Hi Everyone! Hoping you can help. My 14 month old has tubes. They have made a reall y big difference but we are having problems in the bath. He loves to go underwater and we can't seem to stop him. The cotton balls with vaseline do not seem to work and the ear plugs in the store are too big and fall out. My doctors office can make a custom fit but the baby would have to sit still for 5 minutes for each ear and they are afraid it won't work. So we are stuck. And we are going on vacation. He LOVES to swim and I want him to able to enjoy himself so any tips are most welcome!!!!!!!!!
Hi A.,
I went to the ENT this afternoon and it was suggested my 2 year old get her adenoids taken out and tubes put in. He said that it wasn't a big deal if my daughter wouldn't use the ear plugs. He said we could try ear plugs, but that if she wouldn't use them it would still be OK. Good Luck!
My daughter had tubes when she was little we used the wax ear plugs, you can get them just about anywhere, grocery stores or drug stores. They are real cheap too , a couple bucks. I forget the exact name but they worked great and although at first she put up a little fight when I would put the wax in her ear, she was compliant once i told her "NO plugs, NO bath". I'd wash her up with a wash cloth and right out she came. Luckily she loved her bathes and would often stay in them for a hour or more, so she was willing to do the plugs. She was only about 1 1/2 at the time too. And she understood. Good luck.
I found this website which may be useful to you (my nephew wears this headband instead of the plugs or wax - and he doesn't seem to mind wearing it at all)....You may be able to find one cheaper on ebay or ask your doctor if he/she may carry them.
http://www.kiefer.com/Kiefer/product_family.asp?family%5F...
I work for ENT and Allergy Assoc. and our audiologist makes ear molds for children so they can take bath's and go swimming with no problem. They're not that expensive and they work very well. If you would like more info let me know!
Hi A.,
My sister had tubes in her ears when she was a kid & she loved to swim too. What really worked well was the little balls of what looked like clear wax. They are very malleable and you can break them up to fit into small ears. You can find them in the ear plug area, you usually get four balls in a package and each ball can get at least 3-4 uses. I even used them a few years back when I had had a double ear infection & was terrified to get my ears wet afterward! Good luck.
R.
Hi When I was 7 yrs old I had tubes in my ears also-my mom put silly putty in my ears. It molded to the shape and she left enough sticking out so she could pull it out. I still couldn't go underwater for long periods of time b/c she was cautious but it worked for me. Hope that helps.
hi A.,
My son had tubes put in right after he turned 3. The custom ear plugs they made for him at the ENT did not stay in ever, and he refused to keep the other ear plugs in too, no matter what shape or color they were. I asked his pediatrician about it, and he said there were two schools of thought regarding water in the bath, the first being absolutely no water near the ears, and the second, which he said he agreed with, was that as long as the bath water was clean and precautions were taken to minimize exposure, I should not worry too much about infection. He emphasized the clean water part, meaning if he was in a lake or something that he should wear plugs. Because plugs were not an option with our very strong-willed child, his grandmother found a Speedo swimming cap online for him to use when we went to the lake. As for the bath, I ended up putting only a couple of inches in the water in the tub so that he could still splash, and cut his baths down to twice a week or so. He hasn't worn any ear protection in the bath since that first harrowing month. He's 4 now and his tubes are still in, but he's only had one ear infection since his surgery a year ago. good luck.
Three of my kids had severe ear infections. An ENT's (ear, nose and throat MD) office sells ear plugs (they don't have to be individually fitted- small, medium, large) and also head bands that wrap around the head to hold them in place for swimming. Tell him if he won't wear the ear plugs/head band, he doesn't swim and no more baths (only showers). Overtime chronic ear infections can lead to serious complications. Good luck-
Try www.onestepahead.com Here is a link to what i think may definitely help you.
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...
A.
My daughter is 19 months old she got them put in when she was 5 or 6 months old. The ENT had special earplugs molded specially for her ears done. Insurance did not cover that so it was about $85. Well, worth it I used them all summer long in the pool and during her bath.
Talk to the ENT. Good Luck! S.
