# What new hell is this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 7, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797 "2006-06-07T20:22:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/21 "2006-06-09T12:41:49Z")
DPT, MMR, flu at six months, chickenpox, etc… The Hordling’s doctor is pretty smart. You see him in one room, then go to a different room where nurses stick needles in the wee ones, staring in their eyes the whole time. Prevents the whole “I hate the doctor” thing that goes on even with the youngest kids who realize that the office and the man with the stethoscope are nasty. The Hordling herself is pretty tough. She only starts to cry after getting a second shot, and if she only gets two (unlike some visits where she’s had four), she’ll only whine for a minute. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/22 "2006-06-09T14:56:06Z")
> [@trublmakr](#): > > At least you didn’t have to watch him be circumcised. That experienced scarred me for life. We decided not to circumcise RuffLlama, so thankfully we missed out on this level of Hell. He had some moments yesterday of hard, panicked crying, but by evening was feeling much better. The correct dosage of Tylenol seemed to help, and I also gave him a bath with “Night Time” baby wash made with lavender and chamomile. He was quiet all evening, though very alert–he didn’t fall asleep until 11pm. But we’ll take that over the other night’s near inconsolable crying anytime. He’s going to Disneyland today (DeathLlama scored free tix through his work), so this ought to be interesting. Good thing the tix are free; we won’t feel like we HAVE to stay. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/23 "2006-06-09T16:00:43Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > New Mommies are so cute. 😃 > > 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. > > 😉 > (I’m kidding, but just a little. Give all the babies kisses for me.) Mine are younger - at the age where I say “where is my son, its getting dark. Damn, bike is gone. Hope he hasn’t gone too far.” My daughter is busy (at six) setting herself up for her middle school drama. You know, the one where the girl you thought was your “best friend” in kindergarten dumps you for more popular people and you spend three months crying. I see it coming, I can’t stop it, I know how painful it will be. I just keep hoping the little girl who is the subject of her crush moves away before it happens. If you knew the hell that is parenting, you’d have gotten a puppy. 'Cause it don’t get better. (Kidding, they are USUALLY worth it). ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/24 "2006-06-09T16:10:05Z")
Heh heh **Dangerosa** …DeathLlama and I are both middle school teachers so we are very, VERY familiar with the tween-girl-drama thing. Part of the reason we’re glad we had a boy. 😉 Everyone has been telling us since he was first born that “It gets easier.” Maybe some of it does, but we’re not worried about him crashing the car or setting his ass on fire in a Jackass-type stunt at the moment, either. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/25 "2006-06-09T20:30:37Z")
> [@Ruffian](#): > > Heh heh **Dangerosa** …DeathLlama and I are both middle school teachers so we are very, VERY familiar with the tween-girl-drama thing. Part of the reason we’re glad we had a boy. 😉 > > Everyone has been telling us since he was first born that “It gets easier.” Maybe some of it does, but we’re not worried about him crashing the car or setting his ass on fire in a Jackass-type stunt at the moment, either. It gets different. It gets less physically exhausting, but the problems become tougher. You get less control. I have one of each, boys just have different issues. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/26 "2006-06-09T21:26:54Z")
The worst for me was a blood test at 2.5 years to find out if she had JRA. No word of a lie, it took five pokes and me _holding my sweet baby_ down so they could stab her chubby little arm. No more, next time I will DEMAND the child specialist. Normally I would’ve stopped them this time, but I needed those test results. It was bad news anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/27 "2006-06-09T22:32:26Z")
Ruffian, I hope it will be better next time. Number 2 had his two months shots about three months ago (4 shots at once) and the next day it was fine, he didn’t even cry that much at the time of his 4 shots. When the babies won’t sleep, it’s really hard. I wonder what was bugging him? I remember with number 1 (who is know 3 1/2) that he would cry for long periods of time as a child (mabye up to 30 minutes), but number 2 loves to suck his thumb (something number 1 never did) and he hasn’t had a big crying jag so far. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/28 "2006-06-09T22:33:52Z")
> [@Ruffian](#): > > Everyone has been telling us since he was first born that “It gets easier.” I hear the reverse. The guy that sits next to me has two boys, and he’s often told me “Enoy them now, at whatever age they are, because **it keeps on getting worse**!” I won’t even repeat what the guy at work with six boys has to say. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/29 "2006-06-10T01:17:01Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > The worst for me was a blood test at 2.5 years to find out if she had JRA. > > No word of a lie, it took five pokes and me _holding my sweet baby_ down so they could stab her chubby little arm. > > No more, next time I will DEMAND the child specialist. Normally I would’ve stopped them this time, but I needed those test results. > > It was bad news anyway. I am THE pediatric sharpshooter in my hospital, and sometimes it takes me 5 times. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/30 "2006-06-10T02:36:13Z")
> [@Arnold Winkelried](#): > > I hear the reverse. The guy that sits next to me has two boys, and he’s often told me “Enoy them now, at whatever age they are, because **it keeps on getting worse**!” > > I won’t even repeat what the guy at work with six boys has to say. :eek: I just had my third baby boy, and now I’m scared. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/31 "2006-06-10T13:06:36Z")
> [@MissGypsy](#): > > :eek: I just had my third baby boy, and now I’m scared. I was smart enough to stop at two kids. You have my sympathies. (I will say, so far my son is **much** easier than my daughter, although we’ve been to the ER four times and he’s only nine. Five if you count the walk-in emergency clinic whle on vacation last year.) ---
**Author:** ![Marienee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Marienee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marienee)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/32 "2006-06-10T14:11:05Z")
I let my two nurse right through their shots as infants, which I expect made it easier. By the time the nine month shots rolled around for Eldest and from the beginning for Youngest, I gave them Motrin before the shot, usually right after they were weighed that visit. It is also good to find the nurse in the office that gives them the fastest. This does not make them like shots. But it does help. When they get older, I strongly recommend telling them when they are going to get a shot, and that it is going to hurt, and that it won’t hurt long, and that it is better than getting sick. You will find that they tend to react abotu as you expect them to, parenting is far more of a two way street than anybody ever warned me about. So think of this as development exercises for those mommy Nerves Of Steel. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/33 "2006-06-10T22:20:23Z")
> [@Arnold Winkelried](#): > > I won’t even repeat what the guy at work with six boys has to say. - “Good God, I’m tired”\*??? I hate the baby shots. I hate that moment when the pain kicks in and they look at you with _How could you **DO** this to me???_ in their little eyes. For my older one, it has gotten better. The little guy, though, equates the doctor’s office with misery and, even when we are there for a no-shot well visit, spends the entire time screaming at the top of his lungs and saying _No No No_. Makes it difficult to talk to the doctor about any concerns because I just want to get the hell out of there. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/34 "2006-06-11T03:52:37Z")
> [@Ruffian](#): > > 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. . Oh, yes, I remember that. The way he conveyed, “Daddy! You let them hurt me!” in the pain in his eyes. Broke a grown man’s heart, it did. These days, though, I wonder if it wasn’t growth hormone they were pumping into him. He’s not even 16 yet, and the doctor’s latest estimate for his eventual height is 6’4". Those little peanuts grow up pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/35 "2006-06-11T03:58:20Z")
Ow ow ow, you just brought back one of the most painful memories of my life, when we rushed our two month old daughter to the ER one midnight with 104 fever and she had to get a spinal tap. I helped hold her for that. I would rather have submitted to any torture than that. She grew up tall, vigorous, healthy as a horse. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/36 "2006-06-11T12:28:11Z")
It’s odd, but I don’t remember being afraid of shots as a child, just as an adult. The pediatrician I went to would tell jokes, funny stories, talk like Donald Duck, and make balloon animals for us kids. He’d get us so involved in a story we wouldn’t hardly notice when he jabbed us, we were waiting forthe punchline. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797/37 "2006-06-11T17:18:02Z")
> [@MissGypsy](#): > > :eek: I just had my third baby boy, and now I’m scared. I’m the oldest, with two brothers and a baby sister. We run the gamut from hyper-successful to “why the hell ain’t he dead or in jail yet?” Enjoy! 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-new-hell-is-this/359797.md?page=1)