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FIADH — IRELAND
Born September 11, 2020 Early-onset Mother's GBS Status: Not tested Gestational Age: 40 weeks, 5 days Age harmed: 2 days old |
When Fiadh was 2 days old I began to notice some things that I just didn't feel right about.
At first it started with her colouring, she looked really red to me - I asked for her temp to be taken a few times but each time it was fine, I noticed she was doing a type of jerk with her hands which was constant and different to that new baby 'falling' reflex, I noticed she now started to cry when being touch or held and lastly her breathing just did not sit well with me!
The pediatrician came to do his exam of Fiadh and noticed she had a murmur but nothing serious and he would be back before discharge the next day to have another listen.
I called the midwife again and this time I could hear myself becoming more firm in the way I expressed my concerns. This is when I realised I was now a Mom!!
The pediatrician returned and this time agreed with my concerns. He asked me to get myself ready and to come with him and my baby downstairs so we could get Fiadh checked out! I felt my heart hit the floor. I knew something wasn't right but this confirmed it for me and before we even made it to neo.
Once we arrived she was straight into an incubator where they could already tell she needed help with oxygen. The people explained they would be putting in a line and for me to come back in 20 minutes as I might find it distressing!
I said goodbye and off I went back up to my room, sobbing while pushing an empty cot ahead of me. When I returned to the room I rang Noel straight away! I can remember trying to talk but nothing would come out. I just had this horrible feeling and all I needed was someone to say it would be okay! He made his way up and he went straight to ICU where Fiadh was, to see our little girl for the second time since she was born because of covid-19 restrictions in the hospital! We were so lucky both parents could go to neo, not at the same time but at least Fiadh's dad could also visit her here. He sat with her for awhile and rang me to come and meet him outside the hospital.
When I saw him I completely broke down. We just kept telling each other how she would be fine and how strong she already was.
The next day her bloods came back. Her infection rate (crp) was 179 (10 is considered high in babies) so this was a huge concern. The word meningitis came up a lot and it was terrifying!
The consultant came and spoke with Noel explaining they would need to do a lumbar puncture to figure out how to best treat our little baby.
Three attempts later they still couldn't get one successfully. It broke my heart to hear how they tried 3 times. She was so tiny and they stuck a needle into her spine 3 times for what felt like nothing as it didn't work!
They decided to start her on 3 antibiotics to cover everything and they would retry the lumbar puncture again the next day...
The next day they saw a drop in Fiadh's crp which was such great news. Now they just wanted to know which of the 3 antibiotics was causing the drop - they attempted the lumbar puncture 3 more times with no luck. The consultant called it and decided they wouldn't try again.
On the third day the results for my bloods and placenta had come back. It was positive for Strep B! All I could think of was how it was all my fault my baby was this sick... my placenta made my baby so so sick, causing her to develop sepsis!
Once the consultant knew what he was dealing with he knocked off one of the antibiotics for Fiadh. Her crp rate was still coming down, but now her liver count was high and they worried that this might now cause our little baby issues.
Everyday Fiadh became stronger and healthier. Her eye started to open again and you could see the whites of her eyes becoming less and less yellow.
On day 8 of antibiotics Fiadh's crp dropped all the way down to 33! We were so thrilled these numbers were confirming what we could see. She was getting better!!
On day 9 we were told it was Finally time to bring our little girl home. She needed to finish her last 3 antibiotics and have a recheck of her liver count and the next day we could take her home!
We did not sleep a wink that night... I woke at 5 am when she was due her last antibiotic and rang to make sure the line in her foot didn't go as this was a huge issue for Fiadh. She would only get a few uses out of each line as they kept breaking her little veins... she must have had at least 8 IV lines during her 10 day stay!
It lasted. She had her last antibiotic and we couldn't believe her stay in neo would finally be coming to an end. Just like every day since she was admitted to Neo, my 6 am alarm went off and we both got up and out of bed, but this time we were so excited as this would be the last morning we would wake up without her by our side!
Two months old now and we have done exactly that every single morning.
- Laura Byrne
Laura spreads GBS awareness by sharing information on social media
At first it started with her colouring, she looked really red to me - I asked for her temp to be taken a few times but each time it was fine, I noticed she was doing a type of jerk with her hands which was constant and different to that new baby 'falling' reflex, I noticed she now started to cry when being touch or held and lastly her breathing just did not sit well with me!
The pediatrician came to do his exam of Fiadh and noticed she had a murmur but nothing serious and he would be back before discharge the next day to have another listen.
I called the midwife again and this time I could hear myself becoming more firm in the way I expressed my concerns. This is when I realised I was now a Mom!!
The pediatrician returned and this time agreed with my concerns. He asked me to get myself ready and to come with him and my baby downstairs so we could get Fiadh checked out! I felt my heart hit the floor. I knew something wasn't right but this confirmed it for me and before we even made it to neo.
Once we arrived she was straight into an incubator where they could already tell she needed help with oxygen. The people explained they would be putting in a line and for me to come back in 20 minutes as I might find it distressing!
I said goodbye and off I went back up to my room, sobbing while pushing an empty cot ahead of me. When I returned to the room I rang Noel straight away! I can remember trying to talk but nothing would come out. I just had this horrible feeling and all I needed was someone to say it would be okay! He made his way up and he went straight to ICU where Fiadh was, to see our little girl for the second time since she was born because of covid-19 restrictions in the hospital! We were so lucky both parents could go to neo, not at the same time but at least Fiadh's dad could also visit her here. He sat with her for awhile and rang me to come and meet him outside the hospital.
When I saw him I completely broke down. We just kept telling each other how she would be fine and how strong she already was.
The next day her bloods came back. Her infection rate (crp) was 179 (10 is considered high in babies) so this was a huge concern. The word meningitis came up a lot and it was terrifying!
The consultant came and spoke with Noel explaining they would need to do a lumbar puncture to figure out how to best treat our little baby.
Three attempts later they still couldn't get one successfully. It broke my heart to hear how they tried 3 times. She was so tiny and they stuck a needle into her spine 3 times for what felt like nothing as it didn't work!
They decided to start her on 3 antibiotics to cover everything and they would retry the lumbar puncture again the next day...
The next day they saw a drop in Fiadh's crp which was such great news. Now they just wanted to know which of the 3 antibiotics was causing the drop - they attempted the lumbar puncture 3 more times with no luck. The consultant called it and decided they wouldn't try again.
On the third day the results for my bloods and placenta had come back. It was positive for Strep B! All I could think of was how it was all my fault my baby was this sick... my placenta made my baby so so sick, causing her to develop sepsis!
Once the consultant knew what he was dealing with he knocked off one of the antibiotics for Fiadh. Her crp rate was still coming down, but now her liver count was high and they worried that this might now cause our little baby issues.
Everyday Fiadh became stronger and healthier. Her eye started to open again and you could see the whites of her eyes becoming less and less yellow.
On day 8 of antibiotics Fiadh's crp dropped all the way down to 33! We were so thrilled these numbers were confirming what we could see. She was getting better!!
On day 9 we were told it was Finally time to bring our little girl home. She needed to finish her last 3 antibiotics and have a recheck of her liver count and the next day we could take her home!
We did not sleep a wink that night... I woke at 5 am when she was due her last antibiotic and rang to make sure the line in her foot didn't go as this was a huge issue for Fiadh. She would only get a few uses out of each line as they kept breaking her little veins... she must have had at least 8 IV lines during her 10 day stay!
It lasted. She had her last antibiotic and we couldn't believe her stay in neo would finally be coming to an end. Just like every day since she was admitted to Neo, my 6 am alarm went off and we both got up and out of bed, but this time we were so excited as this would be the last morning we would wake up without her by our side!
Two months old now and we have done exactly that every single morning.
- Laura Byrne
Laura spreads GBS awareness by sharing information on social media
To learn more about Perinatal & GBS Misconceptions, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of Preterm Labor, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about Why Membranes Should NOT Be Stripped, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of Preterm Labor, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about Why Membranes Should NOT Be Stripped, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.