Advice for 7 month old in hospital

[Yawnandstretch]

Hi,

Wasn't sure which board to post on…7mo DS is currently in hospital being tube fed and on optiflow, this is his 5th admission so you’d think we’d be pros by now but it’s been been 6 weeks since he was last in and during that 6 weeks he has given up his dummy which previously has really helped him with ng tube discomfort and settling without breastfeeding.

He has also learnt to crawl so isn’t really wanting to lie down at all, no matter what toys I’ve offered, all he want to do is crawl around the cot which isn’t ideal as he is attached to a variety of wires.

He is constantly trying to pull out his tube and optiflow and just very upset and uncomfortable. This is our main issue - how do we keep these in? They’ve already had to be replaced twice overnight so dread to think how many times it will be once he wakes up.

Our hospital have been great in allowing me to cosleep as he was waking every time I tried to put him down and obviously can’t hold him 24/7 as I need to use the toilet, use the breast pump, and possibly eat and sleep but not really managed that in last 24 hours!

Sorry for ramble;

• How am I going to be able to help him keep ng tube in all day? He hates having this reinserted and it’s getting more traumatic for him the older he gets.
• How can entertain him all day when he just want to crawl but screams because he can’t really and he’s actually feeling really poorly.

He might sleep a bit more in the day today but he doesn’t tend to be a little one who just sleeps loads when poorly.

Thank you if you’ve read this far!

Hospitals often have trained volunteers to help in these sorts of situations, as a parent you need to be able to go to the loo, shower etc. our local hospital screen volunteers and many are people whose children where once in hospital but now are much older/adults.

Thank you, I will ask our nurse about the is, haven’t come across it but maybe because we haven’t really needed it until now.

Does the hospital have play therapists? They usually bring around toys and things to help entertain young children, although at 7 months that might be limited too. So sorry, it's really hard to keep them entertained in hospital. Would he watch dancing fruit or basic cartoons?

They have a lovely play therapist @Kungfoopanda but she only works in the week. The dancing fruit worked well today and we had a few visitors as it’s the weekend so wasn’t as bad as I thought today. Thanks for your advice 🙂

My child was younger when admitted but if I recall correctedly we used to clip the ng tube to her babygro with a hair clip.

Second play therapist.

I hope you are discharged soon.

That sounds really hard. I bet there's a Facebook group for parents of kids with NG tube, have you looked?

Have you tried one of those light projector things for entertainment?

Hospital sucks, I hope you're out soon. Do you have people who can visit to help make sure you can eat and wash etc?

Thank you @CCLCECSC and @Haroldwilson at the moment the ng tube is taped all the way round to the back of his neck so hopefully if it does get a yank it doesn’t come out fully, he did have to have it reinserted this afternoon and has mostly left it alone since so maybe old enough to realise it hurts when you pull it.

Facebook group is a great idea, will have a look now, and will ask DH to bring in light projector tomorrow as looks like we’ll be a few more nights yet.

My DH and DM have been great, but they both have work and we have older DC too so lots to juggle.

Hope you're doing ok today.

I also wondered about mittens, like the ones you use to stop babies scratching - socks on his hands might work?