I awoke at 4 am today, my toddler son (Little Guy, shown finger painting in yesterday's photo) was barking like a seal with the classic cough of Croup.
I ran into the bathroom and got the shower going with the hottest water I could. I got the bathroom all steamy. Then I went to get Little Guy and I held him on my lap in the steam for about 15 minutes. That has seemed to help. He would not stop hugging his large, stuffed Winnie the Pooh bear for anything in the world. I know stuffed animals aren't the best thing for kids with croup to be hugging (allergies, etc) but I think the psychological benefits of Pooh outweigh any harm the stuffed animal could do.
I took his older brother (age 4) to pediatric emergency care the other night, because his Croup seemed very severe and it scared me. The American Academy of Pediatrics book (we've nicknamed it Momma's Big Book of Worries) says that kids usually outgrow Croup by age 3.
The pediatric doctor said oh no - they can get it to age five.
Well, thank goodness for insurance. That's an expensive nighttime visit to the doctor just to find out there's nothing to be done about it other than treat it like a cold, encourage drinking a lot of fluids, use a cool-mist humidifier in the child's room, and the steamy bathroom treatment. All the stuff I was already doing. I know when the co-payment bill arrives in the mail, I'll open it and say to myself, "here's my bill for being stupid!"
So that's why I'm up at 5:30 am blogging.
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2 comments:
You are not stupid for taking your son to the doctor for croup. I took my daughter to the ER for it last night. Her fever had reached 106 degrees, and her breathing was very laboured. She required a breathing treatment and an oral steroid to reduce swelling in her airway. Consequently, her cough is much better, and she slept well last night for the first time in days. Always go to the doctor if you are worried. Trust your maternal instinct and don't feel stupid!
You are right - I am always telling other people to trust their instincts but it's hard to take my own advice! But this time my maternal instinct cost me $76.
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