Vaccines and Reactions

My happy baby, I miss her.

Yesterday Natalie had her (late) six month well-child exam. She seemed fine, but as soon as I put Natalie on the exam table so that the nurse could take her temperature and measure her, she started screaming. She was fine as long as I held her.

After the nurse left, there was a nearly 30 minute lapse before Dr. Lai came in. Not fun, especially since Natalie spit-up on me a few times in the 30 minutes.

Dr. Lai said her stats were great, 17 1/2 pounds puts her between the 50-75th percentile for weight and at 27 inches, she is in the 75th for length. Her growth is right on track. Everything seems perfect, except for her cephalohematoma. The bump on her head hasn't gotten any smaller in a few months. Unless you know its there you don't see it, but you can feel it. Dr. Lai could give me a referral for a neurosurgeon to look at it, and see if anything can be done. But I opted out of that (at this time).

Then it was time for vaccines. The nurse came in with three shots, a combo of five: hepatitis B, haemophilus influensae type B (hib), polio, pneumococcal conjugate, diptheria tetanus and pertussis (DTaP). I knew this part wouldn't be fun. I was prepared for the crying/screaming from that.

We came home, and I knew she'd get fussy. She usually sleeps for the next 24ish hours on and off after her shots. But by evening I knew this was worse.

Her temperature was elevated to 101.5. I gave her tylenol, and she rested well. Until 5ish this morning when her temperature spiked up above 103 and she was so uncomfortable and miserable. Tylenol time again. I sat in my comfy chair and held my sweet, hot baby until she felt better. Hoping she would feel better. While the girls ate breakfast, she threw up. Not a little spit up, but heaving puking. She was cleaned up and Rhayn helped by making the girls lunch (she has also made them breakfast).

My day involved much baby holding, and snuggling. I even made a call to her doctor to see if I should be worried. The nurse called me back within 10 minutes, she didn't seem worried, but felt that if the fever didn't go down with tylenol I could give her ibuprofen (which I didn't/don't have) every few hours. If that didn't help then she instructed me to take her to the urgent care.

I never did take her in.

She is still not feeling well, and now she has some serious diaper rash from pooping like 30 times today.

But I really hope she feels better tomorrow. Though it seems that this is all listed in the "mild reactions" on the vaccine information sheets, this doesn't seem mild to me. Sigh.