First jabs - what to expect?

[blueberrypudding]

LO is getting her first jabs on Friday and I'm freaking out a little!

I teared up when she was getting her spot test (possibly due to pp hormones) and am worried I'm just going to weep my eyes out when she cries at the pain. She's also got a tongue tie appointment in a month which is already giving me nightmares about pools of blood and a shrieking baby.

Are we meant to bring anything like infant Calpol for after?

I used to give the Calpol before the jabs. They were fine after, a little sore, but gone after 24hrs.

With Long distance on calpol - we learnt that after first jabs with DS, he was inconsolable/raged for hour, was tough for DW.

My experience was completely different. DD sobbed after the first jabs, but I fed her as soon as I got her dressed and she fell asleep. She slept for hours after each set of jabs, it was lovely.

She got upset again in the evening after the first ones, so I gave her calpol then. I asked the nurse beforehand whether I should give preemptive calpol and she said no. Looking at the label, you should only give two doses for vaccinations, so it might be best to save them for afterwards in case a fever develops?

Jabs 2 and 3 caused only a few seconds of crying, to my great relief. You may want to do what I did and look away when they do the injections - I didn't want to flinch on her behalf and frighten her.

Can your DH hold her while getting the jabs?

DD didn't cry when 1st jab went in, but cried a little when second one in. Immediately feed her, and she was quiet.

I had calpol at home on standby but didn't need to use it thankfully. Just keep a bottle at home incase she get cranky.

Honestly it's not that bad, but if you feel you are going to freak out, get someone else to hold her or take her in, and then just feed her immediately. You

Don't give Calpol before the jabs - it can reduce the efficacy of them, and she may actually be fine afterwards. Especially for first immunisations as they should only really have paracetamol at 8 weeks if they're feverish (i.e. a temperature of 37.5 or higher)

But it's definitely worth having in the house because babies can get a fever afterwards and you may well need it. Some babies are fine afterwards, you don't know they've had them. Some are a bit grizzly and grumpy, some are more sleepy.

It's not nice, and they do cry, but they won't remember. You can always close your eyes if you don't want to see the needle.

All you need to take with you is the red book and the baby!