To ask about your experience of rotavirus vaccine?

[amoobaa]

I will of course consult the appropriate medical professionals tomorrow, but I’m keen to hear others’ first hand experiences.

Our eight week old is due his first lot of immunisations tomorrow and I’m dreading it. In particular the rotavirus vaccine.

This is because it seems the side effects can be tummy upset and he already suffers from terrible wind and tummy discomfort on a daily basis.

His farts are frequent, especially when feeding, regardless of whether it’s breast or formula (he is breastfed but has a little formula in the evenings because we are still transitioning to EBF, following on from a difficult delivery where I was unable to get my milk supply up enough to EBF.)

It’s as if he instinctively knows that feeding will help push things through and help get the wind out- he shows signs of wanting to feed and frantically latches on, then immediately begins to fart and settles into the feed/ calms completely.

Anyway, he is our first so not only am I probably quite anxious but I also have no idea what’s normal and what’s not (I know there is no ‘normal’ but I literally have no reference point!)

His farts are like adult farts... people think it’s me farting if he's on my lap! They are incredible- very loud and long...

We’re pretty sure it’s tummy trouble because when he’s upset he pulls his legs up to his tummy and writhes around, cries inconsolably but settles as soon we offer him a feed, as this helps the air come out and/ or he has a bowel movement.

He does this throughout the day and night.

As soon as he feeds and has a bowel movement or passes wind, he settles down absolutely fine. He has at least three substantial dirty nappies during the day.

When he feeds his tummy really gurgles and makes noise.

We also do all the other things we can think of- warm baths, tummy rubs, plenty of burping (he’s good at that), cycling his legs etc etc. The cycling thing really helps him actually.

I guess I have two questions...

Is this amount of wind and tummy trouble normal?

And

Does anyone have experience of giving their already very windy baby the rotavirus vaccine?

With such a sore little tummy, I guess I’m worried he’ll be more vulnerable to some of the rarer and more severe/ serious side effects.

As I said, I will of course consult the appropriate medical professionals, but I’d love to hear from those with first hand experience.

I imagine we will be told just to give it to him and it’ll be ok, and we want him to have all the protection we can give him so I imagine we will go ahead... but I’m so anxious.

[GeorgieMilo]

Hi! Thank you for the information above..I took my little baby to a&e as he is only passing one time stools in 24hours,which is very unusual for him. We usually had 8 dirty nappies in 24h. They told me that I should just keep and eye. I suggested that we take a sample of his stools and send it for tests, and iam waiting for the report..The doctor didn't want to comment on anything basically, and I was sent at home.. no further investigation.. I did say to them that what the GP said was out of order. I do personally work for NHS. I was working for 8 years in a Surgical assessment unit, and many times I worked with bowel obstruction patients and under general Surgical division. I said to them that if the blood will be more than the stools, as my GP said, it will be too late for me to worry!! They laughed..I have no words.. Still my little one can't pass stools, only once a day and not eating as before.. One thing I know, he is not having the second dose..