Fever-Phobia

One thing I have noticed in my 11months and 2 weeks of being a parent is that people have fever-phobia. MAJOR fever-phobia.

Those with fever-phobia may notice a child feels warm, then obsessively take their temp every 5 minutes to mark the 1/10th degree change.

Those with fever-phobia freak out when the thermometer reads triple digits. They may casually lay the bottle of Tylenol on the counter, placing it "on-deck" if you will. Thoughts like, "Where did he get this from?" "Who is to blame?" "Who was he around today that I need to warn?" "What time is it? Is the Dr's still open?" "Is he teething?" "Am I going to get sick again?" start occupying their mind.

Those with fever-phobia administer Tylenol or Ibuprofen as soon as the temp hits 101, never thinking about the ill-effects of the meds. They write down the exact time the Tylenol was given, so that they can administer it a second time exactly 4 hours from the first dose, not a minute longer.

At 102, those with fever-phobia fill the tub with cool water, patiently waiting for their child's temp to hit 103 so they can act quickly.

At 103, after the bath, those with fever-phobia Google phrases such as "High Fever in children", "When does a fever become dangerous", and "When should I call the Dr if my child has a fever?"
Those with fever-phobia wait to put their child to bed until another does of Tylenol can be given, continue to take their temp every 20 minutes, contemplate taking them out of bed, stripping them down to their diaper, positioning a chair under the A/C vent, and rocking them until their temp goes down.

Tonight, we have fever-phobia.

Poor baby has a fever. A "high" fever. 104. I spent the afternoon with him in my lap, laying around and comforting him. This may sound evil or sadistic but I kind of enjoy it when he is sick because we get to snuggle and cuddle and he actually holds still for more than .2 seconds. I think even Daddy enjoyed it tonight, since he got to rock him to sleep. Something he hasn't done for about 9 months.

So, my side of the family, not big "medicine" people. I suck it up until I bleed, then I MIGHT ask for a band aid (or a Motrin). My Dear husband...quite the opposite. He pops Tylenol like it is candy. We generally stay out of each other's business and let one-another medicate how we choose. However, when it comes to Baby, both our opposing views come together in a harmonious effort to get him better.

I found this article (while Googling "when does a fever become dangerous") and it has helped calm down my phobia for the evening....I will still check on him and contemplate getting him out of bed until he wakes up tomorrow morning, but I will not let the phobia get the best of us!