I seems like the only real precautions I've been able to think of is, excess hand washing (like scrubbing the kids down after church, lol, and preschool), Dale and I have never gotten flu shots before, and I will make both of us this year. I plan to talk to my dr. about the swine flu vaccine. This is mostly due to the fact that pregnant women are more seceptable to it. Making sure no one ever holds him without washing their hands or at the least using the giant bottle of hand sanitizer I will be getting from Sam's Club. :) I think I'm also going to be more particular about having visitors. I want them, I LOVE having visitors after my baby is born, but I really, really don't want any sick visiors, at all! Even if they just have a cold. Is that being crazy, or being cautious?
I'd love to hear from some of you other mom's that have had to deal with winter (and cold weather, lol) babies before. What did you do? Did you really care? Lol.
14 comments:
I had Katie on October 19. I was very cautious about things. I did just about everything you are thinking of. Cameron wasn't in preschool yet, but he was in nursery. I made everyone wash their hands and they couldn't hold her if they were sick. I didn't go as far as not letting people come over if they had a little cold, but I didn't let anyone hold her who was sick. Then I kept her away from people at family parties during December. I never let anyone hold her at those except Jeff and I. Just because there are too many people and germs. Now that I've written a novel :) I would just say, do what you want and if people are offended or whatever, they can get over it! The health of your baby is more important than making someone happy by holding your baby for 5 minutes. (Sorry I rambled for a while!)
Well, I have to admit that I am one of those awful mom's who's first child did get RSV. She was born in December and by the end of January had it pretty bad. It isn't that we didn't use precautions...sometimes, things like that happen.
We had to use a nebulizer (not sure of the spelling) on her to help clear out her lungs. Within a few weeks she was better.
I do know the terror that faces you with the thought of RSV. I am feeling it now for my new little guy!
Just do what you said, it never hurts to be overly cautious, it is your baby.
But babies survive and if anything it is nice to have the machine around the house now. I still use it will saline solution whenever Micaela gets a cold. It helps her get better sooner.
Sorry for the novel.
Good luck and congratulations!
Both my first two girls were born in December, so I know cold weather babies! I wish I could say all of that will make it so he won't get sick... but I did EVERYTHING to make sure my two didn't and Brynnlee still ended up with RSV at five weeks old. She was on oxygen 24/7 and nebulizer treatments every couple hours. (note: I still have my machine as well, it does help when they are sick!) It is not fun stuff and pretty scary when they tell you they wouldn't be able to do anything else for her at the hospital so to go home and hold her. Guess what I'm saying is: it just might happen, especially with so many other older kids. I think Brynnlee got it after we let Brielle go visit grandma's house. Even though she wasn't around any other kids, she was still out and about more than the rest of the family. I really hope everything does go okay for you. It is YOUR baby that you have to deal with, so stick up for yourself and your baby (advice that I should listen to, too!) and be blunt about asking people to wash hands, etc. GOOD LUCK! I wish our kiddos could play together... now that mine baby is four months old I'm a little more outgoing LOL! Wish you the best!
Ethan was a fall baby (and my nephew a Feb. baby was one who caught it and ended up in the hospital on a ventilator). So yes, I think your precautions are good--hand-washing, careful about who holds baby, flu shots (for both adults and kids), keep baby close to you in public places (wear in sling/put blanket over car seat)-so not as many people are getting up in baby's face, etc. Breastfeeding of course can also help give immunity/protection. Well and then starting out life as healthy as possible helps too (premies and those with health issues are more at risk of rsv). And by premies, not just super-early babies but even those at 36, 37 weeks. But like others have said, even when you take all the precautions, babies can still get sick. I think being pro-active in treatment and catching it early can help with that. (now I wrote a novel too!)
As you know Luke was born in Dec and left the hospital with a cold (green goo and all). He had RSV for about 8 weeks but was never hospitalized. It was so hard. I would suggest staying away from public places, and taking really good handwashing precautions. I would also say be picky about who holds/sees the baby. Its totally your call. I know you may feel like your going crazy for a while being isolated can be hard, but in the end it will be worth it! Hopefully you and I won't have any problems this time around with our babies!
Boston was born Oct 3 and I was a freak of all freaks and still am! Boston is almost one and has had 2 colds in one year. (im a bit proud due to the fact his first one was at 8 months old and with him being so tiny in cold and flu season) I kept my visitors to a minimum and didn't let any young kids touch or hold him. And if anyone had even a runny nose they were not allowed in my house. ( I worked at the hospital as a cna and saw way way way to many young babies with rsv so there for I am super freak!!!)Good luck! ;)
Try not to worry too much Kara! I think Stress totally affects babies. I had two babies in the winter and let everyone in the world hold them and coo over them and....they both never got sick. My sister in law is a clean freak and was very careful and her baby was sick the very day it was born. I think that there is chance in all things and you should be careful but don't let it and the stress of worrying affect your life too much!
Both my kids were born in the winter. January and December. Neither of my kids got sick. I did take precautions but I wasn't overly precautious. I had hand sanitizer and didn't let kids hold my baby but I figured most adults are smart enough not to ask to hold my child unless they were healthy. My mom did have a cold when Brynlee was born though and she just made sure she wore those hospital masks every time she held or was around her. I asked for some at the hospital and they gave me a bunch. Just do what you feel comfortable with. Nobody can get upset if you're doing what you feel is right to keep your baby healthy:) Good luck!
Ammon was born three weeks early and I was about as unconcerned as a person can get. I took him shopping the day we came home from the hospital, we never missed a week of church (other than the Sunday I was in the hospital) and I never even made people wash their hands before they held him. Both of my boys have been really healthy and between the two of them, we have only ever needed Dr prescribed medicine once.
On the other hand, when I saw all the illnesses spreading this past summer I said that if I ever had another baby I would do it with a whole new level of paranoia. It really can be scary. I am more paranoid about winter than I ever have been - with or without a baby.
Oh my goodness, I think that if its your baby, there is no such thing as too cautious, especially if something is really a concern for you. We (obviously) are in LA where people haven't even heard of RSV, but I remember when we took Charlie to Utah or his first Christmas, I was SUPER paranoid and worried. I wouldn't hesitate to do any and all of the things you mentioned, especially if they bring you a little bit of peace. Trust your mom-gut -- you'll know what to do! (And do it with pride, girl!)
I think that you better come and have the baby in Ventura and stay here until winter is over. I had three babies in winter and they were all fine :)
It's so hard to keep them healthy in the winter, especially with other kids. All my girls got RSV when Eve was about 6 weeks old, and it was terrible. My advice is for you, your baby, and your kids to stay home as much as possible. (That also sounds terrible, doesn't it?) The more you go out, the more germs they'll come in contact with.... but you still have to go out sometimes, as in the grocery store. Take turns with Dale for church so your baby doesn't have to go for a long long time....
I'm happy to find your blog again. You are so cute!
Hey my cutie, I had a baby born in August one year and the January right after he was born we were up at primary children's with RSV which caused his asthma. I have friends that think I am a paranoid freak and take their babies out right away but they have never had to watch their baby cry as doctors were shoving tubes down them to suction the gunk out of their lungs. I say that you take every precaution and people will understand if they can't see the baby until they are healthy and then do what you are already planning on doing. Good luck.
Both winter babies at the Dyer household. Just do everything that you think is right. I wasn't too worried about it living in WA. It seems like the sickness doesn't get too bad here in the winter. I really would just keep hands washed for sure. The hand-sanitizer was a great way to keep Rigdon's hands clean. I also was super careful when we went to church, I wouldn't let anyone hold them. Just keep them in the car seat and people won't ask to hold them. Good luck. It really isn't as bad as everyone tells you.
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