I Hate You RSV

This past Tuesday, Grady was diagnosed with RSV. Ugh! He turned 2 months old on Tuesday as well, so RSV is a really big deal in such a young baby.

RSV is basically a bad virus in the respiratory system. In adults we often just call it a cold or a respiratory infection and get over it quick. But in a baby or child, it is a much more serious matter. It causes the airways to get smaller due to gunk, and their airways are already tiny! So the biggest fear is that it will develop into pneumonia in a small baby or child. And that can be deathly.

So normally 2 month olds are immediately admitted to the hospital with RSV. Dr.Fraser said we were right on the brink so we could monitor from home, then he terrified me with instructions to watch for and said if I saw any of them to immediately go to the er, don't call him. Ahhh.

I basically watched the poor child like a hawk, and barely slept at all. And he cough got worse so I was stressing like crazy. But we made it thru! Yesterday we went for a follow up and his chest sounds way better! Dr said he should be completely better by the start of the week. Praise the Lord. Seriously.

So in case your kid gets RSV and you want to know a few things to do, or if one of mine gets it again and I need the list:

- Keep them sitting up at all times except diaper changes. So keep them in car seat. Or we put a few folded up blankets in the rocknplay and put him in there. It is not inclined enough for this on its own.

- Saline and suction. Lots. I got a nosefrida, after always hearing about it and then Haven trying it and loving it. Definitely works better than the bulb syringe.

- Humidifier.

- A drop or two of peppermint oil mixed into coconut oil and rubbed on chest. Make sure you wash your hands right after and don't let baby touch it either.

- We were prescribed Albuterol Syrup and gave 1 ml three times a day. Older babies and children are usually prescribed breathing treatments with albuterol.

- Things to watch for: when sleeping you can count the number of breaths they take. 30-40 a minute is normal. 60 or over you need to go to the ER. Flaring nostrils when breathing while asleep.

Hope this helps someone. It is so hard to watch your child be sick. It is especially hard to watch a tiny one be sick. I haven't been this worried since Griffin was in the NICU. Whew.


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