Monday, February 19, 2007

First Ear Infection

Last Monday, Hailey had her 6 month checkup, including shots. Her stats are now: Weight: 16.63 lbs, 56th percentile and Height: 26.5" 70th percentile. She's a long one! No wonder she's already too long for her 6 month clothes. Well, I think it's a combination of the height and her gigantic thighs. Really, they're huge!

Three days after the shots, Hailey started running a fever. On Saturday, Grandma Scott and I took her to the doctor where they promptly made me feel like a bad mother by declaring that her fever was 103 and rushing out of the room to get Tylenol. Helllloooo...I had been giving her Tylenol the whole time, I just didn't give her the last dose in case they prescribed something else. I didn't know her fever would spike up. Plus, our stupid thermometer at home is completely inaccurate. Anyway, they diagnosed her with an ear infection.

Now, we've begun the battle of the medicine. It's not just that she doesn't want to take the medicine. It's that she flat out refuses. You get any dropper full of anything near her mouth and she clenches her little lips so tight that it takes a tire jack to pull them apart. It's ridiculous, but twice a day we continue to fight the good fight. Each time we get about half down her throat and half on her shirt, on my shirt, on the chair, etc. If anyone has any suggestions for making this easier, I'm all ears. I just don't want her to hate medicine for the rest of her life. I can just see me chasing her around the house with the dropper when she's 3. Yikes.

3 comments:

Nancy said...

Okay...I've NEVER posted a comment before, but here I am, practical mother, couldn't pass this one by without some input.
If my kids ever SAW what was coming, they probably fussed a bit over it. So...I would first of all lay her down, with the dropper hidden behind my back to start. THEN, with the other hand, stick your pinkie in her mouth (as if to let her teeth on it). Then VERY discretely, take the dropper and place it IN her cheek, (in her mouth, of course)..once it's on the tongue - forget it! That's why ya hafta use the cheek. Slowly dispense the meds into the cheek and she'll probably get most of it.
Hope it works! Let me know...
love ya, Nancy
P.S. And I'm not REAL excited about your move either, cuz we'll never get to see you guys anymore!! :(

Anonymous said...

I agree with Nancy -- if they see it, they do their best to dodge it, swipe it, smack it...anything but take it.

Also, my pediatrician's nurse suggested blowing in her face to make her swallow the medicine once it's on the cheek. I haven't checked into this to determine if there is a risk of aspiration or anything, but it certainly worked when she was getting her Rotateq oral vaccine. If anyone knows this method to be a bad idea, please post.

ann said...

I'm not going to give any medicine-giving advice...I don't have any. But I do remember very well ear infections. Joey starting getting them at 6 minths and by his first b-day had tubes. My advice is that you stay on top of this. The Dr should want to see her in 3-4 weeks to make sure the infection is cleared. You don't want to mess around with her hearing. Any amount of liquid behind the eardrum is bad. It can delay/effect her speech. Also, I always had to prop up the head of Joe's crib because everytime he laid down it hurt.