Wednesday, June 3, 2009

This time I DO want advice

Zoodle woke up three times last night. Each time he vomited twice. That's the most vomiting either of my kids have done, and I don't generally get stomach bugs, so I don't have much experience here.

I've heard I should still breastfeed him, but does that mean as much as he wants? Do I need to worry about over-feeding him and bothering his tummy more? I nursed him a few minutes ago, and so far he's kept it down (which he was unable to do in the middle of the night), so hopefully we're past the worst of it. But in case he does vomit again, I'd like to know how to handle it.

He was willing to drink a little water in the middle of the night. Should I stick with water, or pick up some Pedialyte?

Should I stay away from any solid food until the vomiting stops?

I think he does have a fever, if that makes any difference.

Thanks for any suggestions and advice that might help get us through this tummy bug!

18 comments:

SciFi Mama said...

Paige was the Vomit Queen. Always getting some sort of bug. Keep breastfeeding him. I would get some Pedialite drink or the popsicles to keep on hand. If he doesn't want solid food, I would try to supplement with Pedialite. As for solids, keep it bland. BRAT diet. Bananas Rice A-something and Toast. Maybe applesauce? Goggle it. I hope he gets over this pretty quick. And that Chickie doesn't get it.

Call Me Cate said...

I know nothing but I hope Zoodle is feeling better soon.

Eternal Lizdom said...

Poor baby... and poor mama!!

Let him take the lead. Offer the breast but don't force it. Your do cmay suggest pedialyte but your breastmilk will keep him hydrated and provide nutrients and calories that Pedialyte can't.

http://www.kellymom.com/health/illness/baby-illness.html

Anonymous said...

Nurse him as often as possible -- for comfort, for nourishment, whatever. And buy THIS: http://www.beeyoutiful.com/tummy-tuneup.html

TTU is a staple in this house, & we honestly couldn't manage without it. Right up there with motrin & tylenol.

You break open the capsule & sprinkle it directly onto the tongue. My kids love it, & they ask for it when their tummies bother them. I even put it on my infants' tongues (not whole capsule) when they seemed to have distressing tummies in infancy. LOVE this stuff, can't say enough good about it, could go on & on, but don't have the time right now.

~ Danna

Desert Grace Boutique said...

If you have any doubts I would call your Pediatrician and ask for someone to call you back with advice.

Unknown said...

I would still breastfeed him, but I'll give you a hint....small amounts work best when dealing with that kind of thing. One of mine got really sick one time and I believe what was recommended was about an ounce every 30 minutes to an hour...which sounds ridiculous but it worked...my baby was able to keep it down doing that. I'd alternate the breastmilk with pedialyte or something of that sort, but gatorade works just about as well and isn't near as expensive. Feeding small amounts at a time will help though--at least it's always worked for me...and yes, do the BRAT diet...if he even wants solids. Popsicles are great for little ones too...it forces them to eat slower usually b/c it's so cold.

Becky said...

Yes to breastfeeding as much as he wants, and one of my nurse friends told me Gatorade is equivalent to pedialyte and they're more likely to drink it. Neither of my kids would touch pedialyte (don't blame them - I tasted it just to see why they wouldn't drink it - VERY foul stuff).

Personally, I'd stay away from solid foods until he's gone half a day or so without vomiting. Mostly for your own sake (less clean up) and not because it would hurt him. Along those same lines, I'd stay with clear-colored Gatorade/Pedialyte.

Good luck and I hope Zoodle feels better soon!

nopinkhere said...

Sorry he's sick!
Breastmilk should be fine, but I would try to limit the amount if he's still vomiting. Little drinks frequently are better than a lot all at once.
If you do want to give him pedialyte, either just as an alternative or to give yourself a break, you might look for the powdered kind. The expiration dates are usually longer so I didn't feel as wasteful buying it.
If he winds up having problems from the other end as well, you might consider adding probiotics for him once he gets back on solid foods.

septembermom said...

When I breastfed my kids, I still nursed them even when they had a stomach bug. I would stay off of solids until things settle down. I hope he feels better soon!

Dani said...

Pedialyte is mainly for preventing dehydration or for picking up those lost fluids...so honestly it's only something you should go for if you're worried about that. Otherwise it might just be a waste of money.

How old is he? Is he started on solids yet? Yogurt is a great thing for sensitive tummies, and although it's a dairy product, it's actually one of the safest first foods for babies! They say no milk until 1 year, but yogurt is different. It's in a broken down form that's easier to digest. It's one of the most gentle things, and it can sooth too. It's the best thing I can think of for sore tummies.

*Monica said...

Breast is best, the BRAT diet is awesome for diarrhea, but I would leave off solids until he is done throwing up.

beckiwithani said...

Just a couple of things: first, and no offense to the previous commenter, but Gatorade and Pedialyte aren't the same. Gatorade has a ton of sugar, which is bad for anyone with diarrhea. Pedialyte is formulated specifically for diarrhea and nausea. It can't hurt to try it with him. Some kids will do the freezer pops (or make your own) if they don't want the liquid.

I would stay away from solids - generally this is the recommendation with vomiting. The BRAT diet, or normal diet, are now both recommended for diarrhea (depending on which doc you ask). Many newer docs are now saying that BRAT isn't necessary - just give them whatever they're willing to eat. But it's a moot point, since he doesn't have diarrhea.

When he starts to get better, try saltines, dry toast, etc. in very small amounts.

And I would breastfeed him, but with lots of breaks to make sure his stomach settles. Maybe nurse for a few minutes, take a 15 minute break to make sure he keeps it down, and try again.

C. Beth said...

Thank you to each one of you who commented! I continued to breastfeed Zoodle. He did vomit one more time after I wrote this, but that was it, and his fever broke this evening! So it looks like it was a very short-lived virus, assuming he continues to do well.

Because he never got dehydrated, we didn't need to do any Pedialyte, but I appreciate all the advice relating to that.

We did feed him some BRAT foods because when he sees others eating, he tends to want to be part of it.

Thank you again for all the GREAT advice!! I was able to put some of it to good use and have filed it away for the future. (Hopefully I'll never need it, but I know that's probably not realistic!)

Unknown said...

I'm glad he appears to be feeling better!

ekta khetan said...

Hi there...

I am not a mom yet...but gathereing from my "Indian parenting" experience [the wisdom as instilled through observing n listening friends n family. I would like to suggest that you must continue breast feeding your little one...Also, you must watch what you eat...if a stuff that u eat has higher gastronomical quotient or things like that...impact will be on baby...Best thing off course comes from mothers and docters...All the best for baby' good health:-)

ekta khetan said...

Hi there...

I am not a mom yet...but gathereing from my "Indian parenting" experience [the wisdom as instilled through observing n listening friends n family. I would like to suggest that you must continue breast feeding your little one...Also, you must watch what you eat...if a stuff that u eat has higher gastronomical quotient or things like that...impact will be on baby...Best thing off course comes from mothers and docters...All the best for baby' good health:-)

Lora said...

Glad he's feeling better. Liam had something similarly short lived a couple weeks ago.

When He was less than a year we had a similar belly bug. Doc said nothing in belly for one hour. Then breastmilk, water, or pedialyte in very small quanilies, like 2oz or so, start with 15 minutes apart and increase as tolerated. No attempts at food for at least four hours.

Anonymous said...

Beth -- When I read through this it was so interesting that you have all these friends at your fingertips to "consult" on what to do! So much better than when I had small ones, and my help came from my mother and Dr. Spock's book!