new baby catheter quetion

[nicci_nacci]

hi my name is nicci, my friend has just had a baby girl with sb, she is 2 and half wks old. her name is abbie, she has had her back op at 22hrs old and her shunt was put in on tuesday. my friend asked to me to search on catheter questions- how often does it need chnged? is it the tube or just the bag that would be changed? how long usually after the shunt would abbie be going home if all goes well? thanks

[Summer25]

hi my name is nicci, my friend has just had a baby girl with sb, she is 2 and half wks old. her name is abbie, she has had her back op at 22hrs old and her shunt was put in on tuesday. my friend asked to me to search on catheter questions- how often does it need chnged? is it the tube or just the bag that would be changed? how long usually after the shunt would abbie be going home if all goes well? thanks

If the baby is still in the hospital and a foley catheter is placed, then it does not need to be changed. However, if the baby is out of the hospital and they are told to have her on a cathing schedule then cathing is done and the catheter is taken out. It also depends on what the doctor has told the mother about how many times to replace a catheter. After a shunt surgery most children and adults go home fairly quickly. However, I would assume an infant is different.

[nicci_nacci]

the hospital havent really told her much yet about the catheter, it is in so then it would only be the bag thats changed? thanks

[kellymumof4]

I have just started using catheters on my 10 month old daughter.I am cathing her 3 times a day and i just insert the catheter tube and then i let it drain then i just take it out then put her nappy back on. The hospital will give her a lesson how to do it thats what they did with me and tell her how often she will need to do it.

[nicci_nacci]

thanks very much, my friend is going to have a read at your forums tommorow as she has many unanswered questions and i think this forum would be a good help

[Summer25]

the hospital havent really told her much yet about the catheter, it is in so then it would only be the bag thats changed? thanks

The urine just has to be emptied if it is a foley with a bag. The bag itself doesn't have to be changed. Unless the infant will need a foley when she leaves the hospital, which is highly unlikely. Then it should be changed every month. However, they will more then likely have her just cath and then take it out after the cathing is done.

[usolyfan]

My daughter was in the hospital for 15 days. She had her back closed and her shunt placed when she was 26 hours old. We were taught in the hospital how to cath. My daughter has a neurogenic bladder (she can't empty all the way on her own) and so she is cathed five times a day.

[LisaJoy]

Hi, Nicci! Welcome. You are obviously a great friend!

Your friend's daughter may not have to be catheterized right away. She will be evaluated by a urologist who will explain when and how often to start catheterizing. It is very unlikely that she will have the kind of catheter that stays in with a bag.

Do encourage your friend to sign on with us when she's able. But you stick with us too! It is great that you are willing to help your friend--it will be a tremendous help to her to have a friend other than her spouse or other family members to turn to for support and occasional caregiving relief.

Read through some of the threads, especially the one under "children" -- I think there's one where some of the parents talk about adapting a changing table to accommodate catheterizing, and there are some pictures, too.

[Scott-V.]

Hi Nicci

My wife and I are still pretty new around here to. But my son Jack is 3 months old now. We just had to start Cathing him this week. He doesnt empty his bladder all the way on his own. All we do is cath him wait for it to drain then remove is. We also had to start putting a sapository in to help break up his bowels. But it is not hard to do at all. And as far as my son goes it is completely painless.

[abbysmum]

I did a double-take on this because I have a baby called Abby & a friend in the UK called Nicci :D.

We were in hospital for 14 days; 13 post-op & one in preparation. That was just a primary closure though; no shunt for our Abby yet & she was in nappies in the incubator so I can't help on the rest either.

It was a good friend who found this forum for us so I can appreciate how much your friend will appreciate YOU doing this for her.

[valerie]

Hiya, just wondering were you told to cath 3 times a day, i have an 11month old boy cian & i was told to cath twice, once in the morning & once at night. Why did you start cathing, did she have reflux?