Trust your maternal instincts” - Mina’s RSV and Bronchiolitis story

My daughter was born three months premature, weighing just 1.4 pounds. We were in the NICU for three months after she was born, but during that time she never really needed help with her breathing.

She started to get poorly in July 2018, when she was six months old (nine months actual). She wasn’t put into playgroup early because she’s always been quite poorly, suffering from bronchiolitis, pneumonia and other lung infections. As a result, she’s missed a lot of playgroup, because every six to eight weeks she would have a simple cold or a lung infection.

The doctors assumed that my daughter had RSV but didn’t test for it, instead they immediately diagnosed her with bronchiolitis when she was nine months old. Firstly, I took her to the doctors but they sent us home. Then her temperature increased to 43 degrees, so I took her to A&E and walk-in clinic, who then sent her to the paediatric unit.

I took her to A&E and walk-in clinic, who then sent her to the paediatric unit.

When we first came home I researched all the possible lung conditions there could be like RSV and chronic lung disease, but it was so hard to process it at the time.

My daughter is now four years old and three months and is now taking preventative antibiotics for all of the lung infections she’s had. The doctors kept saying that she doesn’t have asthma and weren’t able to diagnose her because she’s under 5 years old. She also suffers from hypoglycaemia - she hasn’t eaten properly for all the time she’s been ill and now has glucose shots to help manage it, but it’s really hard to help her gain weight.

My advice would be to take each day as it comes. I knew that she was unwell and so I was very persistent. I took her to the GPs every single day because the anti-biotics they had prescribed for her just weren’t working. I had heard of Bliss and the information they provided when I was on the unit, but when I came home I didn’t think to reach out for support.

I think it’s important to trust your maternal instincts. If you feel like you’re not getting the care you need, take your babies straight to A&E – I know that it takes longer, but know that they will get the help they need and that they’re going to be okay.

Find more information and support on RSV.
Find more information and support on other respiratory conditions.