My daughter was born in October and I was a FREAK about taking her in public. I wasn’t this way when my son was born, but he was born in June…it was warm out…it wasn’t flu season…I was just more comfortable. Thanksgiving was coming up and I was nervous to take her to our family gathering. You see, when we get together with my husband’s side of the family there are 80+ people at Thanksgiving. All I kept picturing was people passing her around like a football; not washing their hands; the whole thing made me want to throw up.
So…I put her in a sling and wouldn’t let anyone hold her. I know I offended some when they asked me to hold her and I said no. I did try to explain myself by saying if I let one, then everyone will be holding her and it’s flu season…etc. While it all made sense to me then (and still does), I know there are some who were very upset with me over that. Oh well! I figured, my baby…my rules!
But it turns out, I wasn’t all that crazy. RSV, a virus that almost every baby will contact by the age of 2 is a really serious virus that is the leading cause of hospitalization for infants and up to 500 infant deaths each year. Symptoms of RSV include: persistent cough or wheezing; rapid, difficult, or gasping breaths; blue color on the lips, mouth, or under the fingernails; high fever; extreme fatigue; and difficulty feeding.
A few things you can do when a loved one has a newborn are:
- Call before showing up
- If you feel like you are getting sick, postpone the visit
- Wash your hands frequently
- Leave toddlers at home…they are exposed to so many germs at school.
- Offer to do something to make things a little easier on the new mom (make a dinner, clean the house, load the dishwasher, etc).
Most importantly, as the new mom you need to realize that you know what is best for your baby and your family. Do not feel bad if what you think is best bothers another person. Your best interest is your little newborn and that is all that matters. Preventing RSV is all that matters.
Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of MedImmune and received promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.
RSV sucks. Plain and simple. Jillian was a preemie and had synagis vaccines (it helps against RSV. One shot, once a month for a few months during cold/flu season) she happened to be hospitalized for something else at about 5.5 months old. The only room available was a ward room, so she shared with 3 other kids. One of the kids came down with RSV and they moved her to isolation, I guess that was after she breathed on us. 🙁
This information is SOO important, thanks for sharing!