Should baby drink Coke or go thirsty?

[FoundDoveInaSoaplessPlace]

We are travelling in South East Asia with a baby and toddler.
Yesterday our planned journey of a 2 hour drive and 30 minute ferry took a total of nine hours. Because of the road delays ( road works and further on a bad accident) we missed the ferry and had to get into a small local boat.
It was hot and humid all day but we got through it ok until the final leg on the boat. Our 12 mo baby got very thirsty and the only drink left was a new bottle of Diet Coke. Baby got extremely agitated and our friend poured some into her bottle as I was holding on our toddler.

DH who was holding her refused to give it to her and said she would have to wait for clean water. She screamed for 15 minutes until she wore herself out and fell asleep. It was dark and the sea was choppy so I couldn't stand up to give it to her.


DH is extremely anti sugar but AIBU to think that he could have put his principles aside on this one occasion?

[TheDowagerCuntess]

I came on here all set to clutch my pearls ... but actually, YANBU - on this one occassion, at least.

Sugar/aspartame aside though, she might not've liked the fizzy.

[BastardGoDarkly]

Well, she fell asleep, so turns out he was right.

I wouldn't have been able to listen to her screaming with thirst for long though either, so get where you were coming from.

Chances are she wouldn't have liked the intense fizz that newlyb opened coke has anyway.

[Moopsboopsmum]

I live in SE Asia and travel a lot with little kids because I have to and I refuse to believe that is all that was available. Ask the boatman, villagers or other passengers for milk or water for the children using hand signals if necessary. Doesn't sound like you are very prepared or capable. Poor kids. Why are you 'travelling' is it for work? If not go home where you can look after your kids properly instead of putting them at risk by being irresponsible and immature. Flame away people but not making sure you have enough milk and water with babies in a tropical scenario is unacceptable behaviour IMHO.

[CaoNiMao]

So judgmental, Moops.

[Broken1Girl]

Don't be a dick moops.
I have travelled in SE Asia too, and can entirely believe there was no safe water available.
I hope you are all OK now Found.

[mathanxiety]

I sort of agree with Moopboopsmum about preparing better, though I think what she said was a bit harshly expressed and I would hesitate to accept local milk or water.

I don't think Coke would have hurt in the circumstances, unless you were still many hours away from your destination, in which case it would have exacerbated dehydration.

Please be sure to bring loads of bottled water everywhere you go for the rest of your trip, and I hope your DD wasn't seriously dehydrated.

[DesertOrDessert]

Think I'd have given her a small amount which I'd tried to flatten slightly.
But also asked for water /milk/coconut water or some fruit with a high water content.
After a 7 HR delay, I'm not suprised your run out of fluids tho.
Hope the rest of your holiday went smoothly.

[ArmchairTraveller]

I completely agree with Moopsboopsmum , and with equal harshness.
This isn't some naff MN choice between organic apricots or a chocolate bar, this is a serious problem of endangering a baby's health because of ignorance and poor preparation.

[marcopront]

Another one here who is amazed you couldn't buy anything else. Were there no mothers with babies on the boat you could have asked? Most places that would sell diet coke, not that commonly available, would have other drinks as well. And there are normally people selling coconut milk straight from the cocunut.

[OvariesBeforeBrovaries]

Those of you with your judgypants hoiked, I'm imagining the diet coke was for one of the adults, who drank it slowly which is why there was some left. After a 7 hour delay it's unsurprising that they ran out of water for the baby.

OP I'm normally very anti babies and toddlers having anything but milk and water where possible, but in this situation you were right. Better for the baby to have something than to end up dehydrated.

[treaclesoda]

The OP has posted this thread twice and it's a fascinating mumsnet experience to see how vastly different the tone of the threads are once the first response has been posted.

[jalopyjane]

Better coke than nothing. But seriously you shouldn't have got yourselves in that situation. Long delays are not uncommon in SE Asia (depending on the country of course). How much water did you take with you? And had the adults been drinking the water but saved the coke?! Or was it the children who drank all the water and the adults were intending to survive on coke alone?

[Narp]

I think you accidentally posted this thread twice, OP

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

It's a one off coke not arsemic -YAnBU

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

And it wouldn't have had any, being Diet Coke.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

Grr any sugar. What did he think would happen?

[ArmchairTraveller]

Those of us with judgypants hoiked in my case is someone who hates the thought of a baby suffering from a foreseeable and preventable event.
Like the fools that regularly got rescued from the moors because they went for a stroll with their babies and hadn't got a clue abut exposure, or the children I saw when I lived abroad who suffered serious sunburn through the ignorance of their parents.

Either plan properly or leave the baby at home with a responsible adult.

[Peachesandcream15]

Where were you? Safe bottled water is freely available in SE Asia. I would have bought some before getting on the boat.

[NameAgeLocation]

I don't know how much it would have helped as a thirst quencher.

Diet coke doesn't have sugar. It's the caffeine I'd be worried about. I really doubt the baby would have wanted it anyway.

[ArmchairTraveller]

You'd be more worried about the caffeine than possible kidney damage?

[NameAgeLocation]

No, more worried about the caffeine than the sugar (which isn't there).

[keylimepieplease]

DH is a fool - Diet Coke doesn't have any sugar in the first place!

[ReallyTired]

I suppose that in situations like this most of the locals would have breastfed a 12 month old baby.

Was the toddler desperate for a drink?

[ReginaBlitz]

You should have made sure you had a suitable drink for your child ffs. Coke isn't going to help anyway.