Call ped, wait it out?

Kepler's been very fussy the last couple of nights. He's basically been getting up at 4am. I can nurse with him until 5ish or so, but then that doesn't work either, and we get up.

He's never been a cuddler. You can't just sit in a rocking chair with him when he's cranky.

He is getting 4 teeth in on his top gums. So yes, I'm sure this is part, but today he did something that worried me a bit: We got up at 5:00 and came downstairs. When I stopped trying to force him back to sleep by rocking or nursing him, I put him down and let him play. He was actually pretty happy and fiddled with this and that. Day goes on and Tycho gets up, I feed them both breakfast. (Baked pears and toast with cream cheese, both ate very well.)

Then 8:30am hits and they're playing when suddenly Kepler starts crying. I figured it was naptime for him, since he got up earlier. But no dice. He nursed a bit (through sobs), CLUNG to my shirt, and would try to doze off but just scream himself awake. I tried tylenol and orajel (I reserve these for REALLY. BAD. DAYS.) I cuddled with Kepler a bit, and figured out he was relatively comfortable if I'd just lay him down on his back and not touch him. But he wouldn't move. (Sure, he'd move his limbs, fingers, hands, but not... like "locomote" if I may make up a word) If he was on his belly or arms/legs, he'd cry. I couldn't find anything in particular that hurt, he doesn't have a fever or rash. Tycho got fussy and I put him down for a nap, while Kepler laid beside me. Eventually he fell asleep and I was able to transfer him to his crib... but he still stayed stiff. Normally as soon as he hits the mattress, he flops over with his butt in the air.

He did this once before... the day he got his 12 mo immunizations. We chalked it up to sore thighs, babied him overnight, and he was right as rain in the morning. So they're still napping right now, and I guess I'll make my final decision when they wake up, but what would you do here? Wait? Call the ped? Freak the heck out and go to the ER?

I might run a nice warm bath for him and see if maybe it's some kind of "growing pain." Another explaination would be his reflux rearing its head (but after 6 months?) and he hasn't eaten anything weird in the last couple of days. I'm at a total loss. I didn't think teething would be this bad...?

 

I would see how he is after his nap, if there is little or no improvement, I would go in to the pediatrician.

 

I agree with Bex, I would see how he wakes up and then make the call. Keep us posted!

 

I agree with the pp's. I do know that teething at its worst made my kids act worse than any of the illnesses they have had to date. Especially my DS, because he often got multiple teeth at a time. I always found that ibuprofen works better than tylenol. It's a little longer lasting and it's an anti inflammatory. Teething causes such irritated, swollen, red gums that I give ibuprofen before naps and bedtime while they are cutting teeth. Hope he wakes up his regular self so momma doesn't have to worry any more!

 

Well, he woke up from nap and wasn't standing up or crawling about in his crib like he normally does, so I made the call. They weren't sure, so we made an appt this afternoon at 3. I decided to give them both a bath and have some splashy fun time - see if it's maybe muscle pain and to distract them a bit. Well, he's sitting up fine, even walking fine, and I narrowed it down to his left arm/wrist/hand. He doesn't want any pressure on it, and while it's normally his preferred hand, he's avoiding using it. How in the HECK did THAT happen?! I was 4 feet away from them all morning! Anyhow, ped's office is closed for lunch, so I'm trying to get ahold of my hubby to make the exec decision to take him to the ER or wait to call the ped again. Eugh. Not what I needed. I feel like a terrible mama.

 

i wonder if he dislocated his elbow? It is not as bad as it sounds. They just pop it back in place and the child feels instant relief. It happened to my DD a couple of years ago. We were putting a water wing on her and it happened, just slipped out of place. I had no idea it even had happened until she started acting real fussy and crying out and not using the arm. Doctor said it is very common in little ones, they can do it by just pulling up on something.

 

I was also gonna suggest the dislocated elbow, we also had a bout of that recently, and experienced very similar to what you are describing, we had a fall at night, and then she was just crying a lot, but I chalked it up to being tired, then she woke up in the middle of night and didn't sit up at all that I should be able to take her out, when she finally fell asleep, we had the same thing in the morning, I called the doc and had an appointment scheduled for 9:30 by the time we got there, she had bumped it back into place on her own

we had the same thing happen a week later, and that time we headed straight for the doc, who put into place very quickly.

Good luck and let us know if that's what it was

 

I think you guys nailed it. He ate lunch fine (with his right hand) and sat and played just fine - all the while holding that left arm in close to him, so I bet your guess is spot on. Poor little guy. I'll give him a dose of motrin before we head out, too.

I hope they can take care of it in the office, because I'm not sure I can handle a hospital trip during rush hour. Lol.

 

:hug: the way others describe the dislocated elbow makes me think that might be it, but I'm glad you are getting in with the ped to get him checked! :hug:

 

Your doc should be able to take care of it in the office, and make sure to watch the doc and even ask them to teach you how to do it in case this happens again.

 

Oh man! Poor kid.. I hope it is the elbow and that he's feeling better right away.

 

Just got home from the ER. Our (wonderful) ped checked him out and tried to reduce it back into position, but he was still favoring it. Sooooo, I took Tycho to hubby's aunt and went off to Children's. Hubby took the bus home and picked up Tycho from there. At the ER, they checked him out (he slept the whole way there, but still was being very ginger with his arm.) They did an x-ray which was terrifically traumatic. But apparently they clicked it back in during all that, because he slowly started getting confidence back with it. Grabbed at a popsicle with it with vigor.

Got home and he crawled all over, so it was pretty clear he was feeling better. I'll keep up on Motrin just in case there's some lingering soreness.

Phew. I'm beat.

 

I'm glad he's okay and is doing better. Hope you all are getting well deserved rest :hug: