Toddler on antibiotics

[YuckyMedy]

Any tips for getting yucky antibiotics into a stubborn and poorly toddler please?

DS2 is refusing and spitting out each time. I’ve tried mixing with yoghurt and drinks, but no success. Bribery isn’t working because he doesn’t want anything. He doesn’t reasoning / persuasion yet.

I’m worried that we’re going to waste most of the bottle at this point.

I know with antibiotics you’re meant to finish the whole course; do they give children a bit extra knowing that most of it gets spat out, vomited up etc?

This is the second type / flavour that he’s had and we’re not having any success.

Desperate for him to get better, he’s been so poorly today, and I’m sure he’d be on the mend soon if I could just get this medicine into him.

Banana or that yummy pink stuff?

The one you are not supposed to have with food got mixed with neat ribena and a teaspoon of sugar followed by a bit of chocolate on the basis that better than losing eyesight. We had eye drops as well. So six lots of meds per day. That pink stuff is disgusting.

Put the dropper in their mouth and aim at the cheek as far back as possible, getting them to swallow as it hits. Even if they try to spit, most gets swallowed as it is so far back and away from the tongue.
Practice with water with them. Make it a game. Dropper in at an angle aimed far back at the cheek, spray, pull out, swallow.

Yucky not yummy. Bloody autocorrect.

Someone dipped a lollipop in it and let the kid suck it off. I suggest an ice lolly as it will freeze the taste buds a bit too.

You might have to just use force

sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Put his head in your crotch and drape eachof your legs over an arm and leg (so along each side of his body). Pin his head straight up between your thighs. Use a squirty syringe type doser and squeeze it into the side of his cheek, right at the back. Then just sit and wait. Its v difficult for them to spit it out of their cheeks. Another method is to give them a bite of chocolate spread or something yummy and then when they are busy chewing, add the anti bs

They dont give you much extra, so you might have togo back and explain to the pharmacy and get a refill..you wont be the first!

I think it’s supposed to be orange flavour. It’s sickly sweet, but with a bitter aftertaste, and a sticky gritty texture. Can’t blame him for not liking it to be honest.

He’s refused all food today, which has thwarted my previous tactic of chocolate as bribery. It’s been hard enough getting fluids in.

I suspect forcing it will result in further vomiting unfortunately, and I’m keen to keep liquids in him if possible as it’s been hard work to avoid dehydration today.

I’ll try getting the syringe further in and aim for his cheek. He’s usually quite good with calpol but as soon as he gets a taste of the antibiotics he sticks his tongue out and starts trying to wipe it clean and making ‘yuck’ noises. It would be quite funny to watch if it wasn’t so important that he swallow it.

You're just going to have to power through. Use the tone and voice you only use for serious things, for the big no no's.
The gentle mummy approach isn't working. You need to use the no nonsense voice, be very serious. And a little of force may be necessary.

I agree. Don't say anything to alert him the medicine is coming. Measure the antibiotic in a small spoon, ask him to open his mouth in a matter fact/no nonsense voice and quickly give it to him. Little toddlers take cues from us, if we are uncertain and afraid, they know it.