Taking LO's temp

jarbatz · May 2010

I spent $25 on an ear thermometer and I love it...its so easy and you get results in 1 second. Come to find out though that the ear thermometer is not as accurate for under 3 months. But not sure how inaccurate it is..a lot or a little?

I am terrified of taking DD's temp rectally...she is so squirmy as it is....

Does anyone know anything about the forehead thermometer?

mollymay38 · May 2010

Rectal is def the most accurate. We have an ear thermometer now, and I don't think it's as accurate. One ear will say one thing, the other ear another. I'll try again and there will be a degree difference.

Did you try a rectal thermometer with the stopper? So that you can't insert too far (especially helpful if you have a squirmy baby). It made things really easy, and it was very accurate.

mollymay38 · May 2010

Oops, I forgot respond about the forehead thermometer. When watching my 7 month old nephew, that is the thermometer his mom left me. I thought it was terrible. It would say "94" and the "103". It jumped around and never gave me any sort of accurate reading. And she paid a ridiculous amount of money for it. Get a rectal.

Puckchick07 · May 2010

I use the rectal and luckily have only had to take her temp a few times. It has worked well for us. It does have a stopper, so it's only inserted so far. Fiona has never flinched with me using it. I went with this after reading that it was more accurate to take temperature rectally when babies.

superaunt · May 2010

hehe i avoided taking Sabrina's temp for soooo long bc i just couldn't stick the damn thing in her bum!! finally i made dh go out and get a rectal thermometer - by Vicks. you barely put the thing in and i dont even think baby knows it's there - and within seconds it tells the temp.

Piranha54 · May 2010

Rectal is most accurate, but DD is a squirmy thing on the best of days, so I do axillary (armpit). If you call your pedi concerned about a fever, they should ask you how the temp was taken and go from there.

KD288 · May 2010

I have all three, but mostly use the forhead one.

BrideBuddies · May 2010

Don't know the brand, but we have a digital one that can be used rectally, orally or in the armpit. We've only done the armpit. And no, I would not do the rectal temp followed by the oral temp!!

Seemed to work okay in the armpit. The one time we ended up taking C to the ER, their temp was very close to what we got in his armpit.

peeper72 · May 2010

Don't know about the forehead thing. Seems that it would fall prey to the same faults as extra-aural temping. We temp rectally - I'm just kind of used to it since I do this in dogs and cats (even little tiny peanut kittens) all day long...lots of lube, digital therm, slow entry & you'll be fine.

robynlesley · May 2010

I have a rectal thermometer that is flexible (soft and bendy) and that helped alleviate my fears about sticking it in too far or hurting him. The few times I've taken Aaron's temperature, I used a LOT of vaseline to coat the thermometer.

I'm a dork and couldn't figure out the ear one for ME, much less for him!

jasperbride · May 2010

When I have been concerned enough to temp DD's temp, she is def sick enough to not be squirmy. I have a flexible one from Safety First I use, with some lube

pahokie · May 2010

I take the temp in her armpit first, and if it is high, then I will take it rectally to be sure I have a good number.

We got 3 or 4 thermometers as gifts, so we have one designated for rectal use only.

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