Terrified my baby might have whooping cough

It's 2am and my stomach is clenched and I can't sleep.

Last night, I was watching a news item about whooping cough. There's an epidemic at the moment, and dh and I both had our boosters recently to make sure Tom is protected. The news item was just awful - this lovely little baby girl died, as have three other babies over the last year, and they also showed lots of other babies who were ill with it.

Well, Tom has had a cold the last few days, and yesterday developed a cough. Overnight it has developed into a horrible catarrhal cough that had him waking up and vomiting about fifteen minutes ago. It's not constant, it just comes in spurts. And he sounded just like those poor little babies on the news item, and now I'm freaking out that he's got whooping cough. He has started going to daycare for a couple of hours a week so I could do a freelance job, and I'm pretty sure he picked up the 'cold' there.

He's only had one lot of vaccinations (due for his next lot this week) and I read that the vaccination doesn't offer any protection until after the second dose, not even to mitigate the infection.

Tomorrow I'm taking him to the doctor to get him some antibiotics and a swab to see if it is pertussis. And I'm cancelling his daycare booking. And I'm holding him close to me in bed tonight and crying because what if I've killed him by sending him to daycare?

Okay, after googling, found this very helpful information for anyone who is interested:

Clinical Practice Guidelines

So tomorrow I'm going to insist on the specified antibiotic, even if they aren't sure that's what it is, since the coughing sounds so much like whooping cough, with the vomiting afterwards, and hopefully that will spare him the worst of it. The doctor's is open in six hours and i'll just go straight in.

How scary for you, :hug: I hope it's just a cold. Whatever it is at least you've picked it up early.

Oh, how stressful for you!

I hope it's just a cold.

For what it's worth, Immunise - Frequently Asked Questions about Immunisation suggests that even one dose gives some protection. I'm not a doctor, but I'd reckon that one dose would help to reduce the extent of the illness.

I hope Tom is better soon.

double post

Oh darling TMTM :comfort: Sending you all my love and warmth at this time and wishing your little boy a speedy recovery.

hope all is ok, and we had the outbreak here too and I was reassured that one dose is still going to help. Also it's very rare to actually get whooping cough, and they only show the sick ones on tv... most are ok.
Also bronchiolitis is similar and my DS had it when 4 months and it scared me so much I went to hospital. That's my next point, if you are concerned at night, go to the hospital. They can and will help you there, especially in a young bub.
Thinking of you, it's not fun.
Also not sure where you are but there is a helpline in Syd (westmead nurses) and if you call and they listen to bub they will tell you what to do. I called them every night at midnight for about a week. xo
just saw you're in Melb, Im sure they'll have the same helpline. give the kids hosp a call and have it on hand xo

I hope everythings OK.
Let us know how Tom is doing.

I just got back from the doctor's five minutes ago. She says it is most likely a nasty virus, but having heard him cough she can understand why we were so concerned. I know I was probably panicking a bit in the middle of the night but it was the middle of the night, and I nearly lost my dd2 to RSV, so I'm a bit touchy with tiny babies and coughs. And the images of those little babies on TV last night... heartbreaking.

She said if it hasn't cleared up in a couple of days to go back in. Also, she said if he gets croupy tonight, to go back in tomorrow and she'll give me some prednisolone.

While we were there, she did his four month shots so he'll probably be even grumpier now and I've got a school concert to go to tonight... we may just have to skulk in the foyer draped in tissues and using copious loads of sanitising gel!!! Or stay home. Sigh.

Oh TMTM... :hug: to you. I know what that's like :( Oskar had bronchialitis at 5 months and then croup about a year later. With the bronchialitis he was coughing and vomited too, so your doc might be right about a virus. It's awful and I know in the middle of the night you just feel so totally helpless! I hope he feels better and that you feel better too hun. xoxox to you both.