What I learned from baby hospitalisation
Baby had some blood streaks in her poo. As it was the weekend, there were limited clinics open and many did not see baby below 1 years old. Our confinement nanny shared that baby stomach feels hard and suggested we go to a doctor as she was worried about it being a bacterial infection.
For a peace of mind, we went to KKH A&E and it became a 4D3N stay.
Here's what I learned:
Wow - there's ready milk bottles filled with 40 degrees water for you to prepare your formula, a steriliser, and you can also request the nurse to freeze or store your breastmilk in the fridge and warm it up for you when baby if hungry (although it takes awhile), you can also buy diapers and wet wipe (which will be charged to your bill). There's also an ipad to log baby pee and poo and milk intake, and you can also use it to play game. There's also a shower area for baby (I did not check it out as I was not confident in showering baby on my own, and you also have to inform the nurse if you want to bring baby out of the ward).
Yay to B2+ ward with toilet within the ward (this means I can leave baby in the cot and catch a quick toilet break especially to change my pad as I was still bleeding and rush out if I hear that baby is crying)
Nay - as baby is warded, you do not get any meals.
Tip: When they take baby for tests, do check with them how long it will take. This is the time for you to wash and sterilise your bottles or pumps, go toilet, take a shower, go for a walk, buy food. (But do NOT pass by the treatment room unless you want to hear your baby crying during test 🥺.)
It gets really really cold (or maybe because i was still in my confinement). I was in long sleeve and long pants and socks but was still freezing at night. Meanwhile baby seems to be fine even when she was only in a top and diaper, and mostly breaking free from her swaddle.
Hit & miss - Sometimes when baby is asleep, nurses will have to check temperature and blood pressure etc + the raising and lowering of the cot sides and noise will wake baby up. If you're lucky, the nurses will try to swaddle baby back and shh baby back to sleep.
As a first time mum, the stay really taught me to be an advocate for my baby - it was tests after tests and days after days with no findings.
Baby temperature was taken when she was drinking milk in her swaddle and there was a fever. When I requested to take the temperature again - there was no fever but we did not have much choice as the system had recorded a fever. Because of the "fever", baby had to do another blood test, do a procedure with a catheter to collect urine sample, have an iv plug on her feet for the antibiotics drip. Doctors also wanted to do a lumbar puncture but we rejected as we felt that the procedure was too invasive. The next day, I was told to catch baby urine as their urine sample collected was contaminated. Part of me was annoyed that I wasn't aware of this less invasive method at the start, while the other part of me was like trust the doctors. I wished I had asked more questions and seek more clarification about her tests and treatments. We ended up getting discharged as most of the tests were clear + baby seems to be well in general and we were just waiting for other blood test results - which they will call us if anything came up.
Overall, baby seemed to enjoy her staycation (except the part she cried during the test and jabs but I don't think she remembers it), while I felt like being on another round of bootcamp staying 4D3N with baby during my confinement. A doctor thought that I was baby's helper instead of mother. My birth experience really prepared me for this hospital stay and I definitely became more confident taking care of baby day and night.
My main takeaway - advocate for my baby, ask questions, seek clarification and trust my gut!
Having my baby hospitalized at just 23 days old was an eye-opening experience that taught me so much about both hospital routines and the importance of being a strong advocate for my child. One thing I noticed was how important it is to be prepared to ask detailed questions about every test and procedure. For example, when the nurses initially detected a fever during a routine temperature check, I requested a re-check, which showed no fever. Despite this discrepancy, the hospital’s documented reading led to more invasive procedures like blood tests and an IV drip. This made me realize that sometimes hospital systems err on the side of caution, but as a parent, it’s crucial to speak up and clarify before consenting to further tests. I also found small comforts in the hospital environment, like the bottles pre-filled with warm water ready for formula preparation, and the ability to store and warm breastmilk through nurse assistance. These conveniences made feeding times less stressful. The ward’s setup, including an iPad to log baby’s feed and diaper changes, was surprisingly helpful for tracking and also provided some distraction during long hours. However, the hospital stay wasn’t without challenges. The ward temperature was quite cold, something I struggled with especially during confinement, while the baby seemed comfortable mostly in just a diaper. Nighttime disturbances from routine nurse checks often woke the baby, though sometimes they gently soothed her back to sleep. Another important lesson was understanding that in the hospital, you don’t get meal provisions as a caregiver, so planning ahead for your own nutrition is vital to stay energized. Throughout the stay, I noticed the emotional toll it took on me—facing uncertainty, tests after tests, and waiting for results. But this experience built my confidence tremendously. I learned to trust my instincts, ask for explanations until I felt comfortable, and accept that some decisions involve balancing medical advice and parental intuition. Sharing this experience, I hope other new parents find encouragement to be proactive and self-assured advocates for their babies during unexpected hospital visits. It’s tough but knowing what to expect and speaking up can make a huge difference in your child’s care and your peace of mind.
Hiii, if baby sleeping, can tell nurses to come back later to check bp/temp.. If baby is swaddled, tell the nurses to come back later to check the temp, unswaddle baby or put one arm out to “air it” ❤️❤️ hope your baby is all better now.. Rest well Mummy ❤️