'My babies all ended up in hospital with bronchiolitis as newborns'

"Here's what I want you to know that could help save you the same journey," Aussie mum of three Karen writes.

My healthy twin boys were born at full term with chunky weights, so we were all allowed home together the day after delivery.

As I navigated tandem breastfeeding and juggled sleep routines, I had to organise the endless stream of friends and family who were desperate for cuddles.

It was all very overwhelming for me as a new mum as I just wanted a few minutes of peace and quiet to enjoy my beautiful babies. 

I had no idea that less than four weeks later we’d be back in the same hospital as both babies contracted bronchiolitis, a nasty lower respiratory tract infection. 

Fast forward three years, and our six-week-old daughter ended up in the same hospital with bronchiolitis as she suffered from a crackly chest and a hacking cough. We were so lucky – all three babies got over the virus.

Not everyone is so lucky though, so I really wanted to share some of the things I learnt during that challenging time.

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Six pieces of advice after navigating bronchiolitis with three newborns

You are NOT overreacting

I didn’t want to be THAT first-time mum who worried about everything and went to the doctor with every tiny sniffle. I should have taken our boys to the GP as soon as they started with a cold given they were so little, but instead, we went away for a weekend, and they ended up getting worse while we were away. 

Know this: You are NEVER overreacting when it comes to your baby. You aren’t wasting anybody’s time by going to see the GP – they would much rather catch things early than have them go downhill. 

The second time around, we went to the GP much earlier with our daughter, and while we still ended up being referred to the hospital twice so they could keep an eye on her oxygen levels, she didn’t get as sick as her brothers.

Image: Supplied

Trust your gut

Similar to point one, you know your baby. If your gut says something is wrong, take them to the doctor or hospital. As a parent, your gut is rarely wrong, and you need to pay attention to your instincts. 

All three babies were struggling to feed, they weren’t having as many wet nappies and when you watched their breathing you could clearly see something wasn’t right as they were sucking their chests in. It was so much more than just a runny nose, and deep down I knew it from the first sign of symptoms. 

Advocate for your baby

Our GP could see one twin was sicker than the other, and when he wrote the referral letter for us to take to hospital, he only mentioned the name of that baby. When we arrived, they told us they could only examine the twin mentioned in the referral. 

We had to fight to get them to examine his brother as well – all because of a silly paper trail. Our babies were so sick, and the most important thing for us was getting them assessed. 

Your baby can’t speak, so you need to be their voice and make sure your concerns are taken seriously. Here in Queensland, we have Ryan’s Rule so if you don’t feel you’re being heard, escalate your concerns.

Source: Supplied

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Ask for help

On both occasions, my husband and I also ended up terribly sick with chest infections which wasn’t ideal while also trying to take care of sick babies. 

We struggled through on our own but I really wish we’d asked for more help the first time around. We did have one stew dropped off to our doorstep which was gratefully received, but we were all so sick for almost a month and it would have made such a difference if we’d asked our friends for help.

I know they’d have rallied around to do whatever they could to organise a roster of meals for us, do any shopping we needed and help with a bit of cleaning. 

It would have taken a lot of pressure off us, and being able to eat homecooked, healthy dinners would have helped us recover quicker (rather than living off takeaways which were all we had the time and energy for).

Know the symptoms 

I’d never heard of bronchiolitis when I had my babies. This virus impacts thousands of babies every year. I really wish somebody had taken the time to educate me about it BEFORE I gave birth so I knew what symptoms to look out for.

This would have been especially useful as our babies were born during autumn when the weather was getting cooler and bronchiolitis was more prominent.

Symptoms of bronchiolitis include a runny nose, cough, sneezing, breathing that sounds wheezy, and a fever. My babies all struggled with feeding as they couldn’t breathe through their noses and you could see their chests sink inward as they took a breath.

You can find out more about the symptoms at Health Direct.

Source: Supplied

Avoid catching it if you can

I know this sounds obvious, but remind your friends and family not to come and meet your baby if they’re sick. 

If I was having a baby again now, I’d ask people to wear a mask when holding my newborns and would make sure they used hand sanitiser. We’re a lot wiser since COVID, but back then this wasn’t something I thought about. 

Your baby is so tiny and precious and you get to make your own decisions to keep them safe. 

Take bronchiolitis seriously

Seeing one of my tiny, helpless babies hooked up to machines and being fed through a tube was one of the most heartbreaking experiences of my life. 

It may be ‘just’ a common chest infection, but bronchiolitis can be very serious in babies. While you can’t always avoid your baby catching it, you can take action early and knowledge is power. 

Originally published as 'My babies all ended up in hospital with bronchiolitis as newborns'