So MN Jury...who is right?

[chirpygirl]

DD is 13 months.
Last night she woke up at 3 screaming and sobbing, managed to get her back to a fitful sleep at about 5 by bringing her into my bed and then woke up at 7 as she was burning up. Checked her temp and it was 39 degrees. She was so listless she just lay there feebly waving her arms and didn't try to struggle or get away when I changed her nappy, stripped her and sponged her to try and cool her down.

Now I don't know about you but our out of hours GP service is NHS direct, who are crap, so we went straight to A+E where her temp was now 39.3. Cooled her down gave her paracetemol and she has a raging acute ear infection. In and out of A+E in 57 mins (Hah! only had to pay for 1 hour parking!)

NOW - my mum says I did a good thing as you never know, she is my first and it was better to get her checked and it solved asap.

MIL, however, says I totally over-reacted and should have stayed at home with Calpol and watched her for a few hours.

So, is MIL being a cow or did I over-react?

I would have waited but that is because I have three now, with my first I would have gone, no question. However the point is that you did in fact make the right call as an ear infection is very painful and the sooner the ABs kick in the better.
So your MIL is wrong.

Don't tell her next time...

i get ear infections, they are awful. you did the right thing... i've had them so bad that the only thing that touched the pain was morphine.

does your mil realise that a temp of over 40 can give rise to fits in babies? i would much rather take dd to hospital than risk a wait like that.

you did the right thing

Definitely take the tip on Nurofen & Calpol alternated - it is the only thing which will keep DS's temp down when he is ill.

You did the right thing. No question. No A&E doc would say otherwise, I am sure. When DS went "floppy" with a high temp aged 7 months it freaked us completely, and we went to A&E. If you had called NHS direct I am 99% sure they would have told you to go anyway.

With 2nd baby I (a) gave calpol sooner and (b) knew to give her nurofen as well - so she never got to the floppy stage, or to A&E. Still scary though - I was setting my alarm clock to make sure she got drugs pro-actively at the right intervals through the night, as I found if I left it till it was bad enough to wake her up it was more out of control.

Your MIL has a very bad/selective memory if she can't remember how scary it is the first time your baby has a really high temperature.

Ignore her, she is bonkers. Personally I would say if you were worried, you did the right thing. Sometimes they can have a temp but be otherwise OK IFKWIM, in which case I often dose up and keep a close eye but don't go dashing anywhere. Other times, once actually with ds, he had a temp and was floppy and it just didn't "feel right" so we got in the car. Totally up to you, mother's instinct is always right and docs would always rather check out a baby who cannot tell you what's wrong rather than take a chance.

Agree, next time don't tell her!!!

Does it matter?
Glad your little one is on the road to recovery...ear infections are hellish

Course it doesn't matter and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

It's just nice to be proved right through the power of MN!