6 Month Appointment
Length: 26 1/4 inches (50th percentile)
Weight: 19 lbs 15 oz (80th percentile – 75% of which is just in his GIANT THIGHS)
Head circumference: 45 cm (Normal and the flatness has definitely improved)
I discussed both kinds of flu shot with my pediatrician, and she recommended the regular kind but not the H1N1. We actually don’t even qualify for this first round of swine flu vaccines. They’re only giving them to kids over the age of 2 who have a sibling 6 months or younger at home. So all that OMG WHAT DO I DO?!? freaking out ended up being totally unnecessary. Well, only if you would call hours staring at the ceiling wondering if I’m going to poison my baby “unnecessary”. Not like I could have done something more productive with that time, like laundry or exercise or sleep.
My ped assured me we don’t have any H1N1 risk factors (day care, siblings in school, other adults at home) and that if I wanted to reopen the issue in a month we could talk again, but I think I’m just going to drop it. I did go ahead and get Baby Evan the regular flu shot, since he was only due for two other vaccines this month anyway and the flu is NOT something I want to go through with a 6 month old. She also told me the kind of flu shot they give infants comes in a vial containing a single dose of medication, not the kind they draw several doses from, and therefor doesn’t contain any preservatives (like Thermisol, the stuff people worry about) at all. I’d never heard or read that before, which is weird, considering how many terrifying Google searches I’ve performed using the words “vaccine”.
This next paragraph is the part where I’d usually talk about THE SCREAMING and my damaged ear drums and how the baby hates me now. Instead, I’m going to yell about how I LOVE MY MAI TEI CARRIER. After Baby Evan’s exam – but before the shots – I took off his pants and popped him in the carrier facing in so he could see my face and play with my nursing necklace. He got through two of the three shots without even blinking and the last one just got a startled little yelp before he went back to being his normal happy self. The nurse was super impressed and said she was going to recommend a carrier to all the moms during vaccines. I would brag some more about my excellent mothering and comforting skills and my super brave baby but the carrier thing wasn’t my idea. I stole it from someone at breastfeeding group. But she doesn’t read this blog so as far as you know I’m a total genius. Check me out interwebs! Where’s my Nobel Peace Prize?
Tags: 6 months, appointments, pediatrician, vaccines
Way to be a trooper, lil E! Told hubs about the miracle of the baby carrier so he can maybe suggest it to his patients as a way of making vaccination time go more smoothly.
I’m glad he’s healthy! What a little chunkster!
Did you know that people study the best ways to give babies/children shots? Talk about a crappy but potentially rewarding job. Anyway, they found that if a parent/caregiver (not stranger) holds the child, and the child is allowed to nurse/suck (on a nipple of whatever kind/pacifier), then shots are less painful and stressful.
Which is kind of a huge “well, duh” moment. Because when I was a kid, I was strapped to a cold table with my mom in the other room and what the HELL, do you WANT to traumatize kids?
Anyway, babies react to shots better when they’re hold and comforted. Which made it REALLY REALLY WEIRD when, at the last visit we had, I wasn’t allowed to hold Niko for his shots. Instead they stretched him out… on a cold table. I held his little baby hands, though. I was too surprised to really protest/argue the issue. I mean… what?
This visit should go better, though.
Brigid – Yeah, the doc and the nurse were a little surprised at my request. I think the carrier helped my case though, since there was no chance of dropping him if he squirmed or thrashed.
I know letting him nurse during the shots is supposed to help HIM with the pain…but who’s going to help ME with the pain when he bites my nipple off in surprise?
I had a huge fight with the nurse about me wanting to nurse J during his 6 month shots. She wanted me to do the hold it down method, but I refused. My previous doctor had been very supportive of my wishes, and J hadn’t cried at all.
Well, the one year check didn’t go so well. I lost the fight, because he is apparently too big for that now (I don’t know, I was in there for 30 minutes and gave up, I’m a horrible mommy), and he screamed, and his whole body quivered, it was horrible. Next time, I’m totally wrapping him. And you are a genius.