Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

6 wk old in hospital with Bronchiolitis- support/shared stories pls!

50 replies

mumofthreeboysS · 08/02/2014 08:54

My 6 week old baby has been admitted to hospital with bronchiolitis. He's on oxygen and a drip and is nil by mouth at the moment. I'm so scared and worried. He started getting Ill in Monday and we went to a&e Thurs night as he was grunting whilst breathing. They monitored and discharged him (not thinking it was bronchiolitis) then Friday I thought he wasn't himself- laboured breathing and sleepy and took him to the doc who said he should go to hosp. Doc at hosp diagnosed him and here we are. Doc has told me they have to get over the worst Of it then will start getting better. But what if he doesn't? I can't bring myself to ask the doc this and haven't told my DH about my fears. He's so tiny and I feel so helpless. I can't even feed him (have been bf and am expressing ATM) any similar stories to give me hope or advice?

OP posts:
Cakesnbeer · 09/02/2014 15:46

Great that he is on the mend. You will be back home soon:)

TeWiSavesTheDay · 09/02/2014 19:01

How has been doing today mumof3boyS?

Elibean · 09/02/2014 19:27

Sounds to me as though he's turned a corner Smile

Hope its leaps and bounds now. You'll both need sleep to catch up!

2kidsintow · 09/02/2014 19:31

My DD (now 9) was hospitalised with bronchiolitis and RSV at 8 weeks old. She was in for 6 days and it was a nightmare. She didn't understand why she couldn't be given a full feed, yet they'd told me to limit her milk as a full stomach decreases lung capacity.

She wasn't put on nil by mouth though. No medication given, just oxygen.

It was a matter of keeping fingers crossed until her sats improved enough for her to go home.

Original poster
mumofthreeboysS · 10/02/2014 01:00

They've upped his feeds to two hourly now which is good- but he won't settle and I'm at the end of my tether. Day 3 of sleep deprivation- I don't think i can do any more. I'm so tired and now getting so irritated that he won't settle and I just want one flipping hour of sleep.

I can't do this night after night...

OP posts:
TeWiSavesTheDay · 10/02/2014 07:39

Have you tried a dummy between feeds? Dd2 never wanted one normally (and doesn't have it now) but loved it when she couldn't feed as much as she wanted.

It is very tiring. Are you still using bottles and expressed milk? One of the nurses could do a feed for you while you sleep?

CelticPromise · 10/02/2014 07:54

He will want to suck. Ask if there's a bf supporter in the hospital that can come to see you. I've had a baby in hospital and I really feel for you. The sucking action of feeding can settle them. I fed my DS when he was on CPAP and oxygen, sounds like your baby might be ready for direct feeds again.

Original poster
mumofthreeboysS · 10/02/2014 08:15

well they think that bf would still be too tiring for him hence him having a tube. Its now just gone 8 and I got less than an hours sleep, he hasn't ha much more and they also gave him ibrufen and paracetamol and got me to bf him for 5 mins (the max allowed time!) which only settled him whilst he was bf!

he's got a dummy that he's been using almost constantly but it hasn't helped settle him. At my wits end. DH is going to have to do tonight even if I can't express enough milk. Thing is, there were only 2 nurses on duty last night- half the time i couldn't find anyone when I needed help and neither of them offered to settle him so I could sleep. I was irrational and grumpy and crying half the time and they just ignored me like I was some crazy woman! talk about no suppport for the mum. If I'm this exhausted my supply will take a hit and I won't produce enough milk so surely looking after mum is important??

OP posts:
Sirzy · 10/02/2014 08:21

Are there no hcas working? When DS is ill they are great for stepping in and helping with settling and things especially at night

CelticPromise · 10/02/2014 09:25

Could you try holding him skin to skin for a while while you both rest? Poor you, sounds so stressful. If there are any nurses you particularly like or trust you could ask about trying a longer feed while they monitor him? And take a break if you need one. Go home and have a sleep. You must be wrung out.

Original poster
mumofthreeboysS · 10/02/2014 11:07

celtic skin to skin would be fab and probably very calming for him but he's hooked up to too many machines and has to stay on his bed- most I can do is cuddle him standing up Sad sirzy sorry what are hcas? The nurses did try and settle him a bit but it still didn't help me get any sleep unfortunately

OP posts:
Sirzy · 10/02/2014 11:24

Health care assistants.

They should be able to jiggle machines so you can sit down and give him a cuddle. I couldn't cuddle DS when he was on CPAP as he couldn't be moved but I have a photo of the 'first' hug (after 5 days on cpap) and he is on oxygen, feeding tube, sats machine and heart monitor but they managed to move things so we could have a brief cuddle sat down.

Cakesnbeer · 10/02/2014 14:40

Honestly be a pain, if he can bf for five mins he can probably be bf... The sats don't drop much whilst bf if at all. Get them to jiggle stuff, get it so you are both comfy and feeling happier. I really feel for you, poor support makes it so much harder.

Original poster
mumofthreeboysS · 10/02/2014 21:10

Well date a really shitty night the doc today said his oxygen tube could come off and I could bf him! Annoyingly I'm sure he was ready for this last night- hence him being really upset and unsettled, but oh well at least it's better now. What a relief he's on the mend. Thanks so much to everyone for your support and comments- you truly have got me through one of the scariest times of my life. Hopefully he'll be home the next few days- with a terrible cough but at least he'll be able to feed and be at home.

OP posts:
Original poster
mumofthreeboysS · 10/02/2014 21:11

'After' not 'date'

OP posts:
siiiiiiiiigh · 10/02/2014 21:16

Woop! Great news.

Get some rest, you'll probably not sleep much when you get home, you'll be up and down to him all night to make sure he's ok. Naturally, he'll be sleeping like a, erm, baby.

Penano · 10/02/2014 21:20

Hi - this was my DD just before Christmas. She was just under 5 weeks when admitted & we were in for nearly 2 weeks in total. It is terrifying, so I feel for you so much & sending get well wishes and hugs for you. I bf too and found keeping my supply up very difficult. DD was tube fed for just over a week but easily picked up bf again once she was strong enough. We basically went back to being on 2 hourly bf for no more than 3mins just to keep her hydrated. Ironically I got some rest because DD was admitted to ICU and we couldn't stay with her. I was so worn out that I did get some sleep at home for the nights she was there. DD started picking up on day 7 of the virus. Is your DS on oxygen or Vapotherm or CPAP?
We were warned that some babies get a cold after the RSV virus and can wheeze / cough for months. DD is still struggling with a cold which sends me into a panic most days - but she is ok. I really really hope that your DS is on the mend & back home with you soon.

Penano · 10/02/2014 21:23

It takes me so long to write any posts that since starting my last post I see good news! Really hope the bf picks up well again - but the main thing is that you can get a cuddle with your DS!

Original poster
mumofthreeboysS · 12/02/2014 09:50

penano poor you, it's such an awful worrying thing to go through! Well he got discharged yesterday so we're at home now-woohoo! Only problem we have now is that he was put in his tummy in hospital as it was better for his lungs- now he prefers it so he's difficult to settle! But I guess it'll take time for him to get back to normality - just so glad he's recovering and we're all home!

OP posts:
Penano · 12/02/2014 13:15

Delighted you are home! We had the same thing following discharge with swaddling! Really hope your DS continues his recovery swiftly and that you get to start your recovery too Thanks

NightCircus · 12/02/2014 13:19

My baby had it at 1 day (bizarrely must have picked up a virus as soon as he was born).
We were in 9 nights and he was fine.
I met a work acquaintance on the ward, her 15 month old had been in for 3 weeks but was going to be going home with oxygen, (she wasn't worried by this).
The staff said it is very very common at this time of year.
Good luck x

PookBob · 12/02/2014 20:28

I am so glad to hear you are home, that's wonderful news :)

TeWiSavesTheDay · 12/02/2014 20:35

I'm glad you're home! Dd was unsettled for a couple of nights then got back to normal. I'm sure it must be very strange for them.

Just to warn you dd continued to wheeze and have chest recession for several months afterwards. We have been frequent fliers at the gp! However she is fine, was feeding okay etc, just took a little while to 100% recover. GPs were also very happy for us to bring her in whenever we were concerned.

deakymom · 15/02/2014 23:56

my son went in at a few months old he was in a headbox with a tube up his nose for nearly a week i felt great because i was shut in a room full of oxygen 24/7 Grin he is fine now but he does still wheeze and apparently he might do for some time it does make them prone to this a bit but he hasn't be hospitalised since and he is 13 months now the other thing is he might be phlegmy for awhile which means prone to vomit we had to prop the cot up for weeks after he got out and cut his feeds right down he is in the best place to help him

Elibean · 16/02/2014 10:17

Glad you're home Flowers

dd was also nursed on her tummy in hospital, and for her - she had a floppy larynx - it was also much, much more comfortable ongoingly. I struggled a while but within weeks she was able to turn herself and so I gave up. She still sleeps on her tummy aged 7, like a little frog Smile

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread