Taking baby's temp

JulieSmiles

My LO is feeling a little warm this morning, so I wanted to take her temp. At the hospital, they told us not to do it rectally, but that is what my ped. has done. How do you take your baby's temp?

nunzchucks

The Exergen Temporal thermometer is awesome. It's like $30 at Wal Mart and so worth it!

tbmadeamistake

I got a thermometer from CVS that scans their forehead. You don't even have to touch them, just make sure you move any hair out of the way as they get older. Its awesome.

FAWKES81

mullenem said:

I use the temporal thermometer first then if it's high and I need an exact, I'd do it rectally. 

This is what I do as well.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

MrsAy

My pedi told me rectally is the most accurate and that is the temperature he will need to know if we ever call him due to a fever.

texasmama2014

nunzchucks said:

The Exergen Temporal thermometer is awesome. It's like $30 at Wal Mart and so worth it!

They also typically have some sort of rebate out, I got a $5 rebate but I've seen $10 since.

coffee89

I was told by a few nurses that when they are little and crying it will heat their head up and skew the reading so I'm holding off on temporal for a little while. I feel comfortable doing rectal, so I go with that. If I wasn't home an DH had to do it I'd direct him to do under the arm sine he doesn't feel okay doing rectal.

Brittnic531

I marked rectally, but I use the temporal thermometer first.  If it seems high with that, then I will do it rectally because that's the only temperature that my pedi will accept.  

ETA: My pedi also said that if we do rectally, to wait a least a half hour after a bm because that will make the baby read warmer than the actual temperature.  

kellar01

Rectal isn't recommended under 30 days of age due to their very under developed immune system. After a month rectal is most accurate as long as your baby wasn't preemie but under the armpit is a close second.

laramt

We use the Braun in ear thermometer. We like it a lot and takes 2 seconds

Brittnic531

kellar01 said:

Rectal isn't recommended under 30 days of age due to their very under developed immune system. After a month rectal is most accurate as long as your baby wasn't preemie but under the armpit is a close second.

My pedi explained that they didn't accept under arm temps because the glands aren't fully developed until they're about a year old. They also had me do a rectal temp on LO before she was a week old due to some issues she was having.

kellar01

emotionlotion said:

kellar01 said:

Rectal isn't recommended under 30 days of age due to their very under developed immune system. After a month rectal is most accurate as long as your baby wasn't preemie but under the armpit is a close second.

I'm curious to see the scientific explanation of this. What would a rectal temp have to do with their immune system? As long as you clean the thermometer thoroughly each time it seems safe.

Since newborns and preemies have such an underdeveloped immune system it is a way of introducing bacteria to a susceptible baby. As long as it is sterilized well it's fine, it's just not recommended at home when they're that small. Hospitals generally use sterile disposable probes/thermometers.

temursgirl

The armpit. Both the hospital and the pedi said to do it that way. Also, my pedi is okay not having precise data. I call her all the time with vague feelings and she is willing to interpret them, so she's doesn't need a more precise temp.

MrsCase1

I have always preferred taking an infant's temp rectally because I feel it is most accurate. My pedi uses a temporal scanner and I also own one. I DO use it but if I'm truly concerned I break out the rectal.

nicolewhelan

I only do it rectally. I have the Vick's rectal thermometer so you know you can't push it in too far. Made me feel much better the first few times I did it. 

babygabe614

I only have a rectal thermometer right now so that's what I've been using... until yesterday when my mom called me to say she couldn't figure it out when she went to take DD's temp. When I came home I went to look for the thermometer to show her how to use it, only to find vaseline all over the thermometer cap... SHE HAD BEEN TRYING TO PUT IT IN WITH THE CAP ON.

I'll be buying an armpit thermometer tonight. Yeesh.

brooklyngirl46

nunzchucks said:

The Exergen Temporal thermometer is awesome. It's like $30 at Wal Mart and so worth it!

This. It has the added bonus of making me feel like i am on star trek.

kks4471

merie412 said:

We do the armpit. That's how they did it in the hospital and our pedi told us to NOT do rectal. I wasn't comfortable with the thought of that anyway, so I was happy to hear him advise against it.

Yet my pedi does a rectal temp at every appointment... I don't understand the difference of opinions  :-?