My third child Ember was only 10 weeks and 2 days old when our COVID-19 test results came back positive. To say I was scared was underestimating the buffet of emotions I felt at the time. That was the longest two weeks of my life. The list of things to worry about seems almost endless.
My baby—tender and fragile—suddenly needed to deal with the virus that stopped the world on its track. Seeing her sick of COVID-19 was too heart-wrenching for me, especially after she’d already spent her first week in this world in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) attached to a dextrose and being injected with antibiotics.
I was also just recovering from giving birth when I experienced mild symptoms of COVID-19. But when you’re a mom, your first priority will always be your child. You make sure your little one’s not feeling any discomfort, and you address any ill feeling at the first sign.
My baby Ember was only 10 weeks and 2 days old when she got infected with COVID-19. I initially thought it was only the common flu. But when I lost my sense of taste and smell, I had to make calls to have everyone in the house tested. We then got the confirmation: my parents, my 11-year-old son, my 9-year-old daughter, my 10-week-old baby, and I were all COVID-positive.
Without a husband by my side as he needed to be isolated in a different location, I gathered all the strength I could muster to take care of three COVID-positive kids, with special care for the newborn. I reached out to our friendly doctors, my OB-GYN and Ember’s pediatrician, who were kind enough to check up on us throughout our quarantine period. I was grateful to have my parents there as well as they helped care for the two older kids.
Longest two weeks of my life: Taking care of three COVID-positive children, including a newborn, while my husband Karlo was isolating in a different location. We only had mild symptoms and were prescribed antibiotics and medicines for cough, colds, fever, and sore throat. Thankfully, Ember only had colds and fever for a day. She was prescribed salinase drops for stuffy nose, Vitamin C with Zinc, and paracetamol for fever. I was advised to continue breastfeeding since the antibiotics prescribed to me were safe for babies, and also because I already got my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. My baby was also prescribed Hydrite in case she experiences diarrhea as a side effect of the antibiotics I was taking. I also made sure to wash my hands before and after breastfeeding as well as to wear a mask while breastfeeding and when I was carrying her or attending to her needs.
Taking care of a sick child is a tough and taxing experience any parent would not want to go through. What more when you have to comfort three sick children, including a newborn? It seems impossible. But there’s nothing stronger than a mother’s love. We go to great lengths to ensure our kids are okay, even when we are sick ourselves.
This whole experience highlighted to me how important it is to keep my kids healthy, pandemic or not. And after our bout with COVID-19, I realized all the more how fulfilling it is to be a mom. Being the parent of a sick child requires a great amount of strength, and moms have plenty of that. Because we would do anything for these little human beings we call the love of our life.
