After listening to our congested baby, Brantley, cough pitifully and gradually get worse Saturday evening and night, we knew we were headed down a bad road. And since no one likes to hear a congested baby {really, it just sounds so pitiful}, we were all on our toes, watching her and trying to make her as comfortable as possible. After experiencing RSV with Riverson, last year, I was a nervous wreck.
The difference was he was 4 months and she’s only 5 weeks. Those airways are so tiny!
By Sunday morning, the yucky stuff coming out of her nose was just getting thicker and multiplying. We felt like we couldn’t control it. I used all of the tricks I could think of including:
- Suctioning after putting saline drops in her nose
- Sleeping with humidifier nearby
- Closing the doors of a small bathroom and sitting for 20 minutes or more with the bath water running as hot as it would go, to fill the room with steam.
Nothing was working for us and just when I thought we had cleared her airways for her, it only took a couple of minutes before it would sound exactly as it had started. Not only that, but I could hear it rattling in her chest.
We put a call in to our pediatrician and when she realized we had done everything we possibly could, she suggested we go ahead and take her in just for peace of mind.
We loaded up and hurried out of the door.
The souvenir we did not intend to get. 
Yes, this little souvenir was not intentional. After she filled her diaper while being weighed in the ER, we discovered that her diaper leaked and her outfit was a mess.
Did I have an extra outfit in my diaper bag? Of course not. Why would I be prepared like I should be?
The doctor checked her out and hooked her up to the monitors to check her oxygen level. It was great, fortunately. Not only that, but the rattling I was hearing in her chest was actually just the sound from her nose. Her lungs were clear, thank goodness!!
So everything we were dealing with was above her neck.
The ER doctor was very informative and happy to answer all of the questions I had for him. As a matter of face, he even asked me what I did. Said I sounded like a very informed mom. What?!? Thanks for making me feel awesome Mr. Doctor. We’ve just been down this RSV road before and I’d like to avoid going back if at all possible.
The respiratory therapist came in to do a good suction on her and even whipped out this bad boy.
It’s a vacuum with a little attachment that sticks up her nose. It was awesome. I think everyone should have one.
We got the green light to go home pretty quickly and stopped at Buy Buy Baby on the way home. My friend, Kelly raves about this NoseFrida thing and I was willing to try anything people recommended.
I’m a fan! I’ll definitely be posting more about this later this week.
Brantley had another hard night and we were up quite a bit helping her breathe better, but I think we are on the mend.
I hate when they are sick, but I love any excuse to have a baby sleep soundly on my chest.
I’m so glad she is getting better! I know that terrifying feeling! David had rsv at 6-7 weeks, thankfully caught early and was great in 5 days. Praying for you and your sweet Brantley!
You will LOVE the nosefrida!!! It helps a TON! Hope your little one starts feeling better soon!
Poor baby!…Poor Mom! Glad to hear she is on the mend.
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I was soooo going to mention the Nose Frieda. How do I have two kids and not know about it until the 3rd was born? Ridley got really congested the 2nd week we had her home and our pediatrician said to use the nose frieda because you could suction as much as you wanted without further aggravating the nasal passage (like the bulb syringes do). Cody gags almost every time he has to use it (it’s hilarious).