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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be annoyed at the emergency doctor

59 replies

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 20:07

DH thinks I'm being very "mumsnet" about this!! Grin

We had to go to the emergency doctor last night as DS (6m) was throwing everything back up. I wasnt going to go as he was fine in himself (happy, no temperature, no diarrhoea), but my mum told me off!
So we went and he was assessed, he has a mild ear infection that should clear up on its own and is showing early signs of dehydration (his fontanelle is slightly depressed)
The doctor was aware he is breastfed, however gave us electrolyte solution and told us to give him a sachet (200mls) in between each feed.

I was starting to worry this evening as it has taken all day to get him to drink ONE sachet (he wont take a bottle at all, he will drink from a cup, but literally a few sips) So I googled it and found quite a few links (inc Kellymom) saying:
"The best treatment for this condition (D&V) is to continue breastfeeding. The baby will get better more quickly while breastfeeding. The baby will do well with breastfeeding alone in the vast majority of situations and will not require additional fluids such as oral electrolyte solutions except in extraordinary cases."

So now I'm rather annoyed that I have been given possibly innacurate advice by the doctor, and have been worrying all day about nothing re the solution, as all I had to do was feed him more often.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Bottleofbeer · 21/03/2011 20:14

A little bit. His fontanelle is slightly depressed so I would imagine the doctor gave it to you to ensure he didn't become deydrated as it can have quite serious consequences in anybody let along a young baby.

If he's feeding well now, has enough wet nappies and his fontanelle is normal then just don't bother with it. I don't think he gave you incorrect information, he was just taking precautions.

CheeseEnforcementAgency · 21/03/2011 20:21

I had similar problem last week but was advised not to bf, luckily I posted here was confident in my breast milk

chipmonkey · 21/03/2011 20:23

And what, may I ask your dh, is wrong with being "Mumsnet"?Grin

YANBU although I do think a lot of doctors do prescribe things for bf babies as if they were ff babies. I always bfed my babies through D+V and not one of them would ever take a bottle of that solution!

Ismene · 21/03/2011 20:27

The doctor was just trying to help you and keep your baby healthy. The solution certainly wouldn't have harmed him, save some temporary distress from you trying to use a cup, but it could have saved his life.

There was a time before rehydration solutions were known to stop the dehydration in babies/children with D&V and the mortality rate was high.

Whilst kellymom can be a useful resource, it certainly isn't a medical authority.

winnybella · 21/03/2011 20:28

It's a standard thing to do, though. If a young baby is on a verge of dehydration and perhaps might not feed well, the eloctrolyte solution will help.

But yes, if he's feeding well and has wet nappies, I wouldn't bother.

Equally, I don't think I would blame the doctor, tbh.

Sassybeast · 21/03/2011 20:31

YABU.
Googling BEFORE using an emergency appointment which you yourself admit wasn't really indicated would have given you the same advice that the doctor did.

www.nhs.uk/Planners/birthtofive/Pages/Diarrhoeaandvomiting.aspx

Original poster
allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 20:32

PS, I forgot to say, the doctor knew he was feeding as normal and having normal wet nappies.

I just cant help but think he'd be better off if I'd offered him boob everytime I fought with him to get the electrolyte solution in, he'd be better off...?

OP posts:
WriterofDreams · 21/03/2011 20:33

The doctor didn't tell you to stop feeding, he just gave you a solution that will help your LO get better a bit quicker, ie he did his job. If he had sent you away telling you to just feed him and your DS had gone downhill due to dehydration it would have been very serious, so IMO he did exactly the right thing. I can understand why doctors get so annoyed when people take internet advice over their expertise.

Sassybeast · 21/03/2011 20:33

But the GP ALSO told you that he was showing early signs of dehydration ?

PaperView · 21/03/2011 20:35

BUt some babies will need the solution. Kellymom is not a replacement for a Doctor. YOu went to a Dr who saw dehydration so offered a solution.

Ismene · 21/03/2011 20:37

Do you BF on demand? If so, you probably already were giving him all the breastmilk he wanted considering he is ill. He was still starting to become dehydrated, so oral rehydration was sensible.

Original poster
allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 20:43

I kind of BF on demand, he is weaned so usually has 3 meals a day and BF every 4 hours. I understand that some babies will need the solution, which is why I do already think I may be being a tad unreasonable, but I just think that maybe the doctor could have suggested that I feed him more often and I give it to him if he wouldnt feed. And maybe they should also be aware that a BF baby often wont take a bottle...?

OP posts:
Original poster
allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 20:45

I just think that being told he must have 200mls of solution between each feed caused me to worry about it too much when he wouldnt take it...
As I said, if I had offered him boob every time I attempted to get the solution into him, he would have had much more fluid.

OP posts:
Fenouille · 21/03/2011 20:46

I was told to stop bf while my 4.5mo DS had D (no V thank goodness) as BM is not as good as the lactose-free formula Hmm

Like Cheese I was confident in my BM so ignored his crazy advice

Original poster
allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 20:47

PS, he was becoming dehydrated because he was sick, not because he wasnt getting enough fluid. If he was still being sick, surely the solution would be no better than BM? (genuine question, not being argumentative!)

OP posts:
FreudianSlippery · 21/03/2011 20:52

My DS was EBF and when he had a vomiting thing I gave him dioralyte as well as BFing. The key thing is though that you do not encourage them to take loads at once (this applies to toddlers/children too) if they will not keep it down. It is better to keep giving them a few ml every 5-10 mins, than expecting them to drink a cup full which will probably all be thrown back up. HTH and hope baby gets better asap!

PS the great thing about breastmilk is that it starts being absorbed as soon as it reaches the tummy so even if it is thrown up it hasn't been wasted and it has still nourished the baby :)

FreudianSlippery · 21/03/2011 20:55

Have you tried a spoon for the dioralyte as a bottle doesn't work?

A lot will get wasted as you can only keep it for an hour but it's worth it IME. Although I use the Boots own brand one.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 21/03/2011 20:57

We gave DS dioralyte as well as BM when he was really sick at about 3/4 months old. There were times when he would keep dioralyte down but not BM, and as he improved we found that 5-10 mls before I BF helped him keep the milk down.

We had really good advice in hospital though, every nurse and Dr we spoke to said 'oh good you are BFing, he will get better quickly' and were very supportive.

Original poster
allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 20:58

I've tried giving it to him on a spoon, in a syringe, in his doidy and sippy cups, and (last resort) a bottle. Its not that it wont stay down, he wont swallow it, he just spits it straight out (apart from the bottle, which he just laughs at Grin)

The only way I can get it to stay in his mouth is by dipping his dummy in it. And that will take a long time for him to take the full 200mls!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 20:59

PS I tried the newborn and stage two bottles too

OP posts:
YellowDinosaur · 21/03/2011 21:08

PS, he was becoming dehydrated because he was sick, not because he wasnt getting enough fluid.

This isn't actually true. If he was takig in enough fluid to counter the sickness then he wouldn't be dehydrated. If you are being sick you need to take in more fluid (what your body needs plus what is being lost). He is getting dehydrated because he is unable to take in enough to compensate for being sick - even if he appears to be taking enough in he isn't.

I think the doctor was spot on. You don't have to give your baby the dioralyte if there are plenty of wet nappies and you are not otherwise concerned but it is there if you need it. To be honest i these situations the doctor can't win can they? If they do then they get slagged off because the internet tells you otherwise, if they don't it would be 'I took my dehydrated vomiting child to the doctor and all they said was to bf. Why have I wasted my time / my taxes on their education / could have got the same information on the internet / yada yada'

Summerbird73 · 21/03/2011 21:13

perhaps he felt that yours was an extraordinary case. your child was dehydrated despite you breastfeeding him. have you tried a syringe? you can do little and often.

YABU

Summerbird73 · 21/03/2011 21:15

oh and i agree with yellowdinosaurs last comment - i deal with patient complaints and a lot of GPs are damned if they do and damned if they dont!

Original poster
allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 21:16

I understand that YD , I know that he needs extra fluid to compensate, but surely if hes being sick anyway, it would make more sense to give him say (I actually dont know how much but, for example) an extra 2oz of BM rather than spend the same amount of time trying to get him to successfully drink 5mls of solution?

OP posts:
Dozer · 21/03/2011 21:17

YABU.