Hi everyone, I am proud to say my babies stay was very short in the NICU, so I feel very blessed but now they are sick with colds. This is very irritating to me and to them. I am not a new mommy but I feel like I don't know what to do for my babies. They were all discharged from the hospital healthy so now I feel guilty believing I did something wrong! They have a dr. appt. on Friday but I wonder if I did the wrong thing by waiting for their appt. date. I called the dr and she said as long as they didn't have a fever just give them saline nose drops and use an humidifier. It still is not helping. What to do when your babies have a cold and you can't rid of it? I need help please I am real nervous. I feel like I am losing between not sleeping and trying to comfort my babies 24 hours I need help putting things in prospective. I want to enjoy my babies so please give advise!!!!!!!!!!!

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Hey Cat,

I think you are doing all that you can. Keep their noses as clear as you can w/ saline and the syringe. Run the humidifier in the room all day so it's nice and moist. Whatch for any changes - like fever, wheezing, bad cough, etc. and call your doctor if you feel uneasy about something. I think it's odd that she is making you wait for an appt when the babies are so little. If you aren't comfortable then try to get a quicker appt. and maybe consider getting another ped who has better response time (KWIM).

I understand how it is. I have to be on my death bed or know that I have a bacterial infection before I go to the doctor. But with these babies I run to the doctor at the drop of a hat b/c I'm afraid that something will happen. It probably helps some w/ you having Jazzy and not being a first time parent.

I hope they get better really quick!

luvmytrio
Gavin, Garret & Claire
born 8/7/03 at 36w4d

luvmytrio
Gavin, Garret & Claire
born 8/7/03 at 36w4d

Thank You for your response. My Pedi is very good btw, she was also my dr. when I was a baby and she is my daughter dr to. She is just very slowwwwwwwww!!!, I guess you can say. She will return my phone calls right away but, sometimes I feel she takes liberty with me b/c she knew me so long. I really would like someone more conservative but I just don't know how to tell her I am looking for another Dr. Afterall I have known her for more than 25 yrs. She doesn't seem to be to concerned about their colds other than she said if they start running a fever. SO far, they haven't had one and I try to take their temperature everyday. I still call the NICU also when I need a question answered by one of the nurses. I guess I am overly concerned but I feel with good reason. I never had preemies before. Thank you for your understanding and advise.

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Hope they are feeling better soon. I think you are doing everything you can, too. Follow your instincts and don't be afraid to call your Ped or the NICU with questions, you know your babies best. Better to be safe. Take care.

Jill
Noah and Elly, 12/13/95
Jonah, Justin and Erin, 3/17/03

Jill
Noah and Elly, 12/13/95
Jonah, Justin and Erin, 3/17/03

If yo ureally feel you would be more comfortable with another doctor, maybe you could say you are switching to someone with more experience with premature babies. Nothing personal, right? Maybe you can keep her for your other daughter and eventually bring the trio to her later when they are older. Just an idea! You have to do what is best for your babies and you, and not worry about hurting a doctor's feelings.

As for their colds, I agree with the advise to try to keep their noses clear and watch them very closely for changes. If any wheezing starts, of if they seem very full of mucous, I would take them in. Small babies are not able to cough out the phlegm so it can overwhelm their lungs very quickly. At this time of year, you want to be cautious of any illness because it is RSV season. Good luck and I pray you and your babies come through their first cold quickly! It is certainly no fun being outnumberd by sick babies!

Jennifer P.
Proud mom of first-round IVF miracles!
Nicholas, Victor, & Jacob
(12/15/00 @ 29 wks)

You are doing everything you can possibly do at this point. . .I know how difficult it is!! We also had the same thing happen to us. . .at 3 weeks of age, our girls got sick with a cold and then Stephen got it shortly thereafter. It turned out that Olivia had RSV (was tested after she started having retractions). Stephen tested negative (he started having apneic events and was put back in the hospital for a 24-hour observation), and we never had Bella tested since her O2 sats never got low enough to warrant testing.

Just watch their breathing, and if it ever looks as though they are having difficulty breathing, take them either to your pedi or the ER ASAP.

Is there anyway you can keep their heads elevated while they sleep? I remember Olivia slept in a boppy pillow on our bed at night to help her

Good luck!

Sonia
Mommy to Jay (5) and Stephen, Olivia, and Isabella (born @ 33w5d on 1/3/03)

Hi Sonia, Thanks for your advise. One question, how do you know when it is RSV. DO they run a fever or they just can't breathe. Although my trio have colds so far there has not been a fever. I hope I get through this b/c it seems like their colds is taking forever to get better. I will keep you all updated. Thank you again. Cathy

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Congratulations on your babies. I think you should ask to bring them in right away. My babies are 4 months, and very big 15, 17 and 17 lbs. They got colds too recently, no fever, no wheezing..just a cold. One of them lost a pound in less than a week and he was still eating 4 or 5 oz at each bottle. They all had ear infections and rsv and are now doing nebulizer treatments too. They are fine, and the colds are just about gone. Definitely keep the humidifier going all day and night whereever you are in the house. Dont suck the noses out too much if it isnt right before a feeding because you can irritate the delicate membranes. One of mine had bloody discharge coming out of his nose after just a few suctions so dont do it if you dont have to. I am trying to make you nervous but babies can lose weight quicker than I realized and my babies are bigger and never had nicu time so the rsv is no big deal.

Good luck...just try to hold them and sleep when they do, and ask for help.

peggy

Darn those first colds are so scary. And how tough to have all three sick at once.

I don't have much advice except to make sure that your humidifier is really good. W/my 1st dd our humidifier did very little. It should really crank out the moisture and you want it very close to their bed. Keep the door almost closed in whatever room they are in to keep the humidity in. Use the nose sucker to get any mucous out.

I would caution you against over dressing them. Do not let them overheat. Babies are going to get colds. If you are very nervous INSIST on seeing the ped or her partner (if there is one).

Hang in there, all kids get sick, you are not a bad mom for this happening.

Marie

Marie

Just wanted you to know I've been thinking about you & your babies all day. I hope they are on the mend, and that this is "just" a cold. I can feel your anguish in your message.

Tomorrow is our appointment with a new pediatrician. I just didn't "Fit" with our last one, she was too laid back, her only answers were how I shouldn't worry (rather than explain what was wrong, she'd just tell me not to worry). I didn't feel like she "got" that my babies were preemies. I asked her once how high a fever needed to be for me to finally start to worry, and her answer was that she didn't want to tell me a number, she wanted me to "know" by feeling if the baby seemed "hot" or not. That was just a bunch of nonsense to me! Anyways, I'm just telling you this so you know that it's okay to switch doctors if your working relationship isn't working out!


Tulip & The Three Amigos
Born at 35w5d on December 31, 2002 - Happy New Year's Eve!!!
Aimee, Let's bump heads!
Edward, Rollin' Rollin' Rollin', Got to keep on rollin'!
Hope, Bouncy! Bouncy! Bouncy! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

YES! You *can* breastfeed triplets!!!
http://www.tripletconnection.org/dcforum/forum1/14349.html

Tulip & The Three Amigos
GBG born at 35w5d on December 31, 2002 - Happy New Year's Eve!!!

YES! You *can* breastfeed triplets!!!

I am a Velveteen Rabbit, and the birth, love, kisses & magic that are my children has made me Real.

I know it's scary when they have a cold and are so young. Mine had a cold at 5 weeks along with me (I gave it to them) and I was so worried but I did the same thing you are doing. Nose drops, a little tylenol and humidifier. I thought the cold would last forever but it only lasted a week which I hope is the same for you. Hang in there, it will get better. Just keep a close eye on their temperature and other signs of not improving. Wash everything!!! We also let them sleep in their carseats so they were elevated (made their breathing easier). It also provided them comfort and warmth. Only kicker is that it took another 6 weeks to break them from sleeping in their carseats!!! Drove me crazy at the time but now looking back, it was no big deal. It gave me husband & I some sanity because they slept so well - it was like they were being held. Good luck and remember your health as well.

Beatrice, mother to:
Aidan James (7/28/03-8:41pm)
Connor Michael(7/28/03-8:43pm)
Fiona Rose(7/28/03-8:44pm)

Bea and Mike
Parents to BBG (3 years)

LOVE is a wonderful thing!