As most of you will recall, during March, A2 spent 2 separate weeks in hospital due to RSV causing secondary pneumonia (1st time) and bronchopneumonia (2nd time). While in hospital the first time, it was also discovered that he had serious ear infection and grommets came up as a possible solution for the problem. He wasn’t responding to the antibiotics with regards to the ear infection, so I immediately agreed. **The fact that he was crying hysterically every afternoon for 3 hours straight regardless of what I tried to calm him may have had something to do with my instant decision**
The doctor promised that putting in grommets now, will reduce the need for future courses of constant antibiotics and also prevent my baby-child from being in pain due to chronic ear infection. Mind you, not that we had any troubles really before, but I didn’t want him to go through that if we could stop it before it starts…
So, since Sunday, we’ve had our first experience with the benefit of him having grommets in his little ears. A yucky, orangey substance has been leaking from his left ear, leaving a sticky mess all over his ears and clothes. It happens mainly during nap times or sleep time, so by the time I get to clean it up, it has hardened and dried out. And there’s so much! So I was thinking, if he didn’t have those little pipes put in, and all that stuff was building up, imagine the agony that baby would have been in?!
Initially, I was just going to leave it and let it run its course, because he has no fever or any other symptoms, but his nose has started running a yucky green too, so maybe the gunk in his ears are starting to affect other bits as well. Luckily, I found the antibiotic eardrops he was discharged with, so have started putting them in. It can’t hurt and if it makes no difference, then it’ll just run out his ear like the gunk right? I’ve also started giving him Illiadin Paediatric Nose drops, to try and clear his nose up. But now I’m not too sure if the nose drops are supposed to soften stuffy noses, or if they are to clear the snot up…?Anyway, it’s in his nose and I’m hoping it helps.
Just as an aside, regardless of how easy it was for me to make this decision to have my baby put under general anesthetics and undergo surgery (however small) - perhaps because I was at my wits end and I just wanted him to get better, with A1 I was the total opposite. When he was little he was once diagnosed with a very mild ear infection. It was round about the same time he was teething too, and he really wasn’t very sick at all. Then, all of a sudden, every body insisted he have grommets put in like he was their child. And I was dead set against it! I really really didn’t feel it was necessary at the time, but I was *again* severely judged for my bad parenting decisions, because what do *I* know, I’m just his mother… He’s never had ear infection since, so I’m glad I stuck to my guns on that one.
That’s why, in hindsight, this is actually a very big deal for me. Having made the split-second decision about something like this, without taking the time to research everything proper or even consult TF in the decision making. I just informed him that it was going to happen, and it did. Fortunately, way back when when the issue arised with A1, I did proper homework on grommets, so I wasn’t completely clueless going in to this thing. But it went against my nature and my whole approach to parenting. Thinking about it now, it sends me into a slight (irrational) panic…
Would I do it again given a second chance? In a heartbeat!
xx
6 Responses
Moederloef says...
This is the wonderful thing about experience, you can make snap decisions with ease when required. Having said that, it is wonderful that it is really and truly helping that gorgeous baby of ours!
And Tamiya, I’ve said it before and I will say it again and again: YOU ARE A WONDERFUL MOTHER! All the so called experts who are forever putting you down, can go take a flying leap. (And seeing that you know me well, you also know what I would’ve preferred to say about them.)
I do love you so! Mwah.
cat@juggling act says...
Oh grommets changed our lives – if they are needed they make the world’s difference.
Julia says...
Grommets changed our lives. Best decision we ever made for our boy. We had them done the day before he turned one and there has not been a single ear infection since then. He’s 3 now. I use Illiadin when he has a cold. You are only allowed to use it 3 times a day for 5 days. A better alternative (for when he isn’t sick as such but maybe just has a runny nose is Sterimar. It’s basically just saline solution and you can use as often as you like.
You’re doing great and your boys are lucky to have you as their Mom.
Tanya says...
Sometimes our (a mommy’s) worst enemy is ourselves. Instead of others being too hard on us, we do it for them. In the end we worry too much and should trust our instincts more. You won’t make the wrong decision, you will do what is best for your little ones.
You are an awesome mommy and never ever forget that!
Louisa says...
If he needed it then I’m glad he got it. I used to get many many many ear infections as a kid. Always in the right ear. I should have had grommets but never had any…my ear has burst so many times that it is actually permanently perforated now and I have a slight hearing problem in my right ear.
Good for you, for making the decision you did.
Sharon says...
If all that orangey gunk is coming out his ears while napping then you made the right decision. That would have been building up and causing the poor nunu untold pain. As for the snotties, if it is already green then there is definitely an infection. Watch it and if he develops a fever rather be safe than sorry and take him to the Dr. And I think you are a good mama