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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To get them a thermometer as a new baby gift?

143 replies

TheBabyAteMyBrain · 06/11/2019 08:34

Mutual friends of me and dh are due their first baby in Dec, they have a large family and friend circle and the child will be the first grandchild, so they will be inundated with cute outfits, blankets, toys, gifts for mum.

Speaking with dh last night I said it would be a good idea to get them a Braun Thermoscan thermometer as a new baby gift as it's been a life saver for us and our two dc. Dh thinks it's a boring gift and we should do the usual personalised blanket or cute outfits. I think it's practical and will be used straight away from first vaccinations and is one of the things people tend to forget to buy when preparing for a first baby.

So, AIBU? Would you have appreciated a thermometer or should I get the usual bits for a new baby?

OP posts:
BlackCatSleeping · 06/11/2019 09:35

I take my kids temperatures often and mine too actually. Flu season is coming so it’s handy to tell if they have a cold or the flu.

starryeyedsnowgirl · 06/11/2019 09:37

If you are in scotland dont buy them one as they will get one in their baby box. Otherwise I think practical gifts are great. I like giving a nice set of child cutlery (metal) or a kleen lantern sippy cup. Both not used immediately but nice practical gifts they can enjoy later on.

Drbrowns · 06/11/2019 09:37

I think it’s a great present.

lotsofoysters · 06/11/2019 09:43

Thermometers are useful but they may be picky about the type they have - some are in ear, or armpit/rectal only. If you're only going to have 1 of something then it's got to be one that fits your needs otherwise it'll never get used. Whereas another outfit/blanket whatever is still likely to be used at some point, even if only once.

You're assuming she'll get lots of gifts for her but I didn't get a single one! I'd have loved just one little something for me and not the baby. Even the Christmas before the baby was born I was mostly given baby stuff as presents!

ColaFreezePop · 06/11/2019 09:47

If it's their first baby then that's a useful gift however any digital thermometer will do.

As a PP said get them an emergency package that includes a cheaper digital thermometer , calpol for 2+ month old, Metanium nappy rash cream (the yellow one), ibuprofen suspension in a different flavour to the Capol, saline nose drops, gripe water, vitamin ADE drops, decent baby nail clippers, etc and if possible present it in a nice basket that they can reuse. (If you live near IKEA they sell them alternative some large supermarkets do.)

I have not needed to use a thermometer and then Capol until this week. I had to use orange flavoured ibuprofen suspension as my LO refused Capol after her vaccinations due to the flavour. My LO is 14 months and a healthy child.

ArthurtheCatsHumanSlave · 06/11/2019 09:50

I am obviously way too old and laid back for MN Grin

No temperature taking, no monitors, never phoned 111 or gone to A&E for illness. Gone twice for accidents though. Hardly ever gone to doctor, DD's have each had 2 or 3 courses of antibiotics in their lives, and they are now late teens/early 20's I accept that I am also lucky.

Igottastartthinkingbee · 06/11/2019 09:57

Yes it’s not an exciting present but I’d definitely appreciate it. And a second one is no bad thing, I can never find the bloody thing when I need it so a spare is very handy. My son particularly had very high temps when he suffered with recurrent UTIs so a thermometer was an essential. People who say you just don’t need a thermometer have obviously never had to care for a very poorly child at home. Knowing if their temp is 41 or 39.9 is actually pretty crucial to their care path.

Camomila · 06/11/2019 10:00

I use mine all the time - I've got terrible circulation in my hands and am not very good at telling the difference between normal/a bit warm or a bit warm/very high.

I wouldn't get a thermometer though as with lots of DC they'll probably already have one or think they aren't that useful.

Camomila · 06/11/2019 10:04

I don't know why, I just read first as fifth!

Murfs · 06/11/2019 10:15

Great idea! We got one as a gift and it's came in handy. I wouldn't of known to buy one myself. Can you buy it somewhere and get a gift receipt just incase its not their thing.

GettingABitDesperateNow · 06/11/2019 10:19

I think it's a great present but I'd check if they've already got one, as it's something that you really dont need two of. A nice present doesnt need to be a surprise

Infact I normally advise new parents to buy a decent quality one, after a scary hospital visit with our daughter who was panting and acting all floppy but didnt have a temperature so we didnt treat it...it turned out she had a dangerously high temperature and our cheapo thermometer was broken and we didnt realise. We went straight out and bought the one they used in hospital and it's been really useful

icantfind · 06/11/2019 10:23

I’d already had one,

My favourite gifts were;
Hamper of child’s farm and berts bees bath stuff, nappy cream etc.

5 luxury ready meals so we didn’t have to think about cooking whilst in the shock of newborn

villamariavintrapp · 06/11/2019 10:32

If you're in Scotland they'll get one in the baby box.

RiggedUpSquare · 06/11/2019 10:35

In Scotland every new parent is given one no matter their income etc.

Otherwise I would have hugely appreciated this, no one bought gifts that resolved worry at 2am , and this did!

nolongersurprised · 06/11/2019 10:37

We have 4 children and have never owned one, so it wouldn’t have been a useful gift for us. They’ve had the usual run of childhood illnesses.

It’s obvious when they’ve got a fever, the height of the fever doesn’t necessarily relate to the degree of unwellness and if they seemed properly sick I’d get them reviewed, irrespective of whether their temperature was up or down.

Daffodil2018 · 06/11/2019 10:41

@ArthurtheCatsHumanSlave with all due respect, that is purely down to luck and nothing else. While I am pleased for you that it's been relatively straightforward, a laid-back attitude has nothing to do with your children being well or otherwise.

When my daughter had to go into hospital briefly last month, the first thing they asked me was what her temperature had been over the past few hours and I was grateful then to have had a thermometer. Sponging her down wouldn't have fixed her kidney infection.

Rainycloudyday · 06/11/2019 10:43

@BertrandRussell are you serious?! Of course every parent should have a thermometer! Even a baby that’s normally in good health can get extremely unwell with a high fever and it’s totally negligent to not be able to check, monitor and treat appropriately a high temperature. As a PP said it’s the first question that 111 would ask. I would view a parent who was unable to take their child’s temperature pretty poorly.

DrVonPatak · 06/11/2019 10:44

It's a very good idea, go for it. If you can, there are also nose mucus aspirators on Amazon, roughly the same price, which can be sanity saving for when LOs catch a cold, but can't blow their noses yet. This device saves A LOT of cold whinging.

nolongersurprised · 06/11/2019 10:51

Even a baby that’s normally in good health can get extremely unwell with a high fever and it’s totally negligent to not be able to check, monitor and treat appropriately a high temperature.

There’s conflation here though between being “extremely unwell” which is serious and means a baby or child needs to be medically reviewed and just having a fever. It’s possible for a child to be very sick and not febrile at that time. Similarly, a child can have a high temperature with in the first few days of a cold. Any extremely unwell child needs to be reviewed but a fever doesn’t need to be “treated”. Reducing it with antipyretics doesn’t reduce the risk of uncomplicated febrile convulsions and doesn’t expedite the clearance of the underlying cause.

BertrandRussell · 06/11/2019 10:53

I have never needed to know exactly what my child’s temperature is. It’s pretty easy to tell whether they need treatment or not. And the actual number is not a good indicator.

EmeraldShamrock · 06/11/2019 10:55

Great idea. I got my sister a practical baby grooming bag with a thermometer, clippers, comb etc, it didn't look very fancy.
She loved it, it came in handy so many times.

snowball28 · 06/11/2019 10:56

I got gifted a really top notch thermometer when I had my middle and really appreciated it! I’ve used it absolutely loads.

My last two friends that had babies I got them a month long subscription to HelloFresh so they didn’t have to worry about cooking, went down really well!

P1nkHeartLovesCake · 06/11/2019 10:57

I’ve got 3 dc and have never taken a temperature, not ever. I’ve never got the you have a new baby you must want a thermometer thing, it was obvious to me when my dc were unwell and may need some infant paracetamol.

Seems I’m not alone and many posters have never owned one either, buy something else something they may actually use.....

Newbie1999 · 06/11/2019 10:57

I would have loved that.

Beyondexhausted19 · 06/11/2019 10:58

I'd prefer that.. I like useful..
I'm due Jan and my inlaws have been buying loads of useful stuff since finding out mainly nappies.. I prob have about 4 months worth lol. Plus loads of other stuff.