Babies and illness

[smjmekg]

The dr I took Elijah to last weeks said babies don't get sore throats, and she said babies don't really get sick. WELL Aubryana (DD 8weeks)has a fever today and has been coughing. Elijah (DS2) had an ear infection and a cold(?) I guess, I'm taking him back to the dr again tomorrow to see what's going on with his ear infection, and about the cough since he's had it a week and has a history of severe bronchitis. SO is my baby girl getting sick, or what? I was told that breast fed babies don't get sick, which I know isn't true. I don't know what to do about her being sick, I'm gonna ask the dr tomorrow, but I don't know if he/she can do anything since she's in peds and my son is in family practice (they weren't taking any more patients at fam practice). It's been almost three years since I had a newborn around, so what can I do about her coughing, I had DH stand in the bathroom in the steam with her...she seems really tired and exhausted today, a bit grumpier too...def not herself, she's not been eating as much today either, only four times in 13 hours, and I've only changed about 5 diapers....

[smjmekg]

Thanks for the input ladies, DH called yesterday before Elijah's appointment and Aubryana got seen yesterday too. The DR said no ear infection, she's just got a virus...she slept a little better last night, was coughing and sneezing this morning, stuffy as well. I have the saline drops, and bought two more bulb syringes yesterday, I can't seem to find any as good as the one I had from the hospital with Elijah...

She ate a little more throughout the night and yesterday evening, I had to use the pump twice yesterday cause the ladies were HUGE and HURT!! I knew just from that, that she hadn't been eating as much. Saline, and a little tylenol for her fever seem to be doing the trick today, she's sleeping comfortably in her swing right now.

I'm just slightly annoyed right now though, some of you may have seen the belly button posts, well the dr I took her to for it said that the little nub on the end would fall off and yesterday they said it was an umbilical granuola (sp?) And said they were gonna cauterize (sp?) it. So they took two long match looking things, and rubbed the ends on it and it turned this grey/black color when they touched them to it.  And now today it's back to how it was almost, and still has fluid stuff around it. I don't get it. They also said it was NOT gonna fall off, but before when I was cleaning it with peroxide and putting something on it to prevent infection, the nub thing kept looking like it was getting closer and closer to falling off...so now I'm totally confused.

[mom2ariana]

oh & the pedialyte is essential if she's not wetting many diapers. newborns get dehydrated VERY quickly. keep your eyes out for lethargy, paleness, or projectile vomiting (not spitting up)

[mom2ariana]

how old is she? i agree with the other ladies about her getting a fever. as far as the cough goes, theres not a lot you can do. unfortunately i dont think they make baby cough syrup :( what i would do is first, give her some pedialyte to keep her hydrated. second, her nose might be stuffy and that might be why she won't suck. try to get some saline infant nose drops and after you put a few in the nostril, use a bulb syringe to suck it out. hold the opposite nostril closed. third, can she eat from a spoon yet? when ariana's nose gets stuffed she has every meal almost from a spoon because she doesn't wanna suck. if she knows how try mixing some breast milk with a little cereal and see if she'll take that. if she's not old enough then definitely stick with giving her some pedialyte in between meals. also, get some baby chest rub. that always seems to soothe ariana when she has the sniffles. i put it on her chest right before bed. you can also stick a humidifier by her bed.
hope she gets better!!

[LosingMyMindInGA]

over a 100.4 rectal temp in a baby under 6 mos warrants a doc trip.  Lily was just on azythromycin for a sore throat...a week later ds6 tested pos. for strep.  So I think that doc you saw was a nut job :)

DS2 was in the hospital for early pnuemonia in one lung at 2-3 mos too

[tamtam305]

your dr has issues i think
ive 6 kids and they get sick at any age they only difference in my opinion is when there babys there not smart arses that develops in the teen yrs lol good luck maybe get a second opinion

[thatgirl21]

ok i think you need to go to a diff doc a why can a baby get a sore throat thats just down right ridiculous. may its an ear infection or maybe the flu hopefully its nothing.

[Ashelen]

I agree with everyone else; like I said on FB when you first posted it "really? she can't get a sore throat? that's a new one..."...and I still feel that way. it doesn't sound right.

IMO, you know if your baby is sick, no matter what Dr.Duck says....so...knock some heads together until someone listens to you and tells you how to fix this.

*hugs* hang in there Brinny...having 2 can be hard, having 2 sick ones can be hell...but you're an awesome mommy :-)

[penswriter]

My boys were breastfed and Eli got his first cold when he was 3 months old. His little voice was so raspy from his throat being raw from coughing (he may not have said his throat hurt but you could tell.), runny nose and a fever of 102. Fluids and some antibiotics and he was good as new in a week.

You're doc is a nut job. I'd seek a second opinion (and mmmaaaybe a new doc.)

[JoyRenee]

If a newborn's temp is over 100F I believe that is when you're supposed to take them in. Your doc is a quack. Sorry to say it but "breastfed babies don't get sick"?! That is the stupidest thing I ever heard. I would find a new doc ASAP.

[Limonada]

p.s....I hope she - and Elijah - gets better soon :)  I'll be thinking of you!!!

[Limonada]

Not to scare you, Sabrina, but DEFINITELY talk to the doctor!!  I can tell you that Gil got sick when he was just 2 weeks old....and our GP told us to not even bother calling them if he spiked a fever - we were to go right to emerg at the hospital instead.  He was exclusively breastfed, too.  We all caught a nasty virus that time from Daniel (which he brought home from daycare).  Luckily, Gil didn't develop a fever and he was the least sick of all of us.

Daniel was NEVER sick, not even with the sniffles, when he was a baby...it wasn't until he went to daycare that he started picking things up.  Gil has had a few colds now (he has one now, in fact) - having an older sibling makes a huge difference!