Do you take them to the PED for just about

coasterqueen wrote: everything or do you try to wait things out? I ask this because there are some times I feel (and DH likes to make me feel) like I take the girls to the PED for too much. Megan woke up Monday morning a bit hoarse sounding when she'd cry or wimper. That was the only time I noticed it. Then over the last few days I've heard her wake in her sleep coughing once or twice and sometimes I could hear a bit of congestion in her chest. She does not have any other symptoms. I was thinking of taking her in but I know they will just put her on an antibiotic and I feel like she's gotten that too much as it is. DH thinks I should just wait it out. A part of me feels like I should and the other part of me feels guilty if I do.

Do you ever feel this way? Do you take them for everything? I really hate to because their bodies have to get used to fighting things w/o always getting antibiotics and meds, but .

luvbug00 replied: I do. I have always rather be safe then sorry. so what if they know me by name! I just want my child to be healthy and if that means I take her in for every slight fever then so be it!! BTW chest congestion is somthing I'd take mya in for.. i'm no help! LOL!

booey2 replied: I try to wait things out but once I reach the point where I feel it has progressed to far and is not going to stop I take them in. My doc always said that you should trust your feelings and instincts. I have never been wrong yet in taking or not taking them, even if it is to just confirm that what they have is a virus and what I am doing for it is all I can do. The doc always said that if you wait too long you could be doing more harm then good, he usually says that when I go in for myself after waiting too long to be seen, and I usually end up on tons of antibiotics when I see him.

ediep replied: I usually take Jay in, but lately he has had a cough that I know is allergies, but the doc never does anything about it, so we are currently waiting it out.

Kaitlin'smom replied: Thankfully Kait has hardly been sick. He last bout with all the throwing up I was worried about dehydration, I really did not think I needed her to go to the ER so I called the after hours and talked to the doctor on call. made me feel better. Will they let you call and talk to someone before taking them in?

PrairieMom replied: I rarely take mine in. If its someting like a cold with cough, chest congetstion, runny nose I wait at least 10 days and if it isn't showing signs of getting better then I take him in. Although, I work in a hospital with kids, so I know what to watch for and I feel comfortable doing that.
I don't wait nearly as long with a fever. Its been so long I don't remember how long I waited. It depends on how high the fever is.

There are so many germs in a Dr's office that I avoid that place as much as I can.

coasterqueen replied:
I did call this morning but as soon as I said the word chest congestion (like the sound of phlem (sp?) in her chest) they say the word wheezing and suggest I take her straight to urgent care. Our doc is out all week and the nurse is booked solid so that's why they suggested urgent care. I hate that place though. They hand you an antibiotic every time no matter what and they always say she has an ear infection and the PED says she doesn't.

I guess we'll take her to the urgent care tonight. She's at daycare today and she acts perfectly fine. You only notice it when she wakes up from nap/sleep or if she cries.

jcc64 replied: I avoid the dr's office like the plague. I rarely if ever take them in for anything remotely resembling a cold. Most things are viral and wil self resolve if given a chance. There really are not many likely scenarios that require anti-biotics- and I think too often drs prescribe antibiotics unnecessarily, b/c they either believe the parents expect/want it, or b/c they want to get you in and out of the office quickly. In the end, I believe we will ALL pay for that, but in the short term, at least I'm not tempted to give my kids meds when they're better off fighting things off on their own.

coasterqueen replied:
See this is how I feel too. But then there's that guilty part of me, at least in this instance, that starts to freak out thinking "is she going to get pneumonia if I wait". I am crazy sometimes, just like Dh says. Well we'll still take her but I will be very hesitant to give the antibiotic, depending on what they really say.

A&A'smommy replied: you know I try sometimes to wait it out but if I'm not sure what I should do I call the ped and my ped doesn't give antibiodics very often unless its something that ABSOLUTLY needs it. There are times when I have called that they just called us in a cough med and the doctor I use to go to would have given her antibiodics.. anyway I think i did use to take her too much though

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied:
I'm like this too...I try and wait it out because I know the office is just full of germs, but then I freak out and wonder if something will happen if I wait. DH thinks I'm nuts sometimes...but I refuse to feel guilty about it because us moms are the ones responsible if something terribly bad were to really happen, kwim? At least it would be for me.

I typically call my sister first since she has three kids and has BTDT with just about everything. So I like to take her advice and then go if needed. It just makes me feel better I guess. I will only give an antibiotic if I really feel necessary...luckily my ped doesn't prescribe them for everything (but I know one doc in the office that does).

Hope Megan gets better soon...

5littleladies replied: I hate taking the girls to the dr. if I don't have to. However, we have to watch our colds and such very carefully since my girls are apparently predisposed to lung problems. Bri had pneumonia twice this past year and Maddie and Meg both had severe wheezing at different points in toddlerhood. I still wait, but I watch carefully.

JP&KJMOM replied: Depends on which kid it is. With Karlee I wait it out because mostly hers is allergies.

With JP is usually take him in because of his asthma and we spent a week in the hospital in January because of asthma and pneumonia. Therefore I take no chances with him.

luvmykids replied: I've learned when to go and when not to, but I still probably do take them more than needed. Mostly because for a while we didn't have insurance and couldn't unless it was pretty bad, I figure now that we pay for insurance I am going to get my moneys worth!

amynicole21 replied: We're dealing with this today. I called to see if I should take Sophia in - her glands in her throat are swollen and she's running a temp. They said it could be anything, and I could wait it out or take her in for step test. This morning she wasn't complaining about her throat, so I decided to wait. Now, she just woke up from a nap and IS complaining about her throat, so I'm worried. I tend to take her in for everything, but they both have so many ear infections that they usually have one whenever we go in anyway

luvbug00 replied: Edie you should probaly take him to an allergist. you do NOT want that turning into croup which can be very bad! Mya started out like that. Many allergists like the ones here say they only take refferals but I fouhgt like h*** with them and got mya in and they are doing great with helping with the allergies..

My2Beauties replied: I'm so bad about this too and Brian gets on me every time. Like this last time I took her she had pharyngitis, it's just a viral infection that causes fever and redness of the throat, but you can't do anything for it but let it run it's course, hearing that from the doctor still made me feel better than Dh saying she's fine she'll get better in a few days. It's just that sense of well I done everything I could do ya know. I'm the same way Karen. I feel bad for taking her all the time because she hates the doctor but I feel bad for not taking her just incase she is really really sick and needs meds. So my concious gets the best of me and I usually take her on in.

3xsthefun replied: I usually try to wait it out.

kimberley replied: i used to take them in for everything but not anymore. i can pretty much tell if it is just a cold or something more. and the ped will just tell me to ride out a cold anyways.

coasterqueen replied: Thanks everyone. I think the reason I feel like I am taking the kids to the PED all the time is because of Kylie's recent ear infections AND having to see the feeding team/gastro specialist so much for Megan. In reality I do not take the girls in for every little thing. I probably would if it wasn't for my husband who's a bit more calm than me ALL THE TIME.

BTW, we did not take Megan to the urgent care last night. We decided that it's just a chest cold and we'll wait it out a bit longer. Her breathing is a bit raspy when she sleeps but that's normal when she has a cold. She's not acting weird, no other symptoms so we'll just wait and see.

Thanks again for making me feel like I'm not a freak...well about this that is.

Makenzi'sMom replied: Im bad I take Kenzi alot, but all the visits finally bad off, she needed tubes due to her cold and earaches. She is much better since then. When she was an infant, I was so paranoid as a young mother, the doctor probally hated me then

Maddie&EthansMom replied:
Same here. I never take my kids to the ped. I don't like for them to be uncomfortable and I do administer tylenol or motrin, but that's about it.

Now ear infections are another story. We've been so lucky to not have any since Maddie was a baby. And things such as Megan's gastro stuff...that you cannot help. If she is sounding raspy you can use the humidifier (which I'm sure you are already doing) I hope it helps clear her chest congestion.

ediep replied:
Thanks, but i am waiting to see what his ped says. He definately does not have croup, I know what that sounds like.

Nina J replied: I try to wait it out.

Brias3 replied: I'm on my third now, so I've eased up a bit on the trigger finger calling the doctor's office or bringing them in but I can see what you mean. It took me awhile to really just wait things out a bit. I still bring them to the ped much of the time, just for my own peace of mind, and because I don't like to risk it with them.

MamaJAM replied: I've never been one to rush to the ped's office. Even with teeny-tots....I don't run in for ever case of the sniffles or any semi-minor fever. Also - once a pattern has been established with one of the kids - I think about how they deal with illness before running to the doc. Example - DD#2 got tons of viral infections as a toddler -- she'd lay down for a nap feeling/acting fine and wake up wiht a 104* temp.....the first bunch of times - I ran her to the ped just to be told there was nothng they could do...seemed senseless to take her out and expose her to other illnesses every time she got a fever -- so, we started waiting 24 hours before calling the doc if she had a fever (unless she had other symptoms). Same goes for DS#2 and his breathing issues -- we give him a treatment if his breathing acts up before calling the ped. For things like minor colds - we treat the kids at home -- unless they've been sick for a long time or symptoms keep getting worse....I just don't see a reason to go to the ped for every little thing.

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: With Logan's heart, anything that causes high fevers (over 101) I take him in. For coughs/chest congestion, my rule is wait 5 days. If it is not improving or getting worse, I take him in. My ped knows us far too well, but he understands my reluctance to let Logan get really sick. Strep throat for him could be fatal, it could damage his heart valves and that I simply won't risk.