*Updated* After how many hours of crying

[gibbinator]

Would you be worried? All day (and yesterday too) ds has been whiney and fussier than usual. But for the last ~4 hrs he's been screaming and the only thing that calms him is nursing - when he'll stay latched. I assumed the crankiness was related to the teething and resultant poor sleeping, but he's crying like he's in serious pain tonight. We gave him Tylenol 2hrs ago.

I'm just feeling like this level of crying can't be normal....unless it is? Maybe teething just is that unpleasant?

At what point would you pack up and go to the ER? I keep thinking maybe there's something else going on like an ear infection or invisible diaper rash....

Ps. Thanks for responding to my constant barrage of worried exhausted mom questions the last couple days.

--------

UPDATE

after my last post ds stayed asleep and had a normal night - easily nursed to sleep, waking every 3 hours. Then around 10am he started getting cranky again (same way yesterday started) so I decided to take him to get looked at.

Turns out the very minor diaper rash he had (well, I thought it was minor and jjust using a zinc ointment) is actually a decently bad yeast infection! We got some hydrocortisone/something else cream for his bum and he's been my happy baby again ever since

Also everything Token said about ERs and pedis

[Deleted]

Go to the ER now. I have a 3 hour screaming limit. If he is unable to be soothed, I'd assume something is wrong.

[zeewifeandmama]

I think I'd put a call into the pedi. Although my daughter was a RETCHED teether, she never screamed for hours on end....that would make me lean towards something else especially if you already gave Tylenol.

[Deleted]

Go now. That's not normal. Babies usually get to cut the line at the ER

[Deleted]

Yeah, I'd go in. That's not right.

[gibbinator]

Ok thanks for validating my concerns. He's passed out right now from a marathon nursing session in bed. If he wakes up crying we'll go.

[dcrunnergirl]

We had a few nights like this where DS would scream for like 3 hours randomly. No fever, no rash, nothing indicating he was sick. His cry was just angry. At the 3 hour mark one night, I put him in a warm tub and he stopped, started playing, and was happy as a clam. We got him dressed again, and he passed out for the night. Not sure what was wrong but it was like he couldn't soothe himself. We were on the brink of going to the ER. This happened one other time, and just stripping him down and changing his state worked.

[niki]

I don't crying warrants an ER trip. Does he have a temperature? I would call the pedi and ask the oncall nurse/doctor for instructions.

[Deleted]

Oct 23, 2012 18:53:30 GMT -5 niki said:

I don't crying warrants an ER trip. Does he have a temperature? I would call the pedi and ask the oncall nurse/doctor for instructions.

ha ha ha ha ha

There's no such thing as a "pedi" and a "oncall nurse" in most of Canada. You want to be evaluated, you go find a doctor. You want to find a doctor after 5 pm, you either go to a walk - in clinic (if your town even has one) or the ER.

That's why I said ER. Crying that can not be consoled is a problem, especially once your baby is too old for colic.

[hannamaren]

Update?

[Mrs.Syntax]

I hope everything is OK by now, but I found that when DD was teething, Tylenol didn't really do much. Ibuprofen worked much better. Could you try that instead and see what happens?

[niki]

Oct 24, 2012 7:57:48 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

Oct 23, 2012 18:53:30 GMT -5 niki said:

I don't crying warrants an ER trip. Does he have a temperature? I would call the pedi and ask the oncall nurse/doctor for instructions.

ha ha ha ha ha

There's no such thing as a "pedi" and a "oncall nurse" in most of Canada. You want to be evaluated, you go find a doctor. You want to find a doctor after 5 pm, you either go to a walk - in clinic (if your town even has one) or the ER.

That's why I said ER. Crying that can not be consoled is a problem, especially once your baby is too old for colic.

Really? I did not know that. I do take some the health care availability we have here for granted sometimes.

[Deleted]

The only people I know that have an actual pediatrician here have babies with serious health conditions. You get in by referral. Normal babies see a family doctor or NP.

This might vary by location, but I know gibbinator isn't in a major city, so I doubt her doctor answers phone calls. Mine doesn't. I can call the Health Line to talk to a nurse... but every time I do, the nurse tells me to see a doctor, so it's pretty useless.

I also tend to think that a mom has a gut instinct on this stuff, even if they've only been a mom for 4 months. If the crying is really out of the ordinary, it's probably better to err on being that over the top mom that takes in a healthy (cranky) baby than to realize at 4 a.m. that something is REALLY wrong.

[Ashley&Scott]

Ditto everyone else, take him in. Good luck!

[hannamaren]

There are definitely pediatricians in larger centres. Probably any city with a big hospital.
I never had a pedi as a child, but I started with one for L, but then switched to a family practice because I didnt like my pedi.
But definitely no on call access.

[zeewifeandmama]

Oct 24, 2012 7:57:48 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

Oct 23, 2012 18:53:30 GMT -5 niki said:

I don't crying warrants an ER trip. Does he have a temperature? I would call the pedi and ask the oncall nurse/doctor for instructions.

ha ha ha ha ha

There's no such thing as a "pedi" and a "oncall nurse" in most of Canada. You want to be evaluated, you go find a doctor. You want to find a doctor after 5 pm, you either go to a walk - in clinic (if your town even has one) or the ER.

That's why I said ER. Crying that can not be consoled is a problem, especially once your baby is too old for colic.

Oh, wow didnt know that! Well, I hope all is well! Update when you can.

[gibbinator]

Bumped for the update

[zeewifeandmama]

Glad to see he's feeling better!

[Deleted]

Glad he's fine and you have an answer!

I do with there was more of a middle ground for care here. It's a total pain in the arse to have to figure out what to do outside office hours.

[Ashley&Scott]

Yeast infections suck, glad you got it figured out!

[Deleted]

Wow I was all for universal health care until I read this. ( flame away I'm only like 40 % serious)

[gibbinator]

Oct 24, 2012 16:40:19 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

Wow I was all for universal health care until I read this. ( flame away I'm only like 40 % serious)

I'm curious why? The ER is staffed and useful after hours. Generally you don't wait too long unless you're there for the sniffles. It's the normal go-to place here.

Not a flame, just confused why this is a bad thing?

[mrssandro]

Oct 24, 2012 18:12:46 GMT -5 gibbinator said:

Oct 24, 2012 16:40:19 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

Wow I was all for universal health care until I read this. ( flame away I'm only like 40 % serious)

I'm curious why? The ER is staffed and useful after hours. Generally you don't wait too long unless you're there for the sniffles. It's the normal go-to place here.

Not a flame, just confused why this is a bad thing?

Ditto? I am wondering why as well?

[Deleted]

All women get their prenatal care and deliver babies free of charge.

Did I win you back? It's not like we have no access to care, you just get it via different channels.

[hannamaren]

We also have pediatric walk ins here. And I only waited 20 minutes the time we needed it.

[Deleted]

Oct 24, 2012 18:16:58 GMT -5 mrssandro said:

Oct 24, 2012 18:12:46 GMT -5 gibbinator said:

I'm curious why? The ER is staffed and useful after hours. Generally you don't wait too long unless you're there for the sniffles. It's the normal go-to place here.

Not a flame, just confused why this is a bad thing?

Ditto? I am wondering why as well?

I'm sure savestheday is used to the American idea of the ER, you only go for serious EMERGENCIES and expect to wait several hours even if you're bleeding all over the place. ERs here are not useful anytime let alone after hours. Hence here in the US we can page our pedi or OB after hours. Sounds like it's different in Canada. I would gladly trade all our "perks" here for everyone to have healthcare like in Canada.

Glad your baby is okay!

[curbsideprophet]

Glad everything is okay and he is feeling better.

[Deleted]

gibbinator- Glad all is well.

Yes I am thinking of emergency facilities in the US. The lines are very long and you would never go unless it is a true EMERGENCY. I once waited 10 hours with someone who was having suicidal ideations/intent and had a thumb tack stuck up there nose. I can call my pedi anytime. It would make me very nervous if I couldn't access my Dr. after hours. Also my DS had horrible MSPI/ Reflux/ Colic. The thought of waiting for hours with a screaming infant in a germ covered ER when all I needed was someone to call in the RX for Prilosec sounds like the 7th layer of Hell.

It sounds like care is very different there. That is a good thing!

[gibbinator]

Um, 10 hrs is a long time!! Holy crap! I'm sure that happens occasionally here as well, but I don't think I've ever waited more than 2hrs and usually it's more like 45mins. The one time i was there for a real emergency i didn't wait at all. At night it's almost instant service - I attribute that to living in a very rural area, fewer people desperate enough to drive to the hospital at 1am

On the flipside, being rural and having socialized healthcare means a Dr shortage and the ER at the hospital 5mins from me is closed all too often (when the one on call dr is sick). So you have to drive almost an hr to the next ER.