I need some encouragement. My 8.5 mo has had a recurring ear infection for months. We are at our wits end with all the sickness and lack of sleep! Some days I wonder how I can function at all. He won't sleep unless I'm holding him, and it has been this way for what seems like forever. Before he started daycare and started getting ear infections he would sleep through the night or wake up once. He has a terrible infection right now, but is scheduled for getting tubes in this Thursday. It seems like so far away but I'm hoping it is a light at the end of the tunnel! If yours got tubes, was it very helpful? (Please tell me yes or I might just give up!!) Thanks!!
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LO got tubes at 17 months and they've been fantastic for us. The procedure was so quick I thought something must be wrong when the doctor came out of the OR so soon. Recovery was super easy - LO took a longer nap than usual on the day she got tubes, but was otherwise totally fine that day.
FWIW, LO can still get ear infections after getting tubes, but they are generally less frequent and less severe. If LO gets an ear infection after tubes, you will know because there will be discolored discharge out of their ears. And you treat with ear drops, not oral antibiotics,
Another plus - her speech has REALLY improved since getting tubes. I'm not sure if that is coincidence or not, but its been fun seeing her vocabulary explode.
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Ditto everything BlueBonnet said.
LO got tubes at 15 months after constant recurring ear infections. The day of, I was terrified, but the surgery was over before we even got settled in the waiting room. Nice long nap and by late afternoon she was in the best mood she'd been in in months. Her disposition improved after tubes (less pain) and her speech improved immediately.
She has gotten a couple ear infections since, but they're easily and quickly treated with drops. As nerve wracking as the surgery was, I'd do it again in a heartbeat knowing how much it helped her.
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@Bluebonnet: Thanks! That is so good to know. My niece's speech increased a lot after tubes too and she got them around the same age as your LO. How was her sleep before and after tubes?
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@LC: YAY! Thank you! I know that my son is happy by nature because he was before all of this started and he TRIES to be happy but he is really constantly miserable and whiny. I feel so badly for him and I can't wait for him to feel better!
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I had tubes when I was little and they were amazing! I had so many ear infections before I got them, and I think I can probably count the ones I've had since on one hand. I hope your LO is feeling better soon!
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@travellingbee That's exactly how my daughter was... she was happy all the time before the ear infections and then she would try to be happy but you could see she was hurting (and tired from not sleeping). Truly, it was incredible how quickly the tubes helped her.
Hang in there the next few days and good luck on Thursday!
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@travellingbee: LO had multiple ear infections, but they weren't back to back, so her sleep was only impacted when she had an active infection. When she had active ear infections, we'd know because she'd wake up in the middle of the night, and her nose would be runny. She wouldn't really have other symptoms (fever, fussiness, etc).
She's actually a really good sleeper (before and after tubes), so no big change.
If your LO has had constant ear infections for weeks or months, I'm sure you will notice a big change in sleep. Good luck!
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@travellingbee: Mine got tubes at the end of September (after basically four months straight of chronic ear infections) and she hasn't had an ear infection yet!!! She has had some bad colds (to be expected from a day care attending baby during the winter) but the colds never developed into ear infections! Hurrah!
I was so nervous for the surgery but she did GREAT. She fell asleep in my arms while we were waiting and she stayed asleep when I handed her over to the nurse. She was back to me within 15 minutes. She was crying HARD when I got to her but I popped a boob in her mouth and she settled down. I would say she was grumpy for maybe thirty minutes, took a great nap, and was back to herself with no other side effects.
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DS got tubes placed when he was 14 months, after back to back ear infections, and the ones before it. He's 19 months now, and not a problem at all with his ears! It was like the best thing haha he still sleeps like crap...but that's because of his teeth
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@sarbear: I guess teeth can't be helped
He only does this needing to be held all night thing when he has an infection so I am hoping it will put an end to that!
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@travellingbee: that's how my son was with his ear infections, we'd be up holding him all night, just so he could sleep. I hope this is the fix for you.
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