Wheezing/cough

[mbcdefg]

DD (20 weeks this week) picked up a cough at daycare last week, and was diagnosed with an ear infection when I took her to the pediatrician yesterday. They prescribed antibiotics and said to continue using saline and a humidifier, and to use the Nose Frida only if she sounds desperate. The pedi put an oxygen monitor on her and said her levels are normal, and also said her lungs sound clear. The congestion is all in her sinuses, and because she's so small (11.7 lbs) the congestion sounds worse than it is. 

She also said we can put a wedge under her bassinet mattress to elevate her head, but we don't have one. Any experience with this? Can I safely substitute a household object underneath the mattress, such as a towel, or must I buy a specific wedge?

She's also having a hard time getting through her bottles because of all the coughing, and she's waking herself up at night with it as well. She's still in decent spirits, although not as cheerful as she normally is. 

Today we noticed that she's wheezing a lot more. She's also been blowing raspberries for a few days now, not with her tongue but just with her lips, after her coughing fits. Not sure if this is just a fun little trick she picked up recently, or if she's doing it because she's not feeling well. Any experience with this?

Any other tips to keep her comfortable? Any advice on how long we might expect this to last? I feel so bad for her, she's clearly uncomfortable

[dcn]

Aw, it’s so sad when they are sick like that.

We roll up a towel and put it under the mattress.

I use the nose frida freely when they are sick. I usually would use it to clear their sinuses before eating. Humidifier and saline drops.

If she’s on antibiotics hopefully you’ll see improvement soon. Typically a cold will last 7-10 days. And coughs Hang in sometimes for another week or 10 days.

[imimahoney]

Does her pedi know about the wheezing? If not, I would give them a call.

[luv2rn4fun]

Oct 31, 2017 16:19:55 GMT -5 imimahoney said:

Does her pedi know about the wheezing? If not, I would give them a call.

This.

DS2 had RSV 3 times last year when he was 4-6 months old. Besides the wheezing/cough he was acting mostly ok. I almost didn't take him in and yet he was so sick that without breathing treatments and getting better he would have been hospitalized.

Even so at 13 months he came down with a bad cold again. He has been sick 1.5 weeks now and the wheezing started yesterday. I called his pediatrician and I am back to doing breathing treatments 3-4x/day. Doctor thinks he has asthma since this happens so frequently. It's so hard to see him struggling...and so confusing because he seems mostly ok (he is also waking a lot because of his cough).

[mbcdefg]

Thanks all.

The wheezing seems to come when she’s worked up, usually after a coughing fit or if she’s whining for a bottle/change. She’s sleeping in my arms right now and her breathing is normal. Still a concern?

She also sounds a lot better than yesterday.

[lilac05]

When it comes to wheezing or any breathing issues, I always err on the side of caution. If you have a nurse Hotline, I'd call and ask what they'd like you to watch for and when you might need to take her in. I don't think I'd be too concerned if there weren't chest contractions and no audible breathing right now, but I'd definitely keep the number handy tonight and have a plan for what to do if things change during the night. Hopefully she's on the mend now!

[vtdiamond]

We’ve dealt with a lot of wheezing. It wouldn’t hurt to call. They would probably have you look for signs of difficulty breathing - retractions (pulling in around their ribs while breathing), sucking in at the neck, or breathing more quickly.

I will say, sometimes when they’re really congested or can sound like wheezing but is just them breathing through all the congestion.

[raangoli]

mbcdefg can you count her respirations? Do you think she seems to be breathing faster than usual? If they seem high and combined with the wheezing I'd call the nurse line and ask them what they think. If she's having retractions then I'd definitely call.

We found that using the nose Frida before feeding was helpful and let her suck/swallow/breathe better so she could eat more.

Definitely continue with the humidifier and the incline in the bassinet (a rolled up receiving blanket under works just fine).

I hope she feels better soon!

[mbcdefg]

Oct 31, 2017 20:42:05 GMT -5 raangoli said:

We found that using the nose Frida before feeding was helpful and let her suck/swallow/breathe better so she could eat more.

That thing has been a godsend ... thank you <3

[mbcdefg]

Thanks, all. I feel so stupid, not knowing what to look for.

She’s not wheezing at the moment and she seems to be sleeping soundly, but I can’t tell if she’s having difficulty. I took a short video, if you wouldn’t mind taking a look?

PDQ

[momin2013]

I'm certainly not an expert, but she seems to be breathing more...rapidly than I'd like to see. I think I'd call the nurses' helpline and describe it to them as best you can. It's better to be safe than sorry with stuff like this!

[jorja]

Watch for retractions (where it looks like her skin/muscles are pulling in around her ribs when she breathes), nasal flaring, and faster than normal breathing.

My DS was just hospitalized with RSV/bronchiolitis and that’s the stuff they told us to watch for/what sent him in.

ETA: it’s hard to tell with her PJs on. I couldn’t see the retractions when my son was breathing unless he was bare chested.

[mbcdefg]

Oct 31, 2017 21:25:51 GMT -5 jorja said:

Watch for retractions (where it looks like her skin/muscles are pulling in around her ribs when she breathes), nasal flaring, and faster than normal breathing.

My DS was just hospitalized with RSV/bronchiolitis and that’s the stuff they told us to watch for/what sent him in.

ETA: it’s hard to tell with her PJs on. I couldn’t see the retractions when my son was breathing unless he was bare chested.

This one looks pretty bad, right? This is lying on her back:



That was about 10 minutes ago. I unzipped her pjs again to get another look and she rolled to her side and now it doesn’t seem as drastic:



I counted 50 respirations in one minute.

I’ll call the nurse line and see what they say.

Hoping it’s not like the times I called the nurse line when I was pregnant, when I heard them googling/flipping through pages and they were like, “Uh, I guess go to the ER?”

[lilac05]

After watching the video, I'd definitely call. I'd guess there's a good chance they're going to want you to take her to the ER tonight. My pedi is very "wait and see" and rarely has me come in if I call with a question, but they don't mess around with breathing issues.

[lilac05]

On second thought, I think I'd just take her in. My kids have never had the retractions, but I'm pretty certain that's what they look like. And you're not going to sleep tonight and will be sick with worry about your baby anyway. Might as well take her in and make sure she's getting enough oxygen. The fact that she's sleeping unfortunately can't be seen as a sign that she 'must be feeling OK' like when kids get hurt.

I'm sorry. Breathing trouble is so hard, and so scary. I would guess that you'll be seen quickly if you present with a very young baby and you say she has retractions and has been wheezing.

My 4 year old is having a restless night with respiratory stuff, so while not the same, you're not alone.

[mbcdefg]

Thanks all, we’re going to take her to get looked at

[lilac05]

You won't regret your decision, even if they say she's fine. If she's looking better when you take her in, show them your clips so they can see what she was doing earlier.

Hang in there and keep us updated.

[CloudBee]

Oct 31, 2017 22:26:36 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Thanks all, we’re going to take her to get looked at

I just watched the video. I think you are making the right choice. Even if she seems better when you get there make sure the doctor sees the video, too.

Hugs and good luck.

[mbcdefg]

So it turns out it’s RSV. They’re going to keep her here at least for tonight. Although the ER doc said it peaks around Day 5 and “she’s not there yet,” so that (plus reading through old posts here) makes me think it’ll be a few days.

She had three breathing treatments and a steroid oral, and she’s getting oxygen now.

She’s still hamming it up for the nurses and smiling. Hopefully she gets over this quick.

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better” the doc said, so I’m really glad we got her here before it gets worse.

I just emailed daycare so hopefully she lets the other parents know asap. I really hope none of the other babies caught it

Thank you all for giving me the kick in the ass to take her in. I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if we waited too long.

[Blue Moon]

Oh no, hugs!! So glad you took her in. Hopefully you can all manage a little rest tonight and she improves quickly.

[imimahoney]

Poor girl. I hope she feels better soon!

And don't feel bad. I would have done the samr thing you did.

[boiler717]

I’m so glad you took her in!! Good job Mama

[raangoli]

mbcdefg Oh no! I'm sorry to hear about the RSV but I'm glad you took her in. It's so hard to know what to look for. We only know because of her being a preemie and getting a boot camp on breathing difficulties.

I hope she's doing a bit better today and that you were all able to get some rest. The doc is right that it gets worse before it gets better. BB had RSV the week before she turned 1 and it was rough. But you've got this. Let me know how I can help. Am not too far away <3

[CloudBee]

I hope it’s a short hospital stay. Hugs.

[momin2013]

So glad you followed your gut and took her in - hoping it's a short stay in the hospital!

[dcn]

I’m glad you took her in! Hope you can all get some rest.

[lilac05]

It may get worse before it gets better, but she's in good hands there. I'm glad you took her in & that's she's feeling well enough to be smiling with nurses. Hopefully this will all be over soon.

In the meantime, accept all offers to bring you food or help with errands or anything else!

[jeaniebueller]

Hugs to you. I am glad you took her in. DD was sick constantly from 4-9 months with various respiratory issues. Its so tough when they are tiny.

[luv2rn4fun]

Sorry to hear it's RSV but am glad you took her in. DS2 was and is the same way...you can never tell how sick he is because he is always pretty happy. But the wheezing and retractions are so scary. In my experience the symptoms improved after Day 2 of the breathing treatments so hopefully you will curtail the "peak" and the worst is behind you. ((Hugs)) mama. Hope she is feeling better soon!

[pooh8402]

Oct 31, 2017 21:35:13 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Oct 31, 2017 21:25:51 GMT -5 jorja said:

Watch for retractions (where it looks like her skin/muscles are pulling in around her ribs when she breathes), nasal flaring, and faster than normal breathing.

My DS was just hospitalized with RSV/bronchiolitis and that’s the stuff they told us to watch for/what sent him in.

ETA: it’s hard to tell with her PJs on. I couldn’t see the retractions when my son was breathing unless he was bare chested.

This one looks pretty bad, right? This is lying on her back:



That was about 10 minutes ago. I unzipped her pjs again to get another look and she rolled to her side and now it doesn’t seem as drastic:



I counted 50 respirations in one minute.

I’ll call the nurse line and see what they say.

Hoping it’s not like the times I called the nurse line when I was pregnant, when I heard them googling/flipping through pages and they were like, “Uh, I guess go to the ER?”

50 resps is a little high for her age. I haven gotten to the bottom of the thread yet, nor did I see any videos, but that plus the intermittent wheezing tells me that she's working to breathe. If you haven't called her doctor yet, or taken her to urgent care, I advise you to do so.

ETA: I see that y'all are in the hospital for RSV. Glad you took her in, and hope she's feeling better soon!