First signs of trouble

Its 11 weeks since Baby was born.  Today, for the first time since birth, Baby was not well: he threw up what appears to the contents of his stomach from the morning feed.  This was not a leak; this was proper vomiting.  It was very alarming to watch and we were worried as a quick look on the internet indicated that vomiting plus refusal to feed was something that we needed to be worried about: Baby has been refusing formula for the last two days even though he was quite happy to have breast milk.  We did manage to get him to have 100 ml of formula first thing in the morning this morning but he had then steadily rejected it and seemed to be hungry for milk two hours or so after.  And then came the vomiting.  This consisted of milk that didn't look very digested.  We called our clinic and was put through to the out-of-hours GP on duty this weekend.  She was very kind, asked us a number of (expectedly) pertinent questions and then told us not to worry too  much about the rejection of formula milk as long as Baby was still feeding on breast milk.  The vomiting is not unusal in young babies and, although we should keep an eye on things, we should remain calm for now.   She also reassured us that we could call back at any time and they would see Baby immediately if it was necessary or if we wanted them to check him over just for peace of mind.  Times like this I am glad the NHS is here and doing a much better job than it gets credit for.

I am not sure if I am calm as I have been checking him for symptoms of everything where vomiting may be a potential symptom.  I have also become very protective of him and, rightly or wrongly, have decided to let him sleep in bed with us tonight, even though he has been sleeping very well in his own cot for a while now.  I don't feel entirely comfortable and frankly feel a little helpless.  I guess this is what mums are supposed to feel like.  He is the most precious thing to me now and I cannot imagine life without him anymore; watching him being unwell has brought the unwelcome thought that there are no guarantees in life and that I should appreciate him and live each day together as if it was the last.  Our littel family unit is going through a good phase right now and I should be grateful for it and live it to the full.

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