The flu, the baby, and me

This past Wednesday, I came home feeling tired, achy, and with a massive headache. BWB thought it sounded like the flu. Flu? This time of the year? Me? To satisfy his anxiousness, I took my temperature, 100.6. eep!

So while I waited at the clinic, BWB packed everything the dude needs. I called as soon as the lab results confirmed that it was indeed the flu. By the time I got home (15 minutes later, there were no dude, no BWB, no pack n' play). The house was so empty!

Tomorrow, Sunday, they are coming back. Thank goodness. I've missed my boys so much!

Here are some things I learned about this experience.

1. Though your baby can stay with you if you have the flu provided of course you wear a mask, do not breast feed (pump and someone else feed), and washing your hands often, if it is possible, send the baby away, especially if he is under 3 months. Because if he gets the flu or develop a fever, it is a definite hospital stay with a lot of invasive tests.
2. Whether he stays or goes, make sure you continue to pump and let someone else feed him that breast milk. It has antigens from fighting the flu which would protect him from this particular strain.
3. If you are on Tamiflu, he can drink your breast milk because not a lot of it will be in the breast milk and the benefits outweigh the risk. I don't know about Relenza.
4. If you do send your baby away, make sure you do not have a fever (without fever reducing medication like Motrin or Tylenol) for at least 24 hours before he can come back. (Save the breast milk you've been pumping while he's gone to feed him)
5. If you're taking Motrin and your fever has only declined a little, you can add Tylenol to the mix. They are different medications and work on the fever differently. I took the Motrin every 8 hours and in between there, at the four hour mark, I take a Tylenol. Of course, always consult your primary health care provider or pharmacist before starting any medication regiment.
5. The flu virus can live on a hard surface like table for 24 hours and on soft surfaces like towels for 30 minutes. Try not to touch anything the baby will touch/use and if you're anal like me, wipe everything down with Lysol with bleach and wash clothes/bedding in hot water.

I'm so thankful to the nurse practitioner at RediClinic, the nurse at my pediatrician, and the nurse at the local nurse line for all their help and information.