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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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!!

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:

Dozer · 21/03/2011 21:18

Doctor gave you the stuff, just trying to be helpful, your choice what you do re. breastfeeding/trying the stuff.

Original poster

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 21:19

I never said the doctor should have told me to feed him more and sent me on my way!

OP posts:

Original poster

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 21:20

Dozer I have been trying all day, he wont take it, that is my point

OP posts:

Summerbird73 · 21/03/2011 21:24

OP - AIBU?
MN - yes you are
OP - NO I AM NOT
MN - yes you are

so what DID you want the GP to say

look this is a pointless argument. you visited the emergency doctor, you were given good advice and a prescription, you took it upon yourself to google it (if you are so sure of your own medical knowledge then why did you use up a valuable emergency appointment)

Summerbird73 · 21/03/2011 21:26

you have been given good advice on here too, you can try with a spoon (my friend bf'd and had to give her baby gaviscon before every feed - she successfully did it every time with water and a spoon - bloody hard work but she wanted to continue BFing), and my suggestion of using a syringe.

if my child was dehydrated i would move heaven and earth to get fluids into him - and have had to in the past

Original poster

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 21:31

I did already say that I think I am being unreasonable. I am just trying to explain my obviously faulty logic to you.

I also already said that I think the doctor should have suggested that I feed him more often and give the solution if I felt the need to. I also said that they should perhaps have a suggestion for what to do if he wont take a bottle as a lot of breastfed babies wont. The MN jury are also yet to offer a solution that I havent tried.

If you read my OP, I googled it because I have struggled to get him to drink the solution today, not because I didnt believe the doctor! I wanted to know if I should be concerned, as I was panicking that he was going to dehydrate as he wouldnt drink what the doctor had said he needed to get better

OP posts:

Original poster

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 21:33

"I would move heaven and earth" so I'm a bad parent for thinking, after worriying all day about it that BM might be enough for him after all

OP posts:

Summerbird73 · 21/03/2011 21:39

i never said you are a bad parent - i would never say that to anyone

i just think you are dismissing the idea of the solution because it is difficult to administer, look i know myself how hard it is to get meds into our children. i just think you are being too quick to lay blame at the GPs door.

have you tried a syringe? as i have mentioned a couple of times now..

Summerbird73 · 21/03/2011 21:40

as i said - my own personal view (and i am not a medic) is that BM obviously isnt enough for him if he is already dehydrated.

Original poster

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 21:42

I'll copy and paste for you...

^"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 )

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!!!"^

Sorry, I dont mean to be pissy with you, its been a long day!!

OP posts:

Original poster

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 21:42

Doh.

OP posts:

Original poster

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 21:43

Btw, he will take calpol etc from a spoon, I guess cause its not so runny, its just this that is the problem

OP posts:

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 21/03/2011 21:43

Yabu. An A and E doctor might just have superior knowledge to you having Googled the matter.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 21/03/2011 21:44

Sorry, emergency GP, same point though.

Summerbird73 · 21/03/2011 21:46

ok i missed that bit - apologies

look i know it is difficult to administer, just dont blame the GP for trying to help your son.

Original poster

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 21/03/2011 21:50

I know, I know, it doesnt stop me feeling peeved though

It just feels like (to my crazy PFB mind) the doctor has a standard answer to the problem that is less relevant (not irrelevant, I will emphasise!!!) to breastfeeding. I guess cause its not "the norm" in the UK, but thats a whole other thread...

OP posts:

microserf · 21/03/2011 22:39

the solution is actually good stuff if you can get your baby to take it. my 6 month old was v dehydrated with d and v for 10 days (!) and it made a big difference to her general well being. she was pretty miserable by the end of it.

i am tempted to submit my gp for this thread by the way. we have 5 gps at our practice but always try to avoid dr "wait and see". As in "let's wait and see how things develop by me telling you to fuck off for now, me writing in your notes to return if things don't improve in 48 hours but as it is a thursday afternoon your kid getting really sick and then you ending up in a and e on fri night / sat morn but not bothering me?"

Triggles · 22/03/2011 02:44

OP, as most women don't have oz. markers on their breasts like bottles do, it could simply be that the emergency doctor wasn't certain how much fluid your child was actually taking in and wanted to make sure you had other options. It has nothing to do with "less relevant to breastfeeding" and everything to do with providing you with options on how to get fluids into your child that your child obviously needed. Because all children are different, regardless of whether or not they are bf'ing, the doctor most likely wanted to make sure you had the rehydrating solution in case it was needed. Dehydrated babies can go downhill very very quickly. I see no problems in how the doctor treated you and your child, based on what you've posted.

Feel peeved all you like, but YABU, and ridiculously belabouring your inane point after you've been told repeatedly that YABU. If you wanted everyone to agree with you, "AIBU" was not the place to post.

madwomanintheattic · 22/03/2011 03:43

if he's laughing at a bottle, i don't think he's poorly enough to bother continuing an argument, really.

i don't think he needs the solution.

i think the emergency doc thought 'weeeeeell, she's bothered to come out even though she didn't need to, so i'll give her the rehydration sachets to take home in case she thinks i haven't taken her seriously.' and then went off to save someone's life/ piece together an arm or something.

i do remember some vague guff about those dioralyte - type sachets being more easily absorbed than (even) breast milk, but tbh if he had wet nappies, i wouldn't have bothered at all. more trouble than they are worth and they taste gack.

have resorted to syringes with simultaneous blowing of air in the face to encourage swallowing in the past though. and syringing in reflux meds before every bf. so i can understand your frustration.

FreudianSlippery · 22/03/2011 07:17

oooops sorry I missed that bit about already having tried the spoon I blame the fact I had my own BFing DS on me at the time :o

I actually think the dummy method is a great idea! just dip it in the solution every five minutes. Even if he's only getting a tiny bit it's worth it, IMO (and if he doesn't really need it on top of BM, it won't do any harm) I know they say don't put stuff on a dummy, but needs must eh, and it's not like you're putting golden syrup on it :o

You will need to be very careful to throw it away after the specified time though.

Hope baby's ok x

coccyx · 22/03/2011 07:26

Next time your mum tells you off for not going to Drs, stand your ground and don't waste their time.

Bathsheba · 22/03/2011 07:45

I've been around baby forums for a loooooooooonnnnnnnggg time, and my opinion of BFing encouragement sites like KellyMon is that on all occassions they will say the same thing...