Mommy vs. Nurse

I love my job.  Really, I do.  Do I some days wish I was a SAHM, definitely.  But I also love what I do.  I am a nurse and am so lucky to be able to help people in so many ways.  When I graduated nursing school I got my dream job, the one I wanted when I started nursing school.  The trauma & burn ICU at a big level 1magnet hospital.  Yes, like any job at times Im over it, but all in all I can not imagine not working with trauma.  When Collins was born something in me decided I wanted to work with kids.  Kids? Yes Kids.  This coming from the person who always said I could never work with them. Fast forward 6 months and I changed jobs to working in the Emergency Dept at Childrens Hospital.  I do still work part time on TBICU and am also a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) that works for rape response.  Although I do really miss being on TBI working in the ED with kids has taught me SO much, in regards to Collins.  I am a nurse but if I didnt work in the ED Im pretty sure we would have ended up there a couple of times due to me being a worried first time mom.  With that said I thought a blog post on some of the "medical issues" and answers might would be helpful to other first time mommas.

All in all we have been very lucky.  Collins has only gotten sick one time (when she ended up with RSV) and Im pretty sure it was my fault due to there being a million babies at work with it so Im sure I brought some germs home :( (Talk about feeling like shit for that one!)  So some of the issues Ill talk about that I have not actually had to deal with from the momma stand point. 

The first issue we had (and apparently a lot of people have) was was dealing with fussiness from gas/ constipation. I remember texting my mommy friends when Collins was a couple months old because she kept crying and drawing her legs up towards her stomach.  My friend told me they learned really quick to put gas drops in every bottle (breast milk and then formula).  This made all the difference for us.  Im pretty sure we bought all of the bottles target ever had for the first few months of formula feeding.  We also swapped to Similac sensitive formula (when I was no longer breastfeeding or using pumped milk).  One important thing about this is to remember just because your baby does not have poop for 1-2 days does NOT mean they are constipated and your need to go to the ER.  It seems weird when your baby goes from pooping after every single feeding to going a day or 2 in between but this can be normal.  If they seem fussy and are straining with out results that’s when you should try one of the following suggestion:
Feeding your baby a LITTLE bit of juice (prune especially) will also help with constipation.  Another remedy for constipation is Karo syrup.  (this one is mommy advice NOT nurse advice).  Although my pediatrician did tell me to put a little Karo in the bottle you should ask your first before you do so. 
Lastly pediatric glycerin suppositories will also help if your little one cant seem to get it out.  Again talk it over with your doctor. 
Respiratory issues are a BIG one with babies, and the most scary.  So we will start with the easy congestion/ runny nose issue.  If your baby has congestion the first 2 things your doc is going to tell you is to suction with a bulb syringe and saline and a humidifier in their room will help.  These are both very true.  However for whatever reason the bulb syringes are all too big for Collins' nose.  (maybe she has small nostrils?)  I bought the Nose frieda and it works WONDERS!  Yes it seems gross (and it is) because you hold it up to your little ones nose and suck in to pull out all the snot.  But there is a filter so nothing comes back in the line toward you!  I know it still sounds gross but it works. Babies naturally breath faster and are also nose breathers (unlike adults). Normal respiration for babies are:

0days-1wk-40-60 breaths per min

2wk-1mo-25-40/min

2mo-1year25-40/min

2-5year- 20-25/min  

If your baby is congested make sure you take that into account while feeding also.  If they have a bottle in their mouth and their nose is congested they can not breath! When they are congested you will have to take more frequent breaks during feeds so they can catch their breath!  Like you and I, no one wants to eat much when they feel like shit so keep that in mind too! As long as they are taking in enough to still be peeing then its ok that they aren’t drinking as much when they are sick.  When Collins got RSV and I called my pediatrician they reccomended I could get a "little dose" of delsym or Triamenic.. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS!  I dont care if your pediatrician says its ok.  They meds in those can cause some very bad adverse reactions! There is a reason there is an age on the bottle...If it were safe for younger babies that would be the age!

**If your baby seems like it is really having trouble breathing, making weird noises, or looks like he is using a lot of his chest/stomach muscles to breath you need to get evaluated by your pediatrician!**

Like I just said you want your baby to still be peeing, regardless of if they are congested so they are not drinking as much, vomiting, or have diarrhea.  With that said if your little one does get a stomach but try to make them drink about 5ml of pedialyte or Gatorade every 5minutes. Don t try to make them drink w hole Gatorade because they will just throw it right back up and it will do no good.  5mls every 5min should be enough to keep em hydrated but not make them vomit. If they do throw up wait 15min and start again.  More than 6-8 hours without peeing consult your doc!

It sucks when your babe is sick.  There is nothing more heartbreaking and discouraging knowing there is nothing you can do to make them immediately better.  Just remember Tylenol(acetaminophen) ever 4 hours, Motrin(Ibuprofen) every 6(FOR BABIES OVER 6MONTHS), and we really consider it a fever once its 100.4.  Lower than that and you do not have to treat it, its your bodies way of trying to fight off something!  I have attatched a fever medicine dosage sheet below!  Hope this helps anyone with sick babies!