Early Wednesday morning, 8 October 2008, I took Amelia for her 6 week vaccinations. While we were waiting our turn at the clinic, another baby went in first and it SCREAMED; my heart went ice cold. I hoped that Amelia wouldn’t react like that – it would be heart wrenching. She cried with each shot, but calmed down fast. She now weighs a whopping 4,45kg!

The sisters at the clinic cooed around her since they were part of my pre-eclampsia journey. I had gone to the clinic daily for 2 weeks before Amelia was born to monitor my blood pressure.

We came home after 8am; she had a feed around 9am and slept until 12. That’s when the trouble started. She woke up crying. I offered her milk, but she didn’t want any, just kept on crying. Then I realised that she’s maybe reacting to the vaccination. I usually feel off for a few days after my flu shot every year – could be that she’s experiencing the same thing.

She felt hot, but wasn’t running a temperature, but I could see that she was in pain and was very uncomfortable (I call it: not feeling very smurfie). I had some infant Panado, but the instructions were for 3 months and up; Amelia was only 6 weeks. I was frantic and didn’t feel up to calling the paediatrician for advice. Managed to get hold of Henk and he called the doctor… who wasn’t answering the phone; my regular GP wasn’t in that day, nor could he get hold of his own GP. Luckily at his GP’s practice there was a Sister on duty and she gave Henk some good advice. He phoned me back and gave me the OK for giving her the Panado. He came home during his lunch break to check up on us.

She was niggly the whole day, poor nunu. She kept on whining in her sleep. The two of us took a duvet day and I stayed in bed with a great book for most of it. I put her carry cot on the double bed with me. Every time she nagged I would stroke her and reassure her that I was there and everything will get better.

Unfortunately this ordeal threw her sleeping pattern right out the window for the next few days. Where she used to sleep from 10pm to 5-6am, she was waking every 2 hours again for a feed. I moved back into the nursery. I now HATE vaccines. And mothers in the know tell me that the next one will be worse! Then again, next time I’ll give her some Panado before hand as prophylaxis.