to put this here as I have had no answer in the appropriate topic.

[MrsPotter]

I posted the following, massively U to post it here as well but I really need an answer :(

Hi guys just wanted to get some advice really.

Last week a stomach bug passed through DP's family, DD and I had it (DD is 8 months old) she was sick one night and half of the following day, then it was just her bottom end basically. Very runny poos which obviously to be expected with stomach bugs, her poos are still, for want of a better term...dodgy. She is almost weaned, her daily meals are as follows

When she gets up: 8oz bottle of formula
Lunch at around 12pm-12:30 is a jar of food (she currently has the 7month plus ones and has done for the past couple of weeks to a month)
depending on how long she naps for in afternoon she has another bottle of formula at around 2:30-3pm (again 8oz)

5-6pm she has her dinner jar (please don't judge me for the jars I am not a very competent cook)

then around 8-8:30 usually she has her last bottle then bed.

Does that sound okay? She's my first so I'm still learning really, but anyway back to the nappy contents, she had runny ones with that stomach bug, but obviously being on the jars her poos had become lots more solid, now they are mostly explosive with lumps (bits of carrot etc) no more smelly than normal really. Just to add I do give her water/baby juice during the day if she hasn't had a lot of milk (sometimes she naps through and its too close to dinner iyswim so i give her juice or water with her dinner)

Please can someone come along and tell me what I am doing wrong or should I just take her to the GP to make sure?

Thank you guys

Fortunately we've never had a D&V illness in DS's 3 years! But, I remember reading about the BRAT diet for helping recovery from D&V. Bananas, Rice, Apple sauce (not apples) and toast. This is sort of bung you up a bit food so may help her runny poos.

I'd maybe offer her some lumpier, chewy food (like the bananas, toast or stewed apples mentioned above) as an alternative to the jars. The jar contents are very smooth and may be passing through her system too rapidly. Avoid fatty foods as they tend to keep tummy bugs livelier than you want them. Stick to (boiled and cooled) water rather than baby-juice. If you're at all worried, always see your GP for advice. They'd always rather you came along even if it's only for reassurance rather than sit home unsure.

Ds had a nasty d&v bug, but younger than your dd. Our hv suggested soya formula would help - which it did and quickly! Hope she's better soon.

Ds had a nasty d&v bug, but younger than your dd. Our hv suggested soya formula would help - which it did and quickly! Hope she's better soon.

I would cut down a bit on the dairy. Dairy is not supposed to be good for dodgy tummy.

I know they need their milk at this age, but just for a few days cutting down a bit to help the tummy bug pass may help.

Ditto on the bananas, always been told too many bananas can lead to constipation so in this case a bit of banana might hekp.

I am no nutritionist though.

Bananas...where did I mention bananas? As for the formula I don't think she is ready for me to drop it out entirely like that. I do offer her water (boiled cooled ofc) she doesn't seem to like it so in the interest of keeping her hydrated i give her the baby juice

We all had a D&V, DD2s poo took ages to go back to normal.

I know this isn't what you want to hear but some babies won't transition easily to "real" food when all they have had is jars.

Could you try real food for one meal a day? It doesn't have to be puree at 8 months, how about some of your dinner, or maybe pasta with tomato and veg sauce / bolognese / cream cheese and sweetcorn? Google baby led weaning if interested. Sorry, know that's not what you asked!

OK, re-read. other posters mentioned bananas as they are slower to digest to may slow down runs. I was agreeing

Also I didn't suggest cutting OUT the formula, just suggested cutting DOWN the dairy. I think the suggestion of soy formula for now uneil bug cleared up is a good compsomise in this respect.

its not puree the jars she is having they are for 7+ months so are quite lumpy (hence why im worried about some of the lumps still being in her poo)

I worry about the salt levels in the stuff we eat as opposed to the baby food.

Hope that didn't sound judgey pants, didnt want it too! Just trying to help, my dd1 is a nightmare eater and I am determined DD2 won't be. Its so much easier second time round - so far the only food she won't eat is the breadcrumber fish fingers/chicken nuggets that her sister lives on!

I agree with the BRAT diet. It is good even for adults. The lining of her bowel may be irritated by too much solid food, I'd stick to plain white rice, apple sauce and mashed banana's. I'd go easy on the toast and give her lot's of water and a little diluted apple juice. Hope she is better soon.

My Doc used to tell me to cut out milk feeds for 24hrs because of something to do with the bacteria.

It's not easy though when baby's screaming for a bottle.

sorry fatherchewy speed reading is not my friend. I see your advice and I would prefer not to take it as in actual fact she is having less formula than she used to anyway and I am not happy to reduce it again just yet but thank you anyway.

No gemma not judgey pants at all! I'm going to start giving her bits of pasta with no salt etc

BRAT diet - bananas. rice, apples, toast. Wrt milk I'm not sure what to suggest, I used to cut dairy out all together but not sure about when they are still on bottles. Hope it passes quickly.

Have no idea whats 'right' or wrong, but my DD is also 8 months and has the following;

8.00am - Breakfast - 1 of the following: Porridge, weetabix, toast. (Made with formula milk where applicable)

9.30am. - 6oz Bottle, usually a nap until around 10.30

11.00am - Piece of fruit (usually plums, pear, strawberries or grapes) and/or baby rice cake or two or petit filous yoghurt.

12.30pm - Lunch. One of the following|:Sandwich, (cheese or ham, as she likes to try to feed herself,) Veggie sticks (Carrot, courgette, peeled peppers, cucumber, celery etc) jacket potato (not the skin) Fish fingers, Crumpets, Homemade dinner from the freezer.

1.00pm - 6oz bottle - nap for an hour

4.30pm - 6oz bottle

5pm - Dinner - Homemade dinner from freezer, Petit Filous or similar for dessert

7pm - 6oz bottle

3am (give or take) 6oz bottle

She has jars occasionally, but its an expensive way of feeding her. I just make extra of what we're having (unless it's something spicy) and pop a couple of pots in the freezer each night. She seems to eat quite a lot more than yours, but she doesn't over eat, when she's had enough she purses her mouth up and shakes her head, and we never force her.

As I said, no idea whether this is right or wrong, but she's a happy little soul, has one solid poo every day and is a normal (although slightly under average) weight. HTH

I think lumps in poo is normal, btw. Or at least not a concern on its own. Mine have always had it from time to time. Food that should have been chewed / can't be digested / or just went through a bit fast? Im no Dr though. Trust your instinct.

I know people scoff it but the Annabel Karmel book is very good at giving you an idea of the quantities of food a child should be having even if you don't use all the recipes. She even does a timetable of bottles and food which I found helpful.

it is still advised to maintain milk feeds during episodes of diarrhoea so I would continue what you are doing. If you think she is getting dehydrated then dioralyte can help too - give alongside formula/food. Carb rich foods are good e.g. toast, pasta, rice, potato, etc. You dont need to boil water for drinking after 6 months (boil for formula though). You could add in a finger food snack mid-morning e.g. banana, toast fingers, cheese biscuit, etc

Do people actually still use jars of baby food? I never have, even wth 14yo DD - obvously ahead of my time with 'baby-led' weaning! .

I just don't cook WITH salt - I add it later if I want it. My dc just eat whatever the family is eating, from whatever the recognised 'weaning age' is at the time. (Has varied from 3 months with DD to 6 months with DS3!).

I just whizzed it with a stick blender for those that were weaned before about 5 months (First 3 I was told to wean at 12 weeks for DD, and 16 weeks for DS1 and DS2). DS3 I never bothered doing more than chopping the food into diddy bits to start with, as he wasn't weaned till 6 months. (He's only 13mo). Now he shoves whole ravioli in at once the piggle!

Honestly, the BRAT diet and cutting RIGHT down on the dairy for 24 hrs s the BEST thing to give your LO's tummy a chance to settle - I still follow that wth my 14yo! Dioralyte is what you need too - swap every other bottle of milk for a bottle of dioralyte as this will rehydrate her. If she doesn't like the taste of the dioralyte, then just give her 5ml from a medicine syringe every 5 mins or so - that way it's not really enough for them to protest at the taste, but you know that she is being kept hydrated.

You don't have to be a competent cook - just cook what you have with no added salt and mash it a bit with a fork. Give her some finger foods and get a book on weaning with simple recipes from the library. Jar food is a lot runnier (even the lumpy 10mths+ ones) and will come out the other end the same. My DD had a tummy bug that lasted 2 weeks when she was a lttle older than yours. Dr can't do anything unless they are dehydrated and floppy, then it's a drip in hospital to replace lost fluid. It's down to you and her diet should be the first thing you address. Good luck.

Did you mean to sound so rude in that first sentence HuntyCat, other than that cheers for that advice anyhow

People can only give their kids what they eat IF they cook from scratch in the first place and then just not add salt. If they can't cook then clearly jars are better than processed food as a baby can't have that and that's where jars come into use.

Rude? I was asking a genuine question - I know people from ALL socio-economic groups, and none of them use jarred foods for their babies. It was a genuine question - I don't see how a genuine question can be rude?

The way it came across sounded rude. You say no one you know uses jars like they are the devil..

I would be feeding wholemeal toast, bananas and apple sauce, with a bit of baby rice if that's something you give, but no dairy. Sometimes your tummy can be intolerant for a little while after a stomach bug. Obvious it's difficult if they are on formula though, suppose you could try a switch to soya if her runny bum persists.

You can get dioralyte at a chemists or see a GP who will maybe prescribe it for you, but other than that it's usually a case of wait it out and watch for deterioration.