What new hell is this?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’ve heard what a hellish experience it is for parents when their infant begins their first rounds of vaccines. I thought I was prepared; baby RuffLlama was jaundiced at birth and had to endure blood tests 5 times in his first 10 days of life. He had a small shot at 4 weeks, too, so I thought this round of vaccinations at 2 months wouldn’t be so bad.

Oh. My. God.

I never, ever want to hear that sound come out of my child again.

He was so cute, so happy, so adorable for the nurses and doctors, showing off his smile and impressing them with what a happy little baby he was. He was smiling at me, looking me right in the eye, when he received the first injection…and watching that beautiful, happy face contort into surprise, terror, and pain, all while looking at me…OMG. :frowning: Then they gave him his second shot, and his cries reached a pitch I have never heard before, a near whistle that just pierced my heart.

As soon as it was over, the nurse let me feed him right there in the examining room for a few minutes to soothe him. He latched, but would unlatch to whimper, then relatch, suck, unlatch, whimper…it just broke my heart. He didn’t cry much after that, though, and managed to sleep on the drive home, though I occasionally heard a half sob, half whimper come out of him on the way. That was when it was my turn to cry.

He slept a lot of the day away, but when he was awake, he was crying this urgent wail that just broke Ruffian’s and Deathllama’s hearts. By evening I could get him to smile again, thank God, and this morning I heard his first giggle.

But that look, that sound…shudder It had me aching for a glass of wine at noon, though I couldn’t partake. Even 24 hours later my mommy nerves are shot.

And we have to go back for more next month (I asked them to spread out the shots so he wouldn’t be getting 4 injections at once, yipe!). This time I’m making sure DeathLlama goes, too…holy hell.

Oof.

2

Oh… poor Ruffallama. He will soon forget, but you may not. Yesterday my 7-year-old got a shot, and he was very cool with it, so it does get better.

At least you didn’t have to watch him be circumcised. That experienced scarred me for life.

3

Oooo, do I ever feel for ya. It’s absolutely the worst.

My wife makes me take our daughter now. She simply can’t do it anymore and, truth be known, I think it’s getting tougher because now she’s old enough to know what’s coming at looks up at me before hand with those big greenish brown eyes starting to water and silently pleads “make it stop Daddy, make it stop.”

I think it’s the last time I cried. You just hold them and try to 'splain about not letting those meany little bugs get them. Then go for ice cream!

4

Oh yeah, not something you want to see. Watching that look of adoration and trust contort into utter agony – looking to you to just pleeeease make the pain stop – it’s heartbreaking.

Fortunately, the four-month shots went much better. It still obviously hurt, but as soon as they were over I scooped Shayla up and within a minute she was her happy, babbling self again.

We brought her in for her six-month shots yesterday, but because she had a fever and an ear infection, they had to be put off until next week.

Hopefully things’ll go better for your little one (and you) next month!

5

Last night had me wanting to jump through (not out, through) the window.

He’s such a good baby; “fussy” for us is nothing many parents would complain about, and something parents of colicky babies would probably be elated to have. Last night, it’s like he didn’t know what he wanted; he fussed and protested a bit more loudly (and sometimes, a LOT more loudly) than usual, and it was harder to console him. Tuesday night after the shots he was just sleepy and it wasn’t hard putting him down. Last night was something else. Oh, man. We tried rocking him (which he’d cry all through), giving him a bottle (which had him crying inbetween sucks), letting him suckle on me in bed (which had him kicking and screaming, literally), playing music, using the crib soother vibrations, walking around with him…EVERYthing. Sometimes he’d get quiet, then a few minutes later just unleash this terrible hollering. I finally got him to fall asleep in my arms while I rocked and walked with him around midnight, and very, VERY carefully put him to bed. He slept an hour, then woke up crying, then SCREAMING, at 1am. DeathLlama got up, consoled him, and he was back asleep within 10 minutes…then slept the rest of the night, up to when our alarm went off at 6am. Oof.

I called the doc this morning and these are very normal reactions. RuffLlama’s appetite is decreased, he sleeps more, he’s fussier and harder to console…totally normal for 2-3 days after shots, especially after DTaP (which he had). They said I could keep up giving him Tylenol–which I’d stopped yesterday morning, because I thought they’d said 0.4mL every 4 hours for the first 24 hours, and those 24 hours were up–as long as he seems to feel not himself. Also…a BIG also…the Tylenol dosage is incorrent. 0.4mL is for babies under 12lbs…RuffLlama’s a hefty 14lbs, so he needs twice as much!! So as soon as he’s up from his morning nap, he’ll get 0.8mL. I’m really hoping it’ll help him sleep better tonight…yikes. The sound of his urgent crying was like fingernails on a chalkboard on crack. I can’t describe what it did to me physically–ooof, again.

The good news is, this is a reaction to the shots and NOT a new “normal” for RuffLlama’s behavior. Poor baby!

6

Mr. Neville and I are still in the “we’ll have kids someday” stage, but I already know that I will make him take any eventual kids to get shots. I know there’s a good chance they’ll be genetically predisposed to phobias (my father, sister, and I all have needle phobias- 2 of 2 of his kids have it, in other words). In case they wouldn’t develop a needle phobia on their own anyway, I wouldn’t want them picking one up from watching me get hysterical about needles (I always do- I can’t even watch someone get a shot on TV or in a movie).

Tetanus shots hurt for a few days afterward, too, or at least it did when I bit the bullet and got one two years ago. I felt like someone had punched me in the arm for about a week afterward. I wonder if RuffLlama is feeling the same sort of thing.

7

I know that feeling…lord it’s awful. Last time we went in Bella got four shots and held an off-and-on fever for the next ten days. That look on her face, man…it breaks my heart. I also have a needle phobia but I try really hard to relax so she doesn’t sense my tension, and I guess I’m good at it because she usually is all happy and friendly and charming until the first needle hits. It’s that look of shock that gets me. Po’ baby doesn’t understand! :frowning:

Mig and I have been arguing over whether to pierce her ears. I say why in the WORLD would I want to put her through that pain and shock for anything other than keeping her healthy?

8

A little perspective might be useful. No matter how bad you think watching your kids in distress when they get vaccinated is, imagine the horror of watching your kids get one of the diseases they are being vaccinated against.

When I was at university studying microbiology I saw slides of children with a variety of vaccine preventable illnesses, and they broke my heart. The sight of a small child with diphtheria is not something you forget.

9

Heck, even I felt like crap when I had to get my DPT (diptheria, pertussis, tetanus) booster before working at the hospital. That is the worst shot of all, as far as I’m concerned. My arm hurt for a few days and I had a fever and a headache. Absolutely unpleasant for a grownup, and it must be even tougher for a little baby.

Hope the little guy feels better soon. Too bad he’s too little to understand why you need to give him the shots.

10

Wow. You just described our experience with Susie’s 8-week shots a few weeks ago. She was REALLY fussy for about 4 days. It was heartbreaking. When I was holding her and she was crying, she was looking up at me with this look in her eyes that said, “DO something, mommy! Why aren’t you doing anything???” I cried right along with her for 4 nights in a row.

She’s really a great baby. Her usual fussiness isn’t anywhere near as bad as I had predicted it would be. It sounds like we both lucked out, eh?

11

I’ve stuck more children with needles than I can possible recall. I’ve gotten good at it, but it’s never gotten easier. One of my dreams in this profession is that when I do it for the last time I get to know its the last time. I want to walk away saying “as God is my witness I’ll never make a child scream again.”

When thery’re old enough to understand, I always explain that it’s not they’re fault, it’s not a punishment, that sometimes you have to hold still for a little hurt to dodge a big hurt, and that I would never hurt them if I didn’t have to to make them better. Don’t know if it helps.

Of course, I’ve seen the things we vaccinate to prevent, so I don’t hesitate

12

I’m one of five kids. My mother always made our father take us for shots. She just couldn’t take it.

StG

13

My Spencer has his two-month checkup on July 7. He’s supposed to get his first round of shots then. Thankfully, my mom will be with me, so when I start to cry she can console me! :smiley:

14

That is very, very usefyul to know Antigen–thank you. My mother-in-law had suggested maybe he had a headache; my (silent) reaction was, how would we know?? He’s a baby!

But an adult describing their experience helps this make sense all the more. Poor baby!

RuffLlama is up from his morning nap and seems to be his happy self. Yesterday he didn’t sleep nearly as well or as long; today he got his full 3+ hours in. Took him a while to fall asleep, but he did. Here’s hoping the Tylenol keeps him as comfortable as possible.

15

Scarred *you *for life? :confused:

16

Yeah, my wife took our daughter in for her first vaccinations and came back HORRIFIED. My wife’s eyes were more red and puffy than the baby’s. And yes, she made me go, and had me hold the baby while the next shots were administered. The second round was less horrifying for both apparently. But yes, it’s heartbreaking to watch that sweet smile turn to disbelief and pain.

17

I was told that each round of shots is worse for the baby because they develop “muscle memory” for the pain, but I don’t understand that!

Sophia’s 2 month shots were no biggie -she fell asleep in between! She was only about 7 1/2 pounds so we were worried her little legs wouldn’t be able to take 4 needles, but she was a trooper. Gave her a bit of baby Tylenol before and a couple of hours afterwards.

Her 4 month ones were a bit tougher, but she also had a little cold.

Her 6 month ones were a piece of cake - just gave her a quick bottle afterwards and she had no problems.

The nurses here make the baby look at THEM while they give the needles. Don’t know if this is good (may develop a fear of nurses?) or not, but it sure makes it easier on the parents. **McDeath_the_Mad ** goes with us each time, and holds her. There is no way I could do it alone.

It sounds like 4 days was a pretty extreme reaction - I hope the next round are easier for everyone!

18

My baby is going on 17, so I’m likely to be a little behind the times, but what in the world are these poor little babies getting that requires four shots?! Mine got a DPT at two months and an oral polio at three, then alternated until they had three of each, total. I know about the HpB, but can’t that wait until they finish the first ones? I think I’m glad my little ones were little when they were.

19

You should see the battery of shots that kids get now. The chart at our pediatrician’s shows (IIRC) 27 shots by kindergarten.

20

New Mommies are so cute. :smiley:

Let’s talk 'Mommy Nerves."
My baby just skipped out the door, headed for what’s called “Senior Week” at the beach. A week in Ocean City with a group of her girlfriends, no parents, ten zillion kids her age, half of them horny teenage boys.
And you’re upset about a little shot? Sheesh. :rolleyes:
Call me in 18 years.

:wink:
(I’m kidding, but just a little. Give all the babies kisses for me.)