Viral Meningitis - affected sleep & best way to recocse

[Fevs]

We returned from the hospital yesterday after our 6 wk old was in for viral meningitis.
We have been told she has now recovered (thank god).
Although she hasnt been a great sleeper so far (I suppose she is only 6 weeks!) last night was particularly bad where she was up every hour and took ages to settle. No tempreture though.

She also had an infection which she is still on antibiotics for and has a cannula in her arm so I thought maybe this is uncomfortable for her? I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this with their little one after coming home? And if it improved after time?

I was also keen for some advice on how to move on from this. We were obviously terrified whilst she was in hospital as the doctors didn’t know what was wrong for 3 days while waiting for results so we were thinking the worst! Now she’s well again I really don’t want her to catch anything again so am tempted to lock her in a room until her 8 wk jabs!
But when do you tend to go out again and mix with other people/ say yes to visitors?
Is there anything I can do to prevent something like this happening again?
Thanks all

Sorry that should say - best way to recover!

I think you should go back to the hospital

6 week olds often don’t get temperatures if infections. She’s very little and she’s been very ill. It’s not unreasonable at all to ask for her to be rechecked out.
Not settling isn’t really normal and would indicate to me she might still have medical issues

And as for you - counselling is a great option to get over the trauma you’ve been through. Ask your hospital if they provide support for parents. If not - ask your gp for a referral.

My lo was also very ill as a newborn and I won’t lie it’s taken us a few years to start to even feel normal. She will be more prone to infections and complications so do take her back to a and e to be checked out.
Is she drinking and weeing still?
Is her skin nicely coloured or is it mottled?

Thank you all.
We had to go back to the hospital anyway this morning for her last dose of antibiotics and they gave her a check over and said she is fine.
I think it is more down to her not eating enough before falling asleep and then waking up an hour later hungry again! The doctor said she has now recovered but to obviously come back as soon as she seems unwell again (high temp, not eating etc).
In the day she eats loads and is weeing and pooing as normal it’s just in the night that she is a bit more tricky.
@applesandpears56 - what was your lo sick with? As the doctors have said this type of virus won’t make her more prone more so to anything else...? But of course like all babies we must take the usual procautions.
I just wasn’t sure when the most reasonable time is to interact with the outside world again!
She’s always had quite mottled skin so that’s quite a tricky sign to go by annoyingly

Well she will be more prone to other things - just as an adult would after a serious illness. Just for a while her immune system will have taken a big hit. Babies do recover quickly though.
My lo had viral myocarditis.
Young babies really don’t get temperatures so please don’t rely on this as a marker of whether she is ill. You should go mostly on your instinct with such a young baby and whether she is eating and settling and weeing. Not feeding and having mottled skin is a sign of sepsis in babies but yes they can only be signs of things much less serious too.
I would keep her in for a while and give her a chance to recover personally then build up slowly but be careful about germs for a while.
You might want to get her hearing checked at a later date after meningitis?

Oh and check it’s not thrush keeping her awake from the antibiotics.., white patches on the inside of her cheeks or bad nappy rash are some signs. It’s common for babies to get thrush after antibiotics

She has got bad nappy rash actually and the nurse gave me some medi honey...? Sounds like I should go to the doctor about thrush though?
Oh the doctor kept mentioning about looking out for a high temp! But yes I know there can be lots of different signs to look out for aside from this. Yes we have a hearing appt booked in too.
Fingers crossed that hasn’t been affected!
Thanks

i think there would be a temp but only a very mild one in a 6 week old? It’s older babies and children that get temperatures.
Yes I would consider thrush and using canestan nappy cream - you can get this from the pharmacy without prescription