Aibu to take DS to doctors tomorrow?

[Goblin74]

I'm a ftm and DS is 10 months old next week. I do suffer from health anxiety (currently trying to get this under control with counselling) so I find it hard to tell the difference between health anxiety and genuine gut feelings at times.

DS has had a slightly elevated temperature since yesterday lunch time - highest it's gone is 37.8. So really not too kuch. But when it's elevated, he's very hot to touch, crying constantly (sobs / wailing), despite always going happily to dad he only wants me, eating only a third of his food but has upped his milk intake again (breastfed, usually eats 3 meals a day and loves his food). He is sleeping a lot as well - 11 hours through the night with usual short wake ups, then 5 and a half hours during the day both yesterday and today (usually 2-3 hours).

DS has no rash, no other symptoms other than slightly elevated temp, lots of crying (he rarely cries), soft poo.
When the temp is down, he's been eating and playing just fine but looks paler than usual.
Husband thinks it's just teething and as the temp isn't too high, he's having happy moments, and he's taking plenty of fluids through me, we should keep doing what we're doing (calpol, short pjs, breastfeed, lots of sleep).
I'm worried it could be something else and we should go to the doctor to rule it out? Just because I've never seen him get so upset like this before...and can teething really cause this? The temperature, the upset, the tiredness?

Am I overreacting? Or should we head to the doctor tomorrow?

That really does sound like a typical teething baby

If your worries I don't think you are being unreasonable to take him to a doctor. However, if it was me I wouldn't be too worried about that temperature as long as he was drinking and having wet nappies.

If you're really concerned then call the doctor.

In the interim, check his soft spot (if he still has one)- is it still soft? Are you able to console him when he cries? Is he showing any sensitivity to light? Does Anbesol or a cold teether help?

Without a negative covid test, I doubt the GP would see him tomorrow.

Is the temperature going down with calpol? You can add in nurofen if he needs more drugs to control the temp - you can alternate the 2 so (check how many doses in 24hrs) have calpol on waking, nurofen 3 hrs later, calpol 3 hrs after than.

I wouldnt go to the GP. Cuddles and milk for another day, and hope he improves.

Hi this might help www.nhs.uk/conditions/fever-in-children/

I personally wouldn't take them with a temperature as you describe. In the vast majority of cases it's a virus. If it was still going on in a few days, gets worse, or he is more distressed or becomes listless or stops drinking, then sooner.

Calpol, love and a watchful eye.

I never appreciated how painful teething must be for babies until DS was about 8 and whimpered I to the corner of the sofa due to the pain of one of his second molars coming through. A very rufty tufty lad who a year later was playing front row.

Thanks everyone.

He's fast asleep right now but I've been keeping an eye on his soft spot and it seems unchanged. He can be consoled, but only by me and even then when it gets to the stage his temp has gone back up again, nothing consoles him until he's nursing himself to sleep in bed. Also don't think he's showing signs of being sensitive to light, he was up earlier in our bright living room playing with his toys just fine

The teething gels don't seem to be doing much at the moment but calpol is bringing down the temperature at least.

He sounds just like he has a mild virus tbh. It will pass.

I'm from the UK but live in Europe, so it would be straight to a paediatrician tomorrow.

I have also given some nurofen (thanks to my family bringing over calpol and nurofen from the UK!) It brings his temp down to his normal 36.-36.6

A virus also crossed my mind.

Thank you all for the reassurance!

Sometimes I can get worked up and worried over something small. Especially as this is his first time a little under the weather!

Sounds like teething to me. Stick some teething rings or banana in the freezer so he can bite down on which will help sooth his poor gums

Keep an eye on him.

I wouldn't take one of mine (I have 3) to the doctors for that. Tbh if I knew they were teething I'd give Calpol and carry on doing whatever we normally would including playgroups etc when not Covid times.

Thanks for everyone's help.
His temperature ended up getting higher and 48 hours after the last high temp, he broke out in a rash. So it was a virus. He's doing much better now, despite the rash and doctors weren't worried.

I'm glad he's feeling better now- it is very scary when they're ill.

I forgot to say at the time, there's a checklist thing you can go through to work out whether you need to seek medical attention for a baby, it's by the Lullaby Trust and there's a baby check app too. It's called, 'Baby check- is my baby really unwell?'

You can find it with a Google, just in case you need it again.