AIBU to find children’s minor illnesses much more anxiety-inducing now?

[BetweenTheThoughts]

Before having children, I don’t remember worrying this much about every cough, rash or temperature.
Now one of mine says their tummy hurts and my brain immediately starts running through ten different possibilities. Then I make the mistake of Googling it and somehow end up convinced it’s something awful.
Most of the time they’re absolutely fine the next day, which makes me wonder whether much health information at our fingertips having so has actually made parenting more stressful.
I obviously wouldn’t ignore anything serious, but I still find it hard to know when to just keep an eye on things and when to ring the GP or 111.
Please tell me I’m not the only mum who does this. How do you judge it without spiralling?

I check their breathing rate, temperature, heart rate and oxygen levels and go off that.

I really never do this. Mine are teens now but when they were little I'd just give them calpol and let them get on with it. I didn't overdo it on hand washing every two minutes or panicking if they ate after being the garden. I think in all their lives they've maybe had one course of antibiotics each. 9/10 its going to be nothing.

I think it's just something you get used to - how old are your kids, and had you been around other kids a lot before you had them?

I tend to judge mostly on their behaviour - if they're not doing their usual activities, not eating as much as they normally would, far more tired than usual, etc. In one of my group chats we call it the KitKat test - if you offer them a KitKat and they say no, they're ill 😆 (named so because the first one to do it used a KitKat, but test can be executed with anything that would apply to your kid!)

There are also several things you have to run through in your head when they say they don't feel well/tummy hurts etc - have they drunk enough today, are they hungry, are they tired, have they eaten too much crap, have they been doing something that's made them dizzy/sick, are they anxious about something, do they need the toilet. If a drink of water or a sleep or a big poo will sort them out, probably not deathly ill!

Obviously the above is just the day to day stuff - if things clearly get worse then I do keep an eye on temperature and urine output. And keep Calpol in the house at all times - magic stuff for temps. Ditto ice lollies - if you can't get them to drink, you can sometimes get them to have an ice lolly.

I think also it might help to learn the signs that would make you instantly call 111 - e.g. blood in pee, blue lips, grey skin, sudden loss of balance, no pee for more than 12 hours, face drooping etc - not to panic you but as a reassurance that it's not any of them iyswim?

I think part of it is ptobably because when you are sick or have a tummy pain, cough etc, you can tell
how you feel, the severity etc. Which means you can rationalise it. When a child is sick, you are going off what they are saying / presenting.

an example, my child (5) was crying in agony about a pain in their leg, couldn’t weight bare - so distressed. Took them to A&E and they walked from the wheel chair to the other chair as soon as we got there 🤦‍♀️. Was so embarrassed!