3 month old with bronchiolitis and still not feeding properly. PLEASE HELP ME! Desperate for some mum advice seen as were getting no where with doctors!!!

[DaisyMay0]

It’s abit of a long one but please stay with me. Last Monday I took both my sons to the GP (3 and 3 month old). Eldest was put on antibiotics for a chest infection and youngest was sent to hospital.
We went to the hospital because he was taking less than 25% of his feeds and wasn’t weeing. When we got to the hospital they first said the reason he wasn’t drinking was because he was being over fed which is just ridiculous!!! Then they just said if he did a wee and drank some milk we could go home! He managed to drink 2oz in the 5 hours we were there and never did a wee but they still sent him home (personally I think they shouldn’t of).
He’s a very big baby weighing over 16lbs and usually drinks 6 x 8oz bottles a day.

Come Tuesday morning we had to ring the ambulance as he was struggling to breathe. We spent the whole morning in a&e where they made us syringe water into him and he went onto oxygen. But then by afternoon we had to go back onto children’s ward where they said they were just keeping an eye on him once he’d drank he could go. But he didn’t drink and we still came home. The only good thing they did was prescribe him new reflux medication which we weren’t in there for.
Fast forward to now and he has perked up (still coughing) but he is still struggling to feed! The amount has increased a tad but still less than 50% of his normal amount.

He now does not stop screaming! We have had hardly any sleep all week. Last night he was up every 2 hours screaming so much just for him to be resettled back to sleep. I just don’t know what is wrong with him and why he’s not taking his milk still. I feel there is something more to this than just bronchiolitis. But no one wants to help us. What do we do because I’m pulling my hair out. Do I go back to the hospital? Do I just ride this out? What? I’m tired and fed up I don’t know what more we can do.

I can understand you being stressed. How are things this morning @DaisyMay0?

@BunnyRuddington he’s currently sat in his bouncy chair for his 10 mins quiet time. No doubt will kick off very soon. He’s managed to have a bottle in 2 stages. First bit while in the bath while he calmed down and then the other half dream fed. But the bottles are still not the full 8oz he usually has. His bottle before this morning was 7pm last night and it was 3oz! I don’t think he’s even had 15oz in one day all week! He’s calm now he’s got calpol and Ibuprofen in him. Me and my partner are exhausted we physically can’t hold him anymore because that’s all we have done all week and he’s so big and heavy! We have had a full nights sleep or even 4 solid hours in a week either! I’m so fed up.

Glad he's settled for a bit for you. Have you tried things like a nasal aspirator and having him in the bathroom whist you run a hot shower? The steam should clear his airways and help him to breath.

If he's struggling feeding from a bottle, have you tried a cup as well?

@BunnyRuddington we’ve tried all that but we don’t think that’s the issue anymore as the bronchiolitis seems to be easing. We’ve been having to syringe feed him this week but even then he didn’t want the syringe.

we’ve tried all that but we don’t think that’s the issue anymore as the bronchiolitis seems to be easing. We’ve been having to syringe feed him this week but even then he didn’t want the syringe.

And that's with pain relief as well?

Gosh that's really difficult. I'd be tempted to call 111.

@BunnyRuddington yeah so he’s been sick now for 10 days but it’s eased a hell of a lot since our second hospital trip Tuesday. He’s perked up but our concern is that he still isn’t taking his full amount of milk. Well not even 50%. He’s on constant pain relief as obviously somethings irritating him but we just don’t know what as he just crying all the time and it’s hard work getting a bottle in him. Every time we see a doctor they really fob us off. I’ve just got to the point now where I want to cry all day and walk away.

That does sound really difficult and I can understand you being upset.

I know it's probably unusual advice but if you are feeling like that, couple your DP take him to the Walk In centre? It's my experience that HCPs listen to the Dad and are much less likely to fob them off. Just right down how Minch formula he's had in 24 hours compared to how much he should have had, which is 2.5 floz for every pound of weight and send them both off.

It might be a good idea to film him screaming and refusing a bottle as well so that your DP can show the HCP exactly what's happening.

If they go it will give you a bit of a break from t and also give you some time with DC1

Babies can go off their milk for a few reasons.

This heat might not be helping. If he is taking some milk, is weeing and does seem to be on the mend, stick with what you're doing. If things change at all, or your instinct says something is off, take him back to the hospital.

Have you tried offering a bit of water? Just a spoonful, not to replace feeds.

I’m so sorry you’re going through this, I would trust your instincts here and get help. Can you go through the Health Visiting Team instead? They might be more use and know more about what could be going on here and offer help. Does he have a depressed soft spot? (can be a sign of dehydration) and are you getting a good amount of wet nappies? If it was me I’d try to keep baby cool in the heat and call my health visitor today or 111 if there was no-one available on a Sunday.