Calpol - how do you get them to swallow the damn stuff?

[bumbleweed]

My 3 month old has a cold bless her.
Trying to give her calpol but she's just spitting it all out and not swallowing. Darent open another packet as then will not know how much she has had.
Sorry this sounds such a pathetic problem - but tis my first baby, her first cold and I am really really tired.
What do you do?

[Jasnem]

Do you have a small syringe? If so, use that to squeeze it gently into the side of har cheek.

[chapsmum]

at three months she will still have the tongue thrust relfex. If you can get hold of a syringe, squirt it into the side of her mouth where her tongue cant get it. alternitively get a narrow spoon and do the same.
Their wee mouths are very vascular and so some will be absorbed just from being in her mouth.
HTH

[doormat]

you can get small syringes from chemists

[Normsnockers]

Message withdrawn

[bumbleweed]

Syringe seems to be what I need then - why dont the HVs tell you this sort of thing?
Would the dropper type thing out of the infacol bottle work? Just until I can get dh to pick up a syringe from shop?

Cheers folks.

[Jasnem]

dropper would probably work.
i think if you buy calpol in a bottle you get a syringe with it.

[Normsnockers]

Message withdrawn

[Feistybird]

God, from the moment go, mine have always loved calpol - would swig it from the bottle like winos if I didn't watch 'em.

Agree, syringe is best. If she's bottle fed, could you put it in her milk?

[oliveoil]

syringe

Hold her tightly in your arms (as if you were feeding). I put one of her arms behind my back, and hold the other arm, tip them back and squirt it in, bit by bit.

They will look at you in horror and be very angry, but it does work.

We call it Victorian Style in our house.

xx

[mrspitt]

Baby nurofen comes with syringe and it works a treat when they little.

Now when it comes to a 2 y.o............

[kreamkrackers]

go to your doctors they can give you paracetamol in a supposetery form so it can easily be inserted up the bum! turn her onto her left side when you put it in and use your little finger, keep her on her side for about five minutes as they can sometimes pop back out.

[Trophywife]

if you use a Syringe and squart it into her mouth but aim for the back teeth area then they have to swallow, u can also rub their throuts as it goes in, like you do with a cat, and that makes them swallow. i had to do the above with ds at the same sort of age. HTH

[MrsWood]

Why not try one of those medicine dummies - we've always used it and it's especially great for at night time when you can just gently slip it in and the baby sucks it all in... You can buy them in Mothercare or online. Around £4.99.

[Highlander]

Buy Nurofen - it comes with a syringe. Use the syringe for your Calpol - inject into the buccal area, hold gob closed, tickle under chin.

[LeahE]

I agree on the syringe.

Does she still have the reflex where if you blow in her face she opens her eyes wide, swallows, and looks startled? If so that's another option that may help - get some into her mouth, blow in her face and she'll automatically swallow.

[lucykate]

tbh i tried a syringe, medicine dummy, spoon etc to get calpol and antibiotics into ds but was wiping most of it up with a wet wipe, so now i just add it into a drink, water or milk. works if you are bottle feeding but no help if you are feeding yourself

[Easy]

Really it's the same technique as for giving medicine to dogs or cats.

Once they're older it gets harder. I don't use Calpol, as something in the colouring makes ds vomit, but Paracetamol syrup from the chemists is orange flavour, and ds doesn't mind taking it at all.

[bumbleweed]

Aww thanks everyone!
Have now got syringe and tried a couple of times into cheek. Still not all going down but maybe it takes practice.
Will defo try the chin-tickling and blowing in face which have been suggested.
If paracetamol is a pain killer, does anyone know why it makes them so drousy? I feel like I'm doping her up!
Oh the guilt of parenthood.

[chapsmum]

bumbleweed there is nothing in calpol that causes sedation. My own theory would be:
(and this really is a thoery based on no medical evidence)
I think babeis are naturally sore, their wee bones are growing so fast, the dont understand how to 'get comfortabe' and not so long ago they had their head really squeezed through a very tight space.
I think by giving them pain killers you take away all of this and they get a pain freesleep
That is purely IMO