Baby got fever

[LividLoving]

Anyone up?

Baby sent home from nursery with a temp on Friday. Been okay ish (did postal Covid test yesterday, waiting for results)

But now it’s 1am and thermometer says 39.8 and I can’t get Calpol in him as he’s fast asleep and moves his head.

He just breastfed which is why I woke up a bit (cosleeping).

Should I rouse him enough to get the Calpol in him?

Husband working tomorrow so don’t want to wake him unnecessarily to worry but this feels hot.

Forgot to say, he’s about to turn one.

Sat him up and he roused enough for a dose of Calpol so guess I’ll keep checking and hope it kicks in.

That's quite high, when you have been giving him calpol has it been going down before?
If you have just gave him calpol and his temperature remains the same you need to ring 111
Hopefully it is just something silly.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/fever-in-children/

Yes, it’s been elevated but lower than that.

We have a thermometer that goes traffic light colours and it’s been a mix of green and amber all weekend with the highest being 39.0 Saturday bed time but it’s been going down with Calpol
Or baby nurofen. Going to check it again in a few minutes to see if it’s reduced.

Down to 38.6 after the Calpol.

Still very hot but at least it’s not as hot as it was.

That NHS link seems to say you can’t alternate ibuprofen and Calpol, which I didn’t know. Anyone know why?

Would you consider calling 111 for some guidance? I’m not sure about the nurofen and paracetamol alternating for babies. This is something which 111 will clarify I’m sure.

Oh, I googled it. Makes sense (basically so you don’t get confused and overdose).

I’ve got a note in my phone of when I gave him Calpol. If it spikes above 39 before he’s due another dose I might consider the baby nurofen.

Also, now I need a wee and can’t cos he’ll roll off the bed if I try

Op at this temp I would also get some wet flannels and wrap them loosely around the baby's wrist and ankle to cool her off.

Just tried the other ear and it’s down to 38°.

I swear this thermometer makes it up as it goes along but it’s the same one as the gp uses ffs.

Anyway, numbers in right direction I guess. Feeling a bit calmer that Calpol has done something. Might try to sleep myself again.

@ursuslemonade I would’ve used a cold flannel but the nhs page says specifically not to...

Now he’s down to 38 I’m a bit less worried.

He’s got no covers on, just starfished on the bed.

Sorry, him, not her.
I get quite anxious when the kids have high temp and apart from medication I always use flannels. If they let me, I place it on the neck (loosely obv) and on the torso. The flannels get so hot they need to be spun around often to have some sort of cooling effect.

Thanks @ursuslemonade.

I’ve just kissed his head enough times to be reassured the Calpol is working.

It was burning dry hot at 1am but now just warm and sweaty.

He’s my first (and probably only, at my age) after many losses, and then a bloody pandemic came as he was born, so it’s been a weird enough year.

I didn’t bother getting postnatal anxiety diagnosed because who was going to diagnose it with no hvs around and who was going to treat it with everything suspended? But I do think I probably had/have a mild case of pna which doesn’t help much. Hence waffling on mumsnet rather than just dosing him up and going back to sleep like a normal person I guess.

I’m back at work on Wednesday with real people for the first time in over a year so selfishly hoping he’s feeling better for then.

And that his Covid test comes back negative and quickly. Gross, but it got a massive bogey on the swab as I pulled it out and as he was upset at being swabbed and yelling at the time, I panicked and wiped the bogey off onto the swab packet, so it’s probably invalid anyway.

He sounds ok now and I would get some sleep while you can. The fever is fighting the infection so it's for him still to be a bit warm. Make sure he's no blankets over him and has bare feet etc and get some rest x

It's ok for him to be a bit warm that should have said

Thanks @GreenSlide.

At least I’ve been reading the Harry and Meghan stuff while I’m awake.

Good to have MN on hand in the middle of the night.

As a general rule if the fever is below 40 and comes down when you give paracetamol or ibuprofen, then you probably don't need to rush them to hospital.

However if you are ever in any doubt then don't take risks. Better safe than sorry.

Ha, thanks @PeggyHill.

I’m not rushing him anywhere in a pandemic unless I really have to, hence throwing my panic on the Internet instead.

Thermometer is telling me he’s back in the 37s (even though his head still feels warm, but not HOT like it did earlier) so will try to sleep.

He hasn’t been awake except to sleepily slurp the Calpol when I sat him up so no doubt he’ll be up at 5 declaring it day time.

How is he today? X

@ursuslemonade

Op at this temp I would also get some wet flannels and wrap them loosely around the baby's wrist and ankle to cool her off.

No don't do this. Cold sponging is not advised with a high temperature. The body responds to the cold by heating up more.

He was much better yesterday, thank you.

Temp hasn’t spiked since, though he’s been in a massive grouch today! Covid test came back negative after 24hrs (—and despite the massive bogey on it—) so that’s a relief.

Thanks for seeing me through the night!