8 Mo. Baby - Ear Infection and Teething Remed(ies) Needed

My son is 8 months old, nearly exclusively breastfed; he was delivered at home with midwife; he has had his 2 and 4 month vaccincations; we have decided to hold off more shots until he is 2 or so ;(if then at all); he was a big boy at birth 8.8 pounds and is 23 pounds now; he has blue eyes, blond hair

ONSET Suddenly; fever first noticed at 2:00 a.m.; nursed far longer than usual; that was six days ago (Tuesday am - it is now Monday the following week); no fever now;

developed a rash during this week that the doctor says is fungal - at base of penis, in groin, and in top part near anus - blisterlike

ETIOLOGY - it appears to be from an ear infection in the left ear; doc said it is "really red" on friday (3 days after fever first appeared); we were getting ready to go to a conference; baby nurses - 90% of food from breast; nurses and co-sleeps with mama.

SENSATION - pulls at left ear - but he pulls at both ears, my ears, etc...even in utero

APPEARANCE - looks tired even after a nap; I saw some red dots all over his back before he went swimming in a pool

LOCATION - left ear

MODALITIES - when we hold him, we move our knee up and down rapidly, like vibrating; he is better for movement; we need to rock him to sleep most of the time; if we hold him close while in our family bed, he sleeps better; he is very distractable - most reliable place to get him to nap is in our room with blinds drawn - he is very interested in everything - very alert and usually a very happy easy, mellow, easy going baby;

Worse in the afternoon, I think; he is better if he is doing something;

He really responds to "Enya" - music; puts him to sleep in a heartbeat;

CONCOMITANTS - the biggest thing was the high fever from TU-WED-THU - our tympanic said 103-104, but when we went in on friday to the doc, they said 98.6; when he was feverish, he looked terrible, listless, but would breastfeed; his nose was not running and we didn't notice him pulling at his ear

He is teething - the upper two; they are so close - can see the whites of both of them; the right one has poked through just a very little bit; this was happenign for 2-3 weeks prior to the fever; I think he gets the ear infections when the teething gets bad; lots of drool - salivation; he is sticking his whole hands in his mouth;

He threw up in a big way on TH, but hasn't done it since; I attibute it to something in my diet

He started to cough on Saturday morning and is coughing on and off still

DISCHARGES - just some clear discharge from the nose today. We looked inside his ear - it is still red;

we are applying mullein oil and garlic at this point

GENERALS - I would say fussy and irritable; he will cry or protest at odd times - maybe it is the rash on his buttocks too in addition to everything else; normally, he is the happiest easiest baby to please

He does want to nurse - last day or so, it seems that he is on the nipple more - makes his teeth feel better; wont take a teether or teething biscuits though

Could be thirst too, but hard to tell with a baby;

MENTALS - see above; he is just more fussy; wants to be held more (yes, I know that PULS is the first thought here)

He basically wants to be held by mom; is less interested in others, even daddy; doesn't want to be with strangers (normal for this age though)

THIRST - from birth, and now - he'll typically nurse her and there during the day - graze; will nurse a lot during the night (he is in daycare)

FEVER / SWEATING - none now; when the fever broke on TH night, it was an hour after we gave him Motrin; he was sweaty then;

ODORS - no odors

Most Striking about the condition - I would say the redness of the ear and his fussiness.

Hope this covers it

I have many many remedies - My time is so limited now -- it is harder for me to use the reporatory - I do have several though;