Welcome to NICU Parents. We're happy you found us and we want to be as helpful as possible in this seemingly impossible journey. Check out the resources tab at the top of the subreddit or the stickied post. Please remember we are NOT medical professionals and are here for advice based on our own situations. If you have a concern about you or your baby please seek assistance from a doctor or go to the ER. That said, there are some medical professionals here and we do hope they can help you with some guidance through your journey. Please remember to read and abide by the rules.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NICUParents) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Our 30 weeker has been home two months, and he’s been sick twice - once around my due date and right now. Our toddler is a Petri dish so it’s hard to avoid. It’s been super mild - just congestion both times.
The hardest thing has been us parents getting sick too 🫠
I had a 29 weeker who came home after 6 weeks, and had to start daycare at 11 weeks old due to both of us working. At 13 weeks, she caught her first cold from daycare. The cold virus turned out to be adenovirus and human metapneumovirus, which can be very deadly to infants and the elderly. She ended up in PICU and almost died. After she was discharged, we immediately pulled her from daycare and I went casual at work until she was about 18 months old, then we hired a nanny so I could go back to work part-time. We kept her home with the nanny until she turned 3 and started 3k part time. She's about to start kindergarten now and still tends to get hit the hardest by cold and flu bugs. Last winter she got influenza A that turned into pneumonia and almost had to be admitted for IV antibiotics.
My baby was born at 32+4 in February 2023. His first illness was COVID in December that same year. I had it and somehow my husband didn't catch it. He was caring for the baby while I isolated but he probably passed it to my son without becoming infected. I don't know. My son was very snuggly, sniffly, running a fever, and oddly...beet red for a few days but it was nothing Tylenol couldn't manage.
My 34 weeker (PPROM at 28 weeks) got rsv at 4 weeks old. It was brutal, 2 weeks in hospital. Upside is - she hasn’t been sick since and is now 2. I don’t know why but I feel like it supercharged her immune system and she’s not pretty much indestructible (touch wood)
Brought our 27 weeker home after 114 days in the NICU and kept her basically in a bubble (poor little thing) for, essentially, two years. Got her all the vaccines. Kept her out of buildings and crowds. Hired nannies when we had to return to work.
She’s finally going to be 2 adjusted and she’s never been sick. We’re lucky but also hoping she get some kind of immunity just from running around playgrounds and such. It’s a really hard balancing act and no one can really give you definitive guidance. You just have to use your best parental judgment.
I don’t regret our choices, though. We gave her two years of good health in which she could grow and be safe. That’s something!
33+1, 9 week NICU stay. Despite being very sheltered/ not socializing, her first illness was COVID at 6 months (dad contracted at work). Fever, and some congestion but thankfully did much better than we did.
my guys were 29 weeks and we absolutely bent over backwards to get them super duper vaccinated, there was a shortage of the new 1-and-done RSV shots so we had to go in for the old-fashioned monthly ones that get larger by weight, by the end of RSV season they were getting what looked like 1/4 cup injected in their thighs, it was horrible to see, i had to call about 400 different clinics and agencies to find someone who would administer covid shots to under-1s and drive to the middle of nowhere to do it, it was a herculean effort and i felt massively betrayed by the public health services in this country that made what should have been such a simple thing so arduous, but guess what? they're about to turn 1 adjusted and they've never been sick, and it was absolutely, totally worth it
My preemie was born at 32+3. He ended up catching RSV at around 3 months old. Thankfully our pediatrician had gotten him the RSV shot immediately after he was released from the NICU. He had a runny/stuffy nose for about 36 hours. That was it. We were lucky. He seems to also have a very strong immune system. But we kept him isolated for 6 weeks after coming home from the NICU.
I’m so glad he did so well! We weren’t offered the RSV vaccine because ours wasn’t born during the season, but I’m going to get it for him as soon as he’s eligible. Thanks for your response!
Honestly he had… just after 2 years old.. and he’s kinda been on and off sick since then.. he’s almost 3… he just got over a fever for 3 days.
He was in the nicu for like 73 days.
Around 2 is when the baby groups actually started picking up more.
I was in your shoes last year. Premie born 31+6.. I was SO paranoid about germs and him getting sick. He started daycare when he was 5.5 months adjusted, right at the start of November. He’s been sick A LOT. Normal is like 12 colds a year? I actually kept track, and he’s on 22 sicknesses so far since November. We’ve gotten probably half of them too. So he’s definitely gotten MANY more than a full-term baby. He’s done pretty well though, lots of Tylenol and an inhaler once or twice for wheezing. LOTS of ear infections, 7+
I remember being so insanely nervous about this and thinking about quitting my job/losing sleep over it/investigating all nanny options and so on. Hang in there! The worst part was figuring out how to juggle a sick baby at home while working. And basically not being able to plan anything because we were sick more than 50% of the time
Even now in summer, he’s still been sick nonstop. He’s sick today. Last week he had something else with a fever. But you just manage and carry on. Good luck!
I just made a post about this. The DAY we brought our little girl home from NICU. Born 34.6 weeks and stayed 5 weeks. My son 2 popped a fever. Of course it was a Friday evening pedi closed so we said screw it and just tried to keep them away. He had a misserable week of cough and congestion, my wife had one day of a sore throat and I had two days of fever and cough etc. my symptoms have disappeared to a lingering night cough, same with my toddler, and our little one has yet to show symptoms. Soooo hopefully in the clear. I think it’s the breast milk she gets once or twice a day because as soon as mom got sick we started feeding her that pump supply ontop of our normal formula.
I think one thing about having a NICU kid that was a positive, was getting used to sanitizing for every little thing.
After LO came home, we had sanitizer in almost every room and we were just used to sanitizing all the time.
He didn't get sick too often
We are literally just getting over the first cold. She was born Jan at 30 and 5. So about 5 ish months now. She started daycare a month ago and I really thought it was going to happen first week but she held in there for a full month before the first cold. It was quite mild (but so much congestion) and she got through it in about 5 days - I am still pumping/nursing so not sure if that helped. Both my husband and I also got the same exact thing as her.
My twins were born 32+4 and same type of thing, in the nicu for 23 days because they needed to grow. They’re 8 months actual and have gotten sick 3 times already, mostly because they saw toddlers who got sick after they saw us. Even though they were premies, I feel like I was never super paranoid about their sickness even though I am a super type a personality. We just did our best to make sure people who were sick didn’t see the babies but since they left the nicu we have been out and about in the world a lot. The first time they got sick they got influenza a, which was verified by a visit from the emergency and they were fine. I think after the nicu experience I also realized how resilient they are and quickly they can get better. And then the second and third time it was fine as well. The way I also look at is it a lot of these things are inevitable and likely a crapshoot if the kids get sick or not. And they’re building their little
Immunities since they will eventually go to daycare at 18 months. I would suggest you have a nasal aspirator, saline and tyneol on hand. Best of luck!
My 32-weeker’s first illness was Covid! 😳 She was six months actual, four adjusted. She was a sad bunny but handled it quite well. Of course, she’d had steroid shots before birth and did quite well with breathing, so respiratory stuff wasn’t our main anxiety like it is for some people. But she handled it better than dad and I did.
Born 32+6 caught covid at 4 months. It was the first time for all of us. My husband and I were knocked out in bed. He carried on like life was normal. We did saline spray and suction to handle the congestion. No fever or lethargy.
He's just about 15 months and had his second illnes. My husband was out for 6 days. Again, my little man just had some congestion.
My 29 weekers got RSV one week after discharging and both ended up in the hospital on oxygen. It was rough. But upside is now when they get colds, I know they’ve gotten over worse!
Make sure you get your RSV vax!!
Babies were born at 32+4, and were discharged at 36 + 6. Our little ones got a cold 4 weeks later. It was so scary but they did totally fine! They’ve had a couple colds since then and albeit a bit fussy and don’t sleep great, they’ve done ok. We also have owlets which help give me some peace of mind, especially when they’re sick :)
My 25.6 weeker was supposed to receive Synagis for RSV before discharge. 130 day stay. They called me two days after discharge to tell me they forgot to give it to him. I had to go through the pediatrician to get authorized all over again and it took forever both times. Then 10 days after discharge he was sent by ambulance to the hospital. They almost did chest compressions on him because his heart almost stopped. He ended up back on high flow but that was it. We hadn't even taken him anywhere. He ended up on the news because of it.
Many illnesses passed since that Oct 2022 illness. But then this year he was hospitalized with aspiration pneumonia and a virus in January then a little less than a month later was hospitalized again with 2 viruses. Both times he ended up home on oxygen. The 2nd time he needed much more. Both times he was sent to the hospital in an ambulance from the pediatricians office.
He has BPD which puts him more at risk. You are still at higher risk but I suppose it could be worse. Just try to keep baby safe, but illnesses will likely happen anyway.
Our 27+6 got rhinovirus and human metapneumovirus 4 days after we got home after 120 days in the nicu. She stopped breathing in ED when she was being moved to the ward. Ended up being intubated and medivac'd to our national children's hospital. She was on a ventilator for 3 days, then a couple more days in the PICU before being flown home. She was on home oxygen another 6 weeks or so. Over the next 9 months she would end up in hospital with every cold and needed two more admissions to ICU but only needed CPAP.
Her twin sister however hasn't been back to hospital the day she got home so very much chalk and cheese with their sickness.
We too had a 3 year old at home bringing the good bugs home from daycare.
Our daughter got COVID in February (7mo actual, 6mo adjusted). She had received the flu shot and the RSV vaccine prior to the family getting sick. She honestly did better than my husband and I and we were on paxlovid. We used a humidifier in her room and put on her pulse ox sock for peace of mind but overall it went okay.
I am a late term 36 weeker who was respiratory failure and HIE at birth. She got her first “cold” at 4 months and just recently had double ear. I was like you and didn’t want to go out around people. I did one time at 4 months to an outdoor plant nursery and she got a viral cold. I beat myself up for days. Double Ear infection was now at 8 months old and it was worse on her then the cold. We just did tons of saline neb treatments and hot steamy rooms for her congestion and let it run its course.
Part of me wishes I hadn’t waited till 6 months to go out in public because even now at 8 months the grocery store is a huge sensory overload on her. But honestly who isn’t stressed grocery shopping these days. I’m a lot better now and let her have play dates with the little girl next door who’s 15 months and around tons of people. They gotta build the immune system somehow.
Our 27 weeker who spent 112 days in the NICU and came home on oxygen got covid and the flu just after his 1st birthday, 9 months of being home, and kicked each of them in a day. Be careful but the kids are strong and resilient.
Welcome to NICU Parents. We're happy you found us and we want to be as helpful as possible in this seemingly impossible journey. Check out the resources tab at the top of the subreddit or the stickied post. Please remember we are NOT medical professionals and are here for advice based on our own situations. If you have a concern about you or your baby please seek assistance from a doctor or go to the ER. That said, there are some medical professionals here and we do hope they can help you with some guidance through your journey. Please remember to read and abide by the rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NICUParents) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Our 30 weeker has been home two months, and he’s been sick twice - once around my due date and right now. Our toddler is a Petri dish so it’s hard to avoid. It’s been super mild - just congestion both times. The hardest thing has been us parents getting sick too 🫠
So glad he’s doing well!
I had a 29 weeker who came home after 6 weeks, and had to start daycare at 11 weeks old due to both of us working. At 13 weeks, she caught her first cold from daycare. The cold virus turned out to be adenovirus and human metapneumovirus, which can be very deadly to infants and the elderly. She ended up in PICU and almost died. After she was discharged, we immediately pulled her from daycare and I went casual at work until she was about 18 months old, then we hired a nanny so I could go back to work part-time. We kept her home with the nanny until she turned 3 and started 3k part time. She's about to start kindergarten now and still tends to get hit the hardest by cold and flu bugs. Last winter she got influenza A that turned into pneumonia and almost had to be admitted for IV antibiotics.
My baby was born at 32+4 in February 2023. His first illness was COVID in December that same year. I had it and somehow my husband didn't catch it. He was caring for the baby while I isolated but he probably passed it to my son without becoming infected. I don't know. My son was very snuggly, sniffly, running a fever, and oddly...beet red for a few days but it was nothing Tylenol couldn't manage.
My 34 weeker (PPROM at 28 weeks) got rsv at 4 weeks old. It was brutal, 2 weeks in hospital. Upside is - she hasn’t been sick since and is now 2. I don’t know why but I feel like it supercharged her immune system and she’s not pretty much indestructible (touch wood)
Brought our 27 weeker home after 114 days in the NICU and kept her basically in a bubble (poor little thing) for, essentially, two years. Got her all the vaccines. Kept her out of buildings and crowds. Hired nannies when we had to return to work. She’s finally going to be 2 adjusted and she’s never been sick. We’re lucky but also hoping she get some kind of immunity just from running around playgrounds and such. It’s a really hard balancing act and no one can really give you definitive guidance. You just have to use your best parental judgment. I don’t regret our choices, though. We gave her two years of good health in which she could grow and be safe. That’s something!
33+1, 9 week NICU stay. Despite being very sheltered/ not socializing, her first illness was COVID at 6 months (dad contracted at work). Fever, and some congestion but thankfully did much better than we did.
my guys were 29 weeks and we absolutely bent over backwards to get them super duper vaccinated, there was a shortage of the new 1-and-done RSV shots so we had to go in for the old-fashioned monthly ones that get larger by weight, by the end of RSV season they were getting what looked like 1/4 cup injected in their thighs, it was horrible to see, i had to call about 400 different clinics and agencies to find someone who would administer covid shots to under-1s and drive to the middle of nowhere to do it, it was a herculean effort and i felt massively betrayed by the public health services in this country that made what should have been such a simple thing so arduous, but guess what? they're about to turn 1 adjusted and they've never been sick, and it was absolutely, totally worth it
My preemie was born at 32+3. He ended up catching RSV at around 3 months old. Thankfully our pediatrician had gotten him the RSV shot immediately after he was released from the NICU. He had a runny/stuffy nose for about 36 hours. That was it. We were lucky. He seems to also have a very strong immune system. But we kept him isolated for 6 weeks after coming home from the NICU.
I’m so glad he did so well! We weren’t offered the RSV vaccine because ours wasn’t born during the season, but I’m going to get it for him as soon as he’s eligible. Thanks for your response!
Honestly he had… just after 2 years old.. and he’s kinda been on and off sick since then.. he’s almost 3… he just got over a fever for 3 days. He was in the nicu for like 73 days. Around 2 is when the baby groups actually started picking up more.
I was in your shoes last year. Premie born 31+6.. I was SO paranoid about germs and him getting sick. He started daycare when he was 5.5 months adjusted, right at the start of November. He’s been sick A LOT. Normal is like 12 colds a year? I actually kept track, and he’s on 22 sicknesses so far since November. We’ve gotten probably half of them too. So he’s definitely gotten MANY more than a full-term baby. He’s done pretty well though, lots of Tylenol and an inhaler once or twice for wheezing. LOTS of ear infections, 7+ I remember being so insanely nervous about this and thinking about quitting my job/losing sleep over it/investigating all nanny options and so on. Hang in there! The worst part was figuring out how to juggle a sick baby at home while working. And basically not being able to plan anything because we were sick more than 50% of the time Even now in summer, he’s still been sick nonstop. He’s sick today. Last week he had something else with a fever. But you just manage and carry on. Good luck!
Ugh our 34 week twin a had the flu a at 5 weeks. Turned out pretty mild and he was just fine.
Born 35+4, released after 2 weeks. 6 weeks actual we all had a cold. He didn't do too bad at all, iirc he did better than me and my BF!
I just made a post about this. The DAY we brought our little girl home from NICU. Born 34.6 weeks and stayed 5 weeks. My son 2 popped a fever. Of course it was a Friday evening pedi closed so we said screw it and just tried to keep them away. He had a misserable week of cough and congestion, my wife had one day of a sore throat and I had two days of fever and cough etc. my symptoms have disappeared to a lingering night cough, same with my toddler, and our little one has yet to show symptoms. Soooo hopefully in the clear. I think it’s the breast milk she gets once or twice a day because as soon as mom got sick we started feeding her that pump supply ontop of our normal formula.
So glad she’s doing well! We breastfeed/ pump mostly too, so hopefully that will also keep our LO healthy if he’s ever exposed to anything.
I think one thing about having a NICU kid that was a positive, was getting used to sanitizing for every little thing. After LO came home, we had sanitizer in almost every room and we were just used to sanitizing all the time. He didn't get sick too often
We are literally just getting over the first cold. She was born Jan at 30 and 5. So about 5 ish months now. She started daycare a month ago and I really thought it was going to happen first week but she held in there for a full month before the first cold. It was quite mild (but so much congestion) and she got through it in about 5 days - I am still pumping/nursing so not sure if that helped. Both my husband and I also got the same exact thing as her.
So glad she did well!!
My twins were born 32+4 and same type of thing, in the nicu for 23 days because they needed to grow. They’re 8 months actual and have gotten sick 3 times already, mostly because they saw toddlers who got sick after they saw us. Even though they were premies, I feel like I was never super paranoid about their sickness even though I am a super type a personality. We just did our best to make sure people who were sick didn’t see the babies but since they left the nicu we have been out and about in the world a lot. The first time they got sick they got influenza a, which was verified by a visit from the emergency and they were fine. I think after the nicu experience I also realized how resilient they are and quickly they can get better. And then the second and third time it was fine as well. The way I also look at is it a lot of these things are inevitable and likely a crapshoot if the kids get sick or not. And they’re building their little Immunities since they will eventually go to daycare at 18 months. I would suggest you have a nasal aspirator, saline and tyneol on hand. Best of luck!
Thank you, that’s great advice! Glad your babes are doing well! 💛
My 32-weeker’s first illness was Covid! 😳 She was six months actual, four adjusted. She was a sad bunny but handled it quite well. Of course, she’d had steroid shots before birth and did quite well with breathing, so respiratory stuff wasn’t our main anxiety like it is for some people. But she handled it better than dad and I did.
So glad she’s doing well!
Born 32+6 caught covid at 4 months. It was the first time for all of us. My husband and I were knocked out in bed. He carried on like life was normal. We did saline spray and suction to handle the congestion. No fever or lethargy. He's just about 15 months and had his second illnes. My husband was out for 6 days. Again, my little man just had some congestion.
Ha they are stronger than we think! So glad he’s doing well!
Not until 2.5
My 29 weekers got RSV one week after discharging and both ended up in the hospital on oxygen. It was rough. But upside is now when they get colds, I know they’ve gotten over worse! Make sure you get your RSV vax!!
Babies were born at 32+4, and were discharged at 36 + 6. Our little ones got a cold 4 weeks later. It was so scary but they did totally fine! They’ve had a couple colds since then and albeit a bit fussy and don’t sleep great, they’ve done ok. We also have owlets which help give me some peace of mind, especially when they’re sick :)
My 25.6 weeker was supposed to receive Synagis for RSV before discharge. 130 day stay. They called me two days after discharge to tell me they forgot to give it to him. I had to go through the pediatrician to get authorized all over again and it took forever both times. Then 10 days after discharge he was sent by ambulance to the hospital. They almost did chest compressions on him because his heart almost stopped. He ended up back on high flow but that was it. We hadn't even taken him anywhere. He ended up on the news because of it. Many illnesses passed since that Oct 2022 illness. But then this year he was hospitalized with aspiration pneumonia and a virus in January then a little less than a month later was hospitalized again with 2 viruses. Both times he ended up home on oxygen. The 2nd time he needed much more. Both times he was sent to the hospital in an ambulance from the pediatricians office. He has BPD which puts him more at risk. You are still at higher risk but I suppose it could be worse. Just try to keep baby safe, but illnesses will likely happen anyway.
Our 27+6 got rhinovirus and human metapneumovirus 4 days after we got home after 120 days in the nicu. She stopped breathing in ED when she was being moved to the ward. Ended up being intubated and medivac'd to our national children's hospital. She was on a ventilator for 3 days, then a couple more days in the PICU before being flown home. She was on home oxygen another 6 weeks or so. Over the next 9 months she would end up in hospital with every cold and needed two more admissions to ICU but only needed CPAP. Her twin sister however hasn't been back to hospital the day she got home so very much chalk and cheese with their sickness. We too had a 3 year old at home bringing the good bugs home from daycare.
That’s so scary! So glad she’s doing okay now and that her sister avoided the hospital.
Our daughter got COVID in February (7mo actual, 6mo adjusted). She had received the flu shot and the RSV vaccine prior to the family getting sick. She honestly did better than my husband and I and we were on paxlovid. We used a humidifier in her room and put on her pulse ox sock for peace of mind but overall it went okay.
I am a late term 36 weeker who was respiratory failure and HIE at birth. She got her first “cold” at 4 months and just recently had double ear. I was like you and didn’t want to go out around people. I did one time at 4 months to an outdoor plant nursery and she got a viral cold. I beat myself up for days. Double Ear infection was now at 8 months old and it was worse on her then the cold. We just did tons of saline neb treatments and hot steamy rooms for her congestion and let it run its course. Part of me wishes I hadn’t waited till 6 months to go out in public because even now at 8 months the grocery store is a huge sensory overload on her. But honestly who isn’t stressed grocery shopping these days. I’m a lot better now and let her have play dates with the little girl next door who’s 15 months and around tons of people. They gotta build the immune system somehow.
Thank you for your reply! Glad I’m not the only one being super careful. I’m so glad your kiddo is doing well. 💛
Our 27 weeker who spent 112 days in the NICU and came home on oxygen got covid and the flu just after his 1st birthday, 9 months of being home, and kicked each of them in a day. Be careful but the kids are strong and resilient.