RSV:Is It Taking Over?

“It’s RSV a common childhood infection that affects the throat windpipe and/or lungs.”

So Im not sure if you have read or seen in the news that different hospitals across the nation are becoming overwhelmed and so full that they are diverting patients to neighboring cities. New COVID strain? Nope. Not even a new virus. It’s RSV a common childhood infection that affects the throat windpipe and/or lungs. It can lead to bronchiolitis and pneumonia. And it is highly contagious. It is spread by droplets so wether directly or from touching a contaminated surface it can spread. It’s usually more severe for kids younger than 2, kids born prematurely, and kids born with heart or lung disease, Down syndrome or any other chronic conditions. It’s most common from November to April. RSV has been affecting kids and adults of all ages across the US. Typically RSV season doesn’t start this early, nor has the virus been so severe for such a large portion of those infected. This makes for many issues from children missing school, to hospitals and doctors offices completely backed up and overwhelmed. This means kids with broken limbs and appendicitis have to be triaged in the waiting room because there is no longer space or beds due to so many needing treatment in the hospital. Doctors aren’t quite sure yet what has led this virus to being so severe this year as it typically in healthy individuals, other than babies and newborns, causes only cold like symptoms.

A little back story, over a week ago my kids were acting more tired than usual then started having a cough. My oldest has asthma and the weather is changing so with no fever no big deal right? This is just the beginning. A trip to the pediatrician, then again two days later to the hospital, and we find out what has been ravishing our entire household. My four year old tested positive for RSV. Because the entire family is sick we were told to assume we were all RSV positive. We took COVID tests at home to be sure we were not fighting off double viruses or something different and as predicted they were negative. My next thoughts were how do we protect our 11 week old son. As a mother all I know of RSV at this point is that we don’t want the baby to catch it because it can be very severe. So on Monday we went in to see the pediatrician so all of my kids could be rechecked because no one was getting better. This is on day 6. As worried parents we begin to start asking every question you can think of about RSV. And I wanted to share with others the things we have learned. We learned ways to manage symptoms and ways to prevent RSV.

First of all here are some symptoms that you can experience when you have RSV then I will talk about managing them.

  • Breathing issues such as pauses in breathing while asleep, wheezing, shortness of breath and general difficulty breathing.
  • Coughing. Often.
  • Runny nose
  • Fever
  • Eating less or loss of appetite
  • Lethargic, less active than normal
  • Dehydration
  • Irritated eyes

It is diagnosed by a swab test, chest X-ray and or blood tests depending on severity.

Let’s talk about treatment or management rather of the symptoms. Also always check with your doctor they can give you the best information for you particular case. So because RSV is a virus there isn’t an antibiotic for it specifically. You may be given an antibiotic for an infection caused from the rsv, an example would be for an ear infection. Or to prevent bronchitis. Ways to manage symptoms can include:

  • Tylenol for fever or ibuprofen depending upon age and doctor recommendation.
  • Saline to keep your child or your nose clear. For babies this means following up with suctioning out all the mucus.
  • Humidifier in the room to loosen mucus
  • Drink lots of fluids. This can even be in the form of popsicles especially when they are really sick.
  • This is easier said than done (especially with two children who are sensory eaters) try to encourage a balanced diet
  • Always monitor the symptoms as they can change rapidly and always seek medical care if something seems worse.
  • Follow up with doctor visits if requested by the pediatrician.
  • Keep rooms well ventilated and cool not hot or stuffy.

Now that i have shared some management tips I wanted to share some ways to prevent this yucky virus!!

  1. WASH HANDS OFTEN!!!
  2. Wipe surfaces often
  3. Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing
  4. Avoid people who are sick
  5. Do not go out when you have symptoms because rsv is highly contagious!!
  6. Wear a mask if you are your child have to leave the house while your infected.
  7. Use hand sanitizer
  8. Try to teach your child not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth during the time they are sick.

My family was bedridden from this, and although it was terrible and we are still getting over it, it could have been much worse. And I didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into at first because in the beginning there hadn’t been much in the news about it and no one talks about it much because it’s not usually this bad. But this year it is. I want people aware of it because COVID has stolen the spotlight for so long we don’t even consider the other viruses out there. And I hope that in writing this it will either help another family or mom, or adult in preventing it or identifying it quickly so they can begin managing the virus without spreading it more. Tell me in the comments if you or your family has dealt with rsv in the past or if you have been introduced to it this year.

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This is How My Day Went!!

He’s into frogs and bugs right now!

As mothers and women I think it’s important to help build one another up. This requires building up our confidence. Which means we need to be relatable, and be honest in our struggles. A big pet peeve of mine is looking to other amazing women for support, or connection and seeing perfectly curated feeds of perfect photos, perfect kids, perfect house, and then a caption about the wonderful things going on in their lives. Let’s be honest if your not being real you are not relatable, so I want to share about one of my insane days as a mom and wife. The truth I guess..?.

No edits here! Real life snaps!!

My day started off decent, I didn’t meet my sleep goals so I struggled to get up and keep up with the 20 different demands my 5 year old had starting at 630 asking for his IPad. I made sure everyone was fed, well except me. I munched on some cookies, some ramen whatever I could fit in between tasks. Then Jacob had to leave to run errands. I was about to take my “morning bath” aka my relax time alone for 15 minutes. And I realize I have to do this while the kids are with me alone. So I put up the baby gates. And the kids were on their devices with a snack across the hall, don’t worry Karen I have cameras and can hear and see them. Everything was going ok for about a minute when my oldest burst through the door then my youngest. Both with rediculous demands even though they had everything they needed. So during my cold bath, yes did I tell you the hot water ran out for some reason, so they brought toys in the bathroom. My toddler brought me some funions he had in his mouth and tried to feed them to me. I gave them my water thinking I would get maybe five more minutes. But instead they bring it back to me and guilt me into drinking it, which I normally wouldn’t do. But I was desperate so I drank it and it had backwash and funion crumbs in it…gag!! So I gave up and decided I just needed to get out I was not getting a break today lol and my toddler comes back in and laid down because he had pooped. It really was an eventful day. The kids were non stop I couldn’t even lock them out of my bedroom. I am not sharing to be negative, put my kids down, or complain. I want other moms to know I’m right there with you in solidarity!! I see your struggles your rough patches. They are temporary and we will get through them. And I want you to know you don’t have to appear perfect to be an amazing mom and woman!! And always be kind ladies you never know what another persons struggles may be!! As a fellow hot mess express parent I want you to know I will be honest and as transparent as possible. I want to build community and friendships with fellow parents!!! Drop a comment below, share one of your crazy days!!, and please subscribe for my latest content!!

Missing the cooler weather lately, looking forward to fall and making more memories outside!

xoxo

Brandy

Using the Lollipop Baby Camera

In a world, during a time where we have little control over anything, I find comfort in knowing what is going on with my kids when we are at home. I like keeping an eye on them even at night, actually more at night. I can’t be with them every single moment so I rely on cameras, and out of all the different ones I have I love my @lollipop baby camera the most. The lollipop has the best view, and the app is very useful having tons of different features like detecting baby’s cries, I can talk through the camera, I can play music from the app if my baby is fussy. This is sponsored but everything I am saying is my own truth and experience! I love the camera so much that when ours stopped working, I bought another one. It really is my favorite. We have had one other camera to hold us over while I figured out what was wrong with my lollipop and I found it was ok for outdoors or my living room. But, in my nursery the lollipop baby camera is superior. I can see the whole room, and most importantly I can see the entire crib. You have to have a good connection with wifi to get it set up but once the camera and app are set up you won’t want any other camera!! Once I got the camera set up, being able to see everything in the crib clearly was game changing for me. Most parents have fears about their baby while in their crib by themselves. So at night when I need to check on my baby I just open my app and I can hear every noise and see if my baby has rolled over or needs a blanket. It gives me peace of mind and comfort. This is a must have parenting product for any parents to be!

In a world, during a time where we have little control over anything, I find comfort in knowing what is going on with my kids when we are at home.

This camera was a game changer for me as a mom!!

I hope you find this blog helpful I will be sharing other top parenting products in the future so be sure and subscribe with your email and follow to see my latest content!! Xo, Brandy

Allergy Relief for Dry Eyes

👀 Eye’m so in love with @similasanusa eye drops for allergy relief! With allergy season in full bloom I have unusually dry eyes which causes some minor burning. #ad #Similasan allergy relief eye drops have been very useful to relieve the burning in my eyes from the heavy pollen drying my them out….and they don’t make my eyes red or irritated in the process. I personally have found this product to be gentle and effective for minor eye irritation due to the heavy pollen. And I was super excited to find their product comes in travel packs that I can keep in my diaper bag to use if I need them while I’m out. I live in the “city of trees” in Jamestown and the pollen is brutal!!🍃This product is homeopathic. **Please check with your physician or pharmacist of course if you have any questions about using this product. I want to remind you any information I share here is my own, as well as my family’s experience with this product! I do recommend trying this product once you have researched and checked with your physician to make sure it’s ok for you!!! If you have any questions about #similasan #allergyrelief I’ll be linking their website in my bio so you can check them out for yourself!!👆🏼#homeopathic