Is this just a cold? Starting to worry about the baby.

[ShowOfHands]

We're waiting for the doctor's to open at 8.30 and will join the mad scramble for an appointment but wanted some opinions.

We've all had a horrid half term with coughs/colds/sore throats/gunky eyes. DD was pretty unwell for the first half of the week with a really nasty cough and my throat was razor-blade sore for days. We've all recovered mainly though we're all still a bit weak and exhausted.

DS is 24 weeks and over the weekend has turned into a snotty, unhappy mess. This is my first little baby with a cold and I'm just not sure what's normal.

He has a mild temp (38, coming down to 37ish with Calpol), really gunky and sticky eyes, streaming snot which runs down his throat and makes him gag/choke and he brings it back up again, nasty cough, is v hoarse today. He is unhappy, hasn't smiled for 24hrs, reduced feeding due to bunged up nose (I have really engorged breasts) but still having wet and dirty nappies. He just wants to sleep but is whimpering and moaning to himself even when asleep.

It is utterly and thoroughly miserable to watch.

Poor little thing - its miserable for them isn't it..

OK, action-plan!

Squirt some breastmilk into his eyes, and up his nose...works wonders! It will cure the eye gunk (wipe with a tissue), and make him sneeze a whole load of snot out so be prepared. Breastmilk acts to thin the mucus, making it easier to get rid of by coughing etc.

Go squirt!

Oh I've squirted the boy to within an inch of his life. Trouble is atm that I can't squirt as my breasts are rock hard. Struggling to express some of the milk while ds is clinging to my neck.

The snot just keeps coming. He can sneeze and cover half the room in it and seconds post clear up it's all over him again. I've no idea where it's all coming from.

He also has stinky breath which I think is the mucous. He smells ill iyswim.

Sounds like a cold. Saline drops will help the snot. Sterimar in a spray works wonders.

Appointment at 10.40am.

Good - was just thinking 'sounds like a nasty cold, but would check for bronchiolitis at this time of year'

Hope the GP agreed with 'nasty cold' and that the poor little lad feels better soon xx

I don't think it's bronchiolitis. At least I hope not. DD was hospitalised with bronchiolitis at 4 months and I remember the symptoms. She wasn't snotty really but had the typical laboured breathing, sucking in under the ribs, exhausted and difficult breathing. She' still prone to croup at nearly 5. DS's breathing is actually surprisingly okay. A bit more rapid than usual but that will be the temp and congestion. His airways seem surprisingly clear. But I'm no doctor. My main worries are that it's developed into something bacterial and something I can't see in his ears/throat/chest. Or that I'm missing something completely. If it's a cold, it's a humdinger.

Sounds to me like he's really bunged up bless him! I used to sit my LO on my knee in the bathroom and let the hot water run and get the steam working to release all the gunk. But going to the Doctors is a must, it's always better to get the expert opinion on your LO. Hope it goes well xx

Throat infection could cause the smelly breath - sort of like pear drops?

Dd is 16m but was exactly as you describe and it was an ear infection.

I know his throat is pretty sore as he is so hoarse he can't cry. And he keeps sticking his fingers down his throat.

My Mum's phoned in the last 5 minutes. She looked after dd the other day at the tail end of her having the same thing. My Mum is coughing and says her throat is on fire. It's a horrible virus. DS is silently sobbing. Roll on 10.40.

We have steroids and an inhaler and open access to the hospital if he doesn't improve overnight or deteriorates. No infection but swelling and wheezing in his upper airways. He's apparently not well enough to ignore it and hope for the best and not ill enough to require panic stations just yet.

And I feel terrible because I've just forced the steroids on him and he screamed in protest and is even more unhappy than he was.

Mixing the steorids in a little bit of blackcurrant juice makes them slightly more pallatable.

Hope he feels better soon

The steroids are nasty to taste but whenever ds2 has needed them, we've seen an improvement in just a few hours.

Hopefully they will do the trick, it's awful when they're poorly.

I feel bloody awful about the whole thing. He's still ebf. Or he was, he's full of steroids and calpol now. I do hope they work quickly. I had a brown inhaler several times as a child and it worked really quickly iirc. He's wheezy and red-eyed and staring pitifully at me. Hurrah for MIL though. She's offered to do the school run later so I don't have to drag him out on the bus in the cold.

I meant to add that DS2 always went off his feeds at this age when on steroids. I think they can alter the taste of things. He still doesn't really eat well on them now (he's 8) so don't be too alarmed. He just used to have enough to be ok iyswim.

Hope he picks up, so you can both get some rest.

Thank you. He's already completely off his feeds. I think it hurts to swallow. Listening to his hoarse, squeaky, sad cry I swear I'll never complain about his lusty, angry, well crying again. Well, for at least a week.

Steroids have the opposite effect of Ds he eats loads when on them!

They should work pretty quickly and the ventolin (assuming that's the inhaler) should take effect more or less immediatly

Steroids really do work quickly. Ds had them aged 4 and pre steroids he was coughing non srtop, no breaths which weren't coughs iyswim? By teatime he was so so much better.

Inhaler is Ventolin. Plus a plastic mask thing for administration with which I have further annoyed him. He's fast asleep and not wheezing/coughing for the first time in 3 days. Doc said two puffs of the ventolin into the spacer thing and repeat up to 5 times if necessary. Did I definitely hear that right?

That sounds about right. I would use that as your guide as to whether to use the open access to hospital too. They can have more than that but the idea being that if they need more then they really should be seen by a paediatrician.

Good it's doing the trick do far though.

Anything breathing related sends shivers down my spine. I used to find I'd feel out of breath just listening to him struggle. .

Nope. You sound utterly normal. I'd judge you if you didn't feel that way. DD was a nightmare for getting bronchiolitis and croupy type things and I'd sit up with her, breathing alongside her, counting and willing her to breathe normally. Usually surrounded by steam and reeking of snufflebabe/vicks iirc.

Ventolin should only be one puff of inhaler into
The spacer at a time not 2.

For ds they have always said 10 puffs ar a time. However, if you're not sure, call and ask the nurse now.

Eek, just checked, she's written 2... I only gave one though as was being cautious and he was screaming and twisting away

Poor boy and poor you :( Fingers crossed he gets back to normal soon.

If swallowing hurts so much you may want to give him calpol and then about 30 mins later give him a feed. Calprofen/nurofen would be even better as it also helps with inflammation, but can't remember from which age you can give that.
You may want to use hot compresses yourself to deal with engorgement. Be careful you don't get an infection and if you suspect so, you may need to get anti-biotics for yourself.

I suppose you already do this, but it will help to raise your son's bed where the pillows are so he lays slightly at an angle (books under legs at head end of the bed). The steroids should reduce the inflammation so hopefully start working soon, helping him breathe better. Other concern is to ensure that he keeps drinking so he doesn't get dehydrated.

Hope he improves soon.