8 week old in hospital

[FruitPoppet]

No real reason for post, just wanted to vent.

Sat in a children's ward with my 8 week old after she spiked a temp of 39.1.

She had been sleepy all day, a few odd coloured nappies, but I didn't think much of it. Just on a whim while I was getting her ready for bed I took her temp; 38.2. waited 15 mins, took it again 38.4.

111 we're useless, they called me back on my phone when we had asked to be called on my partners, so we missed the call. Waited another 50 mins for them to call us back, and when they didn't I made the call to just make our way to a&e.

So deeply glad we did as they still haven't called us back!

Arrived at a&e and seen immediately, babies temp was 39.1. Very swiftly surrounded by drs. Baby was breathing oddly and had a HR of 200. Very traumatic watching them trying to get a cannula in. Admitted overnight for antibiotics, observations and running blood cultures.

I've not slept a wink. They wouldn't let my partner stay and he's not insured to drive the car we borrowed from a neighbour to get here (our car is in the garage 🙃) so he's sleeping in the carpark.

Feeling greatful for my intuition, guilty for not trusting it sooner, and tireder than I thought possible!

Hope all goes well.

@FruitPoppet so sorry to hear this and reading your message brought back a lot of memories of when this happened to my 4 week old.

He also had a temperature in the 39s. I've since found out that any baby under 3 months shouldn't really get a high temperature so they automatically start the sepsis pathway with any child that presents with a temp under 3 months just to be safe. The fact they are cannulating and getting antibiotics I straight away means they've done this and acted quick which is amazing. From my experience it can take 36 hours for the cultures to grow so you will be in for at least that time on iv antibiotics until they know exactly what bug it is.

My DS actually had meningitis. A consultant took a look at him and wanted to do a lumber puncture 'just to be safe' and low and behold it came back with meningitis. It was an agonising 36 hours to wait for those culture results to come back too to determine if it was bacterial or viral- He had viral meningitis which is much less serious and again I've since found out it's much more common than we realise; I'd never even heard of it before.

Sending you a huge handhold as I know how frightening it is to feel helpless when they're so tiny. Please feel free to reach out if you need someone to talk to ❤️

@FruitPoppet also a huge well done on following your intuition- what an amazing mummy you are!!

Best of luck to you today. Weekends aren't the best time to be in hospital so if you have concerns about breathing getting worse let someone know straight away as they'll be on a skeleton staff. Hope things are much better for you by this evening x

You did the right thing. When my (much older!) baby caught RSV, I spent a day at home thinking "I'm just a FTM fussing" and then took baby to the GP next morning. Ended up having to take baby to A&E from the surgery & admitted for bronchiolitis for two days of oxygen therapy.

Your little one looks ill now, but they bounce back quickly. Hugs.

@miniworrythey want to do a lumbar puncture later today. She's been so sleepy for 36 hours now. She's responded to paracetamol somewhat and was awake and not crying for 30 minutest or so, but still running temp.

They've advised me not to go in for the lumbar puncture. Did you go with your little one? I feel like a coward for not wanting to go, but also worried I'll be haunted by the screams and not being able to comfort her 😭

Go in if they let you , please. It will be awful for you but worse for her. I'm sorry to tell you that. My 6 week old daughter had an emergency procedure done, involved a scalpel and her face (won't go into detail) it was horrendous to see but I was there holding her little hand and talking to her.

@FruitPoppet I'm so sorry to hear this- I remember when they said it to me my knees just buckled and I felt sick.

They wouldn't actually let me go in- they said that it's not something they like parents to see because they have to put baby into a funny position to get the needle in which looks so much worse than it is so just be there for cuddles afterwards. I felt awful but I'm glad they took it out of my hands. Just think they will never ever remember it and you can be there to give them all the cuddles afterwards.

Sending so much love and strength ❤️ little ones go downhill but bounce back so so quickly too xx

So sorry you and your little one are going through this. In terms of the lumbar it depends how good you are with medical stuff. My daughter has been in and out of hospital since she has born and I've been there for all sorts of procedures. I am not squeamish and have a strong stomach, the doctors/nurses are offering you to not be there if you think you won't be able to cope, ultimately they need to focus on your daughter and if you potentially may faint or become very upset it can be distracting. You're not a bad parent if you're not there for this one x

@U53rn8m3ch8ng3 that's a really unhelpful comment because the OP is going through enough trauma as it is currently without having to weigh this decision on her mind - they won't let her hold her child anyway because of the position they need to put them in so she will literally just be standing in the room watching something that could really haunt her. OP please be kind to yourself xx

I hope your baby is better soon and gets home. It’s such a worry when they aren’t well especially when they are so small. Always go with your gut feeling and I’d rather be at hospital and be and overprotective first time mum than have my baby sick and not seen quickly enough. In my experience they tend to get very sick very quick but also with treatment bounce back so fast too and in a few days time you will never know anything was wrong

I’m a paediatric nurse. Don’t go in. It’s really not a nice procedure to witness. Go off the ward completely.

No its not. She's said she's been advised not to but asked if the person did and has concerns either way. This is my opinion of my experience. 👍🏼

It is very rare that we tell parents not to be there. We usually always want them. But it’s a traumatic procedure for parents to witness. The baby has to be scrunched up
into a certain position.

My Dd was 6 weeks old when we went through a very similar experience. They wouldn't let me in the room with her while they did the lumbar puncture my Dh went in instead, in hind sight he wishes he hadn't. They were unsuccessful at getting spinal fluid from her, they treated her for meningitis anyway. She bounced back within a few days, Dh and I were left far more traumatised by the whole thing than she was. I have just sent her off on her first girls holiday as a healthy 18 year old.

@ToddlerteapleaseThat surprises me as, with my DS (he was 2 months old), I asked to be let in with him during his LP and was told no, I'd find it upsetting. I told them I'd find it a lot more upsetting to not be with him and they told me it was an infection risk for me to be there and it would be selfish.

OP, I hope baby is better very soon.

Thinking of you and your poorly little one @FruitPoppet. My youngest spiked a high temp at 8 weeks and similar story to you, was cannulated, seen straight away. So so poorly. My husband went in for lumbar puncture with our son and he found it very upsetting to watch. They actually had multiple failed attempts and couldn’t successfully do it in the end because they said he was unusually strong. My poor little boy was absolutely shattered for a full day after the trauma of it.

Don’t go in. She won’t remember it, you will.

@FruitPoppet just checking in to see how things are? Been thinking of you ❤️

LP went well, they wouldn't let me come and I'm glad I didn't go. She was only away from me for 12 minutes, and wasn't screaming when she came back. I sat and cried and ate my lunch while she was gone 😂 I even got a smile and some little coos when she was back in my arms. Thankfully it was a swift and successful process.

She's tested negative for meningitis, COVID, flu and RSV. So they suspect it's a viral stomach bug of some kind. Blood cultures should be back tomorrow morning 🤞and then whatever relevant treatment.

Thanks all for the lovely comments 🙏 ☺️

What a huge relief to have those negative test results. Hope you both have a good night.

Hope you’re little one is ok and you have gotten to the bottom of what is causing the illness.

My eldest was in hospital at 7 weeks old with urinary sepsis for 2 weeks. It was so scary and I doubted so much of what I’d had or hadn’t done in lead up to her being hospitalised. She is now a healthy 9yo. It was utterly terrifying but you’re in the right place and I hope they recover quickly. You have done all the right things including not going in for the lumbar puncture.

hoping for a speedy recovery for your baby xx

Hope you get some answers from the bloods. I could have written this, when my son was 8 weeks he had a strange whingy day and some strange nappies. Next day he spiked a temp of 39.9, went to an and e and his hr was 200, he went mottled purple and breathing became laboured. They put him on antibiotics and ran a load of tests. It came back as group b strep. Unfortunately it had spread to his lumbar so the lumbar tested positive for meningitis. Sounds like your little one might have group b but hasn’t spread so no meningitis which is good news xxxx

@FruitPoppet I'm so glad that the LP tested negative for meningitis, you must be so relieved.

Fingers crossed the blood cultures are back tomorrow but the antibiotics that your little one will be on will be broad spectrum so likely fighting whatever it is off already! Glad you got some smiles, that shows they're in heading in the right direction

Also glad you got to eat some lunch, try to take care of yourself too- I know it's hard but your little one needs you healthy and raring xxx

Still here, no results this morning so have been prepared to expect to be here a other day and night, at least. LO is still so sleepy. She's sleeping better down on the bed than in my arms, which is so out of character for her and it's breaking my heart a little. I'm walking her every 2 hours to feed (EBF) but she's not eating for more than 8 minutes, which is about half what she would usually do eating 2-3 hourly on a well day.

Did anyone who had little ones in hospital so young EBF? I'm worried about depleting my supply as she's feeding less. I have pumped a little in an attempt to keep demand high, but not sure if that's the best thing as it's leading to some breasts engorgement 🙃

Your supply will re-regulate once she's better. It's great that she will feed at all, even if it's less - you are still getting all the feedback to make milk.

Might be worth asking have they tested for rotavirus if they are considering viral stomach bugs. My older baby just had this last week - caused a high fever. I was quite surprised as I was expecting it to come back from the lab as food poisoning bacteria.