I took this picture on Wednesday as Gage was waking from a nap in his crib and I was going to write a post on the very slow transition from bassinet to crib, but that will wait for another day since Thursday saw us head to the doctor because he had been throwing up after I changed his formula that morning. I wasn’t worried, I just wanted to make sure he was okay since Gage does not throw up (well, only one other time at the doctor’s office). But when we got in to see our pediatrician she was worried. She didn’t think his getting sick had anything to do with the formula and after a test to check oxygen in his blood (?) she panicked a little and almost put him on oxygen, which would had required a trip in the squad. But a second test showed a normal result so she told me I could just drive Gage to the ER. Now, I’m starting to get a little worried since she didn’t even want me going back home or stopping anywhere.
Once at the Peds ER we waited almost half an hour for a room and another hour after that to see a doctor. I’m glad they didn’t consider us a red alert emergency, but still. After having blood drawn, an x-ray, ultrasound, and an IV with fluids we were sent home 7 hours later with the diagnosis of a stomach bug. Gage was a trooper and I was very proud of how well he did. He had much more patience than I did!
Then Friday I called the nurse with a question and she told me to go back to the ER. I thought she was completely overreacting. I mean c’mon, we were just there! She was concerned about dehydration. I was concerned with getting Gage to eat, sleep and stop crying. I did not take Gage to the ER. Then a few hours later, the HEAD nurse from the doctor’s office called because she was “concerned for Gage” and thought I should take him to the ER. I explained that he had just been there and had not been dehydrated and had even been given fluids, but she didn’t want to hear that. She wanted me to call her back in an hour to give her an update on his eating and diaper wetting. She was starting to get on my nerves, but I did call her back to tell her he had eaten and wet a diaper. Should have been good news but she still wanted me to go to the ER because he was so young and even talked to another doctor in the office who thought the same (our pediatrician wasn’t there). So, I call Jason, head back to the ER, valet the car (again) and get put back in the same room with a few of the same nurses as the day before. And do you know what happened when the doctor checked him out less than an hour later? Nothing. No dehydration, Gage even smiled at the doctor, like he got the joke. And they sent us home with an expensive bill (I’m guessing) that I plan on forwarding on to the nurse who wouldn’t quit making me feel like I was endangering my kid if I didn’t take him to the ER.
The moral of the story is that you should always trust your mother’s instinct. But I’m so new at this that I didn’t completely trust mine and a needless trip to the ER was had by all. Gage is doing better and has been smiling, talking and playing with toys (such as it is). Here’s a picture of the small bruise on his arm from the IV, his only lasting indignity of the hours in the ER.
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Poor little Gage, and Mom and Dad for having all that anxiety, but as they say better to be safe than sorry. Glad all is well.
Gage handled it better than we did 🙂
I would have done the same as you – what they told me to do. BUT, I do think the professionals over-reacted – especially after you’d been in the er the day before. Is there some illness going around their patients right now that made them go on ‘red alert’??? Poor Gage. Poor YOU!
No, they just thought he might be dehydrated although he showed no symptoms of it and had been tested for it less than a day before!
Oh, poor little Gage! Vance’s first pediatrician (and the best doctor I have EVER known) always trusted the mother’s instinct. It was a great lesson for me as a new mommy.
That’s great! I wish our pediatrician had been in then we may have been able to avoid the second ER visit!
while i understand your frustration…you are calling them with a question and they are giving you advice…though i think they should have offered to have seen him first..
i work in the medical field and it is a damned if you do and damned if you don’t field…it truly is impossible to make parents happy!
I’m not impossible to make happy! I have no complaints about the first visit. It’s the second one with the nurse calling me and not listening to what I was saying. When I called them it was asking what I could do for his diarrhea, which she offered no help, just told me to go to the ER.
It’s a tough job, no doubt 🙂
OMG, what a scary story! At least Gage isn’t the worse for it!
He’s chatting up a storm this morning 🙂
I’m so glad Gage is ok. You just never know what to do!
Very true. I It is better to be safe, but when my every instinct is telling me he’s fine and I let a nurse who hasn’t even see him tell me what to do, well, just made me mad at myself (okay, and the nurse :)).
So glad that little Gage is ok!
Thanks, Beth 🙂
((())) hope you all had a relaxing weekend!
Grandparents are coming today so that will help 🙂
Poor little guy. I would be soooo angry at that nurse!!! It’s so stuff as a first-time parent. ER’s are no fun, especially with a few-month old. Looks like you guys made it through like troopers!!! Glad Gage is feeling better!
Such a frustrating experience for Mom and Gage, Mother’s instincts are usually right on. You got a good lesson in that regard.
one thing to remeber too…the smallest change can be catastrophic to infants/elderly..and at least in my neck of the woods there are so many viruses/crap going around all of which in an instant could be life threataning
those type of decisions get easier when the kids get older
Poor Baby!! And yes….trust your instinct. God made us with those instincts so that you will know when there really is something wrong with your child. Seriously, I think that bill should be shredded!!!
Oh, wow. You’re so composed for being a new mom. I would have completely panicked. And I wholeheartedly agree – You know your baby best!
I would have doen the same as you. What I would do though, is call that office and ask to speak to the nurse’s supervisor. Their behavior and treatment towards you was a bit much. Mother does know best sometimes, even if she is “new”. Hope Gage feels better soon 🙂
Yes, always trust our instinct! And I’m glad Gage is doing well. 🙂
Oh My!!! I’m sure this was pretty scary!! And I know what you mean: It can take awhile until you trust yourself as a mother. It sounds to me like you did but their constant badgering broke you down to take him in again. It does seem a little on the odd side though. The main thing is that Gage is doing OK and on the mend!! Love that chubby little arm and the nursery shot! Very relaxing looking.
Glad he’s okay. Better safe . . .
and vomiting + diarrhea (conveniently left out of your original post, hmmmm) = medical grounds for concern about dehydration. In my expert medical opinion, of course.
Again, glad he’s okay and you’ve been properly set up to mistakenly trust your instincts instead of medical advice in the future. 😉
Vomiting was done before diarrhea started, thank you very much!
Better safe then sorry at least.I dont take a chance. We had some nappy rash and we took J to the doctors because he has never had it before. Sure it cost us a bomb but the piece of mind we got made it worth it.
Welcome to the world of “always being wrong” if you hadn;t taken him you are wrong, if you take him your wrong. Your right your gut is a good indicator. You know your baby.
We got critiised because we freaked out over J having a temp rise of only 1 degree. Every one said “oh thats the normal range” but J was so different we knew something was wrong.
Im just glad to hear your little man is ok.
As everyone says it’s better to be safe. I’m glad Gage is fine now.
You know, this motherhood job seems like it would be a lot easier for everyone involved if the babies came out knowing how to talk – like on Family Guy.
I suppose it just takes a while to convince others that you and Gage have your own language and he flat out told you “I am not dehydrated.”
I’m glad it all worked out okay. I would have taken him to the ER too. I remember once when Amber was a baby, she had a stomach bug and did end up dehydrated. I wouldn’t have known.
It’s so much easier once they can talk and tell you how they feel.
Jeez, kind of worrisome few days. I’m glad Gage is okay and I’m so impressed with hoe level-headed and calm you were/are. You have awesome mothering instinct!
Although the nurses and even the doc seem a little over-concerned, there years of practice have taught them to be safe rather than sorry I’d guess. They’d rather inconvenience every one for a few hours, thannot be concerned enough for Gage.
I’m just glad everyone in your home is doing well!
I hope this week is a better one!
Sounds like a classic case of CYA to me! You were right to trust your instincts, IMO. If you’re concerned about him being dehydrated in the future, gently pinch together about a half inch to an inch of skin on the back of his hand. If it bounces right back, he’s most likely okay. If it takes a second or two to return, he’s probably dehydrated. Having said that, I offer a word of caution, babies can go downhill very fast when they are vomiting and having diarrhea.
I’m so glad that he’s doing okay.
Wow, what an adventure! I’m so glad that baby Gage is okay.
Better safe than sorry, but still… I’m glad to hear he’s okay!
Oh my goodness! I am behind on my blog reading due to having the flu. I hope that you are all staying healthy!
I’m so happy to know that Gage is OK. That’s quite an episode that you had to go through…