Motherhood is hard but I didn't realize how hard until our little girl got sick and ended up in the hospital.
Up until this last week I've had challenges. Breastfeeding was horrible at first, but it's better now. Olivia is so gassy and colicky in the evenings, but she sleeps well at night and is otherwise a happy baby. She refuses a bottle (of my milk of course) so I don't see any dates with just John happening anytime in the near future.
Those things are hard, but I expected all that and was prepared for those things to happen. I wasn't prepared with having her be admitted to the hospital and have no idea if she would be OK.
Last Sunday, June 15th
The whole week before she had diarrhea. Then on Sunday Olivia slept a lot during the day and she didn't eat much. Around 9pm or so we noticed she was acting funny. We laid her down on our bed to change her and she kept going in and out of sleep. Now Olivia has never just fallen asleep like that. When laid on her back she is either wide eyed looking around or screaming for us to pick her up. I felt her and she felt super hot! And she wouldn't really open her eyes. She was also moaning with each breathe. We took her temperature and she had a fever. We were told when she was born if she was less than 2 months and got a fever to take her straight to the er. So we did. We got there and she threw up a ton and was still super delirious. They gave her Tylenol, and after awhile became more alert and wanted to eat. She still had a really high fever but she was acting better so they sent us home.
The whole week before she had diarrhea. Then on Sunday Olivia slept a lot during the day and she didn't eat much. Around 9pm or so we noticed she was acting funny. We laid her down on our bed to change her and she kept going in and out of sleep. Now Olivia has never just fallen asleep like that. When laid on her back she is either wide eyed looking around or screaming for us to pick her up. I felt her and she felt super hot! And she wouldn't really open her eyes. She was also moaning with each breathe. We took her temperature and she had a fever. We were told when she was born if she was less than 2 months and got a fever to take her straight to the er. So we did. We got there and she threw up a ton and was still super delirious. They gave her Tylenol, and after awhile became more alert and wanted to eat. She still had a really high fever but she was acting better so they sent us home.
Monday-Friday (June 16th-20th)
The fever never went away. We would give her Tylenol and it would go down a bit but it would spike back up as soon as it started wearing off. She was throwing up and sleeping way more than normal.
The fever never went away. We would give her Tylenol and it would go down a bit but it would spike back up as soon as it started wearing off. She was throwing up and sleeping way more than normal.
Friday June 20th
On Friday we debated taking her back in. We didn't know if we were just being paranoid or if we should actually be worried. We thought maybe we would wait till Monday and if she was still feverish we would take her back. Then I noticed she was getting super pale. I checked her temperature and she had a fever again and I had given her medicine 2 hours earlier. So we grabbed her stuff and headed to urgent care.
On Friday we debated taking her back in. We didn't know if we were just being paranoid or if we should actually be worried. We thought maybe we would wait till Monday and if she was still feverish we would take her back. Then I noticed she was getting super pale. I checked her temperature and she had a fever again and I had given her medicine 2 hours earlier. So we grabbed her stuff and headed to urgent care.
We got there at 7. They took her temperature and the fever was gone. We were so confused. She was still really pale though so I knew something was going on. They decided to do blood work and a urine test.
Having her blood taken was the most traumatic experience of our lives. The guy doing it couldn't get a vein and he was basically just digging around in her arm to try and find one. All the while he had John and I holding Olivia down. It was awful. We were bawling. He couldn't get one so he tried the other arm and it was the same. He was practically digging around in her arm and we were holding her down while she screamed and wiggled. He eventually stopped trying and at that point the doctor came in and said they were going to admit her to the hospital.
They explained that most likely she had an infection and with babies this young it's dangerous because it could easily spread to the blood or brain, causing sepsis or meningitis. Also she was probably super dehydrated. We were terrified and bawling. They took her vitals and sent us to the pediatric unit.
We arrived at 8pm. They told us they needed to start an iv line, take blood, do a spinal tap, and start her on antibiotics fast.
We couldn't handle watching her be stabbed again so we stepped out. I felt horrible, she looked terrified and we left her. But it probably wouldn't have helped to have us in there. It took almost an hour for them to get the iv in. The whole time we were waiting, we bawled, we prayed that she would be OK, we bawled some more.
I couldn't help think of the worst. She might have permanent brain damage, or worse we might lose her. The tears would not stop flowing.
They came and got us. Told us they got a line in. We went in the room and she was swaddled and asleep. She hasn't let us swaddle her since the day after she was born. She was not doing well.
They came to take her blood and decided to do it through a heel prick she she was such a hard stick. They tried giving her a pacifier to help soothe her and she took it! My concern grew, she hates the pacifier and always spits it out. They got all the blood they needed through the heel except one vile, that one had to come straight from the vein. This time it was just me, John had run home. I held her hand and the lady got it on the first try! No digging, no holding her down. She still cried, I still cried, but it wasn't as traumatizing.
Then they needed to do the spinal tap and insert an catheter for a urine test. They told me that it was something I would want to watch so I went in the waiting room and waited for John to get back.
He got back and we waited. They came and got us and said they got the urine sample but couldn't get enough spinal fluid because she was too dehydrated. They also said it took three nurses instead of the usual one to hold her in the fetal position for the spinal tap. She was so strong. When they told me that it made me proud. She's a fighter.
At that point we went to sleep, all we could do was wait. If the blood came back positive they would do the spinal tap. If it didn't there was no need. If the blood was positive she would be in the hospital for a round of intense antibiotics at least 10 days, if the spinal tap was positive it would be at least 21 days.
Saturday June 21st
She initial urine and blood tests had elevated white blood counts so she definitely had an infection. They just didn't know how far it had gotten. Most the day was just waiting. They checked her often to make sure her fever didn't spike and that everything else was fine. She was on intense antibiotics just in case it had gotten to her brain. They also did a ultrasound on her kidneys to make sure the uti wasn't caused by some defect in her kidneys. (which only made us freak out, what if she needed a kidney transplant!) By Saturday night we still didn't have any results but the doctors were optimistic because of how alert she was.
She initial urine and blood tests had elevated white blood counts so she definitely had an infection. They just didn't know how far it had gotten. Most the day was just waiting. They checked her often to make sure her fever didn't spike and that everything else was fine. She was on intense antibiotics just in case it had gotten to her brain. They also did a ultrasound on her kidneys to make sure the uti wasn't caused by some defect in her kidneys. (which only made us freak out, what if she needed a kidney transplant!) By Saturday night we still didn't have any results but the doctors were optimistic because of how alert she was.
Sunday June 22nd
The 24 hour blood cultures came back negative! The ultrasound was fine. She had a urinary tract infection and as long at the 48 hour blood culture came back negative the uti was contained and she would just need to continue antibiotics at home but she would be fine.
The 24 hour blood cultures came back negative! The ultrasound was fine. She had a urinary tract infection and as long at the 48 hour blood culture came back negative the uti was contained and she would just need to continue antibiotics at home but she would be fine.
Monday June 23rd
48 hour culture is negative! She is fine. She doesn't need a kidney transplant, she is not gonna be in the hospital for a month, she is not going to have permanent brain damage. She is gonna have some diarrhea from the antibiotics and she will probably be more gassy from them but she will be fine.
48 hour culture is negative! She is fine. She doesn't need a kidney transplant, she is not gonna be in the hospital for a month, she is not going to have permanent brain damage. She is gonna have some diarrhea from the antibiotics and she will probably be more gassy from them but she will be fine.
At this point we are just waiting for the identification of the bacteria so they know exactly what antibiotic to send us home with. It may not be till tomorrow that we go home but Olivia is ok.
On a side note, this morning she kicked her iv out. Aparrently she is ready to go home. Luckily because she is doing so well they aren't going to put it back in.
This weekend was the most horrible weekend of my life. I was terrified. I thought we were gonna lose our baby girl. It's terrifying how quickly things can escalate with little babies. I couldn't help but think if they only just tested her for a uti in the er (and if it turned out to be worse I might have just gone down there and freaked out on them). Or what if we waited until Monday like we had talked about. But she is ok, so none of that matters.
John and I are a bit traumatized and we will probably be a bit paranoid for awhile but we have our happy, silly, gassy, strong, and intense baby girl so everything will be fine.
After they got the iv in on Friday night
Waiting for final results on Sunday so we took a stroll
Monday nap time waiting to go home! 
I am so sorry that you have had to go through this with your sweet little baby. What a wide awakening to motherhood. When Lia was born, she had a 3 hour total labor (and I didn't get to the hospital until an hour before she came). I had the group B strep and the IV wasn't in long enough to create the barrier for her, so they had to prick her right after she came out and was washed up. The nurse that tried to take her blood took 7 pricks on one foot and 5 on another to get what she wanted. Yep, I bawled then for sure. Side note: I learned after the fact, that you can be an assertive mother and say to the nurse, "I want to have a verbal confirmation from you that you can get the vein in 2 minutes or less (or 2 pricks or less). If not, find someone else who can". This was important for me to know because with all the trauma to her body, Lia couldn't figure out breastfeeding at all. And the stress I was going through didn't help my supply at all. In order to get ANY food, I ended up pumping and feeding her with a bottle. After a few days, when her white blood cell count went down to normal, we were able to take her home. I tried at home to get her to breastfeed, but it was 30-45 minutes of sheer screaming and crying from me to no avail. I gave up on feeding from me for the time being and I just pumped and bottle fed her. We had to move 3 weeks after she was born, and we got settled into our new place and about 1 or 2 weeks into living in our new place, she had 103 degree fever. We took her to the hospital (30 minutes away) and thankfully I could remember to be assertive and the nurse that took her blood got it in one try. However, it was a serious UTI and that freaked us out because we were still new to parenting, new to the home we were in, etc. and having to have our baby suffer felt like my heart was on the floor. We were able to help her fever come down within a day, she got to go home the next day, and other than having to take our own urine culture (really tricky to do on a newborn with a lot of times they can get stewel into the urine bag), she was ok again. On the breastfeeding front, we'll just say that I had begun to feel like all I was good for was to be udders and a bottle washer. I knew the benefits of breastfeeding and preferred that to formula, but my nerves were getting so tight and I wasn't sleeping at all, and I wasn't really feeling like I was bonding with my baby. At two months, I finally said that I would try breastfeeding one more time and if she didn't take, then I would turn and never look back. I tried my best and I had to think of both my health (mentally/physically) as well as my daughters. Well, she latched on within the first couple tries and never looked back. TENDER MERCY!
ReplyDeleteNew mommyhood (for each child) can be really challenging at times, but I think Heavenly Father may allow for trials to come so we can learn (even at the beginning stages) how to remember that the Lord needs to be right there with us in all of our parenting. I know that He loves you guys and Olivia very much and will help you bond (even better than before) so you can have peace and love so that each stage of your learning in parenting, you can have the reminder that it only rains for a little while, then you can find the rainbow together. You guys are already great parents and will help sweet Olivia through all the joys and struggles of learning how life works.
Ahhh! I'm glad that everything is okay. Sam had a high fever like that when he was 28 days old and they hospitalized us for three days (what is it with the first babies!?) but it sounds like yours was much scarier. We were able to get him stabilized within a few hours of being there and then just had to wait for all of the scary tests to come back negative. Phew. Not. fun. ever. Glad that you're all home now! - Allison
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