Top Tips for Your Baby’s RSV Hospital Stay
Having a fall or winter baby is always filled with horror stories from family and friends about the perils of the flu, nonstop colds and RSV that will wreak havoc on your household. This season is no exception. We have all seen the scary headlines about RSV in 2022.
Phew. Let’s all take a collective deep breath. This really isn’t meant to scare you. Most likely if your baby has RSV, you'll have a week or two of hard nights and long days at home and everyone will move forward from there. Not easy, but not life threatening.
But what happens if you do end up with a baby sick enough with RSV that they end up hospitalized? Or what if your friend or family member is in that position and you want to help but aren’t sure how?
A little background: In September of this year, our sweet baby girl ended up in the children’s hospital for a week because of complications from RSV. Hospital stays are always upsetting, traumatic and exhausting. I googled a lot of things that week but couldn’t really find much in the way of non-medical, how-the-hell-do-I-get-through-this tips. So I thought I’d share some ideas for how we survived our baby girl’s stay in the hospital with RSV:
Ask your people for help.
One of the first things I did when the baby was admitted was to text my good friend and ask her to rally people to help. Friends and family dropped off meals and coffee and snacks. They sent encouraging Marco Polo messages and texts. My mother-in-law flew in to help. If you don’t have that kind of community where you are, try to keep in touch with your family and friends from afar to maintain a little sanity during those long days and nights. If no one is nearby, maybe people can send gift cards or Venmo you.
Alternate night visits with a partner or friend/family member.
The most bizarre but helpful thing my husband and I did was to split up the nights. I went home and slept for half the night (8pm-1am) while he stayed with the baby, and then we switched in the middle of the night. Now, I understand that this wouldn’t work if you live very far from the hospital or have other kids at home. But, we were told from the beginning that if one of us was not able to be there, baby girl would be in the room on her own (checked in on obviously and monitored). Hospitals just don’t have the staffing capabilities, especially right now, to have someone watching your sweet one the whole time.
Bring a cozy blanket.
My friend gave us a brand-new cozy blanket from Target during our stay, but you can just bring a blanket from home! Hospital blankets are itchy and rough, so this will go a long way when you’re exhuasted and attempting to pass out on the fold out bed.
Take breaks as you can.
Even if you don’t have a partner or friend to switch off with, walk away sometimes. Take a walk in the parking lot or take laps in the halls. Your baby will be hooked up to a lot of monitors and won’t be able to leave the room, but you need air and space a few times a day. Grab a coffee from the cafeteria or wander outside for some sunshine. It will help you when you come back to deal with the stress of a hospital.
Provide loved ones with updates only when you’re up for it.
Look, no one should expect constant updates from you. You can create a boundary on what you provide and when. Also, you can designate a person or two to disseminate info, especially early on.
Keep a stash of masks in the car and your purse.
This is pretty straightforward, but it helped to not be scrambling for new masks every time we came back to the hospital.
Try to remember the names of the hospital staff you’re regularly interacting with.
I know you have a lot to worry about, but if you remember the shift nurse or respiratory therapist’s names, it will go a long way. Build a mini relationship with these wonderful people, even if they aren’t destined to be your best friend. They’re doing a very hard job and caring for your sick baby.
Create a stash of snacks and beverages.
In baby’s hospital room, there was a small side table that we filled with easy snacks and too many beverages. That way, when hunger or thirst struck, we didn’t have to leave to quickly grab something.
Ask clarifiying questions.
I’m not a doctor or nurse and I’m guessing you’re not either. And even if you are, this is STRESSFUL and you are not in medical mode, you’re in mom mode. If you don’t understand something that you’re told about a diagnosis or treatment for RSV, ask questions. If you forget to ask a question in the moment, leave yourself a voice memo or note in your phone for the next time they do rounds.
Offer hospital staff grace.
Y’all. The healthcare system is very stressed and broken right now. These healthcare workers are doing their best, even if you don’t feel like it in the moment. Our nurses had a whole floor of babies and kids to care for and ran around all day and night doing everything they could for them. When in doubt, take a breath, ask questions and offer as much grace as you can. Just like you, they’re in a stressful situation and only want what’s best for your little one.
If you do find yourself in the hospital because of RSV right now, I am so sorry. I’m thinking of you and praying for you and hope this advice either helps practically or at least makes you feel seen as a parent.
(NOTE: I can’t overstate enough that I am not a nurse or doctor and this post isn’t meant to be medical advice. This is just one mama’s experiences with an RSV hospital stay in 2022).
