Chesty toddlers - dealing with anxiety over every cold

[JiminaSlump]

Any other parents have a child with a viral wheeze or who gets chesty every time they get a cold?

We're having a really bad few weeks with DD(2) - she's been to A&E twice, once by ambulance, and now she's got another cold that's making her a bit wheezy and breathless. She's got a repeat prescription of a blue inhaler and a wheeze plan, but it doesn't help with the utter anxiety of how her breathing will be if she does get ill.

I'm stressing myself out about it - she's already been to the GP this morning because she's on the maximum dose of the inhaler, and he thinks she's okay and that we can keep doing what we're doing, which is fine, but she can deteriorate SO fast and I am petrified that she'll go all floppy again.

How do you deal with the fear? She's running around after her ball - breathing fast, but her nose is also totally stuffed up. I'm watching her every move and fretting. Any ideas?

I didn't want to read this and run, just wanted to send you a bit of solidarity though I don't have much advice. My kids are now 7 and 10 but I used to suffer from a lot of anxiety from their illnesses when they were younger - particularly because my younger sister was seriously ill as a kid so it brought back a lot of memories of that. One thing that did help was not to be afraid of my anxiety, if that makes sense - more to try to welcome it in as a natural emotion. The other thing that helped a lot was just my kids getting older and more able to communicate to me about how they were feeling. You won't feel like this forever. It is normal to worry, honestly.

Thank you for replying. It can feel like a lonely place!

She actually had to go back to the doctor this afternoon after a bit of a decline - I'm wondering now if my anxiety about her is my instinct that something isn't right? Either way, I think your advice about accepting the anxiety is very good! It's either telling me something or it's just how I'm feeling and both of those things are to be listened to, if you get me.

I totally get that, yes. It's working out how to cope with the awful feeling of it, isn't it? I would recommend digging around and finding some coping tools - I read a good book at the time I was really suffering from this but I am so sorry - can't remember the name. You won't be able to stop your DD getting ill every now and then (probs a lot while she's still small), but you'll definitely be able to help yourself becoming overwhelmed like this. Honestly it does get better as your kid gets bigger and a bit more robust! Good luck!