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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be feeling a bit stupid after taking DD to the doc

74 replies

HollyFP · 13/07/2011 11:52

Took DD (almost a year old) to the doc this morning as she's had diarrhoea for a few days, I thought due to teething.
Doc asked if I'd cut out all solids - I haven't and didn't realise this was standard procedure for diarrhoea. I had just offered food that I thought wouldn't cause more upset, eg toast. The Doc looked aghast even at that!

I had done some research as to what would help but nowhere I saw the suggestion to cut out all solids until the problem clears.

Does everyone else know this and am I being stupid? Confused

OP posts:
Original poster
HollyFP · 13/07/2011 14:44

Thanks MrsMellow v helpful!

She's only had water in addition to bm, so I'll have to persevere with the syringe. She did tolerate 5mls or so when I tried an hour ago.

OP posts:
twinmummy24 · 13/07/2011 14:45

i won't do this either, think i might cut out milk and yogurts etc because of the lactose but if she is not being sick then no reason to stop feeding if there is nothing going in to bulk up the poo its going to stay loose Grin sorry TMI!
think i would do the same as you toast, plain rice or pasta, banannas or apples.
BTW i am a childrens nurse and we dont routinely starve children that have got D and V only if we think there might be a surgical cause such as problems with there appendix, we tend to go with the little and often approach! hope this helps

Original poster
HollyFP · 13/07/2011 14:49

Maybe I'll try giving her a bit of toast for dinner tonight then..poor thing must be starving already based on how much she normally eats for lunch Sad Grin
Hard to know which advice to follow Sad

OP posts:
Pin0t · 13/07/2011 14:56

Whether you knew it or not...

Whether it's right or it's not...

The Dr was being a nobber in making you feel dumb.

So, YANBU :)

twinmummy24 · 13/07/2011 14:57

it's so tricky when your lo's are ill all you want to do is make them better but are so worried about doing something to make it worse, when mine are ill my nurse's head goes out the window i am a totally stressed mummy!
i think i would let your DD guide you if she is asking for food and not being sick then give her little bits but if she is not bothered then just make sure she is getting fluids.
hope she is feeling better soon Smile

2rebecca · 13/07/2011 20:36

If a child is keen to eat then easily digested solids won't do them any harm. The main thing with diarrhoea is to give plenty of fluids so they don't dehydrate, plus avoid milk if it's bad or prolonged diarrhoea as they won't be able to digest it.
Adults still eat if they're hungry and have diarrhoea.

FabbyChic · 13/07/2011 20:37

Do you seriously not know that when someone has the shits they don't eat food? All they have is water?

McDreamy · 13/07/2011 20:38

I offer anything my children fancy (within reason) when they are ill. Not impressed with the GP's person skills there Hmm

AlsoAvailableSober · 13/07/2011 20:40

Unhelpful FabbyChic Hmm

FWIW DD1 has always wanted to eat through D episodes and it would distress her more not to. SHe eats far less than normal but regulates it herself just fine IMO

Sorry the doc made you feel crap OP Sad

superjobeespecs · 13/07/2011 20:57

when DD was about 5 months and had the runs her nana said give her flat lemonade it worked for all 5 of my lot .. works a treat, we used to just shake it up in her cup and she'd slurp it down!! when she was 2 and had a bug she would take that if she could but if she wasnt upto it we would syringe cooled boiled water or her favourite yoghurt just 5 mils tops when she looked thirsty / was awake enough to let us poor wee thing. i didnt have a clue i needed told from MIL about it :) hope your wee one gets better soon.

4madboys · 13/07/2011 21:00

if she is bfeeding and drinking a bit of water she wont need the rehydrating stuff, tho maybe if she starts vomiting as well i would give it, ie the 15ml every 15 mins ( ihad to do this with ds1 who get very poorly with v&d bug)

i had heard not to give them solids if they have SICKNESS and the runs, but not only the runs, if they wanted to eat i would let them have plain toast etc, something gentle on the tummy.

but breast milk is really the best and kindest thing she can have for her tummy :)

sorry the dr made you feel bad.

OpusProSerenus · 13/07/2011 21:02

I have read somewhere that this starving treatment for diarrhoea given by many medics is wrong and stems from some World Health Organisation advice that has since been rescinded.

I always think commonsense is best and have let my DCs guide me, as others have said, with what and how much they want to eat. DD does go off food if unwell, DS would find it torture to not eat for longer than about an hour!

Very poor of your GP to make you feel bad though

Cheeseandbiscuits · 13/07/2011 21:06

Apologies that your Doctor made you feel stupid.

I always advise

  1. Dioralyte or Cooled boiled water or whatever fluid you can get down them
  2. If its diarrhoea give them a little bit of whatever food they fancy. Vomming; just little and often fluids
  3. Calpol if grizzling

Diorlayte- little and often as I also think its grim. We either give it in a syringe 5-10mls every 5-1omin. If they don't like it, don't force it. Water/very dilute squash are reasonable alternatives.

bambinoblue3 · 13/07/2011 21:09

My DD has cystic fibrosis so was admitted to hospital with gastroinritis (sp?) and was advised it is important to still give them food and milk. And this was the advice off more then one doctor.

Hope your DD is better soon.

DownyEmerald · 13/07/2011 21:18

I've never heard of this - I have heard of BRAT, can't remember where from.

I always end up feeling stupid when I go to the Doctors - whether its for me or dd Sad

smileyhappymummy · 13/07/2011 21:20

I am a GP and would not advise starving your child if they just have diarrhoea, would let them eat what they fancy (within reason!) but also reassure that it's ok if they don't feel like eating so long as they are drinking. Also breastmilk is great for rehydrating if you can get enough into her!
Hope she's feeling better soon.

microserf · 13/07/2011 21:30

i've never heard of that, and i've had two kids. i just follow the BRAT diet, like other posters. YANBU, not at all.

Meglet · 13/07/2011 21:42

I've never heard of that. When my dc's have stomach bugs I make sure they get lots of sips of water but can nibble breadsticks or toast if they fancy it.

sophe29 · 13/07/2011 21:51

It old advice and your GP was wrong to make you feel stupid.
Diarrhoea can be due to many causes at this age, not necessarily due to a tummy bug. Starving the gut is not going to help treat the cause of the diarrhoea only risks dehydrating the child further.
I always advise if they are hungry let them eat. Perhaps keep it bland (never heard this BRAT stuff but sounds reasonable).
It is, however, much more important that they drink as young children can get dehydrated VERY easily.
Signs they are getting dehydrated:
a) Dry nappies (if over 12 hours since last wee get them reviewed by a doc as soon as poss- Out of hours if necessary)
b) Press the centre of their chest with your thumb and if the whiteness takes longer than 2 seconds to return to normal colour
c) Floppy baby - difficult to rouse - Bad sign and seek help ASAP!

randommoment · 13/07/2011 21:58

YANBU Your doctor scores a big fat zero for bedside manner. Get well soon little one from all at Random Towers.

TAtops · 13/07/2011 22:06

I think advice on this one has changed over the years. I last discussed with my (youngish) GP about a year ago. He told me to make sure fluid intake was high but other than that let DD start nibbling on what she fancied although dairy was probably best avoided. My mum was aghast as she'd had the 'fluid only' advice, but that was probably back when Adam was a lad!

Original poster
HollyFP · 13/07/2011 22:10

Wow all this conflicting advice! from people in charge of our health Hmm

OP posts:
Morloth · 14/07/2011 01:02

If you are BFing I wouldn't worry about lemonade or diaralyte just feed her as often as possible, there isn't anything you can give her that will be better for her right now.

ThumbsNoseAtSnapewitch · 14/07/2011 01:16

Yes I knew it but only after having cryptosporidia and ongoing diarrhoea as a result. My parents had always taken us off solids with diarrhoea but kept us on soup - the GP said that was no good either because the fat in it kept the irritation going. So he said go to water and dry toast/biscuits, and then slowly introduce bland foods. That was 20-something years ago but I have to say I would use it today as well - a few years back, I had rotovirus food poisoning, as did my friend - he continued to eat normally and was ill for 4 days, I stopped eating anything and was over it in 1 day.

I don't just have water though - I have diluted ginger ale as well - diluting it takes the fizz out, and adds in some sugar so you don't go funny/dizzy but no dodgy chemicals (like aspartame, which is in many non-diet fizzy drinks, as well as the diet ones).

If DS has bad diarrhoea, I would take him off solid and fatty foods and just feed him dry toast and water/diluted ginger ale, but he's now 3.7. At just under 1, he was still being BF, so that would have been all he would have got then.

Your doctor was a bit rude to make you feel stupid - it's not general knowledge unless you have some experience of it - but it is reasonable advice.

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