i think we might have to cancel our trip :(

[dumbo_buddy]

just curious - what is the treatment for an ear infection? i'm going to bring him in on monday just to rule it out. how can they tell if it's an ear infection? just by looking in the ear?

 

[mom2maggie]

Yup, they will look in the ears, see if there is fluid or infection. They might give a antibiotic, though my doctor sometimes just lets the infection run its course.

ETA: Have you noticed any fever at all?

 

[katierae81]

It could be night terrors. My DS2 started having them at about 15 months. He would wake up at the same time each night screaming, and looked to be awake. His ped said that he will appear awake, but is in fact still sleeping. The remedy for it was to set an alarm clock with soft music, or one of those white noise machines about a half hour before he normally woke up screaming. That would keep him from falling into such a deep sleep which prevented the night terrors. HTH.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

Yup, they will look in the ears, see if there is fluid or infection. They might give a antibiotic, though my doctor sometimes just lets the infection run its course.

ETA: Have you noticed any fever at all?

i took it yesterday and it was 99.4 so nothing bad. he had 102.2 the other day but that was from his booster shots that he had. i'm holding him now while he naps (ugh) and he doesn't feel too warm.

 

[brightspark]

Booster shots can have side effects that make them miserable too...

Ds has had antibiotics for an ear infection but usually they let it run it's course... as it's unlikely to be bacterial. They will look in his ear and tell if it's red or inflamed really easily.

I wondered if ds was having night terrors a while back (when it was an ear infection!) and when I read up on it, I found it's unusual to happen to a child under 2...

 

[dumbo_buddy]

hi all!

just wanted to thank you all for your kind words

a little update: the last two nights have been much better. i don't to jinx it by saying we're in the clear now but i tried the baby motrin and it seemed to have worked. i checked the label and it said for babies 6 months and up and DS fits within the weight ranges given so i figured it was ok.

i decided to hold off on checking for ear infection as he seems to have gotten over the screaming. but i will definitely be vigilant!

thanks again, you all are great! i'm still nervous about the trip but mostly just nervous about the logistics, etc - will he SCREAM on the plane (i plan to nurse on takeoff and landing), will we sleep, will he nap in his stroller (going back to the room doesn't seem necessary because he hardly naps at all anyway 20 min max at a time), will we be able to eat at a restaurant, etc etc???

 

[bunny]

I would definitely still go to the doctor. If he has an ear infection, it will be murder on the plane with the altitude changes. Also ear infections can seem to get better and then flare back up if not taken care of. My oldest son had a recurring infection for about a year when we finally decided to put tubes in. The ENT who put the tubes in said the fluid in his ear was so viscous it would have never drained. He was on antibiotics but as soon as the medicine was finished the ear infections came back.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

I would definitely still go to the doctor. If he has an ear infection, it will be murder on the plane with the altitude changes. Also ear infections can seem to get better and then flare back up if not taken care of. My oldest son had a recurring infection for about a year when we finally decided to put tubes in. The ENT who put the tubes in said the fluid in his ear was so viscous it would have never drained. He was on antibiotics but as soon as the medicine was finished the ear infections came back.

oh, bunny, i didn't think of that. we have mommy & me but afterwards i will call the doctor. you're right. better be safe than sorry, especially if we're going on a plane.

 

[persimmondeb]

Do you think he's waking out of REM? Babies that age are not supposed to have nightmares (generally start around 3), but my DS would wake suddenly out of REM around that age and howl for half an hour or so and then calm down. I don't know what a baby that age would have a nightmare about, but that's sure what it looked like. It did pass, and he is/was not overly prone to nightmares when older.

 

[brightspark]

Wonderful news that the last couple of nights have been better - hope it continues

I think that in their sleep they 'relive' things that happened during the day - so if they saw something that scared them on TV - they may get frightened by it again in the night...

 

[2binak]

I would also suggest that you get some Mylicon & Teething Tablets (they're all natural) to keep on hand. They worked wonders for our DD at that age. She slept up to 11 horus a night until she was 7 months old and then she too would wake up screaming & crying. We didn't realize until a month later that it was her bottom 2 teeth coming in. After that, we bought Hyland's Teething Tablets and gave them to her the minute she woke up crying. Within minutes, she was relaxed and going back to sleep.

She also started to get ear infections around that time so it could be any of the three things: gas, teething or an ear infection. I guess I would try the Teething Tablets first, then the Mylicon and then if those don't work, think about getting her to the pedi to check for an EI.

Glad the last few nights have been better.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

You mentioned reflux -- is he on meds? I know for my child that when he outgrew his dose of meds it was like someone flipped a switch and the screaming would start again. Maybe he needs an adjustment.

 

[wvdislover]

Try not to get too stressed about it all. Yours wouldn't be the first baby to cry on a plane, in a restaurant, in a hotel room, etc., and won't be the last! I agree with Bunny about still making a visit to the ped....never a bad idea when you're getting ready to travel, esp. when you're having concerns. Also, even though your DS isn't much of a napper, you still may want to go back to your room for a while, so he can get a break from all the stimulation, as well as get a chance to stretch out on a bed, rather than sit in a stroller or be carried all day. That could make for a very fussy baby, too. Hopefully, everything will work out fine. Have a great trip!

 

[wvdislover]

Oh, yeah, don't forget to have something for him to suck on during takeoff and landing...bottle, pacifier, nurse. It should help keep his ears from having any issues during those times, which could cause a whole 'nother issue!