Last week, LO came down with her 5th ear infection in 6 months. She has been so cranky and miserable that I actually felt grateful when our ped gave us a referral to the ENT. We go tomorrow for our consult. I would love to hear positive stories about your experiences. Bonus points if the tubes helped your LO sleep better!! 
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@LovelyPlum: DD got tubes at 11 mo after a never ending ear infection. We had to be at hospital at 6am, they took her back around 8am & by the time I got back to the waiting room they were done! We were home by 9, she had a great nap & woke up like nothing had happened! There is no IV, just mask of gas which made me feel better for some reason. She's almost 3.5 now & has never had another ear infection!
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It was life changing and amazing. Easiest best thing ever and yes, we went from a poor non-sleeping 9 month old to a sleeper! Little guy was just in so much pain!
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@MommySLP: @travellingbee: thank you!! I know that she is in a lot of pain noe, and I hate to keep giving her medicIne around the clock. I am so hoping this is our answer÷
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@MommySLP: no IV does make me feel better, too. I didn't want her to have one if she didn't need it.
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It was the best thing we ever did for him! He wasn't having too many infections but had chronic fluid behind the ear that was affecting his hearing and balance. (At 12 months, he wasn't crawling or babbling at all.) The surgery was short and simple - obviously a stressful 20 mins for us but we were home by 9:30am and he was back to his normal self by lunchtime. Within days he started crawling and talking. He's 2.5 now and honestly it's been so nice not to have to worry about ear infections! The doctor said one tube is about the fall out and I'm dreading it
Good luck!
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In addition to the positive stories about everyone's LOs I wanted to add that I had tubes as a baby. At the time I was one of the youngest ever so I'm sure my parents were freaked out but it made a huge quality of life difference for them and me and I have had positive results since. I did get one or two random ear infections later, like age 5, and they are some of my earliest memories - ouch. I think it's great you might be able to do the tubes and hopefully prevent as many more infections as possible.
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best thing ever! She is no longer in pain, no more infections (well she has got one but drops cleared it up), and her speech is 100% better.
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T had them placed at 8 months due to chronic fluid and infections. His ears have been perfectly clear at every check up since! Good luck!
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@LovelyPlum: Ear tubes seriously changed our lives. My daughter had 6 ear infections by the time she was 7 months. She's 20 months now and no ear infections since we had the tubes put in! She sleeps better and colds go away without requiring trips to the pediatrician and antibiotics.
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Hugs mama!
Lo hasn't had tubes but I did when I was a baby and I turned out a-okay 
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DS1 has had two sets. I think he had one infection with the 1st set. For him the biggest issue was that he would have fluid remain in his ear. Now after his second set his vocabulary has just exploded. The worst part is when they wake up from the anesthesia. But the procedure really is quick with a fast recovery.
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@SeptMomma12: @charlotte: @Smurfette: @jhd: @My Only Sunshine: @Mamasig:
I've tried to reply to this post at least 3 times, hit it keeps going off into the ether. Regardless, THANK YOU for all the tips. Our ENT appointment went well, and she is having them put in first thing Wednesday morning. I am also really glad there is no IV, and I can nurse her up until 4 hours before surgery. This is a huge relief, because she nurses every night around 3. I was dreading having to refuse her. She continues to be a total crank, so I can't wait to find out what kind of improvement we see.
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@LovelyPlum: I'm glad the appointment went well and that they can do it soon. I hope everything goes smoothly and that she feels better asap!
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@LovelyPlum: Good luck!!!
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@LovelyPlum: good luck! She'll do fine!
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Thank you all for these stories -- we have an appointment in a couple weeks to get DD's tubes put in and it's comforting to read this. I don't know why I never thought to ask about IV versus gas for anesthesia, I just assumed it was IV and the doctor never said one way or another -- I might call tomorrow to make sure! I'd be SO relieved if there's no IV involved!
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@PurplePeony: there shouldn't an IV. Your LO will be away from you for 10-15 mins tops! It is amazing how fast it is. We were still talking to the doctor after when they brought her back to us and she was already awake. Within an hour she was fully awake and after finally eating and drinking for the day, was running around like normal.
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Though K hasn't had it done, I work in an ENTs office. It's amazing how fast the kiddos bounce back from surgery- and the difference the tubes make is usually dramatic!
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@PurplePeony: with just tubes, there was no IV. But in his 1st surgery his adenoids were also take out which is common. He had an IV that time.
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@Smurfette: yeah, the nurse practitioner at our initial appointment said they administer the anesthesia in a room on one side of the OR, and when DD is asleep they wheel her in and do the tubes while we walk around to the recovery room on the other side. They wheel her out and she wakes up with us. She said not to even go get a cup of coffee while we wait because it goes that fast! I just never thought to ask what method of anesthesia they use. One of DD's daycare classmates just had tubes put in and her mom said she barely seemed to notice she'd had a procedure done by the time they left the hospital, so I'm glad that seems to be a common experience. And that little girl started basically talking in sentences within a few weeks of getting the tubes (at ~18 months), which is kind of amazing! I'm hoping tubes will improve my DD's balance as well as speech, she falls over a lot -- more than I think is normal even for a toddler.
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@jhd: @SeptMomma12: @Mamasig:
@PurplePeony: good luck to you as well! I hear you on the balance thing. LO falls over all the time, so hopefully that will stop soon. Fingers crossed that it makes a huge difference for both of our kiddos! Let us know how your appointment goes.
@Mrs. Oatmeal: my sister is an SLP, and she said the same thing. I am excited that she will feel better, and I can't wait to help her get back into a more normal routine!
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@LovelyPlum: good luck. She'll do great! DD gets hers in on 6/3(I wish we could have gotten in sooner). Same thing, she had 5 in 6 months and I was so happy when they finally said to give the ENT a call. DS has tubes and they helped immensley!
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@LovelyPlum: please update after your daughter's surgery! She's having them done sooner than mine so I would love to hear how it goes for you. Good luck and I hope she bounces back quickly!!
@GrapeCrush: that's the same day as my DD's procedure. Good luck to you guys, as well!
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@PurplePeony: will do! And thanks
@GrapeCrush: oh man, you, too? I hope it goes well for you! I'm sorry you have to wait, though. Now that I'm feeling good about the decision, I'm ready for it to be here already!
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@LovelyPlum: honestly we were expecting it, because DH has terrible ears, and DS had to have tubes. I want it done, because I know how much they help. DS had only 1 ear infection the whole time his were in, and it's when he had pneumonia and was pretty sick. It's such a quick procedure...you'll be at the hospital longer getting her checked in, and waiting for surgery the she'll actually be in surgery.
@PurplePeony: good luck to you guys! She'll do great
and by the end of the day you won't even know she had anything done
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@LovelyPlum: @GrapeCrush: how did the procedures go? DD's was this morning and it was stressful to see her anesthetized and also when she woke up. But now she seems happy enough -- she took a little nap in the car, ate like a bottomless pit when we got home, ran around and played for awhile, and is napping again now. So far, so good...fingers crossed it stays that way.
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@PurplePeony: I'm glad everything went well!! A's surgery was today too and she did great! She was great for all of the pre op stuff and came out of anesthesia beautifully. They let her sleep for about 10 extra minutes before bringing her out completely. She was mainly hungry. She was smiling and happy and eating, and her normal self within an hour of it being done. I posted a pic of her on IG (_sasasarah_) enjoying a timbit afterwards.
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DD had tubes put in 6 months ago. At the time, she had less than 30 words (at age 2.5!) and ow she is almost entirely caught up with her peers. Wish we has gotten the tubes in sooner but they have been amazing for her/us.
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@PurplePeony: @GrapeCrush: I'm so glad to hear that their surgeries went well! Ours was 3 weeks ago, and it has made a big difference. Unfortunately, she has had a bunch of discharge this weekend, so we may have another infection. If so, though, I am really glad we can take care of it with drops. Otherwise, we have seen good improvement in babbling and falling over less. She still isn't a great sleeper, but we are working on it. It was very much the right decision!
Eta: she was super pissed coming out of anesthesia, as the ENT said she would be. Cried inconsolably for half an hour, and that part was awful. It didn't take long for her to settle once we got her home, but I could tell she had some pain still. The next day was much better, though!
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Bumping this older thread! My poor little guy has had pretty much constant ear infections for the last 3 months. We are going to have tubes put in even though he is almost 3, since we are heading into the winter and he just started preschool. Any advice about older kiddos and anesthesia? I get super choked up every time I think about it, which is ridiculous because at the same time I wish we could do the surgery like, 3 months ago.
I am just so super nervous about him being knocked out and us not being with him.
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@Mrs. Lion: oh, poor LO! So G was out for like 10 minutes total. They did gas, no IV. She was angrier for longer after than she was inder. Once we got home, though, she was better, and they have been a GODSEND. thinking of you!!!
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@Mrs. Lion: The idea of the procedure is so scary, but I cannot express how wonderful the end result is!!!
W had her 2nd set of tubes put in when she was almost 3. They also removed her adenoids. For her first set of tubes (10 months?), it was literally 15 min from the time they took her back to the time they called us to let us know she was in recovery. She was a little groggy but completely herself in an hour.
It was harder on me the 2nd time because she was older and I was afraid she would be scared and because it was a longer procedure. She woke up crying in recovery, saying her throat hurt because they removed the adenoids, but they gave her more pain medicine and she was ok.
No more ear infections, medication or grumpy kid... well, at least not from ear infections.
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@Mrs. Lion: DS1 has had two sets - 1st at 17 months and second at around 32 months. The second time was so much easier. He came out the anesthesia much faster. Not sure if it was because of age or that he didn't get his adenoids taken out that time.
DS2 just got some last month and he was out of it until the afternoon. Totally different !
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@LovelyPlum: @BabyBoecksMom: @Mamasig: Thank you so much!!
Can you tell me more about how the anesthesia part goes? I'm picturing them taking him into a cold sterile OR awake and us having to stay behind and I know that won't go over well for anyone involved.
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@Mrs. Lion: I'm not sure how it is everywhere but my boys had theirs done at a surgery center. We stayed with them in the pre-op room until it was surgery time. The doctor and anesthesiologist came to talk to us before. With adenoids they had an IV. Just tubes - no IV. When it was time, they took them back awake and we had to go to the waiting room. It literally takes about 15 minutes and they are done. Then the doctor came to talk to us and we could go back to the recovery area. We left about 30 minutes later. Waking up is the hardest part. Also, my doctor schedules based on age. So the babies go first. It's harder when they are older because they can't eat or drink after 10 or midnight the night before.
Eta: neither one of my boys cried when they took them back. I was surprised.
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@Mrs. Lion: don't underestimate the charming power of the OR nurses...seroiuslu, G went right to her! She talked to her about getting stickers and blowing into a magic balloon (I'm guessing heart rate monitor and the gas?) There were no tears from her, and very few from me. I was really -and pleasantly - surprised!
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@Mamasig: @LovelyPlum: thank you for the reassurance. I hope he does that well. He panics at the doctor over every little thing. I have to hold him to restrain him just to look in his ears.
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Does your LO know/like their ENT? When my LO got her tubes done at 10 months she actually fell asleep in my arms during in preop so that hand off was super easy. When she got her second set around 30 months, I was more nervous that she would flip out when they wheeled her away. BUT, LO looooooves her ENT. And the nurses spent a lot of time buttering her up in preop. So when it was time to go we just told her that the nice nurses were taking her to see Dr. D and she was totally fine with that. When we went to get her in recovery the second time she was snuggled up in the arms of a nurse and had to be convinced to come to me. Nurses have magical powers.
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@Mrs. Lion: My little guy had them this summer at 15 months and it is AMAZING. Night and day. He would get ear infection after ear infection, finishing a round of antibiotics and 3-7 days later we were back for more. He has had ONE brewing since and we have drops to put in his ears for 5 days and its gone-so no more oral antibiotics, just local.
So we had the same where we were at a surgical center, J was the youngest and went first. We were in a preop room for a bit where they talked to us and gave him some tylenol, I believe. Then we could go to a little playroom until they were ready for us.
I chickened out, honestly, and had my husband go in with him and he said he just held him, they gave him a gas and he went limp. My husband was with me in the waiting room before I even found a seat and then not 5 mins later the doctor came in and said it went great and actually apologised for taking so long to speak with us bc he was talking to his next patient's family!
They then took us to the waiting room where a nurse was walking in with him and he was pretty disoriented, kind of flopping around in her arms, I took him and he did the same for maybe a minute. (It wasn't more than a little tantrum when your LO doesnt want to be held and wants you to put them down.) He was clingy, wouldnt let me sit or put him down or give him to dad, but other than that ok! We gave him two pouches bc he hadn't eaten. We went home after the required 30 mins, gave him a banana and some cheerios played for a bit and went down for a nap and he slept forever! 9:30-1:15! After lunch he was up and his cheerful self playing hard in the backyard like nothing happened.
Good luck!
Lo hasn't had tubes but I did when I was a baby and I turned out a-okay 
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