5 days in the hospital with my baby has taught me important lessons in health and life. Here is a mix of tips and thoughts I’ve come across.
1. Follow your gut feel – I decided to bring Ashton to the hospital after he was having 3 days of recurring fever. If I had not acted quick and followed what I felt and not what others say “he’s probably teething, lagnat laki, etc.” the ecoli bacteria may not have been detected on time. This can and will cause damage to the kidney and liver.
2. Consider both you and your baby’s comfort – being practical should include considerations on whether the room or hospital of your choice can let you move efficiently and let you sleep (not just the baby). Remember, this is not for selfish reasons but moms of sick babies should lookout for themselves to avoid being sick or sleepless during their baby’s confinement.
3. Know the hospital amenities – food is one of the main considerations whenever someone is in the hospital. Most hospitals have a nourishment room (The Medical City has). They have a microwave and electric kettle that you can use to reheat food or make coffee (you’ll need lots for sleepless nights).
Doing so you can have packed food stored in your private room’s fridge and just reheat them for consumption. Since a fridge is available, utilise microwavable containers to store leftovers that you can add to the next meals. I saved quiet a lot by storing food properly and just buying additional viands as needed. Follow this at home too.
4. Ask questions and always follow up – even expensive private hospitals can have their hands full of patients. However, you need to realise that the faster your child gets his medications via IV and additional tests, the faster diagnosis would be and the earlier you can be discharged from the hospital. Do not hesitate to push that button to get attention from the nurse station. Ask what time the next medications are, what are the tests for the day, and what time is the next medical update. Knowing so will give you the power to follow up on these things.
5. Sleep when the baby/child sleeps – I had the mistake of watching TV when Ashton was asleep in the hospital. Whenever I am about to sleep, a nurse comes in and Ashton is awakened. No sleep for mommy. The following nights I slept when Ashton slept and did not bother to get up when nurses checked Ashton’s temperature and IV. The nurses won’t chat you up when you are sleeping and that mean less noise and uninterrupted sleep for you and the baby.
6. My 5 days “vacation” in the hospital with my son also made me realise that I really enjoy mothering and caring for my son more than anything else. I have been always busy minding work, clients, and money but I had a time of reflection and thought that a simple life would be less expensive, less stressful, hence will require less hours of slaving in front of the computer and actually living.
The hospital room only had four corners and a TV, we were happy and even though it is unfortunate Ashton got sick – I thought it was an opportunity given to us both to spend quality time and for me to rest and re-think (again) my priorities.
7. A Philhealth membership is worth it.
8. Be brave – I am not afraid of hospitals nor blood but seeing and hearing Ashton cry with every injection and pricks make me very sad. I do not let him feel that I am sad but kept telling him it doesn’t really hurt and that doctors and nurses are friends. I kept Ashton’s soluset (the tubes and cyclinder connected to the dextrose) so we can play doctor at home 🙂
9. Prepare for the worst but think positive
10. Bring lots of toys and things from home to comfort your baby – we had pillows from our room brought to us with Ashton’s toys, DVDs, and rocking chair. Your child WILL get bored easily and frustrated because he cannot move around due to the IV. Be prepared for sitting down activities such as reading books, laptop games, and letting him watch his favorite DVD.
The Medical City had a toy car the kids in the pediatric floor ride whilst connected to an IV. We pushed Ashton around everyday to change his environment for some minutes.
Definitely, choose a good hospital you trust and work out loyalty discounts. I have earned a plus card and received an additional 5% discount from my hospital bills.
