4.5 month old has poss ear infection

[2labs]

... and we're away from home (staying with ILs), it's Christmas Eve and a Sunday. He had a slight stuffy nose last week, then yesterday and today he has been fiddling with his ear, pulling off the breast and crying when feeding (he is on meds for reflux so maybe it's something to do with that instead), has been a little bit hot, suddenly waking up every hour or so at night, been more fussy than usual. He doesn't seem in agony or anything, just uncomfortable. I keep reading on the web that you should take babies of this age to docs at the first sign of possible ear infection... or would you just dose with calpol/nurofen until we are back home - he has an appt for his 3rd jabs on the 27th anyway.

I would only worry if he also has a temperature - i.e. more than 38 degrees (and dd had complications of an ear infection when young so I am as cautious as they come!). If he does have one, take him to the docs/emergency clinic/whatever - you can register as a visitor with your ILs' GP. If he doesn't, it's just a nasty cold. ds has one too and does the things you describe and it's also just got worse this week.