My baby had to get 3 shots and one oral vaccine today. She screamed louder than ever during the oral one and then sobbed afterward. Hearing her screams was incredibly hard for me. My husband helped hold her during the shots, and I started crying as she screamed and couldn’t stay still. Thank goodness he was there because I was a mess. He joked that he couldn’t comfort both of us at the same time.
We believe in vaccines and are so grateful for modern medicine, but wow, that was a tough day. Right now, we’re cozied up on the couch, and I’m preparing for a long night of nursing.
Just a reminder that we support pro-vaccine discussions here. Please avoid any anti-vaccine misinformation. We’re all for healthy conversations, so let’s keep it that way.
I cried during my baby’s 2-month shots. It hurt when the needle went in. For his 4-month vaccines, I looked away, and he handled it way better. He cried but was fine shortly after.
That feeling is the worst! Both of you deserve extra cuddles tonight! For future appointments, are you comfortable nursing during the shots? I’ve done that for each set of vaccines, and it seems to help. My baby got fussy, but quickly calmed down because she had her favorite thing (me) in front of her!
@Spencer
I nursed her right after! The oral one seemed awful since I knew it must taste gross to her. I’m not sure I could nurse while she gets shots, but it’s a great idea for next time!
Riley said: @Spencer
I nursed her right after! The oral one seemed awful since I knew it must taste gross to her. I’m not sure I could nurse while she gets shots, but it’s a great idea for next time!
If it’s the rotavirus vaccine, it’s mostly sugar water. Most babies don’t seem to mind it. At my clinic, we encourage nursing during shots as it helps calm them down post-injection. It makes the experience smoother for everyone.
Riley said: @Spencer
I nursed her right after! The oral one seemed awful since I knew it must taste gross to her. I’m not sure I could nurse while she gets shots, but it’s a great idea for next time!
Nursing during the shots is fantastic! It’s more manageable for both the nurses and the babies. They seem to handle it better when they’re occupied with nursing.
Riley said: @arnoldbeaver
I worry she might feel tricked and associate nursing with getting shots, but I might be overthinking.
I doubt that will impact her long-term. Little ones don’t usually remember when they’re that young. They’ll associate you with the comfort of care, especially when going through something painful. It might help keep her calm during appointments!
@Riley
I remind my husband every time we go that I don’t want to find out how they treat polio now, so we need to get this over with. My daughter seemed to really recover faster from the 4 and 6-month ones.
My baby cried so hard during her shots that she turned purple! It was scary to see, but thankfully the pediatrician remained calm. After the initial shock, she’s handled them much better since then.
Harley said:
My baby cried so hard during her shots that she turned purple! It was scary to see, but thankfully the pediatrician remained calm. After the initial shock, she’s handled them much better since then.
Harley said:
My baby cried so hard during her shots that she turned purple! It was scary to see, but thankfully the pediatrician remained calm. After the initial shock, she’s handled them much better since then.
Mine turned purple too after the shots! I related to that completely.
For future vaccines, I recommend distracting her right after the injections by showing her something engaging. The 2-month vaccines took too long because of the nurse’s pace; next time, have an immediate distraction ready!
