Bronchiolitis in 20weeks advice

[Lionbaby]

My son is just under 5 months and has been diagnosed with bronchiolitis. His symptoms started on Friday with a cough and very noisy breathing. He has a bit of a wheeze anyway but with the illness it really is loud and so worrying.
He’s been sent to A&E twice this week (by the GP for a second opinion on the diagnosis and then by 111 as his symptoms worsened slightly) and doctors have been concerned by the chest sounds but have said his oxygen levels are ok, and that it normally peaks at 3-6 days and then gets better.
Just looking for some reassurance if anyone else has been through similar, or any advice on making him feel better/more comfortable.
It’s awful to see him so unwell.

Sorry to hear your little one is unwell. Bronchiolitis is horrible. My daughter had it when she was around 7 months old. I can't exactly remember now what her symptoms etc were other than coughing/wheezing, but she ended up staying in a ward overnight after I took her to A&E as she wasn't feeding. They used a suction tube down her nose/throat to her upper airway to clear out some of the mucous, and after that she was able to feed. Is your son still managing to feed? If so, I'd take that as a good sign. If I remember correctly, we were advised to avoid steam, as this doesn't help with bronchiolitis. Do you have an oxygen reader at home to check his sats? This can often be reassuring. We got one to have in the house after my daughter had it.

If you are worried at all that he may be getting worse, don't hesitate to call back or take him back to A&E. Little ones can deteriorate so fast

@Killerqueenie
Thanks so much for your reply.
Thankfully he is still feeding well, I’m giving him it little and often and he’s getting on fine with that. He’s asleep now and is generally better on a night so I’m hoping he’ll get a good rest.
We don’t have an oxygen reader but I might see about getting one thank you - it would be reassuring to see his levels were good.
I’m just desperate to see some signs of improvement. Can I ask how long it was before your daughter started to feel better?
thanks again for your reply and hope your little one is fully recovered.

It’s just awful listening to them isn’t it. Mine had it when he was teeny. Only a few weeks old and we only narrowly missed being admitted too. I just kept him close by and comfortable and watched him. I’m sure advice was to sit in the bathroom near a hot steamy shower (not in it) to help make the breathing easier. I remember doing that a lot for a week or so. And lots of hugs.

I hope he’s on the mend soon.

@KayVess
thanks for your message, I can’t imagine how hard it must have been with a teeny baby. I’m keeping a close eye on him and giving him lots of cuddles, it’s just so hard to see him struggle with it and such a worry.
I hope your little one is fully recovered.

Sorry I've only just came back on so I didn't see your reply. I can't remember how long it took for her to recover. She is nearly 3 now. It did get worse before it got better though. How is your son doing today?

@Killerqueenie
thanks for your message. We’re on day 9 since his symptoms started and he’s doing a little better thank you. Still very wheezy but a bit more like himself thankfully. Hoping we’re past the worst of it!

Glad to hear he's recovering. My DD had this at a couple of months, it was frightening and we had hospital checks etc, but she recovered fine and well. Hope your DS is all better soon.

My DD had it at 10 weeks and had to be admitted. She was on oxygen for 3 days but once that stopped she was out next day.