Worst Thing in the World, No. 3

You can read about my first two worsts here and here. Number 3 is related to Number 2, which was a sick baby. A baby with a cold is no comparison to a baby with an ear infection. Ear infections are horrible. Giving antibiotics are horrible too. I had to give him 5 ml. of Amoxicilin every 12 hours. I guess I didn't have to as the American Academy of Pediatrics are now trying to talk pediatricians into laying off the antibiotics from the get go and seeing if the ear infection goes away on it's own. You can read about that here. This is good to know. I, for one, don't like taking antibiotics, pain relievers or allergy meds. I like to suffer, just kidding. Bad things about giving the Bear Amoxicilin:

1. He cried 99.9% of the time. He shook his head back and forth and clamped his mouth shut. I'd sneak in shots from the syringe when he cried with his mouth open. It was horrible. 
2. Because he fought hard to not ingest the antibiotics a lot of the antibiotics got all over his clothes and bedding and cowstar and hands. It's pink (like pepto bismol) and sticky.
3. I would nurse or feed him after I gave him the antibiotics because it said to not take on an empty tummy and also it would help calm him down (nursing.) The first several times I nursed him he would bite down on my nipple - a great example of nipple confusion. He thought my nipple was like the syringe. OUCH and NO. Have I mentioned how sharp baby teeth are? 
4. Side effects are: dizziness, diarrhea, tummy pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, white patches in mouth or throat. 

Bad things about ear infections in general:

1. Pain. He woke up crying every two hours the first night before he got the fever.  It was horrible not knowing what was wrong with him. 
2. Ibuprofen. It helps with inflammation but it was like the antibiotic, it was hard to get him to take it and it turned his poop this wacky dark green. It looked like he ate and digested a swamp creature.
3. Not only do their poor ears hurt but they have a head cold on top of it so it's hard for the little one to breathe!

What I learned:

1. He took the medicines more easily from a spoon and when he was hungry. 
2. Put a pillow under his mattress to elevate his mattress while he sleeps so that the liquid in his ear could drain out more easily.
3. Nurse him so that his head is at an angle (no side lie nursing (my favorite)). When his head wasn't at an angle breastmilk would drip out of his nose! 
4. Ear aches usually come from having head congestion and mucus getting into the middle ear.
5. Mullein/Garlic ear drops are supposed to be a good natural remedy. I will try that first if this happens again and report back!
6. Little humans are resilient and strong!
7. If your baby is taking an antibiotic and is eating solid foods feed him yogurt to replenish the good bacteria. 

We went to the Pediatrician on Thursday to check in on the status of his ears and they look good! Back to good health, knock on wood.