Watch out

I've learned more about RSV in the last week than I ever thought I would need to know.  I think the most important thing has been what signs to watch for, even when your baby is still her happy, normal self.  I thought I'd share my pearls of wisdom with y'all.  ;)

Here's what happened:

Kaden and Lexi each had the flu.  A couple of days after they were both feeling better, Ari had a fever of 101.  I was worried until it only lasted for one day, then went away and she was happy, so I thought it was the flu and she has an immune system even Superman would envy.

Wrong!

RSV=fever for only one day.

The day after her fever, she sounded congested.  We started using a humidifier at night because I was sure she just had a cold.  Again, I wasn't worried because she was still eating just fine and was as happy as a fat kid in a cake shop.

It was five days after her fever (which they count as day one) that we went in for her 4 month well check appointment.  At that appointment, the doctor pointed out some key symptoms to me that I didn't even realize were symptoms.  Here ya go:

What do you see?

I saw a happy, beautiful, chubby baby.

What did the doctor see?

Look at Ari's ribs.  See how her skin is sucking in tight around her ribs?  That's BAD and a for sure sign of RSV.  It means she is having a really hard time breathing and her lungs are using every muscle possible to get more oxygen.  SAD.  :(  I told the doc that I just thought she was chubby.  The doc laughed and said most parents do think that when they see it.

What else did Doc see?

DROOL.  Yep. 

I saw it, too, but thought, "Babies drool." 

Extra drool=another sign of RSV.

And of course her stuffy nose, which I thought was a cold.

Poor girl.  :(

I think the biggest sign was the ribs and I had NO idea.

Want to know what a bad mom I am?

I've been thinking a lot lately about this and I realized that if I had just breastfed her like I did with Kaden and Lexi, then Ari would have either never gotten RSV or only had it for a day or two.  I feel so horrible every time I hear her straining to breathe and know that it's my fault she isn't better by now.  When she had thrush at a month old, I was thanking my lucky stars I wasn't nursing her, but now I just feel guilty.  I would take any amount of pain if it meant she didn't have to go through this.

Anyway, she's been on Prednisolone (a steroid) since Friday to help decrease inflammation around her airways and lungs and we've been doing Nebulizer treatments on her every 4 hours-night and day.  She doesn't sound any better to me, but I really hope she is improving.  She has another doctor's appointment tonight, so we'll just have to wait and see.