When to worry - dehydration?

[MarathonMama]

Hi DD (9 months) has been unwell since Sat. She was clingy all day Sat and threw up just before bedtime on Sat night. Yesterday (Sun) and this morning she was better, not 100% but eating a bit and more perky. This afternoon she's taken a turn for the worse. She's been really clingy again and has thrown up three times in as many hours. She can't keep anything down and is refusing to drink. I did manage to give her a breastfed but she pushed off me and threw up, which means she hasn't drunk for about 8 hours.

When should I worry?

[BeaWheesht]

When was her last wet nappy? Was it very dark? How's her Fontanelle? Is her mouth nice and wet?

[NellyBluth]

DD had a lot of diarrhea and some vomiting at about that age, I think I completely overreacted and ended up at OoH one night and A&E the next night (in my defense the phone doctors did tell me to go to A&E...) It is scary though.

As far as I'm aware the main signs are sunken fontanelle, dry lips, sunken eyes, and of course not peeing or the pee being very dark. Has she peed at all for a while?

If she's still awake you could try ice lollies, if you have any, or a muslin soaked in water or wrapped around an ice cube. At A&E we were given Dioralyte and told to syringe it in at I think 5-10mls every twenty minutes. It's hard because we did have to pin her down and force it in, but it's for their own good. Even just 50-60mls of Dioralyte over an evening will help a lot.

If you are worried then call the out of hours doctors and ask for advice, it's never wrong to call a doctor about a baby, but if she doesn't look too pale/sunken and is asleep then maybe see if she sleeps for a bit and takes anything when she would usually bf during the night. Or if she drinks from a bottle, maybe offer her some when asleep (just 2 or 3 oz in case it upsets her tummy) and see if she will take it.

Good luck - it's horrible when they are poorly.

[MarathonMama]

Thanks ladies, I'm really stressing as I'm on my own and also have a three year old. She's asleep now, should I wake her to get her to drink and check her fontanelle? Her last nappy was pretty much dry so her last wet one was at 3pm.

I'm really not coping well on my own, it's all a bit upsetting

[BeaWheesht]

Don't panic it'll be ok. Is she in disposables? Can you check it without waking her to see if she's peed? It'll be squishy if she has. You should be able to check her Fontanelle without waking her too.

Has she got a fever?

I will check back every wee while tonight if you need someone to talk to,

[NellyBluth]

You poor thing - I hate it when I'm on my own and DD is ill too, it makes me much more panicky

Can you test her nappy without waking her? Has she ever drunk from a bottle or boob while asleep? If you are worried and you aren't going to sleep tonight then do call the doctors for advice. Or is there anyone who could get some Dioralyte for you, or a nearby mum you could borrow some off of?

[NellyBluth]

I'm off now, just wanted to say I hope your DD gets better. If you are worried later than you can always post in AIBU or Chat to get a bit more traffic But do phone the OoH if you are worried, or take your DD down to the GP in the morning. She'll be fine, I think most babies go through a day or two or not eating and drinking when they are poorly, but that doesn't make it any less upsetting.

[MarathonMama]

Thanks, i really appreciate it. She just woke up so I gave her a little breastfeed and she's just going back to sleep. Have found some dioralyte and have it at the ready with some bottles of cooled water.

[MarathonMama]

Btw, it's not so bad I'd post in aibu

[BeaWheesht]

Sounds good - no temp? Just keep an eye on her and hopefully she's over the worst.

We've all had norovirus and in dd (2) she's been up and down for a week, think these things hit wee ones harder.

[MarathonMama]

No temp, thankfully.

She's still out of sorts and not eating but has had some drink. I realised that she was sick on Friday afternoon too, then again on Sat before bed, nothing on Sun (but out of sorts) and then all the sickness yesterday afternoon, which doesn't sound like a bug.

Will see how she does today and go to the docs if she hasn't improved tomorrow.

[NellyBluth]

How have her nappies been - was it at least slightly wet this morning?

If she doesn't drink much today or is sick I'd be tempted to take her to the GP this afternoon (do you have one of those emergency appt sessions?) just so you don't get worried again this evening when the GP is closed. Or just force some Dioralyte down. It tastes horrible to she probably won't drink it, but we found pinning DD down (poor thing ) and waiting until she cried before syringing in to her cheek a few mls at a time got there in the end...