apr, 14th - you give me fever....

day 66:

We have just survived our first night of a sick Limi. I did get warned that the jabs could result in a fever and that this would be a good thing....a sign that her immune system was fighting the vaccine but a fretful Limi still came as a bit of a shock when you've become used to the contented version who seldom cries without reason.

After the initial upset around the jabs (see day 65)....things settled down and she seemed perfectly fine....and even seemed to have forgotten my evil treachery as I was getting plenty of smiles in the afternoon. we did the bedtime routine...bath, massage, 'lullaby' soundtrack and feeding. I had double-checked with the midwife whether a bath was fine and received the all clear but now it appears that I maybe should have avoided both the bath AND the massage:

- a bath can aggravate fever, who knew (well except for the midwife who probably should have told me)

- while, it's also suggested that you avoid massage for about 3 days after any vaccination because massage can stimulate the immune system and for a tiny baby their body can become 'overloaded/ over stimulated'

Anyway, all seemed fine and I was just getting ready to put her down in her cot...when BAM...out of nowhere, she started screaming like she was on fire...which she was...her temperature had suddenly sky-rocketed! So, I stripped her down and managed to slightly calm her using the 'drape-kitten' hold over my arm, whilst calling A. and shouting over the noise to please pick up some Calpol.

We managed to administer the smallest dose of Calpol (her very first taste sensation in 66 days) and after some tag-team rocking we managed to put her down for her first small snippet of sleep. It felt like we were back in day 4 with Limi waking every hour. But eventually...well 11 hours later and into a new day...things were back to normal and we could say that we had earned our first sick-baby-survival stripes.

So, these are my 6 top tips for baby vaccinations:

1. before you go for the vaccination make sure that you have stocked up on Calpol and bought a baby friendly thermometer (no one warned me)

2. cover your baby's nose in lots of egg white and let dry...so that people avoid her in the waiting room (see day 65) ...take a wet cloth to remove egg white before meeting the midwife to avoid a baby bathing lesson

3. don't put on a tough facade as it will all come crumbling down when they haul out that needle...and you will just look silly

4. take along something to distract both yourself and your baby, including food in whatever form necessary. warning: this may start a lifetime of comfort eating.....

5. avoid the evening bath for one day and any massages for 3 days. this applies to baby only!

6. have someone on standby for tag-team rocking or to make you a stiff drink once you do eventually get the babe to sleep