This post was sponsored by AstraZeneca as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
I remember the day we brought Peyton home from the hospital, it was nerve wracking! It was a cold, rainy day in May. I was a first-time mom and just trying to figure out how to breastfeed my daughter and change diapers. I remember how fragile she felt, we were both afraid we were going to accidently hurt her. The next few months went by pretty uneventful. I became more comfortable and confident as a mother. Peyton grew, gained weight and stole everyone’s heart she met. At her 6 month checkup, I was feeling like an awesome mom! Peyton was hitting every milestone right on cue and rocking those growth charts in the 97%. Way to go, mom! Then the pediatrician brought up RSV, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and what I could do to help protect my daughter. RSV is most prevalent October thru March, it’s the #1 reason for infants to be hospitalized in their first year of life.
It’s not a matter of IF your child is going to contract RSV, it’s a matter of WHEN and WHAT to do once your child has RSV. Nearly 100% of all children by the age of 2 experience RSV. For us, we experienced it later that winter, before Peyton was even 1 years old. There are a few precautions you can take to help limit your child’s exposure to RSV. 
Peyton was not in daycare for the first year of her life so I didn’t really worry too much about her contracting RSV. But she still contracted RSV. It was shortly after Christmas that Peyton came down ill. I thought it was just a cold. But my gut kept telling me something was not right. After a horrible night of walking Peyton back and forth trying to comfort her and listening to her congested breathing, I took her in. I was pretty worked up. My precious baby was having difficulties breathing and there was not one thing I could do to console her.
After a thorough examination, the doctor informed us Peyton had contracted RSV. Even thought Peyton was ill, she had a mild case of RSV. Peyton was carried to full term which meant she had strong and healthy lungs. She was also very tall and well developed for her age. Peyton was very healthy and strong baby. We had some stressful and restless nights but in a few days Peyton was out of the woods and doing much better. She never had to be hospitalized but not all babies are as lucky as Peyton.
October is national RSV awareness month. Take this time to make an appointment and discuss what you can do to help protect your infant. As parents, we know how fragile our babies’ lungs are, but we don’t know how to protect their little lungs from this season’s biggest threat. As parents, it’s our job to prepare ourselves and our family to keep our babies safe and warm this season, it’s important to know the facts about RSV and help protect their little lungs. Visit RSV Protection to learn more about RSV disease and how to help keep your child healthy this RSV season!
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