Sick Kids: wait and see, or take them in?
SarahKate31
member
I took DS to the Dr. for a sick visit *at least* once a month last fall/winter/spring. At first, I had no hesitation about it - I was a FTM and my baby was sick, let's go! But then it got to where I didn't really think we (*I*) needed to take him in but DCP and DH sort of pressured me into it and I'd show up at the pedi with a baby with a 100 point nothing fever and no other symptoms and they'd ask me why I was there.
Right now, DS has what is most likely a mild stomach bug, a bad diaper rash, and occasionally a 99* fever. Eating/sleeping/acting fine. I called the pedi and left a message, but I don't think it's worth bringing him in. I'm usually in the "wait and see" camp and DH is in the "let's go now" camp.
Also, sort of related, DS has a bump where he got his chicken pox vaccine last week. I left a message about this too, but has anyone else's kid had this?
BFP#1: 01/10, M/C 6w
BFP#2: 06/10, M/C 5w
BFP#3: 09/10, DS born June 1, 2011
BFP#4: 07/12, M/C 5w3d
BFP#5: 12/12, EDD 08/18/13
My Blog: Decorate This
Re: Sick Kids: wait and see, or take them in?
I'm totally in the "wait-and-see" camp, especially being on kid #2. I treat fevers with ibuprofen and monitor their behaviour more than anything......you are the mom and you know when they just aren't acting right.
With DS1 I took him in for every little thing until I realized there is actually very little they can do most of the time.
When A was younger I would take her in for every little thing. A lot of my motives were because she is a preemie and being a FTM, so I was scared she have RSV. But with C I'm more laid back, but my DCP will send me a text, and say this or that about A or C. Just last week I took C in because she keep pulling at her ear (per my DCP). $20 copay later it was that she had found her ear and had some dry skin behind it.
Neither of my kids have had bumps or lumps hear their vaccine sites. I would think the doctor would want to see him just to rule anything out.
I am also of the "wait and see" mindset. Like remy said, there's usually very little the doc can do, since we can only give certain OTC meds to little ones, and as moms we typically know which ones to give and when. It's not easy to take off work for sick kids, so I'd rather take off if I have to keep them home and not take off just to see a pedi who can't do anything.
But say I know that my kid was exposed to something and now she's showing similar symptoms, I might want to get it checked out if I know it could end up as something serious. If that makes sense?
Both my girls have gotten bumps from shots. Its pretty normal. My pedi suggests a warm cloth on the area but they don't sit still that long. A warm bath would be nice.
I'm in the wait and see camp also - unless its been a few weeks of coughing and runny nose I don't take them in. For a high fever, right away but not one at 99 degrees.
Also, re:fever, I usually don't even call unless it is 102 or higher and doesn't come down with meds. I don't even think 99 something qualifies as a fever....thought it had to be 100.4?
Ditto everyone else - I'm totally in the wait and see camp, especially for older babies/toddlers. For an infant, I'd be more likely to go make sure that what looks like nothing really is nothing. But. .. for an older baby where you can gert a good look and communicate and just know your LO better, I try to avoid going. DH also wants to go anytime something is wrong or possibly wrong, but he also wants a full diagnose, rather than, yes, stomach virus, give it 24 hours and then call if its not improving.
Other than ear infections, DD hasn't been sick very much (knock on wood) but if I had a kid that was more "sickly" I might feel differently.
I think this is right. I'm not concerned about a 99 fever, that's nothing. Even with 100.4, our pedi has been pretty unphased.
DS has never had any reaction to shots before (except for fussiness, slight fever when he was much younger) but I'm glad to see that others have had the bump and it wasn't a big deal. It doesn't appear to be bothering him or anything. He's getting a bath tonight so we'll see if that helps.
BFP#1: 01/10, M/C 6w
BFP#2: 06/10, M/C 5w
BFP#3: 09/10, DS born June 1, 2011
BFP#4: 07/12, M/C 5w3d
BFP#5: 12/12, EDD 08/18/13
My Blog: Decorate This
Baby Girl #2 is on her way!
Are you the one that normally takes DS to see the dr? If so maybe DH needs to take him a couple of times. My DH was similar until he had to take off work only to hear firsthand from the dr that in wait and see was the best approach when it was a relatively low grade fever.
Sometimes it doesn't matter how many times I say something, DH needs to hear it from the source.
Oh I know how that is!
And yes, I am the one to take DS to the Dr. And that's fine, I always want to go (DH does come to well visits sometimes). But I did call and I relayed the advice from the doctors office to DH via text: the bump is normal, and nothing to do about the rest but what we're already doing.
BFP#1: 01/10, M/C 6w
BFP#2: 06/10, M/C 5w
BFP#3: 09/10, DS born June 1, 2011
BFP#4: 07/12, M/C 5w3d
BFP#5: 12/12, EDD 08/18/13
My Blog: Decorate This
When she was younger, I did, especially if daycare said I needed a Dr.'s note for her to return. (She has a really bad reaction to mosquito bites and dc thought it was Foot & mouth.)
DH tends to want to go more often. If we disagree, I will call and speak with the nurse to see if she thinks it is necessary to bring her in. Since I am the one who has to take the days off for appts., I usually tell DH that if HE thinks she should go to the Dr., then HE should take her (and schedule the appt.) He's become a lot more laid back about it.
The bump sounds like a reaction, but not abnormal from what my pedi told me.
I am definitely in the wait-and-see camp. H made me take him a month or two ago for what I KNEW was just a cold, and I mean DS definitely felt crappy, but no fever, still eating fine, normal bodily functions, just cranky and snotty, but H got sick around the same time and was convinced that he was dyyyyyyying so I had to take DS in. No joke, I tell him "the pedi says its just a cold" and he says "then I must have something different bc I am going to die." an hour before he was insisting they had the exact same thing. LOL.
DS did spike a fever last week that lasted a few days - 102, 103 - so I did call and they said if it lasted any longer to bring him in but in the meantime ibuprofen should help.
ditto this - I avoid giving meds unless I really need to.