October 29th, 2004
Second fever
» baby footprints
I have enough stress last night, finally more at peace now. My dear baby has been having some mild cough for the past few days, so mild I don’t think it is necessary to visit the doctor. Yesterday, she started having runny nose. very mild too, just let her recover naturally. She slept early last night but started fussing after midnight. I sleepily try to pat to sleep in her cot, she didn’t complied, so I moved her to our bed. She tossed and turned and was rather cranky, only then I realised she felt like a baked potato.
My first reaction was to nurse her, thinking that breastmilk contain antibodies to fight any viruses or bacteria. Then slapped a piece of “byebye fever” sheet on her forehead to dissipates the heat (at that point, I thought that was the best item James had bought for the kid). I left the ear scan thermometer at my father’s place, luckily still have the SARS kit with us. It was difficult to use the oral thermometer with the baby. I forced it into her mouth, under the toughen but she was fighting to get rid of it. However, the thermometer already registered 38.6C before I could get the accurate reading. I have already decided to bring her to the 24hr clinic nearby. Well, mothers are always worried that the temperature will escalate. Though I thought it is not boiling hot yet, but “what if” (apparently, we should bring the baby to see the doctor if the rectal temperature exceeds 38.3C, according to babycenter)? Better be safe then sorry. James agreed, but his reason was different. He thought I was the one that need to “see” the doctor, to stop myself from a worrying sleepless night.
She`was running a temperature of 38.8C according to the doctor. The normal medicine was prescribed, fever seemed to lower some time after syringing the medicine into her mouth. I was quite awake then and decided to stay up monitoring the situation. Well, obviously I am not a night person, fell asleep too when everything was back to normal.
She seems active as usual this morning, but still feverish. Hopefully she will recover today!
October 29th, 2004 at 10:33 pm
I think it’s better to see the doctor if in doubt, particularly for a small baby. Fever is not a thing to be trifled with.
Ryan had fever at 4 months and he registered 38 degrees which is actually very high for a small baby under 6 months of age. He had to be hospitalised just to be on the safe side. I nursed him continuously throughout the night and he huddled up together with me on the parent sofa-bed, refusing to sleep in the babycot at the hospital ward. What was most pitiful and trumatic about the whole experience was the connecting the drip valve. He wailed pitifully, my heart was so broken. Good thing, Chris was with him throughout the whole procedure because I think I might end up fighting with the doctors and nurses, and preventing them from poking my poor son.
October 30th, 2004 at 11:45 am
I remembered seeing some pictures of him in hospital. Could imagine the experience of hooking onto the drip for a small baby, must be very uncomfortable and scary, but he looked pretty cool and calm in the photos!
Yah, there is no harm seeing a doctor afterall. They are certainly trained in detecting the symptoms of those deadly deseases. I am now more convinced in bringing baby in for consultation after reading about meningitis in the YP and National Geog mags.