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Taking Baby's Temperature:

When your baby isn't feeling well, one of the very first things you will want to do is to take their temperature. Whether or not a baby has a temperature, and how high it is, can help determine what is wrong with them, how sick they are, and whether or not you need to take them to the doctor. There are a few different methods to taking a baby's temperature, and any of them can work, although some methods are better than others:

• Under the arm—this method is the one of the less-favorite methods of many parents. The temperature measured this way is always about a degree lower than the baby's actual temperature, and it is hard to force the baby's arm down to take the temperature for as long as it takes the thermometer to read it.

• The forehead-stickers—this is one way to take a baby's temperature, but it's less accurate than the under-arm method, and there are a couple of important downfalls to this method. It may stop working, and this is okay if you have another thermometer that you can use as back-up, but if you don't, you may find yourself without being able to take your child's temperature for the time being. Another bad side to this is that your child may be irritated by it, and may try to pull it off their head. So, this isn't one of the better ways to take your child's temperature, but it can be a handy thing to have in the diaper bag for taking your child's temperature in public when necessary.

• The anal thermometer—this is the thermometer that you insert in the baby's rectum to determine if they have a fever or not. This is one of the most accurate methods of taking a child's temperature, but it's also the least comfortable for them. If you decide to use this method, it is best to buy a thermometer that is intended for this type of use, because they are shaped different—the tip is skinnier, and after about an inch, it expands larger. This is so that you do not take a chance of inserting it too far. If you use this thermometer, you will always want to use some sort of lubrication, otherwise it can hurt the baby when you insert it.

• The pacifier—this is a good thermometer to carry with you for emergency situations, but isn't quite as accurate as a traditional thermometer. It can be a good thing to use if your baby normally takes a pacifier, because then you aren't doing anything to them that will irritate them. The bad thing about this type of thermometer is that babies who don't take pacifiers won't use them, and even some babies who do take pacifiers don't like the shape of this or the weight, etc. If your child won't keep it in their mouth, it isn't going to be of much help.

• The ear thermometer—this is the best thermometer available to parents for several reasons. It doesn't take near as long as other thermometers, it is less-invasive than some, and more accurate than others. This is the type that most doctor's offices use now, and can be one of the best things a parent can have. There are only two real downsides to this type of thermometer. They are much more expensive than all other types of thermometers (although many parents feel that it's worth the difference in price), and they aren't the best thing to use if your child has an ear infection. If your child's ears are hurting and you put the thermometer inside it, this will hurt their ears worse.

Whatever thermometer you decide to use, be sure to follow the directions completely, and remember that each type reads differently. Your doctor's office should be able to supply you with a list of what temperatures are normal for each method.

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