advice please

[squirrelmum]

My baby Sophie was born 6 weeks early by emergency c section, she spent 2 weeks in special care but has been home nearly 2 weeks now. She has developed sneezes andstarted making coughing sounds and other horrid sounding noises. Took her to doctor who said its not in her chest so just to keep an eye on her. But i'm getting stressed as she is so tiny and still shouldnt be here yet. Have other premmies had colds and have they been ok? I just feel she needs something. How can something so tiny fight off a cold. I was so happy to finally get her home and now im just a wreck worrying about her. She was born at 3lbs 13, was weighed yesterday at 4lbs 8. Is that enough weight gain for nearly 4 weeks (bearing in mind she lost a lot when born).
Any advice greatly received as she not as hungry as usual either.

 

[Samantha]

Hi
My baby Charlotte was born last year weighing just 1lb 9oz 15 weeks early so I do really understand the worry of a preemie.

I was lucky last year when Charlotte came home in the height of flu and cold season as I didnt really let anyone in the house and I didnt really go out and Charlotte didnt catching anything.

This year Charlotte caught a chest infection and one day before I decided to take her to A&E the doc said it wasnt on her chest but 24 hours later I was in A&E and she was back on oxygen and in hospital for a few days.

There are alot of coughs and colds around and it is more than likely that your little one has just that. A good indicator is her temperature. If she has a high temperature then this is a sign of a possible infection. I guess your little one as well cannot yet have calpol or anything that will help her.

Anyway, only advice I can give is check her temperature regularly, try to keep fluids in her and go with your instinct. If she starts vomiting and her temperature is high then take her to A&E straight away but Im sure it wont come to that.

By the way, these little babies are very tough.

Sam

 

[Bec L]

Hi. Our little Poppy was 5lb 1 when she was born 6 weeks early. She was also in SCBU for 2 weeks. She didn't have a cold when we got her home but she did make a LOT of very strange grunting type noises which really worried us at first but we soon got used to them and realised they were nothing to worry about. Smeone else who had a premature baby told me it is normal for preemies to make a lot of weird noises (so she was told!) so I think it is fine.