If someone was to ask me to reflect back on the past year and name three things that were a struggle with parenthood, one of my top three would be watching my child endure ear infections.
Gracelyn had nine — count them, NINE! — ear infections last year. The poor girl has really shallow ear canals and that coupled with germs from daycare made for a really bad time in our household. She had so many ear infections, the nurses at her pediatrician’s office knew us by name. It seemed like just when we thought she was getting better, I had to call the doctor’s office again to schedule another appointment.
The worst part about knowing your infant is sick is that they can’t tell you what hurts. We spent many nights rocking and cuddling and singing her to sleep throughout the night, praying for morning to come faster so we could take her to the doctor to affirm what we already knew was an ear infection. Gracelyn would just cry and cry, despite having taken pain meds. Those were the hardest moments.
Finally, when she crossed the nine-month-old threshold, she was able to get tubes in her ears. At the time of me writing this, she has had tubes for one week. So far, so good!
I jokingly say Gracelyn takes after her dad in this area, as he had incessant ear infections through infancy. My mother-in-law tells stories of how the day he turned nine months, they were the first ones at the hospital for him to get tubes for his ears.
Gracelyn’s surgery was scheduled for a few days after she turned nine months, and it could not have come sooner. My husband Matt and I did a lot to prep for the day, including research on how to best approach the day.
Here are five things we learned when our daughter had tubes placed in her ears
1) Gracelyn had to fast starting at midnight the night before surgery.
After midnight, she couldn’t eat or drink anything until after the surgery. To be honest, I think I ended up being more nervous about this than the surgery itself. Gracelyn gets up several times during the night, and at least one of those times, she’s inconsolable without her bottle. Our plan of action was to give her her regular bottle before she went to bed, then I set my alarm for 11:45 p.m. and gave her another bottle with as much as she could drink until she fell back asleep. This kept her full and asleep until we had to check in at the hospital at 6:15 a.m.
2) Be prepared to wait once you’re at the hospital.
We were told that Gracelyn was the youngest having surgery that day, so she would be the first one at 7 a.m. After we checked in, our nurse told us that the anesthesiologist wouldn’t be making her rounds until 7:15 a.m. and they would probably take her back around 7:30 a.m. Now 30 minutes may not seem like a big deal, but to an infant who hasn’t eaten since midnight, it makes for one cranky baby. From the time we checked in until they took her for the surgery, we had to do a lot of distracting. We brought some of her favorite toys with, sang songs, and when those got boring, we walked with her up and down the halls explaining everything in sight. “This is the closet where they keep the linens. This is a doorknob, it’s how you open a door.” It surprisingly kept her attention and distracted her from her growling tummy.
3) It is a quick surgery.
When we were originally told that, I didn’t want to believe anyone, because I was certain they were telling me whatever they could to help my new-mama nerves be calm. Gracelyn was taken back at 7:30 and by 7:50, I could hear her cries from the hallway as they brought her back. You’ll have time to grab a quick cup of coffee or muffin, but don’t plan on being gone too long as you’ll want to be back in the room when they return because….
4) Coming out of anesthesia is the worst.
I remember coming out of anesthesia when I had my back surgery two years ago and the one prominent thought was “anesthesia makes the world so horrible!” All I wanted to do was be awake, but I couldn’t because it was so overwhelming that I wanted to sleep. But I wanted to stay awake… it was a never ending cycle. My adult brain could process this, but my nine-month old’s could not. This resulted in non-stop crying for 35 minutes. She cried and thrashed around with her eyes closed. When we held her, it seemed like she didn’t want to be held; when we put her down, she threw her hands in the air like “pick me up!” Be prepared to not know what to do for a good half hour. We had her bottle ready and tried to give it to her. Sometimes, she’d accept it, other times she would violently push it away. What ended up helping to calm her down as the effects wore off was bouncing her up and down.
5) Naps are great.
Once the anesthesia wore off and we got home, Gracelyn was acting like herself again. She took a three-hour nap and when she woke up, it was like the surgery never even happened. What did change was that the next day, she was more chatty than usual. It was like she could hear her own voice. I loved it!
Getting tubes for Gracelyn’s ears were not only necessary, they were wonderful! Discuss with your child’s pediatrician and an ENT specialist if tubes are right for your child. If they are, I hope my tips can help you. Good luck!
The content on Rochester MN Moms Blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
