8 weeks jabs baby won't take calpol

[Megzmoo]

Hi, first time mum and looking for some advice. My dd is 8 weeks old and had her jabs this afternoon, I gave her some calpol once we got home and she spat it back out and screamed, I tried a second time and she did the same again, i didn't want to try a third time as I am unsure if she swallowed little bits. Her next dose is due at 730pm, I'm really worried she will develop a fever because she didn't get enough calpol! Any advice or experience would be greatly appreciated x

If you've given her Calpol and she's spat it out you shouldn't give another dose for 4 hours. You have no idea if she swallowed some it or how much. Even if you think none was swallowed do not give more.

Just give the next dose when it's due.

If she starts to develop a fever and you've already tried to give Calpol ring 111 for advice. I wouldn't worry about it until it happens though (because she might be fine, and a fever isn't necessarily an issue).

Next time use a syringe into the side of her mouth..

Don't worry about it :) If they do get a fever from jabs it's usually mild, the calpol is mainly for your peace of mind. A fever isn't harmful in itself.

I'm so confused mine are older now but I'm pretty sure when they were babies calpol not recommended under 3 months? I don't they need it after jabs? Mine never had it

My DD wouldn't take calpol either. We just had to deal with the consequences. First and third jab she was ok, a bit under the weather. The second one was worse, she was poorly after and had temperature etc. We just braced ourselves for a bad night or two after each one where she didn't want to be put down.

@Noknit
The guidance changed in 2014. Paracetamol is recommended with the meningitis b vaccination only.

Your DD will be ok without Calpol. Try not to worry.

I think it’s the Calpol ibuprofen that’s 3 months and up, the Calpol with paracetamol is 2 months and up.

Are you giving it with the little syringe (sp?) provided? It needs to go much further back in the mouth than you think and let gravity be your friend. So give to your baby in a more reclined position.

You can get paracetamol in a suppository form. Very handy if they are vomiting or refusing to drink. Ask your pharmacist about them.

Sorry, I think the smallest does is for 10kg, so from 1yr old, not 8 weeks. Do check with your pharmacist though.

Oh yes the suppositories we used them, completely standard where I live for babies.

It's now recommenced as the side effects for the meningitis jab can be a high temp. The attached is from the leaflet of the children's paracetamol we have so can be given at 8 weeks for jabs.

DS2 has his on Monday, and he wouldn't take it either. I never had this problem with DS1 as he has always taken it no problem. But DS2 spat it all out and kept gagging and was sick all over himself. The second time I poured it on his dummy and he actually took the full dose with little problem. Third time he caught on and wouldn't take the dummy but had maybe half the dose but when gagged and threw up again so ended up having none. So frustrating, and he's not even a sicky baby normally. He was fine really, slept a bit more then normal and cried a bit (not a crier normally) but fine nonetheless.

What I do is syringe the medicine into a teat put the teat in my babys mouth and she sucked it out that way, if I used the syringe she just spat it out, could be worth a try xx

Put the calpol syringe at inside of check and slowly trickle it in.

Had**

Maybe trying aiming the syringe towards the inside of the cheek. She is bound to swallow some of it at least. If she spits it out don't give her more ( apart from whatever is left in the syringe). I am sure my one spat some out as well but swallowed some too. If you are FF then you can mix with milk.

I had to hold DS's mouth open to stop him spitting it out and then massage his throat to get him to swallow it.

My DD wouldn’t take it either but we realised it’s because she was too full from feeding, as what she did take after a feed she vomited straight back up. Try and do it before a feed.

Otherwise, try and position it inside the teat of a bottle and let your child drink it that way

Good luck, the reactions to vaccinations can be rubbish

As PPs have said it’s licensed specifically for immunisations at 8 weeks only whereas the box says 3 months for anything else.

50% of babies get a high temp with the meningitis B vaccine.

The problem is they get the oral rotavirus one as well which led my DD to throw up the calpol and the rotavirus vaccine!

For her 16 week jabs (12 week didn’t have Men B in them) I put tiny amounts inside her cheek and let her swallow them and also waited 5 mins between the first and second half of the dose in case she was sick, so I’d know she at least got half!

I have read if you leave the syringe in their mouths they can’t spit it out but my DD would definitely gag and be sick if I did that!

Obviously holding the syringe not just leaving it in their mouths without holding it!

Squeeze syringe into baby's mouth and squeeze their cheeks to make them swallow it

Thank you all for the brilliant advice, I think I will try side of the mouth next time and if that doesn't work maybe try a the bottle teat at the dose after after. She is exclusively breastfed, however I've expressed a fed about four times and she has taken the breast milk out of a bottle twice for dh but also refused it twice, so very hit and miss.

I am probably over worrying, I have always been a bit of a worry wart 😜 doesn't help dh is out for a few beers tonight for his grandads 80th birthday, he's promised to not get drunk and be home by 9 🤞

She seems ok in herself so far, a lot sleepier than usual but is feeding ok and was smiling away at me whilst having her nappy changed, so fingers crossed so will be ok. X

Give it with her bottle. So squirt a tiny bit of calpol in then put the bottle in let her get some milk and repeat these steps.

My daughter was terrible for taking medicine as a baby, someone mentioned the suppositories to me and when I asked the Dr he looked at me horrified and said, we don't put things up babies bottoms in this country! He made me feel like an actual weirdo!