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Newborn hearing test? rubbish morning

Having a bit of a bad morning and need to have a bit or a rant/worry...

My HV was supposed to visit yesterday to weigh Isobel and do her hearing test (she's 3 weeks old). I waited for an hour trying to keep her awake as I didnt want her disturbed from sleep to have the tests done only to call and find out she was off sick and no-one had bothered to inform me. They made an appointment to see me at the local surestart centre this morning (half an hours walk there and back, three weeks post section) which would also give me an opportunity to see a BFing counsellor about a problem im having with a super fast let down which drowns my poor baby girl at each feed. Barely got to speak to the counsellor before getting whisked away to have hearing done, Isobel was hungry so was screaming and super hot and they couldnt get a reading in her right ear and wanted me to feed her in different positions Ive never attempted before with a hot, screaming baby in front of complete strangers in an attempt to get a reading from it (her left ear was clear). I ended up in tears as was worried and stressed and tense about having to feed in a position Ive never tried before and desperate to strip her down to her vest as she was so hot. They gave up in the end and have rebooked it for two weeks time before I was ushered back into the breastfeeding support group which was now full of toddlers and breastfeeding mothers who have obviously all been attending the group together for months. I kinda hovered around whilst waiting for the changing room to become free, stripped Izzy down, had her weighed and then left (had been there nearly three hours). I had to stop into my mum's house on the way home so i could feed her properly and now i just feel like crap - I didnt get any proper advice on the BFing problem im having and now im really worried that she has no hearing in her right ear and have to now wait two weeks until we get it tested again. has anyone else had similar experiences with the test and it turned out ok? I cannot believe how stressed and tearful I feel after this morning image

Replies

  • Whereabouts are you? I've never heard of anyone making such a palaver over the hearing test, if I were you I would complain. A clear response in both OR in one ear only is considered a pass, she shouldn't have to be retested unless you are concerned, if she jumps a mile in the air when you slam the bin lid, then trust me her hearing is probably fine! Ethan only passed in one ear in hosp (apparently it's more common for c section babies to only pass in one ear due to all the fluid not being squeezed out like it would be in a vaginal birth) and I have no concerns about his hearing, he can hear me planning to have a nap three rooms away and find a way to scupper itimage

    I would ask if it's really necessary to have her retested, to be honest, it's a stress you just don't need.
    There is some excellent advice here on helping baby cope with a forceful letdown:

    http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

    I hope it helps! x
  • Just to say that they had to re-test Toby's left ear about five times before they could get a result and it was absolutely fine - it's completely normal for them to have fluid in it for a while (I had a natural birth so not just c-sec babies).

    Also, don't worry about your baby being asleep during the test - it's actually easier if they are asleep (that what the woman doing our tests told me anyway) and won't disturb them.

    Good luck and sorry you had such a cr*p day - it probably won't be the last I'm afraid but you will get better and better at coping with them!

    C image
  • Sorry to hear that you haver had such a rubbish day, I would say something the next time you are there.
    My nephew failed his hearing test in one of his ears a couple of times, then on the third time it was totally fine and he passed.
    Have a cuppa and a nice cake to cheer yourself up hun x
  • Thank you - I think im just feeling emotional as I was out of my comfort zone. Im incredibly lucky in that Isobel has been a very easy baby so far (im well aware that wont last!) and it was the most upset she's ever been today so I felt awful and was shattered from the walk there and back and doing the most ive done since the section so came on here to vent i think. Im gonna try not to worry about her hearing then.
    Thank you for the link, Mrs Setters. Ive found Kelly'smom a very helpful website since Isobel was born - im just finding changing position really hard and was really hopeful that they would give me a proper demonstration or physically help me latch her on. never mind, i guess we'll just have to keep going it alone for the time being x
  • I'm in a bit of a rush but just wanted to say that Matilda failed her initial test in one ear. Five days later and it was fine. They did specify she had to be asleep so I'm sure it's just that that caused the negative reading xxxx
  • omg they didnt even wake esme up for her hearing test and it wa sdone in 5 min s no issue
  • Just wanted to offer some hope for if there is a problem flagged up: my brother was completely deaf as a baby, couldn't hear anything. He didn't react to any sounds at all. A few months later he had gromits and since then has been able to hear just fine. Just wanted to offer a bit of hope that even a negative reading does not mean that your baby would have ongoing problems. I'm sure all will be fine anyway!

    Hope you get your BF issues sorted - can't offer any advice on that, sorry.
  • Hi lizzie failed the hearing test a few times in the same ear. they will try again with the same clicky thing and if it fails again they will put sticky headphones on her (they dont hurt or anything) and try again. this is normally enough to get a clear response.
    we ended up having to take lizzie to audiolology to have her hearing checked and they were brilliant exceot the whole room has to be dead silent so they like it if baby is asleep, hubby rocked lizzie to sleep just long enough to get a reading.
    dont worry as most babies who have a clear response in pone ear are fine in the other!
    hope they have better organisation next time xx
  • sorry to hear you had a bad day i had a natural birth with my dd2 and she failed her hearing test in both ears and had to take her back about a week and half later and she was fine. i bf but never had the fast let down problem but i hope you find something that helps take care image
  • I had a similarly crap experience if it makes you feel any better. DD was awake and has a cold, so the thing kept falling out of her ears and they couldn't hear over the sounds of her snuffling.

    They decided to try another way which involved wiring her up with these little ear muffs, but this takes half an hour and she wouldn't settle. They suggested feeding her, so I took her outside for a quick feed. Took her back in and she promptly threw up everywhere, bless her it was all in her eyes and face.

    The clinic only runs once a fortnight, so we've got to go back in 2 weeks and if they still can't get the result apparently we get referred to the ENT unit. Very frustrating.
  • Beth failed in her left ear and I had a 2 week wait feeling really freaked out. We had to go to a special centre to get her retested and the test took aaaaaaaages and we had to not let her move or make a sound am I remember literally sweating I was so stressed but she passed and was fine. From other Mums I've spoken to it seems to be extremely common to fail the test but then pass later on.
    As she was upset trying to feed she probably just failed because of that. When Beth moved the teeeniest bit the test had to be restarted. Hopefully next time she will be asleep and it will go better.

  • It sounds like she's fine hon, my lo had her test yesterday and because she had a cold it took several attempts to do it due to the nasal congestion noise and also because she was a little unsettled - in the end I sat feeding (bottle) her for a short while and then it was done ok as she had quietened down by then.

    I'm impressed at you walking to the health centre but don't over-do it hon!! I also had a c-section on the 17th and haven't really done any walking or driving yet, I think I'll be up to it from next week but am determined not to over-do it and to follow orders - I'd hate for you to make yourself ill as looking after baby is hard enough after a c-section. Another similarity - my lo is Isabel too! different spelling though lol.

    Hope you feeling brighter today and try to stop worrying, am sure if she passed in one ear and is alert and reacts to sound then she'll be fine xx
  • hey my ds1 failed his tests (now 5) like mrs setters said at home he would jump at loud noiaes etc was tested weeks later and was fine, sounds like youve had a horrible morning image
  • Not re the hearing test but on the let-down problem. try calling the NCT. You can find the number on their website and don't have to be a member but they have local breastfeeding counsellors who will come to your house if needs be to help in a hands on one-to-one way xx
  • Oh hun, sorry to hear you had such a rubbish time. Ryan failed his hearing test (which he had to be awake for) in one ear, it was done before we left the hospital, they then did another test (that he had to be asleep for) later that day and he passed fine xx
  • thank you - im still feeling anxious about her hearing. There have been two seperate incidents this weekend (a balloon popping and a dog barking) where people have commented on her lack of reaction and ive been in tears later over it. She's a very chilled out, laid back baby (only cries or fusses when hungry) and my husband and mum dont think its anything to worry about but i cant help it image
  • We were in a shopping yesterday, and they had a car on display a draw or something, anyway we were about 20ft from this car and some idiot gets in it and whacks the horn, everyone turns around, it hurt your ears that much, only afterwards did we remember about lo, he hadn't even stirred! OH was doing bits around the house on his time off and even hammering in the same room didn't get a reaction most of the time, if he's asleep or chilling out nothing can bother him.
    I've completely rambled on, but I really wouldn't worry hun, I'm
    sure she's just very relaxed and contented xx
  • try not to worry, when pippa was a week old we had a carbon monoxide detector fitted and the bloke tested it in the living room where pippa was laying on a mat and she didn't bat an eyelid, and believe me her hearing s fine, sorry you had such a rough day
    xxx
  • thank you - that makes me feel a little better image x
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