This powerful story chronicles a mother's terrifying experience when her infant daughter contracts RSV, a common respiratory virus that can be deadly for young children. The narrative unfolds as the mother grapples with the emotional rollercoaster of witnessing her child's struggle for breath, the physical exhaustion of constant care, and the desperate measures she takes to ensure her baby's survival, including exploring unconventional medical treatments. It paints a vivid picture of the unyielding love and resilience of a mother facing a medical crisis.
When my daughter was only 5 weeks old, she stopped breathing in my arms. After a panicked drive to the emergency room, she tested positive for RSV , a common respiratory virus that peaks in the winter months and which most people recover from after experiencing only mild cold-like symptoms. Each year, hundreds of infants die worldwide due to complications caused by an RSV infection.
Infants under 6 months of age are at the greatest risk for complications; the small airways in her lungs were inflamed and her immature brain was “forgetting” to breathe when breathing became difficult. She needed to stay in an isolated pediatric intensive care unit, hooked up to oxygen and closely monitored, until her body worked through the virus. For eight days, I kept watch from a cot next to her crib. She received respiratory therapy twice a day and her apnea set off flashing red alarms around the clock. Twice I was told she might need to be put on a ventilator. With every alarm, I feared she was on the edge of death.During those eight days, breastfeeding her became increasingly difficult. The wires and tubes wrapped around her tiny body paired with her shallow breathing made it almost impossible. The hospital sent lactation consultants to show me how to use a double breast pump. They said that if she wasn’t nursing enough, my milk would dry up. The doctors said she should start on formula, and I should pump every two hours. At that point, I didn’t care what I had to do or what the doctors had to do. I just wanted my baby to survive. Once home, I was convinced I’d never sleep again for fear of more episodes of apnea. We purchased a specialized baby monitor with a pad of highly sensitive sensors slipped under her mattress that would set off an alarm if she stopped breathing. For a week, the alarm went off at least two or three times a night. I drank mug after mug of lactation teas made of fenugreek, milk thistle and fennel. My daughter’s hunger increased, so after every nursing session, I offered her formula. My nipples were cracked and bleeding.At my postpartum checkup, I told a nurse about our harrowing experience with RSV and my dwindling milk supply. Big tears fell on my paper gown as I explained how I felt like an absolute failure. She did not reassure me. “Your breast milk has lifesaving antibodies. If you don’t produce enough now, your brain will stop signalling your body to make milk. You need to stay on top of this,” she said. Yes, I will do anything for my baby to get better. Absolutely anything. She mentioned a medication called domperidone. This drug, she explained, was originally developed to treat nausea and vomiting caused by certain drugs prescribed for Parkinson’s disease. She said the reason they weren’t FDA approved was because of a controversy around a small group of elderly people who were given the medication intravenously for Parkinson’s disease and then suffered cardiac arrest. She also said the formula companies didn’t want mothers to know about this medication: “You know how corporations are.” I didn’t ask questions. I wasn’t old, I didn’t have Parkinson’s disease, and I wasn’t at risk for a heart attack. On that day in the exam room, if someone had drawn a map that directed me through a dark and craggy forest and told me to visit a 100-year-old witch who lived in a dilapidated cottage at the end of a 5-mile dirt road who could dip me in a magical potion that would allow rivers of milk to flow from my breasts, I would have done it. I would have walked hundreds of miles blindfolded. I would have slayed a dragon and collected its blood in a vial made from a unicorn horn. If my breast milk was going to save my baby’s life, I would have done whatever it took. On my way out the door, she said, “The doctors don’t really understand how domperidone works, so if you have any questions, just call me.” Finally, I had hope. I was to take 30-milligram capsules three times a day for two weeks, then call the nurse to check in. Every day I ingested 90 mg of domperidone and waited for the rivers of milk to flow. Instead, I was only met with trickles when the breast pump whirred to life. And when I nursed, my baby wailed in hunger because my body was “failing” to nourish her. After a week on the drug, I began experiencing dizzy spells. They left me drenched in panicked sweat, my heart racing. Sometimes I lost my balance, bumping into counters and walls. I blamed it on sleep deprivation. My daughter’s apnea was less frequent, but her feedings were increasing. She was insatiable. And when I wasn’t pumping, I was trying to nurse. I was so focused on keeping my baby alive — my nervous system on high alert — that I ignored everything that was going on in my body.“Are you sure you’re taking it three times a day?” she asked. There was an accusatory tone in her voice. Was I being overly sensitive? Struggling to come down from the high-alert adrenaline rush of witnessing my baby struggle to breathe dozens of times? I assumed she meant my milk could dry up. I didn’t ask her to elaborate
RSV Infants Respiratory Virus Motherhood Breastfeeding Medical Crisis Postpartum Domperidone
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
MSP Urges Lanarkshire Residents to Get Vaccinated Amid Rising Flu, RSV, and Covid CasesMotherwell and Wishaw MSP Clare Adamson warns of increasing cases of flu, RSV, and Covid-19 in Lanarkshire, urging residents to get vaccinated and take precautions. The winter vaccination programme focuses on protecting vulnerable groups like older adults and those with underlying health conditions. Pregnant women are also strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.
Read more »
Mother Urges RSV Vaccination After Baby's Hospital StayA mother whose nine-month-old daughter was seriously ill with RSV in hospital is urging pregnant women to get vaccinated against the virus.
Read more »
Lisa McHugh recalls 'horrendous' 10 days daughter spent in hospital battling RSVCountry music singer Lisa McHugh has opened up about the challenging experience of her daughter Hallie's 10-day hospital stay due to RSV and bronchiolitis. Last November, Hallie had to be admitted to the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) in Enniskillen, where she received excellent care from the medical team. McHugh expressed her gratitude for the staff and described the emotional toll of watching her daughter struggle.
Read more »
Face Masks Return to Greater Manchester Hospital Amid Virus SurgeThe Royal Bolton Hospital reintroduces face masks in patient areas due to a significant increase in flu, Covid-19, RSV, and norovirus cases.
Read more »
'I'm a junior doctor - no one prepared me for this quad-emic'Flu, Covid-19, norovirus, and RSV are overwhelming hospitals across the UK, pushing health services to breaking point
Read more »
North London hospital advertises for corridor nurse amid NHS winter crisisThe NHS has been under increased pressure this winter from a 'quad-demic' of flu, COVID, norovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Read more »