Perceived wisdom on antibiotics on breastfed 8 mth old - pls advise on whether I am being an arse or not.

[Piffle]

Briefly
DD 5 has severe tonsilitis on antibiotics, ds1 13 has head cold sore throat
DP has sinusitis and antibiotics
2 weeks ago I heroicly fought off sinusitis and tonlsitis on my own - took damned ages though

Right dilemma
2 wks ago ds2 8 mths was also full of cold, temp and grotty, took to after hrs doc who offered antibiotics to take if he worsened but that ds2 seemed to be fighting it off well as he said breastfed babies should do.
And duly ds2 got better.

So now 2 wks on, ds2 is now coughing - was loose throaty phlegm, he was fine with it, clear runny nose - no worries, no temp, sleeping and eating ok.
Today cough is dry and more frequent, nose runnier still not temp and he is still feedigng and alert and active.

Dp says give him antibiotics incase it turns out to be something serious like bronchiolitis (doing the rds atm)

I am resisting no idea why
Am I being an arse?

well - as you know i've just got Samuel on them for a chest infection and personally - after sazzy's experience - I'm relieved he is...

I am also still b'fding but that didn't stop his chest getting infected so I'm glad he's on them now... i'm noticing an improvement already...

can you not pop to your gp to get his chest listened to?

chest is clear atm, no rattling or wheezing
also very mindful of Sazzys ds's time too.

Pop to the GP
yeah with about 75 weeks notice

'was loose throaty phlegm, he was fine with it, clear runny nose - no worries, no temp, sleeping and eating ok.
Today cough is dry and more frequent, nose runnier still not temp and he is still feedigng and alert and active.'

it doesn't sound like he needs antibiotics ( but I'm not a doctor) and bronchitis is often caused by a virus anyway so antibiotics won't help.

sometimes if you phone the receptionists and ask to tag your baby on to a morning or afternoon surgery they should do so...

... clearly lots of times they don't - but you may get lucky!

... if you don't think he's rattly though - perhaps just wait and see how he goes...

I am happy to wait Dp isn't so happy...

antibiotics wont stop bronchiolitis,the most common cause of it is a virus called RSV,and it can be caused by other less nasty viruses,but when babies do get it they dont generally get given antibiotics anyway(dd2 was given AB's when she was in hospital with it as when they did her bio-cultures they found she had a Hib infection as well amongst other things,but she was only 11 days old and ff so had no immune system to speak of).

personally,i would leave it and only give them to him if he develops a temperature.

i missed that bit about the gp...my gp surgery will always see babies at short notice if you tell them its urgent.

Piffle, I always try and hold off on the abs. It's not so good to give 'just in case' if he has no temp etc then he's most probably ok.

Bronchiolitis is usually viral if that's what you're worrying about.

Is it possible to get back to the GP? Easier outofhours? If so do that.

Holding off sounds reasonable to me

So the GP prescribed antibiotics two weeks ago for something different and now your DH wants to give them to him for something new, more minor and not sounding at all bacterial?

Sounds a bit dappy to me.

I always resist antibiotics too, and I'm not entirely sure why exactly.

Piffle you know I have no prior experience of this type of thing (antibiotics in babies) but the one thing I do know is that often Doctors have very limited experience with breastfed babies.

I was told when ds was ill with tummy bug to give him water (but luckily found out via breastfeeding specialist at support group that this was a load of horlicks and I should just give him my milk).

So I would just be ever so slightly wary of Dr advice.

Which I suppose is why you're on MN!

If you do want to see Dr and can't get appt though, do you have an NHS walk-in centre locally? They will see you straight away especially with ill baby.

I'm not even sure he needs a doc he is fine except he is snotty and coughy
Sleeps fine though!

i think youre right to hold off. he sounds like hes getting better to me.

Arrghh now ds1 13 has come down with high temp and sinusitis and he looks dreadful.

Dare not send dd back to school when she is better as have just heard D+V bug and chicken pox are going round

This has been a truly shitty time for us illness wise
We are all wrecked

it does all seem to come at once doesnt it? nightmare.

agree about keeping her off longer in that case. let her build up strength and immunity again before sending her out into the germfest of school

unless of course, you need a break, in which case, get her out!

That sounds grim.

If you don't even think he needs dr... then I am sure you are right re: antibiotics. Good on you for giving him lots of lovely antibodies.

It really doesn't sound as if DS2 needs ABs - sounds like he just has another cold. A cold is a virus. You will know if he gets to the stage of needing ABs.

I resist ABs too. DS is 6 and has just had his second ever lot - both times for sinusitis.

Don't know how you feel about vitamin supplements but I give DS Vivioptal every morning and he doesn't seem to get as sick as other children do with the various things that do the rounds at this time of year. Your older DCs may benefit from it or something similar.

Yeah I'm in the avoid abs camp. I hate the way they kill healthy bacteria too and upset the bodys balance. I know they are sometimes neccessary.

I doesn't sound to me like he needs antibiotics, I always try to avoid as I hate the stomach uosets etc that come with them. Sounds like you are having a really rough time at the moment ((big blankety hug)

I've got conjunctivits too
GRim
ds2 is still coughing but doc said if no temp and drinking ok, then he is fine.

ds1 not a well boy, bad throat, dp still off, and dd is on the mend and no trouble she is an angel.

Doc told me to get more rest...
Have yet to stop laughing