Harper is getting her first vaccinations next week when she’s 8 weeks old (seriously, how has time passed so quickly?!) and I’m so scared (more for me, than for her). I remember how many heel pricks she had to get in the hospital and at the pediatrician’s office to check her billiruben levels and it hurts my heart that she’s going to feel pain again when she gets the shots. Please feel free to share your tips on how you soothed your baby after his or her first set of vaccines. I’m all ears!
One thing I’m excited about is that we can finally take her out once she’s vaccinated. As new parents, we personally felt more comfortable limiting Harper’s exposure to busy places. We’ve taken her to the pediatrician, to the hospital where I delivered her to work with a lactation consultant and on walks in our neighborhood, and that’s pretty much it. Our pediatrician also thought this was the best route, especially since Harper was having trouble gaining weight initially so he wanted me to focus on being at home and breastfeeding on demand and pumping. I know most parents take their newborns places before they are vaccinated but we just felt more comfortable having her at home until she got her shots. I think having her spend time in the NICU and my own hospitalization sort of freaked me out about taking her places anyway.
In celebration of all of the things Harper will be able to do once she’s vaccinated, an online friend of mine created the hilarious images below!
Now, lets be serious, we’re really just looking forward to taking her out with us to have lunch at some of our favorite places and to run weekend errands (you know, normal things). It’s so hot in Houston that it’s hard to be outdoors for a long time, especially for a baby, so I’m actually looking forward to it cooling down a bit because we would love going for long walks with her. I did purchase this stroller fan which I’ve used on some of our evening walks, but I don’t think it would cut it during the day in this heat.
Wishing everyone a fabulous week!
gurly43086 says
We always give our little ones Tylenol before they get their vaccines. Also, if you can nurse immediately after, it really calms baby down and they forget right away. It's definitely harder on the mommas than the babies
Bubby's Mummy says
Those pictures are hilarious! I was the same with my babies, I didn't take them out until after they were vaccinated, luckily here it's 6 weeks instead of 8. I remember having to take my first son when he was only2 weeks old to emergency at the children's hospital and being so freaked out by the child in the next bed because he had a barking cough, I thought he had whooping cough.
When I organised my baby's immunisation with the GP I booked the first available appointment so we wouldn't have to wait in the waiting room with all the sick people. When he cried I picked him up straight away for a cuddle.
Shadowy Lady says
lol these pics are awesome! Harper's gonna be fine. Mine cried a bit at the 8 weeks vaccination but quiet down once I fed her. She never cried for any of the subsequent vaccinations though.
I know what you mean about the heat. I live in Ottawa (Canada) and all this week it's been 30deg C or warmer. We either stay in or use the pool.
Renee says
Congratulations on your beautiful daughter – she's perfect.
I've been a longtime reader – first time commenter 🙂
Taking my little boy (now 1) for vaccinations was always the worst for me and I would be in tears – thankfully since the 6 month ones, we don't even get tears now. My advice for the early needles comes from a friend who is a neonatal nurse:
Make sure you hold bub
If you can, initiate bf prior to the needle(must be midst feeding) and the breastmilk sweetness opens the same pathways as opiates, ie. Morphine (She says the babies she immunizes don't even usually stop feeding). Recommend feeding at least 3 mins prior, as it needs time to work.
Also,a word on paracetamol and immunisations – it should NOT be given prior to immunisations as there is now evidence that giving paracetamol prior to the vaccine decreases vaccine efficacy. So keep it on hand in case bub gets grumpy afterwards, but no "just in case" doses.
Good luck, I'm sure it will go great.
Really enjoying reading your blog.
Renee x
[email protected] says
Hi Renee! Thank you so much for the tips—I also read about not giving Tylenol so I don't plan to. I will try to nurse her or give her a bottle of breast milk during the shots. Great idea!
Schnelle says
The first set of shots were really hard on both of us but if it's any consolation the second round went much better. She only cried for a minute and it was all over. There's really nothing that you can do except comfort her, hold her tight, and kiss her when the shots are all over. Our pediatrician said that we can give her baby tylenol before shots too. We continued to give her tylenol for the rest of the day and that seemed to really help her.
P.S Harper is one very busy girl, she really gets around! lol
[email protected] says
I'm glad it gets better! I am crossing my fingers she will be calm after her shots. She was okay after the heel pricks when I held her and gave her a paci so hopefully this will be the same 🙂
Susana Uribes says
I totally understand what your feeling. When my babygirl had her first round of shots (she is 16weeks now and scheduled for her 4th month shots next week) I had all those same feelings. I was so nervous and wasn't sure if I should give her Tylenol before we went in or not. I opted not too and she didn't need it until hours later. My advice to you would be to give her a warm bath once she gets home. Massage her little le legs and then give her Tylenol if needed. I hope all goes well and quick.
buckiddo says
Omg, kind of the best thing ever! I was a little confused when I saw the elephant pic in Bloglovin clip, but it all makes sense now! 🙂
Erica says
My doctor said don't give Tylenol BEFORE a vaccine, only AFTER as doing so before might lessen the effects of the vaccine. So that's what I did, Tylenol afterwards, followed by a whole day of snuggles and comforting. My baby took all of his vaccines very well, but just needed comfort and snuggles and lots of sleep. Good luck, I hope it goes off seamlessly! 🙂
Nicole says
Ah, those are hilarious! Suri and swimming with the dolphins are my personal favs.
Regarding vaccinations- the 2 months shots are by far the worst. For us, getting the shots were nbd (I don't even think she cried), but she was in serious discomfort about 3 hours after the fact. I ended up giving her 1 dose of Tylenol, and she passed out and was fine when she woke up.
Hang in there! Besides the 2 month ones, she has had zero discomfort/reactions/etc!
Jenn P says
this is hysterical! My girls have taken the vacc's well so far (and my boys were the same). This past week for their 6 month ones…they literally didn't even cry. It's definitely harder on us! Good luck Harper! ~Jenn
http://www.twobytwomom.com
Erin says
Personally, I'm hesitant to give Sam Tylenol before or immediately after his vaccinations, only because he's never had it yet, so if he winds up having an adverse reaction to something, I won't be able to tell if it's the vaccinations or the Tylenol…ya know?
A couple tips I've gotten: Nurse WHILE the injections are being given. She'll be relaxed and may not even noticed what's happening. I also have a girlfriend who SWEARS by this thing for babies:
https://www.amazon.com/health-personal-care/dp/B009LVN1F0
I haven't gotten one and don't think I'll have time to before his 8 week appointment, but depending on how he reacts, I may get one before his next round.
Good luck!
Erin says
Personally, I'm hesitant to give Sam Tylenol before or immediately after his vaccinations, only because he's never had it yet, so if he winds up having an adverse reaction to something, I won't be able to tell if it's the vaccinations or the Tylenol…ya know?
A couple tips I've gotten: Nurse WHILE the injections are being given. She'll be relaxed and may not even noticed what's happening. I also have a girlfriend who SWEARS by this thing for babies:
https://www.amazon.com/health-personal-care/dp/B009LVN1F0
I haven't gotten one and don't think I'll have time to before his 8 week appointment, but depending on how he reacts, I may get one before his next round.
Good luck!
Christiana says
Hilarious pics! As the mother of a 2 year old and a 3 month old, I definitely know where you're coming from on the vaccinations thing. At out most recent check up BOTH of them had to get shots. There was a decent amount of crying.
For the younger one I've found that sweet water helps during the actual shot followed by nursing and cuddling before we leave the exam room. I think it's worse for us than it is for them.
Congratulations on your little one! My oldest was also in the NICU and it made me feel very protective of him for a long time. Now he's an active little toddler and makes me laugh every day.
Kate Nicoletti says
Nurse immediately after! Also be aware that you are the parent and you have a choice. I personally chose to spread out vaccines so she didn't get more than 1 at a time until I knew that a shot didn't cause her a reaction. So shot, wait a week, shot, wait a week. This was doable for us since we chose to not do a few so it wasn't like we got terribly behind in the schedule. Once I knew she tolerated them without an allergy, I allowed 2 boosters at a time. This limited the dreaded day-after-shot fussy baby and also gave me immense peace of mind.
put a bow on it [kaitlyn] says
I have been reading your blog for a few years now, but I don't think I've ever commented! So of course that makes this sound even MORE creepy, but I think I saw you walking sweet Harper! We just bought in the Heights (I would put what street but since I think I saw you, I'm fairly certain we live close to each other and people are crazy these days) and I love to walk the neighborhood in the morning and closer towards night time – way too hot, otherwise!
My sister has the fan for her son and she's wondering if she should get another so he would have two, he loves his walks but the heat makes it hard!
[email protected] says
How fun! Next time stop by and say hello 🙂
Lindsey says
They say BMilk works like the sucrose (sugar water) they give to babies before painful procedures. Immediately after William's shots I pick him up and give him a bottle with BMilk and lots of kisses. Some new studies say to not pre-medicate with Tylenol. I usually end of giving it several hours after the shots since he wakes up cranky and warm to the touch. Just remember…babies have no memory of the shots/pain. 🙂
Amber B. says
At our last trip to the pedi, everyone got 4 shots each…that was 16 shots I had to make it through! I administer Infant Advil just before we leave for the doctors office. Those injections in their muscle hurt much like the ones we get in our arm, mainly the soreness and stiffness you feel for days afterward. I do another round of infant advil at the appropriate 6 hour mark later that day/evening and take care when handling their legs as they are likely sore. I always keep an eye out for fever , diahherra or other concerns for about a week afterward. If fever pops up, infant advil and cold wash cloths or teethers to chew help. Our pediatrician was glad we used advil over tylenol as the body is able to process it better, plus I personally think its more effective. (I was given IV tylenol in the hospital and it didn't help one bit.) And if babies can handle things like morphine, as Harrison did for weeks in the nicu, they can benefit from a dose of advil now as needed. Good luck!
Meg O. says
Omg Harper is quite the social lady! I love it. Hahaha.
I wish I had immunization tips. K just had her 18 mo shots and it was the worst out of all of them. She actually screamed "no" and really was in pain. Not to mention her little leg swelled up at the injection site (dr said it was normal for that to happen). When she was tiny, it was much easier as she cried for like two seconds and then got over it. She now understands the scary needle coming towards her. Definitely harder on mama than baby when they're Harper's age! Hope it goes well!
Beth G says
Haha…love the Photoshopped pics!! Harper could have her own meme.
I can relate. Although our twins were considered full term (38 weeks), they lost a little too much weight in the hospital, so we decided not to go out with them until they were twelve weeks old. Part of it was that they were born in the winter and we didn't want to bring them out during flu season. I have no regrets! Follow your instincts :-).
natasha {schue love} says
Oh my gosh…you are TOO funny!! And my #1 recommendation for helping baby post shots is to nurse her right away. Helped Ethan every single time! Good luck mama!
Katherine Lopez says
I am not a mom, but I do remember that I received some sort of reward from my mom every time I got vaccinations. For example, for a child, perhaps a giant lollipops or in the case of a baby anything you know she especially enjoys. My childhood memories are of those giant lollipops (one of the few times my mom gave me sweets) not of the pain from the needles. It seems kids have a short term memory for pain. I guess it worked because as an adult I am unfazed by needles and blood work. 🙂
Laura says
We wanted to do the delayed shot schedule with our daughter but things went a little awry and she ended up getting all of them that were scheduled for her the first time. I learned 2 things from that. 1. If you have specific wishes make sure that they know them even if it means having to voice them many many times, you have to be her health advocate. Trust your gut too, we ended up switching practices. 2. Trust your baby. Our daughter actually did way better with shots then I would have imagined. You just never know! I would hold back on giving her medicine until after also. Just get the band aid off early before her leg starts to get sore and in case she has a reaction to the band aid adhesive. Good luck!
Emily says
Our pediatrician's office always lets me stay in the room for a bit to nurse my son right after his shots…he is usually a mess after them and needs a lot of consoling! So definitely try to nurse her if you can! My son always spikes a fever after his vaccinations (sometimes a relatively high one), so as others have mentioned, have the baby Tylenol at the ready. My son also sleeps a lot and seems very low-key for a day or two following the shots, but I do know friends' babies who are the opposite and don't want to sleep. My son has his 6 months shots next week, and we are going to split them up in two visits. I'm hoping this will make a difference with the way he reacts. Good luck!
Katie says
Love your blog! My little boy is 4 days younger than Harper and he just got his second Hep B yesterday as we're going out of town soon. I made sure he'd eaten a bit before and finished eating right after. They suggested baby Tylenol so I gave him a dose when we got home. He's gotten lots of love from mommy and he's been sleeping pretty hard since. She'll be great- it was definitely harder for me than for him. He calmed down quickly. I, however, was traumatized. Good luck!
Katie says
Love your blog! My little boy is four days younger than Harper and he just got his second Hep B yesterday. I made sure he'd eaten about half of a normal feeding before we went in and then he was able to soothe after by finishing the rest. He got a dose of Tylenol when we got home and has been sleeping soundly and basking in mommy love since. It was definitely worse for me. He calmed down quickly. You'll both do great!!
Wifey says
I wasn't able to nurse, I had to exclusively pump, but people always suggested nursing right after shots. I took the coward's way out, I stood in the corner and sobbed while my husband held him.
Arie, Dewa and Divya says
Shots are no fun :(. With my daughter we followed the recommended schedule for the first couple rounds and she was in a lot of pain and got a fever afterwards so I began quickly searching for alternatives. We decided to go with an alternative schedule where she would only get 2 shots at a time and amazingly she had no side effects afterwards. I would definitely recommend it! 4 shots is A LOT for a little body to handle.
[email protected] says
I think it's great to space shots if your baby has a reaction but I also think it's best to follow the CDC schedule for most babies, if they handle the shots well. If H has a reaction I would space them too and if not we will go with the CDC's schedule.
Dewa says
I used to work in public health. The biggest concern with an alternative schedule is whether the parents will actually fully vaccinate their baby, or if they will just get a few shots and then drop off. But when you're working with parents that are committed to fully vaccinating their baby, this is less of a concern. I've worked with 2 pediatricians for my 2 kids and they have both been very flexible in working with us and tailoring a schedule that we felt more comfortable with. Both my kids were fully caught up by age 1. You usually have a couple well baby appointments that do not require shots, so my kids got 2 shots at every visit and by 1 year they were fully vaccinated. Just trust your instincts and do what you feel is best for your baby! 😉
Britt @ The Magnolia Pair says
Scarlett did well with the actual shot process. She cried during a few mins after, but we gave her trivisol right after, and she was happy as can be. It wasn't until later that evening when she just was fussy for no reason and had a harder time nursing. I think her little legs became sore. We put her down for bed, and the next day she was totally fine. Harper will do great, babies have a short term memory, and they forget soon after 🙂
Cora says
Hi new follower! Just wanted to drop by and say hi! I have a 16-month-old and fortunately, has always done really well with his vaccinations. The nurses always told me that because of all the baby fat on their legs they actually don't feel much of the shot at all. Whether this is true or not is another story; however, my son never cried until he was 9 months old and has never had a reaction. You could always give her Tylenol following your appointment if you're worried 🙂 Good luck!
Brianna says
Your daughter is too cute! I saw another Houston blogger who makes a cooling pad for strollers. It helps babies with the Houston heat. Here's the link: https://turqandgold.blogspot.com/2013/07/introducing-strolli-cool.html.
[email protected] says
thank you so much for that link Brianna!
Whitney says
Ok, these photos had me rolling!!!! Harper is a pretty impressive baby…
lizzyl517 says
First set of shots were hard for our little ones. Both my 4 yr old and my 8 month old spiked fevers for 2-3 days. We had no choice but to give Tylenol as it would be dangerous not too. Our baby was super fussy and did not sleep well for those first 2 days which our pediatrician said was normal. After his second set of shots he did not experience the fever and the third set went great as well.
Tangie says
OMG, that is TOOOOOOO CUTE!!! She's going to have a blast! 🙂