"My son's hospital admission"

We arrived by ambulance as my son was struggling to breathe and needing oxygen, high temperature and hadn't been feeding well. We were quickly moved to ward 15, my son was breastfeeding while an oxygen mask was put beside his mouth and this seemed to be bringing his levels back up.

Various things had to be checked, he needed swabbed, weighed, temperature taken, ibuprofen given, and after each of these things which were not enjoyable for him he wanted to be breastfed again (which I thought was a good thing as he hadn't been feeding well before this ). The nurses and consultant on duty kept trying to tell me to stop breastfeeding him (even though he threw up most of it after his throat swap), they were concerned that he would fill his tummy up too much and this would make breathing more difficult/tire him out (but as I just said he had thrown a massive amount of it up and hadn't been feeding much on the last 12 hours), never mind that he was using it for comfort. The consultant even asked if he had a dummy - no he doesn't but he doesn't need one as he uses breastfeeding not just for food but for comfort.

There was no toilet in the room we were put in so one of the nurses held him while I went for a pee. Once I returned I overheard the nurses talking in the corridor saying that they could just take him and get him to sleep (as they claimed he had nearly fallen asleep while I had been at the toilet) and then he wouldn't need to keep being breastfed. They didn't come and suggest this to me thankfully as this would not have been welcome.

They popped some nose prongs on him to make it easier and so they could see how much oxygen he was actually requiring.

Every time a nurse came in to check on us they all commented- is he still breastfeeding? Yes, he was, and it was comforting him and he was calm and his breathing was much better, so what was the issue?

We had arrived at the hospital at about 4.30ish and we went re in for the night but all I was offered was some toast to eat and no dinner was ever offered- I was hungry ! 

We were moved into a room with an adult bed (my son co-sleeps as he will not be put down in a cot and this way we all get more sleep). I was only allowed to do this provided he didn't get any worse and if he did he would have to be put in a cot the nurses said - which would have distressed him and would have made things worse. Luckily he didn't get worse. They did also make sure to tell me that co-sleeping isn't safe - it is as long as it is done safely. They need to be brought up to date on this. The risk of SIDS is lower the risk of suffocation is higher- but only due to parents co-sleeping when they have been drinking I believe? 

We were allowed to go home the next day, again no lunch was ordered and we only had toast for breakfast. Luckily someone came and gave me a voucher for the dinner hall as we were leaving.