I need some reassurance/advice about my 8 week old. At 2 weeks old he caught a cold, blocked nose, rattly breathing and a cough. He started bringing up his feeds, and there were lumps of green mucous in the milk. I kept feed him loads and we used the nasal aspirator, but after a week there was no improvement so I took him to the GP. The GP said there was nothing he could do, there was no fever, chest was clear, and we should wait it out, it wouldn't last much longer - he implied over-reacting mother and was rather patronising.
Two weeks later he was still ill. There hadn't been any improvement but I'd waited it out as I wasn't sure if I was over-reacting still or not. But I went to the GP, saw a different one who said it wasn't normal for it to have lasted 3 weeks and prescribed antiBs. Still no fever and clear chest. He said DS2 would be back to normal in 48 hours, but obv. finish the course. After 6 days of anti-Bs the blocked nose was gone, the cough had eased of loads, but he was still quite rattly. He started feeding a bit better and vomited less. We finished the 7 days, and thought he would keep improving.
Less than a week after the anti-Bs ended the cough came back, as did the vomiting. Another couple of days and he seemed to be getting worse. We were in France so we saw a GP there who said he didn't know what was wrong, no fever, clear chest, so nothing serious, and prescribed physiotherapy - great, but that's only available in France not England. We did see a physio in France once, and it seemed to loosen everything up. DS2 slept really well that night, and had less of a cough and less trouble breathing for about 24 hours.
But we're still back where he was when I first saw the GP, minus the blocked nose. Today he had his 8 week check. I said I wasn't sure about vaccinating him while he's unwell and they agreed. I saw the GP and explained he's been ill for 6 weeks and nothings shaking it. She checked for a fever - nothing, chest still clear. So I got the old favourite "come back and see us in 2 weeks if he's no better".
It been 6 weeks already! My 8 weeks old has been ill for more than 3/4 of his life now. I feel so sorry for him and I'm going crazy that there is apparently nothing that can be done.
I know he's not seriously ill. I can see why they're not that worried about a cough and rattly breathing. He's not got a chest infection, he's not got a fever. But I still can't believe it's ok for him to have been ill for 6 weeks. It's worse at night and then he has trouble breathing and trouble feeding. His cough makes him bring up lots of his feeds and so he has to feed lots. I'm exhausted and worried.
So I suppose I'd like to be reassured that it really is ok. And if people don't think it is is there anything else I can do? And is there anything I can try myself to help him get better?
Thanks if you read all of this!