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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to say that having a sick baby is awful or am I just particularly crap at coping

22 replies

RedPencilPot · 06/12/2013 19:28

Have a ten month old and he is on his second bad cold.

Has cough, temp, wheezing, being sick, runny, nose.

My lovely placid son has turned into a horror- nothing will please him, sitting, standing, lying. It's awful, I really hate him being ill and I feel I can do NOTHING to make it better or sooth him.

My mum always makes me feel better (even at 33) so why am I so useless?

Plus he's on his second antibiotic and I really hate having to give him it.

OP posts:
Annunziata · 06/12/2013 19:30

At that age it is awful, they just don't understand. Poor wee boy.

farrowandbawlbauls · 06/12/2013 19:31

Try vicks on the bottom of his feet.

I don't know how it works but several MNers swear by it.

Olbas oil (you can get childrens ones from 3 months) will help him breathe.

No, it's not you, it IS shit and you are doing fine.

CrohnicallySick · 06/12/2013 19:33

YANBU. The only thing that soothes my daughter when she's like that is going out somewhere, even if it's just a walk around the block in the pushchair.

SparkleToffee · 06/12/2013 19:34

Poor you and him.... It does get better as they get older. When they are little they can't tell you how they feel, or understand ehy it's happening to them. Tbh I used to dread them being ill as babies. Not that I enjoy them being ill now, but DS has been off school for 2 days with a temp (he's 6) and it was actually quite nice to snuggle on the sofa watching films......

So YANBU small sick children are v hard work... But they get better just as quickly as they get ill, so fingers crossed he will be better soon.

saulaboutme · 06/12/2013 19:34

Yes it's awful yanbu.

It's when we realise " ah so this is motherhood...yey"

There's good and bad. Just remember he will get better with your tlc.

pinkpeoniesx · 06/12/2013 19:35

Yanbu. My 13 week old DS is teething and it breaks my heart to see him so upset. The only thing that makes me feel better is that he won't remember feeling like this (wish I didn't either!)

Original poster
RedPencilPot · 06/12/2013 19:36

It's the conflicting advice too- mother says keep him indoors, MIL insists on bringing him outside. (They both do a day a week childcare)

He was screaming so much earlier and arching his back, so unlike him.

Thank goodness he's sleeping now and hopefully will go through until around 6 but I feel rubbish.

Glad it's not just me.

OP posts:
Original poster
RedPencilPot · 06/12/2013 19:37

If only I could blame it on teething at least it would be worthwhile. There's NO sign whatsoever of teeth.

OP posts:
schnockles · 06/12/2013 19:38

YANBU. My son is 8 months and is on his millionth (ok, fifth) cold. He's doing settling in days at nursery so keeps catching bugs. It's shit. So shit. But vapour rub on the feet does help, as does Olbas oil and the Vicks plug in vapour thingy.

I think when they're old enough to understand an explanation of why they're feeling rubbish, why they need the medicine etc. Although I do remember having arguments and tantrums as a child about taking anything other than Calpol so I may eat my words in time...

farrowandbawlbauls · 06/12/2013 19:42

Parenting it mostly trial and error or most of it. What will work for one wont work for another - and that's my just my two.

YOU will know what to do but there is nothing wrong with trying things out to see what works for him. You'll be fine and stop feeling guilty.

Those that say you wont forget the teething - you will, just like you have forgotten labour pains.

Hang in there, it'll all be over soon enough and you'll be wishing they were back to the stage where they couldn't talk or move from one place to the other so sodding quickly

Cluelessat30 · 06/12/2013 19:42

Still might be teeth though! When my dd had her molars coming through it was 2 weeks of awfulness. The only thing that worked to really, really calm her and take her mind off it was a walk in the pushchair or cbeebies. I was supermum back then so opted for mostly walks. I'd pr

Cluelessat30 · 06/12/2013 19:43

Probably go half and half now- it's only a couple of weeks!

mumofweeboys · 06/12/2013 19:59

May I join the club. 8 month old with horrific cold that leaves me crying at 4 in the morning with him after he's been awake for hours coughing.

So tonight the cots propped up, vapour rub on feet and chest, olbas oil in warm water, humidifier in bedroom, dosed with ibuprofen and calpol, saline drops in the nose with a suction thing to try and clear the snot plus teething sachet for good measure. Something has to work gahhhh

JackNoneReacher · 06/12/2013 20:02

Having a poorly child is awful.

What is he having the antibiotics for? Are they working?

tinkertaylor1 · 06/12/2013 20:06

Oh my goodness hope your both ok! sounds horrible !

Luckily my dds are rarely ill but I just hate it. My 18 dd still wakes me in the night if she is ill! Honestly she is like creeping jesus in my bloody room at night.

I would keep him indoors and insist that's where he stays.

Hope he gets better sharpish!

NewtRipley · 06/12/2013 20:06

It feels awful; worse because you are pissed off whilst also being worried and feeling sorry for them all at the same time.

I used to sleep my DS2 in the car seat when it was really bad. Also had a plug-in Vicks Vapour thing.

Also Medised was legal then

I agree it could be teeth.

schnockles · 06/12/2013 20:17

Tinker my mum used to call me creeping Jesus! Excuse me whist I snigger to myself.

Cookethenook · 06/12/2013 20:29

You being there looking after him is enough! A good cuddle is probably doing him a world of good.

My 6mo DS was really poorly last week (same thing by the sounds of it, it's doing the rounds down here in the south east) and it was just awful. It feels like they're never going to get better! But you'll have your lovely smiley boy back soon :)

Finola1step · 06/12/2013 20:36

OP you have my sympathy. It is rubbish when they are ill. Your post reminds of when dd was 8 months old and ds was 3. We had just moved to a new town. I was going back to work so settling them both into a new nursery. DS gets chicken pox - quite a light dose as it turns out.

Two weeks later, dd gets it. And boy, does she get the pox! She was covered. And it was truly awful. She would only sleep in my arms and so I had to sit up all night for three nights on the trot cradling her so she would sleep.

It was so much harder because she had no real understanding of why she felt so awful. It does get easier as they get older. All I can suggest is sleep and rest as much as you can, even if that means getting into bed by 8pm. And eat well yourself. Housework and anything else can wait.

imalama · 06/12/2013 21:38

YANBU. It's horrible having to watch a baby/child be sick and no be able to do anything to help them. Lots of biscuits and tea help (you)!

LostInWales · 06/12/2013 21:43

YANBU the only thing that got me through those days (well with DS2 and DS3, when I'd got the hang of it a bit) was 'this too shall pass' it's hard isn't it, poor little mites and poor parents having to be there. Your mum knows how to look after you because she has had three decades practice, she was just like you once and learned like you are doing now. Hope you have a better night tonight.

Sunnysummer · 06/12/2013 22:21

Poor you! DS just had a cold and turned into a little gremlin baby for days, it was horrible.

Just one question on the OP, if it is a cold, does he have to be on an antibiotic? Obviously if necessary for something else then of of course he does, but it won't touch a cold and might not help his tummy.

In any case, though, I hope he feels better soon, and I'm sure you're being a great mummy and making him feel better too, even if you can't see it yet!

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