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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To beg for more help for 8 week old

55 replies

twotiredwithtwo · 10/11/2022 09:20

DD is 8 weeks old and has a chest infection. It started Sunday but just seemed like a mild cold, by Monday she seemed worse but still along the lines of a rotten cold and not too serious. She deteriorated that night and so I booked an appt with the GP on Tuesday who diagnosed a chest infection and prescribed antibiotics. DD is being sick after most doses and no improvement, sucking in under ribs and barely feeding so I took her back to GP yesterday who said it was worrying but he thought overall she was fine to be at home but booked her in for another check this morning to decide if she needed to be admitted to paeds for monitoring.

Last night DD had a terrifying turn where she coughed so badly and was choking on mucus, she was having long gaps between breathing and going purple. I was already on the phone to 111 as her coughing fit had been going on for over half an hour and she couldn't catch her breath but when the breathing became so unstable they sorted an ambulance for us. Typically by the time the ambulance arrived, she had finally stopped coughing and was breathing more normally, although still sucking in a lot under the ribs. She was taken in to hospital where they barely looked at her, said her stats were fine and she looked well, to continue with the antibiotics although I mentioned she is sick after each dose and that the coughing is just her trying to clear her mucus. The only thing they did was give her liquid glucose as her blood sugar was too low. They told me not to let the GP push for a paeds admission today as they would only monitor her anyway.

I understand that she has to cough it up and it will sound awful but the fact that she was having long pauses between breaths and really struggling to draw in breath was surely not okay? She has been wheezing and had another episode of severe coughing where she had one long pause between breathing about half an hour ago. I have the GP appt shortly, WIBU tp request she has the paeds admission because I am terrified every time she coughs that she will stop breathing, even when she's fine she's retracting under her ribs. I feel if they witnessed one of her episodes, they'd take it more seriously but she seems to settle each time she's seen. Sorry this is so long but any advice would be appreciated, I don't want to overreact but I know she's not well.

OP posts:
adiosamigoo · 10/11/2022 09:25

Hmm I was the opposite, My DS was like this at 4 months old. I rung 111 to try get an out of hours GP appt and they sent an ambulance which arrived within 10 minutes and set him up on oxygen. When we arrived at hospital a whole team were waiting on standby for him. Kept in for a week as a precaution. The red flag for them was that he was sucking under his ribs.

twotiredwithtwo · 10/11/2022 09:29

@adiosamigoo
In all honesty that is what I was expecting when we arrived last night, instead I felt dismissed because DD had calmed down and was alert, they even made a comment saying 'oh look she's smiling, she's happy' I've taken a video of her sucking in under ribs now and it's so much worse in comparison to Tuesday. This can't be right.

OP posts:
fairgame84 · 10/11/2022 09:34

They won't keep her in just because she has recession.

The red flags are taking less than 50% of feeds, pauses of more than 20 seconds in breathing and sats of less than 93% in air and episodes of cyanosis around the mouth or on the hands/feet.

Although I'm surprised they didn't keep her in for low blood sugar because that suggests she's not feeding well.

twotiredwithtwo · 10/11/2022 10:00

@fairgame84 she's definiteltly taking less than 50% of feeds and has been for 3 solid days, the first day was only sligjtly less feeding but since then she's taking less in a day than she usually would in one feed, which is something I made clear to them. She's breastfed so I can't give them figures but she's only latching on to take on or two gulps at most and getting her to latch isn't very easy. I tried giving a bottle of expressed milk but she wouldn't take it. Her oxygen levels weren't checked, they didn't even take her out of her car seat to check her. I don't want to be a hysterical mum but I do feel I'm being fobbed off.

OP posts:
fairgame84 · 10/11/2022 10:05

It sounds like they've fobbed you off. I hope the gp is better today. She sounds like the ideal patient to be seen on the paeds assessment unit, she certainly would have been on the one that I used to work on.

Numbat2022 · 10/11/2022 10:08

If she's sucking in and it's worsening I would say she needs to be monitored. My son has had multiple admissions for retractions on chest and around neck, his oxygen is always low as well but I get the impression the retraction is the red flag they look for.

She's so tiny and as you say, not feeding properly, I think you need to take her back and make a fuss.

rainbowstardrops · 10/11/2022 10:50

I'd keep insisting they at least monitor her. I can't believe they didn't even check her oxygen levels!
I hope your GP is more helpful today. You must be so worried.

Untitledsquatboulder · 10/11/2022 10:54

They didn't check her oxygen levels??? They do that as part of every triage at our local children's a&e even if you are in there with a broken toe!

Talk to your gp about monitoring. If she is still not improving then I agree w a pp, this is what paediatric assessment is for.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 10/11/2022 10:57

Yeah I’d take her back to the Gp - and don’t listen to the hospital saying “don’t let them push for assessment” - let them push for whatever is needed.

minipie · 10/11/2022 11:06

If they didn’t check her oxygen levels I would definitely be taking her back to have those checked. If the GP fobs you off then to A&E.

Sounds like when DD had bronchiolitis. It’s not the main bronch season but it can happen at this time.

Is she having normal amount of wet nappies? Fontanelle looks normal not sunken?

Can you see sucking in at the throat (that dip at the bottom of the neck)?

Emmacb82 · 10/11/2022 14:16

Sounds like bronchiolitis which is rife at this time of year. Viral infection so unless she has chest infection on top of it, antibiotics won’t do anything for her. She definitely needs to be seen again. I disagree with pp in that recession is enough for her to be admitted, it’s not all about numbers but how hard she is working to breathe. It usually peaks at day 4-5 so she is probably at her worst part of the illness right now. It sounds very worrying that she was noted to have low blood sugars and is not feeding, she may well need some feeding support until she’s got over the worst. Take her either back to GP and ask for referral to paeds, or take her back to a+e and make sure they check her oxygen levels. Hope she feels better soon.

BarkerBump · 10/11/2022 14:27

Go straight back. I was dismissed after monitoring for my little one as they said her oxygen levels were fine, and I took her back in 16 hours later where they admitted her and put her on oxygen as the levels were no longer any good. You know best, and over cautious is better than under!

BarkerBump · 10/11/2022 14:28

Oh, and it was bronchiolitis that she had x

Blocked · 10/11/2022 14:36

Did you get any help today OP? It is so frustrating when everyone, and your instincts are telling you your child needs help but the doctors don't seem worried x

twotiredwithtwo · 10/11/2022 14:38

Thank you for all your replies, thankfully the gp took me seriously. We were blue lighted from the surgery to a hospital an hour away which has a nicu. She's on oxygen and we're waiting on a feeding tube. She's been given iv fluids and antibiotics and needed a lot of extra help as she went blue. I'm terrified and exhausted but so relieved she's finally getting help

OP posts:
bloodywhitecat · 10/11/2022 14:40

If you feel so inclined when you and your baby are stronger I would consider a complaint against the way she was treated, to tell you not to let the GP push for admission is truly horrific. I wish you both well and hope you are soon back home.

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 10/11/2022 14:43

When she has a coughing fit as vile as it sounds try and record her, tbh I’ve also had the opposite.

Ds has brittle asthma and every time he’s had a chest infection/recession he’s been admitted every time.

id push for a pead to assess her and demand her observations are checked.

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 10/11/2022 14:45

Ah just seen your update, glad she’s getting the help she needs.

I agree with the previous poster when your both stronger I’d put in a complaint x

Toddlerteaplease · 10/11/2022 14:50

Paediatric nurse here. You need to take her back. She's probably got bronchiolitis as well. She needs her oxygen levels checking and might need help with feeding. Or someone's just suctioning out loads of snot really helps.

Toddlerteaplease · 10/11/2022 14:51

Just read the update. Glad you've gone back and she's getting the support she needs.

cestlavielife · 10/11/2022 14:51

fairgame84 · 10/11/2022 09:34

They won't keep her in just because she has recession.

The red flags are taking less than 50% of feeds, pauses of more than 20 seconds in breathing and sats of less than 93% in air and episodes of cyanosis around the mouth or on the hands/feet.

Although I'm surprised they didn't keep her in for low blood sugar because that suggests she's not feeding well.

Or feeding but not metabolising properly i e some underlying issue which may warrant further tests
At 8 weeks she is tiny
Keep taking her back if you concerned

Mummyoflittledragon · 10/11/2022 14:51

Wow I am so glad your tiny baby is now getting the treatment she needs. How terrifying for you. Flowers

cestlavielife · 10/11/2022 14:53

Glad you got admitted
If needed They can run metabolic tests as well as the usual infection etc

Sirzy · 10/11/2022 14:58

Glad she is getting treated now. When your home please do complain about the experience at A and E yesterday.

take care of yourself

Smineusername · 10/11/2022 15:28

I took my nearly 5 month old to the GP for a chest infection and very bad cough. She looked specifically for the sucking in under the ribs and said if that was continuously present to contact out of hours GP and if worried go straight to Children's hospital. If you are worried as a mum I would take that seriously. Is he turning blue?