@davidschmitt The first ones are hard because it’s usually the first time they feel any kind of pain so they’re shocked by it. Mine screamed so hard she stopped breathing.
She didn’t cry at all when she got the 4 month ones
@davidschmitt I just hold her, tell her I love her, soothe her as best I can, and think about how much worse/longer she’d suffer if she got the diseases the shots are protecting her from. I also dose her with Tylenol right after in case she gets any discomfort.
@davidschmitt I can see you’ve already gotten a lot of good advice so I’m just going to say that the alternative would probably be worse. If your baby loved getting shots then I would be much more worried. It would be so difficult to placate a baby that loves getting injections.
@davidschmitt Conceal, don't feel. (until you're home and can let it all out when baby isn't looking.)
I do my best to stay calm and upbeat for my baby. If Mommy thinks it's no big deal then she has nothing to worry about.
...
My baby still hates her doctor with the passion of a thousand burning suns and has yet to forgive her for any of the shots she's been given though. Stink eye on a baby is hilarious. We're working on that part still.
@davidschmitt I rationalize it as: the shots probably hurt less than when little one accidentally falls over. Like, the scream wailing sucks, but it's temporary. My guy is more scare of the paper on the examination table than his shots, because I hold him for those lol.
@nora1986 I forgot that my baby hates the paper too and cries when she’s on it nearly as much as with the shots. So if shots almost = paper, it can’t actually be that bad.
@davidschmitt The best thing her pediatrician told me was that I was a mirror to her and I did not listen we both cried. I mean ugly cried. Now I put up a brave face hold her close and she's a champ stops crying immediately. I usually brought a bottle to help soothe her as well after. Now I bring snacks lol so a little crying and a lot of munching afterwards by the time we are home it's like ntn happened.
@davidschmitt My son didn’t cry too much at the doctor’s office when he got his 2-month shots…but that evening at home he WAILED. I’d never heard anything like it. It was honestly traumatizing for us. He screamed and cried in anguish as if he was being tortured and nothing seemed to help until I took off all my clothes and his clothes and wrapped us up in a blanket together.
He was sick the other day and cried the same way and it was HEARTRENDING. And the looks of beseeching and then betrayal on his face caused me physical pain. When he FINALLY stopped (abruptly and for no discernible reason) my husband literally got down on his knees and then lay face down on the floor, totally exhausted and shell shocked.
So…no advice really, I’m in the same boat. Just came here to say you’re not alone.
@mum25 Thanks for sharing this some of their cries can be heartbreaking on a physical level and it’s just tough to get through…but we still do for our babies!
@davidschmitt Awww don’t worry too much about it! Our baby handled his 4 month shots so much better. He cried for only a bit and once we held him, he was fine. He didn’t even need extra cuddles or my boob for comfort lol
@davidschmitt My son had his second shots last Tuesday and the doctor showed/played with her keys right after he got the shots and he was immediately distracted. Bit of crying at first but this worked great! No bottle, meds or anything.
@davidschmitt Think about how much that one day's discomfort, or even only an hour or two, protects your baby from sickness and disease. I know it hurts to see your baby in pain, but I much rather that than watch my LO battle a serious illness. Best of luck to you and your family.
@davidschmitt Distraction, distraction, distraction. For both of us, lol. Keeping her occupied & focused away from the pain with a toy or a rattle helps her pained cries not last as long & as a result, I feel much less guilty. Also, if I'm focused on distracting her it also helps to keep my mind off of how unhappy she is. It may not work for everyone, but fortunately it works for us!
@davidschmitt Same situation here, my first little one got her first shots recently. So, I’m going tgive you a tough cookie, but a true one that works wonders for my little one. Stay with me!
You have to be tough and can’t give yourself the luxury of crying. You’re there to comfort and soothe, and being emotionally unstable will distress your baby. This in turn will distress you more… This circle will just keep going.
Don’t let yourself tense up, don’t anticipate anything. The baby will sense it. Crack a couple of jokes and relax. This will help your little one immensely and just remember, when she cries, she’s just saying “I did NOT like that!”. It doesn’t mean she’s in a lot of pain.
It’s not the end of the world, stay tough and help yourself calm down first. I hope it helps you!
@davidschmitt We just had 6 month shots. She got 4 pokes and an oral vaccine! I blew in her face when the shots were going in, and the nurse worked quickly, but she still screamed when she got poked. However, she was already over it by the time I was settling in the chair to nurse.
It will be over so fast and then you won’t have to worry about your baby getting polio or pertussis or something else horrible. A few minutes of discomfort is worth the protection!
@davidschmitt If you’re breastfeeding, have your boob practically out and ready to go so you can pop baby on straight away. I do this and she stops crying pretty much instantly and forgets all about it.
@davidschmitt In retrospect, it's helped me to think that the reason my baby screamed so hard at her shots is that they were the worst thing that's ever happened to her. I have a happy healthy girl who lives in a safe and loving environment, so if a couple of injections which may save her life and which she forgot about almost instantly are the worst thing she's experienced I count us very lucky.
some of their cries can be heartbreaking on a physical level and it’s just tough to get through…but we still do for our babies!