https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 03 May 2026 16:06:49 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2492203 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 14:32:24 +0000 Foodnerd81 2492203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I need to get an armpit one! </p> <p>@Corduroy: I agree- I can generally rely on my hand and watching her with enough accuracy to know if we should call the doctor. And whenever they ask what her temp was I'm always like "around 102" or whatever bc I know t wasn't super accurate. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2492193 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 14:28:52 +0000 MrsBrewer 2492193@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I take it rectally. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2492192 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 14:28:12 +0000 Mrs. Sunshine 2492192@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Always under the arm. Always. I've never been able to bring myself to do rectal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2492190 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 14:27:43 +0000 Mrs.KMM 2492190@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do under the arm. I tried rectal but DD hated it and I couldn't ever get a good reading. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2492181 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 14:24:43 +0000 Alivoo01 2492181@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do temporal. It gives a us a good enough number to let me know if I should be concerned or not and to administer Tylenol vs Motrin </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2492129 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 14:00:12 +0000 jmarionsmith 2492129@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Under the arm then add a degree. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2492115 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 13:54:31 +0000 SweetiePie 2492115@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've only ever done rectal. He's 18 months. It's never bothered him.<br /> Good to know about armpit! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2492111 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 13:52:29 +0000 Mae 2492111@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When she was a baby we did the temporal one, but she never had a fever so it wasn't something that really came up often. As a toddler we do an under the arm one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2492078 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 13:26:42 +0000 Corduroy 2492078@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did rectal with LO1 as a baby but I don't think the accuracy was worth the hassle and discomfort. Now we do ear. Realistically I can tell with my hand and by watching LO if we're in danger territory or not. The thermometer is for verifying the daycare go/no-go decision. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2491941 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 11:36:26 +0000 delight 2491941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We haven't ever done rectal. As an infant I did armpit and now always use an ear thermometer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2491938 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 11:35:04 +0000 KT326 2491938@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do either under the arm or ear. Our pediatrician told us that you have to pull on the ear a little bit to get the thermometer in the right spot. She showed us at one of his appointments and now I can get a pretty accurate reading. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2491925 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 11:31:41 +0000 Alba4 2491925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a 3-way digital thermometer. I usually take a rectal reading, but we can also use the armpit or mouth clip-on thermometer heads. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2491736 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 10:03:06 +0000 Madison43 2491736@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Astro Bee: yep. The NICU nurses always took LO2's temp under her arm and told us that was fine for at home too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2491734 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 10:02:32 +0000 krispi 2491734@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've had the same experience with the Exergen. We use it first to check and then try underarm or rectal to verify if it has a high reading. The pediatrician said that rectal is the most accurate. My daughter is only 6 months old though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2491731 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 10:01:25 +0000 autumnlove 2491731@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ear, temporal and rectal re-check. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2491727 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 09:58:42 +0000 snowjewelz 2491727@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We always did ear... I have a rectal and just couldn't do it! But we always take the ear a few times and it's been totally fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2491704 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 09:46:06 +0000 ShootingStar 2491704@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We still do rectal, it never bothers him. I tried with a temporal one but it wasn't accurate at all. DH got one we could use under his armpit, since that's what they do at the ped, but I'm not sure we tried it out yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2491702 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 09:45:38 +0000 Astro Bee 2491702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Under the arm is next best after rectal. That's the technique we use most often. I've had nurses and doctors tell me that they prefer to use this method on babies because it's not worth upseting them to get a slightly more accurate temperature. The same sources stated that forehead temperature sensors are notoriously finicky. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2491701 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 09:43:56 +0000 hilsy85 2491701@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did rectal up until 2.5, then we started using the forehead one. It's not super accurate, but it gives me a sense of whether I need to worry, which is really all I"m looking for--if it gave me consistent red (feverish) readings for an extended period of time, I would whip out the rectal and just have DH hold him down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-take-los-temperature#post-2491698 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 09:40:12 +0000 Foodnerd81 2491698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When C was tiny we did a rectal thermometer, which of course she didn't like. I had an ear thermometer that was pretty much useless- I felt like I could guess from a forehead kiss more accurately than I could use the ear one. But maybe her ears were too little. </p> <p>I got an Exergen forehead thermometer and it's much easier, but I feel like I swipe it three times in a row and get three different readings by up to half a degree. Even when I test it on myself I feel like it's finicky. Maybe the battery is dying? </p> <p>Is there an easy way to take an infant or toddlers temp that is fairly accurate? I know rectal is most accurate but I really just want a good enough idea of whether we need to see the doctor. </p>