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Children's health

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Original poster

10 days old and breathing funny - what do I do?

18 replies

soon2befamilyof4 · 04/05/2009 20:03

Hello. I have absolutly no idea if this is absolutly nothing or something that needs seeing to ASAP. I am just too worried to go to bed without any advice.

DD2 is 10 days old. She has been Jandiced but not enough to need to be in hospital or anything. So has been at home with us from day 1.

Her breathing this afternoon/evening is suddenly very heavy and fast? DH says it is wheezing, but I am not too sure how you would describe it. I guess it Sounds like I would if I ran round the block. She is in my sling (close baby carrier) as I wanted to keep her close to me so I can monitor it. Please tell me if I should take her out though. Just felt safer than putting her down in the pram where I wouldn't be watching her the whole time.

Anyway - do you think she needs to be checked today? The midwife should be coming tomorrow but I have no idea what time or anything.

Thank you in advance for any advice. I did think of NHS direct but TBH I have had some awful advice from them and usually get more sense from you lot!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

rubyslippers · 04/05/2009 20:04

call the labour ward - i think you can generally speak to a midwife

NHS direct will undoubtedly tell you to go to A & E with a child so young

do you have an OOH GP service? if so, call them as well

mrsmaidamess · 04/05/2009 20:05

If your newborn is breathing funny I would probably ring NHS direct or take to A&E

FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 04/05/2009 20:05

Take her to the hospital if you think she's not breathing as she should be. Let them check her over. Get off here, get her checked.

BoysAreLikeDogs · 04/05/2009 20:05

Does she suck her tummy in so that you can see the ribs near her tummy and tummy button?

Is there a sort of grunt as she breathes in?

TBH I would go straight to a and e with one so tiny

TheDOGmamma · 04/05/2009 20:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

SlightlyMadSwineFlu · 04/05/2009 20:07

I agree - with one so tiny I would be getting it checked at WalkIn or A&E tonight.

ilovesprouts · 04/05/2009 20:10

i also agree take her to a&e now

ChippyMinton · 04/05/2009 20:13

A&E now, to be on the safe side. Otherwise you will be up all night worrying.

Wallace · 04/05/2009 20:15

I am going to agree with the others here (unusually for me on these threads) and say: DO get her checked if you are worried.

BALD gives good advice about watching for her tummy sucking in at the bottom of her rib cage, and also look at the little dip where her collarbones almost met and see if it is being sucked in. If so she is breathing too hard.

Original poster

soon2befamilyof4 · 04/05/2009 20:18

Thank you. I am going to take her to A+E now. I will update thread when I get home or tomorrow to let you know how we get on. It stops and starts. One min she is really heavy, then suddenly goes back to normal which makes me panic and think she has stopped breathing (she hasn't!). Just suddenly goes quiet.

Off to hospital now.

OP posts:

rubyslippers · 04/05/2009 20:19

really hope all is well

Wallace · 04/05/2009 20:21

I will also say that little babies do just sometimes breathe oddly and nothing is wrong. Hope that is the case - good luck

ilovesprouts · 04/05/2009 20:36

maybe its a stridor i dont know hope all is ok

Original poster

soon2befamilyof4 · 05/05/2009 00:11

All fine, said it is just where newborns are adjusting to being in the air etc. Saw a very nice doctor who gave her a reallly good check over everywhere, I asked him loads of irrelevant questions about other things baby related (like concerns over her belly button, nails, rash etc) and he explained things really well for me. He also didn't make me feel like I was wasting their time and said to bring her in anytime which is really good as I have always been made to feel like I am being very PFB over my DD1 when I have taken her in and it has been nothing.

With the breathing, he explained that for the first 2 weeks or so they are still adjusting to being out in the real world and having to breath by themselves, so sometimes they speed up the breathing too much and the brain tells them to slow down. They then sometimes slow down too much and therefore get too fast again iyswim? Which is what he thinks she was doing. He said she looks well, feeding well (fed for half hour while we were waiting to be seen), having plenty of wet and dirty nappies (pooed twice just in the time we were in the actual doctors room bit!). She has also put on weight and was so alert while he was seeing her. She does have a really bad rash but he said just to make sure she is cleaned properly, change nappies often (worst part is just below belly button etc).

Thanks for all telling me to go. Even though I did wait a couple of hours I am glad I went.

OP posts:

FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 05/05/2009 00:13

I'm so pleased everything's OK. It's always best to get these things checked.

blinks · 05/05/2009 02:01

good... sounds like normal baby breathing. if baby istarts using it's tummy muscles to breathe and you notice it going up and down/in and out around the upper abdomen area while inhaling and exhaling, you need to get it seen asap.

ilovesprouts · 05/05/2009 10:52

im glad your little one is ok

Wallace · 06/05/2009 20:56

Glad she is okay. You did the right thing checking it out - you would have worried otherwise

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