were normal in ED, they'll have been normal when they were less sick, so all you would've got was an extra trip out of the house and then still have to call an ambulance in the middle of the night.

Hope you've got home and have a lovely peaceful christmas!

A few weeks ago, my 8 month old ended up in hospital for two nights, on oxygen and fed through a tube. I noticed his breathing sounded wheezy earlier in the day on a Friday morning and immediately tried to get hold of the GP. I was told the GP would call me on Monday by Monday evening - after the weekend.

He got worse and worse throughout the day and as a FTM I only knew some of the warning signs - rib cage retracting. There really was no excuse for the GP to dismiss me like that and in the end, 111 blue lighted an ambulance to us, and we had a dreadful weekend as he became seriously seriously unwell.

When the GP did call me on the Monday, I asked what was I meant to do. She told me GPs are for general appointments, not urgent appointments.

So right now, I have little sympathy for GPs, even though I have some in my family and dated one for a couple of years many years ago.

no excuses for a probably wfh GP to refuse to see a sick baby!

I agree dashunddancer.

I have taken Ds to the GP and A and E before and been told at that point he is in a watch and wait situation. A few hours later things can have got worse so we have gone back and been treated appropriately, other times he has bounced back and been fine.

They can only treat what presents then not predict and even in a GP surgery they will only get a snapshot of that time they can’t observe overtime (like a and e can if deemed necessary)

What a horrible night for you. I hope baby has picked up and you can get some rest.

Hi all!

Merry x mas! Thank you for checking in on us.

Paed saw us, lovely lady, they were quite shocked that the GP didn’t see us as was the paramedics. I showed the Paed the video I sent gp and she recommended I complain too and she said she could see clear retractions on the video.

Baby is ok because they aren’t sure when he had it they can’t tell what day the virus is as bronchilitis often gets worse on day 5. I’m shattered as is DH but any parents who read this later, if you can see your baby’s collar bone when they breathe in, this is tracheal retraction and they need to be seen. If baby’s tummy (tummy and not diaphragm) goes up almost like a ballon and then down and you can see any of their ribs, take them in they need to be seen. Don’t let anyone feel like you’re being extra even if it is your GP. Unfortunately mine is the only GP in my area, and the DR I spoke to is notoriously lazy, i even asked him is he retracting and he just dismissed me as baby being exhausted from feeding.

Not sure how someone took the thread the wrong way and thought it was advocating death for the over 70s- definitely not the purpose. I couldn’t think of another way to get in, although with hindsight the taxi would have been quicker. I live in the north of a large city and the ambulance that came was stationed south Near the county line. Couldn’t fault them though, although I do feel a little guilty, shouldn’t have listened to the GP and gone in earlier.

The wait does worry me for life and death situations as the ambulance took close to 2 hrs to come and we were classed as an emergency. The health service is crumbling, god this government needs to get gone before it’s too late

How is baby doing? Have they kept you in?

hi. glad things are improving
yes please do complain, GPs have been appalling and there needs to be a national enquiry to be honest

I'm so glad there is a good update. I really hope your little chap is properly on the mend soon and you and DH can get some much-needed rest.

The ambulance services are currently slammed, like every other bit of the NHS. Im guessing breathing problems would have been a C2 (whatever their age), which would expect on average an 18 min response. But the current average round here for C2 is double that and at busy times it's much worse.

Frankly, at the moment, if I needed to be in hospital and could make my own way I'd do that rather than wait for an ambulance. It shouldn't be like that but it is.

Goodness what a worrying time you have had. DD had bronchiolitis as a baby so I know how stressed you must feel. I hope your LO makes a speedy recovery

@Blueeilidh

How is baby doing? Have they kept you in?

Should have said sorry, they let us go home! Little man is a little warrior, obs all good so no need to keep us, but she did say he may well get worse and in that case bring him back ASAP xx

@Purplewithred

The ambulance services are currently slammed, like every other bit of the NHS. Im guessing breathing problems would have been a C2 (whatever their age), which would expect on average an 18 min response. But the current average round here for C2 is double that and at busy times it's much worse.

Frankly, at the moment, if I needed to be in hospital and could make my own way I'd do that rather than wait for an ambulance. It shouldn't be like that but it is.

They said on the phone due to his age he’d come top priority as an emergency. Not a criticism of the staff at all as they were top rate, and said an ambulance was 100% the right call for a baby breathing like him and they were sorry it took so long and said if worried always call 999 again and chase up. Ordinarily I’d have made my own way there but my stupid car came up with a drive train error cannot start message- no idea what the f that means. No Uber would take me and the local taxi companies said an hr tops wait, naively I thought the ambulance would have been here quicker as we’re about 10 mins from a hospital. I didn’t think to talk to the taxi company manager and explain and beg to be prioritised but I’ll do that in the future if such a situation arises xx

Well I am home as Covid in the household and your post really touched me. I hope your little one gets better quickly and you all have some happy times today

I got a taxi to a&e in the summer when the call handler told me ambulances were in such a state.
In a&e (for 36 hours) I met people who waited 8 hours for an ambulance.
My local a&e was in the news recently for 9 hour wait. If that's on top of a 9 hour ambulance wait then fingers crossed for nothing life threatening.
The staff were extremely stressed and I could see they were starting to give up on compassion as they had nothing left.
Sorry sorry state.

Get well soon your baby.

When one of my DC had bronchiolitis badly as a baby they were worried about keeping her in hospital because they had an MRSA outbreak (she was only 5 weeks old at the time and quite poorly), so we took her home with instructions to keep her on my/DH chest face down or on her side and semi upright (if that makes sense) and to do that 24/7 until there was a clear improvement. So we ended up doing 8 hour shifts between us, propped up in front of TV. Wasn’t fun but worked a treat and she was much improved after a few days.

@Kanfuzed123 so pleased your little one is okay. Can I add a huge thanks for your guidance re 'retraction'. Very useful.