A Friday unlike any other

[smallpotato]

britta, I hope the little guy feels better soon.

One of the reasons I picked today to come back was so I wouldn't be in front of the TV all day spiraling. I've been pretty okay today. I was really hoping to nurse G before I left, but he woke up just as I was getting ready to leave. He woke up at 4 to eat, and then went back down until 7:30. N decided he wanted to wake up at 5, and came in to snuggle. He wouldn't go back in his room, and then my alarm went off at 6. Le sigh.

becole, I will have my first drop off with both boys on Monday, and I am terrified as to how I'm going to get out the door on time. I wouldn't care so much except that there have been issues in the past with being even a few minutes late, so I have that hanging over my head. MH said he will help me get as much together as I can the night before, so hopefully it will all go smoothly.

[becole]

Jan 20, 2017 10:16:42 GMT -5 fem said:

Our librarian sent the whole school a YouTube link to watch the inauguration. It's Fox News. I really, really hope none of the teachers decide to show it to the kids.

Pumping now, hoping when I call daycare in a bit that O is taking a bottle today.

Did you try the exercises?

[becole]

I'm thinking I'm going to make the toddler sleep in his school clothes. He wears long sleev t shirts and sweatpants

[fem]

Jan 20, 2017 12:53:06 GMT -5 becole said:

Jan 20, 2017 10:16:42 GMT -5 fem said:

Our librarian sent the whole school a YouTube link to watch the inauguration. It's Fox News. I really, really hope none of the teachers decide to show it to the kids.

Pumping now, hoping when I call daycare in a bit that O is taking a bottle today.

Did you try the exercises?

Yes I did, thank you. Her ears were moving and she really didn't mind the rainbow movement, so it seems to be something more with the actual nipples.

I'm going to feed her again because she won't eat today. I just called the lactation consultant for an appointment.

I might look into sippy cups this weekend. Did you try those at all? We getting close to 4 months old so I thought it was worth a shot.

[britta]

Jan 20, 2017 12:53:43 GMT -5 becole said:

I'm thinking I'm going to make the toddler sleep in his school clothes. He wears long sleev t shirts and sweatpants

We asked our daycare if it was ok to bring the kids in their jammies and if they would help them change when they got there. The answer was that it was up to the teachers and both teachers were ok with doing that, mostly because we drop off early when I'm working and there's not a lot of other kids there yet. Might be worth a shot.

I can't see it being a problem with the infant honestly.

[britta]

I feel so frazzled today. I've been on the go since I got up, getting myself ready and then the toddler around. Then when the baby woke up I fed him, only for him to have a terrible coughing spell and puke his entire bottle back up. I bathed him and called the doc, left for the doc, came home and fed and laid DS1 down for a nap, woke DS2 up to try to feed him. He ate but was very uncomfortable after, lots of coughing and gagging and grunting. I rocked him back to sleep, hopefully he won't cough for awhile and he'll keep that bottle down. He hasn't been wet since I got him out of bed at 7:15 this morning. 😳

Now I'm standing in the kitchen wondering what to do next and praying they both stay asleep for a little while longer.

It's also gray and rainy here today, which seems appropriate.
#debbiedowner #sorry

[britta]

Oh, but I was able to one-handedly upload my resume and fill out the job application for the clinical nurse position. Now I wait.

[becole]

Jan 20, 2017 13:01:41 GMT -5 fem said:

Jan 20, 2017 12:53:06 GMT -5 becole said:

Did you try the exercises?

Yes I did, thank you. Her ears were moving and she really didn't mind the rainbow movement, so it seems to be something more with the actual nipples.

I'm going to feed her again because she won't eat today. I just called the lactation consultant for an appointment.

I might look into sippy cups this weekend. Did you try those at all? We getting close to 4 months old so I thought it was worth a shot.

They can do cup training with a small open cup- like a baby bottle cap.

[Deleted]

I haven't even turned on the tv today. I'm scared for the world honestly. I don't know you American mommas are handling it. The toddler's listening has been atrocious today. He's finally sleeping. Little miss is still congested with a cough, but thankfully no fever yet. She's refusing sleep today. So that's fun.

DH just walked in the door so after DS wakes up I think I'm going to head to Michael's. They have storage baskets on sale and I want to pick up a few more for toys.

[erien22846]

Jan 20, 2017 12:53:43 GMT -5 becole said:

I'm thinking I'm going to make the toddler sleep in his school clothes. He wears long sleev t shirts and sweatpants

I've heard of people doing this. Sounds very smart to me. He won't care.

[britta]

Ok guys...I'm sorry to derail the threads with talk of my sick kid lately, but help me adult.

DS2 hasn't been eating well since Wednesday, about half of his normal intake. The last 24 hours have been especially bad. Here's what it looks like: (norm is 6oz every 3 hours with one MOTN waking)
Thurs
3:15p-5oz
6p-3oz
8p-2oz
Slept all night
Fri
8a-6oz
8:30a-vomited all back up, went to sleep, then doc
12p-ate 6oz

He was very fussy after the last bottle and coughing a lot, so I rocked him to sleep, hoping he'd be able to keep it down. He laid down about 1p. He's still sleeping now. He was wet when I got him up this morning, but hasn't wet since (though he may be wet now). Should I wake him and try to feed him? Let him keep sleeping? How much sleep is too much? I feel like I should know the answers to these questions, but I'm feeling very frazzled today. TIA.

[sanibel21]

britta sorry DS is still feeling awful. I know you think my advice is usually conservative (which is totally fine, not upset in any way, just acknowledging), but we usually say if they go 6-8 hours without urinating, they might need an IV. And I'm sure you know, but a moist slippery inside-of-the-mouth is good, a dry sticky one is bad, tears are good, no sunken fontanelle is good. I know you know this stuff. But I always feel like I forget the little other things when I'm in the thick of it. Smaller more frequent feeds. Keeping him upright. Humidifier. Saline nose drops and suction, but not too often or it will make it worse. Pat him on the back a bunch like chest PT to move around that mucous for him. Trying to think what else..

[sanibel21]

britta I wrote that before your most recent post. Can you feel his diaper without waking him? I'm honestly inclined to let him sleep if hes breathing comfortably and then feed and watch for diapers like within the first hour of him waking. Is there any sleep crutch you can kill just for now to see if he starts rousing? Like white noise or pitch black, etc. Let him wake up on his own? He did have and keep down the biggest amount hes had in 24 hours, so that should produce some urine upon waking.

[erien22846]

britta for a sick baby, I'd say his intake is looking good. Especially since he took a full bottle at lunchtime. I'd let him sleep as long as he wants to sleep. He'll let you know when he's hungry. At this point, he can't get too much sleep. He's been through a lot.

[britta]

sanibel21 I appreciate it. I'm a mess right now I feel like.

I ended up calling my mom and she said to give him another hour to wake on his own and then wake him up, check for wet, and try to feed. He woke up a few mins ago and was wet, finally. It's very concentrated, obviously. He's eager to eat, but tires easily.

[penguin129]

I'm so sorry britta

[sanibel21]

Jan 20, 2017 16:50:39 GMT -5 britta said:

sanibel21 I appreciate it. I'm a mess right now I feel like.

I ended up calling my mom and she said to give him another hour to wake on his own and then wake him up, check for wet, and try to feed. He woke up a few mins ago and was wet, finally. It's very concentrated, obviously. He's eager to eat, but tires easily.

It's ok to be a mess. And he may be doing smaller more frequent feeds on his own. How's his temp? They can get down and out kinda tired from fevers. How's his breathing since waking? Any wheeze?

[jwinct]

Jan 20, 2017 16:50:39 GMT -5 britta said:

sanibel21 I appreciate it. I'm a mess right now I feel like.

I ended up calling my mom and she said to give him another hour to wake on his own and then wake him up, check for wet, and try to feed. He woke up a few mins ago and was wet, finally. It's very concentrated, obviously. He's eager to eat, but tires easily.

Hugs, mama. 

[penguin129]

Any updates britta?

[britta]

Jan 20, 2017 19:20:57 GMT -5 sanibel21 said:

Jan 20, 2017 16:50:39 GMT -5 britta said:

sanibel21 I appreciate it. I'm a mess right now I feel like.

I ended up calling my mom and she said to give him another hour to wake on his own and then wake him up, check for wet, and try to feed. He woke up a few mins ago and was wet, finally. It's very concentrated, obviously. He's eager to eat, but tires easily.

It's ok to be a mess. And he may be doing smaller more frequent feeds on his own. How's his temp? They can get down and out kinda tired from fevers. How's his breathing since waking? Any wheeze?

He's wheezing this evening now. I gave him one of his brother's Albuterol treatments this evening and it helped a little. He's got a low grade temp (100.5). MH got him to sleep a few minutes ago.

ETA: penguin129 ^^^^

[Deleted]

britta
Sorry for the sick kid. I think we're harder on ourselves because we SHOULD know this. But you and I aren't peds nurses. Cut yourself some slack. There's a reason doctors and nurses aren't allowed to take care of their own family members.

As for my own kiddo, she's still sick. Very tired but won't sleep. Irritable when she's overtired, still congested. Otherwise she's wetting diapers, eating about 25 ox and pooping. I can't see any noticeable retracting (but again, not a peds nurse so if there's some less obvious retracting going on I'm missing it). Rectal temp was less than 38C (100F) so I think I'll just keep on keeping on and monitoring her. Unless sanibel21 has any other advice (Pretty sure you ARE a peds nurse?)

[penguin129]

Sorry britta and @snuff9861. I'm am hoping and praying for your kiddos to get well soon.

[becole]

Y'all are freaking me out about daycare and illness. More than I am already freaking out. I know they can get it anywhere but it seems every kid that's started is now sick.

[penguin129]

Hugs becole.

[britta]

Jan 20, 2017 21:20:29 GMT -5 becole said:

Y'all are freaking me out about daycare and illness. More than I am already freaking out. I know they can get it anywhere but it seems every kid that's started is now sick.

Not gonna lie, this is an awful time of year to start daycare. The literal worst. My O13 baby had the same course, RSV 2 weeks after starting daycare. But, I suppose, not everyone's kids get sick. My IRL friend's son started this week (also O16) and isn't sick. Both my kids had respiratory problems at birth and a strong family history of asthma, which per our doctors, kind of set them up for failure from the start.

Try to keep the faith.

[becole]

I think I am way more anxious to leave my second than my first. How is this possible? My anxiety is all over the place. I am normally okay but I'm having trouble with this.

[sanibel21]

Jan 20, 2017 21:15:11 GMT -5 @snuff9861 said:

britta
Sorry for the sick kid. I think we're harder on ourselves because we SHOULD know this. But you and I aren't peds nurses. Cut yourself some slack. There's a reason doctors and nurses aren't allowed to take care of their own family members.

As for my own kiddo, she's still sick. Very tired but won't sleep. Irritable when she's overtired, still congested. Otherwise she's wetting diapers, eating about 25 ox and pooping. I can't see any noticeable retracting (but again, not a peds nurse so if there's some less obvious retracting going on I'm missing it). Rectal temp was less than 38C (100F) so I think I'll just keep on keeping on and monitoring her. Unless sanibel21 has any other advice (Pretty sure you ARE a peds nurse?)

I am, but just outpatient. But sounds like everything I said to Britta a few posts up applies.
Retracting is one sign of respiratory distress, but also nasal flaring and expiratory grunting. Babies flare their nostrils and they grunt, but constant-with-each-and-every-breath nasal flaring or grunting is a concern.

[fem]

britta and @snuff9861 I'm so sorry about the illnesses. It's so hard to watch babies be sick, not to mention lack of sleep from worrying about them.

becole I'm less anxious this time but should be more worried with this bottle refusal. I'm afraid my Mom's passing has left me kind of numb and I keep thinking I should be more worried about her than I am.

[becole]

fem idk, everyone seems to say to me "it's no big deal, if he gets hungry, he'll eat." And someone said "this sounds like mommy is struggling more than baby."
Which okay fine. I am. I can't stand the thought out him crying and me not being there to comfort him. I can't stand the thought of thinking that his little mind will think "where is that person I had every second of every day for 3 months who knew everything I needed and made me happy? Why did she leave?" It is just killing me.

[fem]

Jan 20, 2017 21:57:17 GMT -5 becole said:

fem idk, everyone seems to say to me "it's no big deal, if he gets hungry, he'll eat." And someone said "this sounds like mommy is struggling more than baby."
Which okay fine. I am. I can't stand the thought out him crying and me not being there to comfort him. I can't stand the thought of thinking that his little mind will think "where is that person I had every second of every day for 3 months who knew everything I needed and made me happy? Why did she leave?" It is just killing me.

This was exactly me with my first, it would absolutely tear me up inside to think of her not having her needs immediately met like at home. I cried the whole first week. She did have some bottle issues too. So I totally feel you. And that's why I feel kind of broken this time, since I'm not having those strong emotions.

Personally I think the way you are feeling shows you are a good mother that has a strong connection to your baby. We're supposed to care this much about them. Also a good example of maternity leave failing us in this country.

Unrelated: I also get all these feels about crying it out. DD1 was a horrible sleeper and I got so much grief about it from people but no part of me could just let my baby cry.