Calpol!

[Poliosmolio123]

Why does everyone always jump to using Calpol straight away and it's always the first bit of advice they give?

Baby sad, ah must give them calpol
Baby teething Calpol!
Baby has a temperature raised by 0.2 of a degree, oh they need calpol
Baby not sleeping - give them Calpol!

Like, is it only me who just doesn't like the stuff or want to medicate my child willy nilly?

Its the first thing any of my family members do or say and it makes me feel like a shitty parent for not wanting to give it to them! Obviously I would if I was advised by a HC professional.

Is this totally unreasonable?

YABU - I use Calpol all the time
YANBU - I don't use it all the time

Don't get me started about anbesol.

If my baby - or child - is in pain, Calpol is amazing. It’s a painkiller. Why wouldn’t I use it?

Nothing wrong with anbesol. It just helps give that relief

With regards to calpol, I can see why exhausted parents who have tried every option, would try medication

Surely you would? You don’t know if that child is in pain when you have tried everything else

ours used to go out of date as it hung about not getting used!

I don’t use it willy-nilly (thanks for bringing that back!) but I do give it when my child is clearly in pain. If I’m in pain, I take painkillers. Why shouldn’t I offer the same to my child?

(I don’t know anyone who gives Calpol just because their child is sad or not sleeping - unless the sadness or wakefulness is caused by pain.)

@smileeachday but how do you even know a baby is in pain? Unless they make a different cry?

@soubriquet personally don't agree with giving my child something that is 96% alcohol, but that my opinion on it. That's like saying oh my child is knackered me out ill just drug it? Must be the only one who doesn't like to use it.

I use scalpel for teething. That's it. And I know when she is teething and when she is just being moany. There are the same signs with teething every time (change in poo, red cheeks, chewing her fingers, refusing food). She probably will get calpol twice a day for 2 days and then not again til the next batch of teeth, which could be months. I dont use it unless I have to.

I do think it can be overused. My SIL shoved it down her sons neck neatly everyday from month 4. Everything was "might be teething. Give him calpol". She even told her mom to give it to him ever 4 hours when he was being minded by her "just in case". He basically lives on the stuff.

Take off your judgy pants, ignore your relatives and worry about your own child.

@FourEyesGood haha I've not used it in a long time, and first thing that popped into my head while writing this! I can understand that completely, but I have seen multiple people in my experience give it completely unnecessarily, hence the post ☺️

Calpol, not scalpel. Obviously..... that brings about completely different and horrifying images 😕 stupid autocorrect

I don't like the thought of medicating unnecessarily. But at the same time, DD is two and only now starting to be able to tell us what's wrong. If I have reason to think she has a temp or is in pain from a headache or teething or whatever, then of course I'll give her a safe dose of a mild painkiller. I don't see why I'd leave her to suffer when I'd take paracetamol in the same circumstances myself.

Why do you give a shit what others do? Just follow your instincts for your child and let others do the same

Have a prize OP because you are clearly a much, much, much better parent than I ever was with my liberal dispensing of pain relief when my kids were teething babies.

I find I reach for it less and less now my dd is 20 months. But I’m hugely a fan!

@SqidgeBum oh yes there are definitely signs to teething but my main point like you say is people (oike my family and others I know) who give it at any given cost or just 'incase'

@iamruth I have no judgy pants on as such, im just widnering if maybe I don't use it enough and am potentially damaging my child by doing so

I've never really needed to use it but I wouldn't judge others if they thought it was what their baby needed

Some people do seem to give it at the drop of a hat, or one friend does every night as a preventative whilst teething , but then she has always taken a paracetamol at the slightest whiff of a headache etc for herself. DS couldn't have it and we had to use suppositories which were hard to get hold of, so we tended to use anbesol when needed for teething, and then just in case of actual fever. Each to their own though, it doesn't seem to do any harm (?), but yes, it just seems to be something for any ailment for a child, the marketing got us good (note, paracetamol suspension doesn't sound half as irritating).

Because it's magic stuff!

Well we aren’t damaging your child

I’m not damaging mine either when I use it

Like a PP said, now they can say what’s wrong, I rarely reach for it.

When on earth did you get that it’s 96% alcohol OP?

@Poliosmolio123 yes you're really wondering if you're damaging your child by not using it enough 😂

@stonerspotpalace I'm not trying to judge, but, everyone around me uses it at any given situation, I'm wondering if I am may be not using it enough!

At one point it felt like we were giving ds calpol every day for either teething (back teeth), illness or injury. It was just a bad run for him and he hasn't had it for a long time since. Sometimes they need it, just as we do.
Why bother yourself so much with how often other people give their children calpol?

@poliosmolio123 do you honestly not know when your child is in pain?

@Miniminiminimini

When on earth did you get that it’s 96% alcohol OP?

This!

I have anbesol in the cupboard. Again rarely used but I gave it to 7 year old dd the other day because it hurt where her tooth was falling out

but how do you even know a baby is in pain?

That’s the point, you don’t. So you use the process of elimination. If you’ve tried everything and it hasn’t worked, then you break out the calpol because how do you know they’re not in pain?

But I’m sure you’re far superior to most parents OP and have special psychic powers