Poorly baby.

 Hospital submitions with bronchitis

When Layton was 10 weeks old he got very poorly. We all had colds and were run down. Ariyah had a bad cough and cold which was hard then for us all not to catch. We tried to keep her away from Layton as much as we could explaining she couldn't kiss or hold him as she was poorly. 

He had his jabs on Tuesday and seemed fine, bit sleepy and grumpy. No fever nothing. The was sleepy and slowly began to take less milk but was still having more then enough. Then on Saturday ariyah was at her worse and Layton had started to be abit snotty. By Sunday he was coughing too. He then was sleeping more and fussing with his feeds. He started only taking 2/3 Oz and get being fussy and crying. He had hardly had many wet nappies but seemed fine otherwise. 

On the Monday he still was unwell, not really drinking his milk at all and just sleeping. Or kept waking up hungry but not wanting to drink his milk. We tried chancing teat sizes, feeding little at a time, tried taking him upstairs for less distraction. Nothing really changed. So we managed to get a GP appointment, where Ben took him in to see the doctor. They said he seemed abit mottled when he cried and got upset. So told us to see what he takes in his next feed and if still not drinking by 6pm she call us and review. She called and he hadn't taken anything still since about 4:30pm. So told us to go A&E. 

A friend drove me and Layton to A&E which unfortunately was very busy. They had moved department because the Normal children A&E was being re built. Meaning there was not many beds or staff or equipment and things were all over the place. I was checked into triage where the did laytons blood pressure, heart rate and temperature which all looked good. They weighted him and he was was 12lb 5oz. The previous Tuesday when he had his injections he was 12lb so he had gained weight still so they were not worried. The nurse said he possible had bronchitis. 

Bronchitis is a virtual infection which to us is a normal cold, chesty cough however to a baby with small airways it cause them to have trouble breathing as they can't clear their airways like us by blowing our nose or coughing. It is very common and no real treatment but rest and fluids. However sometimes it can cause lack of oxygen and dehydration from not feeding and trouble breathing. So they like to just monitor younger babies.

The nurses were really nice however the doctor o saw was awful. Saying how Layton was hungry and I need to feed him. I know he is hungry but he won't take the milk I showed her. How he pushed the bottle away, turns his head doesn't suckle. And the just screams. She looked at his throat and said it's about sore. She was very condescending because I am young and she made me feel very on edge. Also was very rude to not just me but her assistant doctor telling her to 'Be quiet and take notes' when she went to ask me a question. 

Anyways I was told to just feed little and often and to wait in waiting room. They gave him some spray for the back of his throat and I had to try another feed an hour later. He still refuses screaming pushing it away. Then about half hour later took an Oz which he had half an Oz at 9 and 10. This was now 11:30. His last feed was at 6:30 which was still only 3 Oz. That was the most in one go he taken for last two days. I was then told I could go home and he has a respiratory virus and to ride it out by little and often feeds. I told her he was not really having wet nappies and that the nurse had put a urine pad in however she did not listen and said he good colour and was fine to go. 

I was not happy and asked to see someone else. No one had checked his soft spot on his head that I told them was dipped. No one took his urine pad sample, or checked he was not dehydrated. They were not communicating within the team of doctors and nurse as getting told different things as were alot of patients that night. But in the end they decided to keep us in overnight on the children's ward. 

They put us in a different room to wait, gave him some saline drop which I told them we had and had been doing before feeds to help him breath better. We had the humidifier on with vapor oil at home the lot. But as I was young they all were treating me like I didn't know anything which really annoyed me about medical staff. They also had to covid test him and we had to wait 2 and half hour for results before going up to the ward. It was 3am by this point, I was exhausted and he had not had a feed since 10/11am which was only an Oz. So he had another feed of 1.5oz and some observations again. Then went back to sleep, which meant I was able to then get some sleep before he was up hungry again 2 hours later. Again only taking 1 Oz. 

They were saying it's fine as he feeding little and often, but when he was a hungry baby, who loves his milk having 5 Oz or sometimes 6 at night, sleeping through the night to then going every hour or 2 eirther not sleeping because he hungry but not drink or sleeping and having to be woken to try and feed. It was horrible felt like I was forcing him to drink. He suck a bit push it away with his tongue or even just open his mouth and spit it all out. He be crying hungry, doing his feeding cues where he sticks his tounge out or nuzzles into to my shoulder. But then just wouldn't take the bottle. It was frustrating for him and me.

Later that day back at home and in the night he just slept, we were having to wake him to try feed him but again he was not interested. Fussing still and just taking an Oz here and there. 

He then did take 3oz in bits over the space of an hour at 7am then, 1 Oz at 10 and another at 11. His heart rate, oxygen, blood pressure and temperature were all fine so they didn't seem bothered about his feeding, did not really explain what bronchitis was I had to Google it. Then they weigh him again and his weight had not changed. He was still not feeding great, fussing and sleeping loads. But the doctor saw him listen to his chest and said we can go home. Was told if he was not having wet nappies still not feeding more then half his usual feeds in the day, or within 24 hours or if he got any other symptoms like a fever I had to bring him back. Discharged us home with just feed little and often that's all. Again the next morning so so bunged up, sleepy and was not interested in milk. He was having wet nappies but no where near as much as his usual. He normally wees alot and has full nappies every 3/4 hours. Where as he done like one wee every 4-6 hours. 

At half 12 on the Tuesday we feds him he took 2 Oz over the hour however kept fulling asleep, he then went very drowsy almost floppy in my arms, he very strong as I said before and just could not hold his head or sit up, his arms just hang at the side and his eyes were half open like he was asleep but he wasn't. We tried to wake him and he started crying, he was also sucking in to breath, We rang 111 and they call and emergency ambulance. When the ambulance arrived he was now screaming and very red in the face, tensing his body. 

On the observation his heart rate was high, he was really pulling his ribs in to breath they pretty much said he need to go to hospital and took him and Ben. They took his blood to test oxygen which seemed okay. But in the ambulance he just screaming, was very rashy and pale so they blue lighted him to the hospital. At A&E again they did not seem bothered at all. Told Ben same as me to just feed little bits as he was unwell. They put him in the back room because he was coughing and re did the covid test. All negative. 

The nurse apprently was very rough took Layton off Ben and the bottle and tried to feed him, like Ben did not know how to feed our baby. To her surprise he didn't take any off her either as she tried to force the bottle in his mouth. She then gave him back told Ben to change him and she go warm the bottle as it was too cold and try again. Ben had already change Layton and he was dry. The nurse also put the bottle in the microwave Ben said which tour not meant to heat mam bottles up that way or any bottle they advise now as you get hot spots in the milk. Ben then tried to give it to him and he screamed and refused. Ben said the milk was too hot. He then went and complain to someone and asked for a different nurse as she was forceful with our newborn son. 

A pedratric doctor from upstairs on the baby ward come down to see Layton, this should of happened both time we went in because he is only 10 weeks!. So the doctor reviewed him and said that they were going to keep him in to observe his feeding, that they would do bloods, a chest X ray and possibly tube feed him if needed to get his fluids up. 

He again had to wait for a bed. I had some sleep so we decided to swab so Ben could come home and rest too. So while our neighbor watch ariyah while she was asleep we traded places in A&E before I was taken to the ward with Layton at about 10pm. Again observation done and tried another feed. The nurse witness him screaming in pain pushing it away and fussing. So she gave him some Calpol. He then had bit of milk and feel asleep. I was told to wake him at 12 to try more milk. The nurse came back in to assist me and see how he was. Literally we couldn't wake him up enough and he was not interested at all in drinking. So left it til 1am and tried again. Finally he drunk another 1.5 Oz. Then then woke again at 4am and 6:30am only taking in half an Oz each time. The nurses did not seem bothered at all however one nice nurse explain what bronchitis was and while it effects their feeding which did help me understand more. 

I will do a factual post about what bronchitis is. So see next post for the exploration. 

Anyways he still was not drinking and was having to wake him to feed. He was very sleepy which is unlike him in the day. He take few mouth fulls of milk and fall asleep, I was able to move out him down and nurses even came in and out doing OBS without him stiring. This is so unlikely him which I did try to explain as normally he does sleep in the day much and is very alert and playful. They did take this in board. The nurse then brough me different bottles which had better measurements on so we could see the exact amount he was taking. The teat was smaller and this seemed to help him drink with the cold. He still was not really having full wet nappies tho. 

Again nurses didn't seem to concerned, said he was taking more then half his daily feeds he tools 12 Oz in total on the Monday and had only done 6oz by this point at midday. He would normally have that in just his morning bottle at by 7am then one before around 3 am just 3oz dream feed. And another 4/5 Oz at 10am. So how is 6 Oz okay when he normal had 13/14 Oz by now. He normally takes 25-30 Oz in a day, so 4/5 Oz every 4 hours then 6oz at night or in the morning. As he would sleep 6 hours through the night with a small dream feed early hours to sleep another 4 hours.he then be awake playing from 6 or 7 am til around half 10/11. So for him to full asleep and not be able to be woken for milk is not normal at all. He was very pal with red suckon eyes that kept watering. He was coughing to point he choking and when not asleep kept crying. 

When the doctor finally came around at 2pm that afternoon. He was actually not happy. He through bloods and a chest X ray had already be done but they had not done anything. The bloods they took in a&e were just gas bloods to see oxygen levels. They had not check if he was dydrated or if he had an infection. He listen to his chest and cough and said it rattly. He said he is sucking in ribs and struggling to breath abit but oxygen level are good. He said to stay in again tonight keep feeding do the bloods and X ray and see how he is. That is is bronchitis which can affect feeding and make them unwell so we just have to check everything and keep an eye on him. 

Ben was then able to quickly come up to drop more bits off to us and see Layton for abit. While ariyah had dinner at our neighbors, she was being very good and I was facetiming her as she was very concerned and missed us. But yes so we had to stay in again. Bloods was taken and the X ray done. They did another covid swab on him too. 

Layton was still not feeding however it did pick up abit where he had 3oz at half 6/7, but then again in the night was hard to wake and he was not taking the bottle. He had 1.5 Oz again at 9 then had to really wake him at midnight for another 1oz but every much dream feed, pushed it away and feel straight back to sleep. Same thing at 3am.  He was just very unsettled in the nights coughing and crying and just uncomfortable. All asleep but kept waking me. So no rest for dada. 

In the morning he woke at 7, seems happy and took 2 Oz. Then another Oz at 9am. So doing better. He was drinking back out of his own mam bottles which had as a bonus. He was very chatting and smiling away especially to daddy and his big sister on face time. Can see they are missing each other. He was however now suffer with his tummy and consipated again, probably where he not drinking as much fluids, as well as not fully burping due to cough and small intake at one time so not bringing up his wind. But he sleeping better and seems more himself. He was sitting and holding himself up again which showed he had more energy.

Just waiting on the doctor's bit nurse said bloods look clear and hoping we can go home today. The X-ray also came back all clear and he was dydrated with good oxgyen levels which is all reacurring that he on the mend. He slowly started to drink more whilst being awake, alert and smile boy again so the doctors were happy to finally send us home. He still was feeding little a often and would do for a while before building his milk intake back up. But I was just glad to be going home. 

Ariyah was so happy to see us both home and gave Layton a big cuddle. She has also been unwell and was told by the nurse she likely had bronchitis too, however as she was older she could fight it better, by keeping her food and fluids up. We were able to give her cough medicine therefore she did not get too unwell. Both of them after a week or so rest and staying in door in the warm made a fully recovery. Laytons cough subsided and he was upping his milk intake slowly.however it did feel like we had a newborn again, he was on 2oz every 3 hours for a while. But glad he is so much more himself and better.