FSIL rude about baby eye gunk

[merlotmummy14]

My 15 week old DD has a bit of gunk around the corners of her eye and has had it for roughly a week now. Nothing severe and hasn't effected her eyesight or irritated her or her skin in any way. My mother (midwife), aunt (paediatric nurse) and cousin (infant paediatric nurse) all noticed it when I was up at theirs and said it was nothing to worry about and to just keep cleaning it with sterile water and some gauze. Have been doing so and glad to say it's nearly gone today. However yesterday I received multiple messages from both my FFIL and FSIL telling me I need to take her to the doctors and get her seen by a 'professional' because apparently my relatives (a collective 80 years nursing experience behind them) isn't good enough. My FSIL (who is early thirties, has no kids of her own, no childcare or medical experience, can't be in the same room when we change a dirty diaper without gagging and being a drama queen about it and spends the entire time shes with our DD taking selfies with her) said "The wee soul has had a minging eye for a week and it's oozing throughout the day". Just to clarify she's seen her twice while shes had it and usually sees her max once a week at my FPILs. AIBU to have taken offence to this? It might be a little unsightly but she's happy as larry and the doctors unlikely to prescribe any antibiotic treatment given I have history of allergic reactions to antibiotics. My other mum friends have also had the same things happen with their babies and it's all cleared up by itself within a few weeks. I just feel like telling her to mind her own business and stop making it out to me that I'm abusing the 'wee soul' by not taking her to the GP.

Weird but ignore. You’ll have this all the time just smile and nod or say again ‘thanks for the advice she’s fine as discussed’

Also breastmilk is best thing for gunky eyes if pos.

Afaik antibiotic allergies aren’t hereditary.

Just say you've sought medical advice but thanks for their concern.

Id have taken her to the GP tbh.

To be fair, water isn’t always enough. It won’t clear a bacterial infection.

The water advice is excellent, but if it doesn’t work then she may need antibiotic eye drops. Which your GP can prescribe.

My lb had this regular, he had a blocked tear duct so his eye would gunk every now and then, we would just wash it with sterile water and cotton wool and eventually it all sorted itself out, the hv said it would most likely clear itself as he got older. As long as it is getting better I would keep doing what you are doing. We had to go to a doctor once as he started crying and his eye did ooze, that was the first time he had it and antibiotics, but never needed them after that.

My boy had the eye gunk issue - GP said it was conjunctivitis and was common in young babies .. just had to clean with water and careful not to spread it ie different tissue per eye .. cleared within 2 weeks .. and no issues since .. she said they do have eye drops but that was if the cleaning with water didn't work .. so it may clear up but if you don't see improvement in a week then have it checked out

It's normal. Both my children had it at some point. Just text back 'don't worry, it's pretty common and clears up on its own, doctors don't really treat it. Most babies have it, it's like cradle cap. It's very sweet of you to worry though. X.'

The beast milk definitely helps of its stubborn.

My family mentioned the breast milk thing but I'm formula feeding unfortunately. It's clearing up as I said (has been steadily decreasing all week with a very tiny bit of gunk left today) so I feel a visit to the GP would be wasting both mine and the GP's time especially as she's likely to pick up something worse in the waiting room. I mean it just looks like the sleepy men my partner sometimes gets in the morning. The fact they don't consider my family professionals just because they're nurses frustrates me as well as they've seen and done it all in their medical careers and wouldn't hesitate to tell me to take her to the GP if they had even an inkling of an afterthought that it might be an infection or that it might need cleared up with antibiotics.

Sorry to derail, but was that a typo or do you call corner eye morning gunk 'sleepy men'? Because that's weirdly adorable?!

Sorry to derail, but was that a typo or do you call corner eye morning gunk 'sleepy men'? Because that's weirdly adorable?!

My new fave thing.

Is that not what they're called? I've always known them as sleepy men.

My 15 week old had the exact same thing this week. I dropped some breast milk in her eye and it's gone, as you're formula feeding just keep cleaning it as you are. I think (please correct me if I'm wrong) the eye duct doesn't fully open until six months. It's very common in small babies. Your SIL was being rude.

I say sleepy men too.

What's an FFIL and an FSIL?

Future father-in-law and future sister-in-law, I believe.

It’s pretty common. Both my twins had sticky eyes as babies. One cleared up with breastmilk the other needs some antibiotic gel stuff.

if your HV is happy with it she’s fine.

Ignore your SIL.

Ah thank you. I got the FIL and SIL bit, but was wondering about the preceding F. I was thinking 'well it's hardly friend's is it?'

I had the exact same thing with both ds1 and ds2. Took ds1 to gp, they said it was probably a blocked tear duct and to do exactly what you’re doing. So when ds2 got the same thing, I didn’t bother going to the gp and did the same thing. Your FFIL and FSIL are talking mince. Btw, always sleepy men in my house. I thought that’s what everyone called them?

Where are the people that say sleepy men from?

OP, ignore your FSIL, she’s a knowitall. My midwife warned me about them!

Ah I was reading it as Fucking Sister In Law.

Loving the sleepy men btw.

Ask a friend whose breastfeeding to provide a drop of milk, if they wouldn't mind, if you're bottle feeding.

Central Scotland here 😊

Is everyone else out there calling them sleepy men then?! My mum used to call it sleepy dust, but clearly I'm sorry full as I just call it 'sleep' or 'eye gunk'. Am going to call it sleepy men from now on though!

*super dull, not sorry full.