Baby going for first shots and Im scared!!

Leslie - posted on 04/03/2009

Ask your doc what tylenol or motrin dose to give, and give it before you go.  My baby was fussy a few hours later, developed a slight fever, and slept a lot, but all was well the next day.  I am a nurse, and to be honest it is much harder to give shots to a preschooler (they know what's coming!) than to a baby.  My daughter stopped crying as soon as it was over and I picked her up.   

Gabrielle - posted on 04/03/2009

My daughter barely ever noticed any of her shots. Never had a fever, just wanted to sleep afterward. Hold him, comfort him, but try to relax so he doesn't pick up on your anxiety. Distract him afterward and read all the information they give you, so you can feel prepared. Talk to the pediatrician and the nurse. But babies are pretty tough, and he won't dwell on it, so you shouldn't, either.

Emily - posted on 04/03/2009

Don't give the Tylonol before the shots. A fever is an immune system response and it helps rid the body of toxins. If he gets a fever just keep an eye on it, ask the doctor how high he or she would safely let the fever go.

Tamara - posted on 04/02/2009

If you're unsure about the shots, feel free not to do them until you've researched BOTH the disease and the vaccines that are supposed to prevent them. You can always do the vaccines later. There's no time limit on how soon you have to do them.

Emma - posted on 04/02/2009

Every child is different.  With my two boys the first one it didn't worry him, didn't get sick, nothing.  If I hadn't been there I would have never guessed he just had his shots.  With the second he cried, was fussy, got a slight temperature.  You know that he had had his shots.  The hardest part for me was the actual needle as I personally am afraid of needles.  Basically I just kept calm, tried to relax and not look.  As far as I am concerned, the hardest part is not knowing what will happen as every child is different.  The whole time I just tried to remember that although this was an unpleasent thing it was in both of my sons best interest to have this done. The best advice I can give is just stay calm, and take it as it comes.  Like most things in life the first time is always the hardest but it will be over before you know it.

User - posted on 04/02/2009

ps - ask for a dosage chart from the pediatrician for tylenol. Most offices have one for infant tylenol and childrens motrin... it will tell you how much to give by weight.  It has helped me a lot so I can give it to her before we leave the house now for her shots. We have her 2yr old ones next week - 3 i'm told - and I'm full of anxiety already... esp. now that she's old enough adn strong enough to just kick the man if she wants to! LOL.. This one is def. going to require some distraction and daddy holding her...... :-\   It's always hard seeing your baby upset like that - you feel so helpless.  Someone told me going thru these shots with them is like some kind of rite of passage into motherhood... LOL... :))

Clariza - posted on 04/02/2009

well i went thru the same feelings. But my child never got a fever!  Every child is different.  The hardest for me was just  being there to see them give her the shot.  I leave her w her dad n walk out the room.  Trust the process, your baby may suprise you.  Good luck!

User - posted on 04/02/2009

I think it's harder on us moms than it is on the baby.. I made my husband hold her and I covered my eyes... (yes, big wimp..) Now that she's 2 I can watch, but I try to distract her and then immediately pick her up.  And as someone else said, bring the infant tylenol with you, and right after they weigh her ask what dose to give - and give it then... so it starts to kick in. I know at our drs office we had to wait in another line for her shot, so it gave the medicine time to work... and she was a little fussy that afternoon but nothing too bad. It seriously is the worst one - the first time.... :(  

Amie - posted on 04/01/2009

The breastfeeding tip is a good one. When they do the metabolic tests after baby is born they try to time it for when a feed is coming up. Well here anyway, my newest baby had hers done on Monday. (she was born sunday) She fussed a tiny bit when they did the prick but just did a quick whine then went back to eating.
The tylenol just follow the directions on the infant's bottle and give him a dose about an hour-half hour before you go. It will help with any pain he might feel too from the prick of the needle. Keep yourself calm as possible too, if you feel like you won't be able to get dad or someone else to come along so they can hold him while they do the needle. It will make things easier. My hubby was the one that was more upset though so I've always held our kids when they've gotten their shots.
If he does get a fever it will probably be mild, anything more than that is not as common as most people think. Soreness where the shot was given though is almost a given, especially the shots that are given into the muscle. That goes away though within a day, especially if he moves/squirms a lot.
All in all it'll be fine. It's harder on us mom's to watch them get stuck with the needle than it is for them to feel it. =)

Nicola - posted on 04/01/2009

my daughter cried more when i had blood taken than she did when she had her shots it was really funny. She did end up with a pink patch on her leg after one shot hough but it was gone after she slept the night we just gave her pain killer and she still slept fine good luck the less you show you are worried the less likely he will be tense and get hurt by the needle. Also a good trick is to breast feed while they are getting there shot they are so absorbed and relaxed they don't notice anything is hapening.

Becky - posted on 04/01/2009

yea- his dad got very ill, fever and was quite miserable. I didnt react badly according to my mother.  I hope thats a good sigh for him- maybe hell be more like me??

Nichola - posted on 04/01/2009

well....you can bring your tylenol to the doctors office with you and they will tell you how much to give based on wheight...and all the sets of shots are different....sometimes they are crabby and sometimes not....and im not gonna lie i cried with my son at his first and second shots...but they really dont cry very long and the soreness only last about a day

Hannah - posted on 04/01/2009

mine hardly noticed and had only mild fussieness and fever have you talked to family about their childs reactions?

Hannah - posted on 04/01/2009

mine hardly noticed and had only mild fussieness and fever have you talked to family about their childs reactions?