Should baby drink Coke or go thirsty?

[FoundDoveInaSoaplessPlace]

We are travelling in SE Asia with a baby and toddler.
Yesterday our planned journey of a 2 hour drive and 30 minute ferry took a total of nine hours. Because of the road delays ( road works and further on a bad accident) we missed the ferry and had to get into a small local boat.
It was hot and humid all day but we got through it ok until the final leg on the boat. Our 12 mo baby got very thirsty and the only drink left was a new bottle of Diet Coke. Baby got extremely agitated and our friend poured some into her bottle as I was holding onto our toddler.

DH who was holding her refused to give it to her and said she would have to wait for clean water. She screamed for 15 minutes until she wore herself out and fell asleep. It was dark and the sea was choppy so I couldn't stand up to give it to her.

DH is extremely anti sugar but AIBU to think that he could have put his principles aside on this one occasion?

to be honest the whole post gives me shivers. a small baby without any clean water to drink? I'm sure the hold ups weren't your fault but nobody had a drink of water, on the whole boat? the thought of a thirsty 12 month old crying herself to sleep is awful! :(

Also worrying that you thought her falling asleep was the answer to the problem.

Giving a 12 month old coke / diet coke is less than ideal and something I wouldn't do if I had an alternative drink available, but in these circumstances, with a thirsty baby screaming until she wore herself out, then yes, I'd have given her some.

And it's mostly water, so yes, it does quench thirst.

Of course you should have given it - would you go without a drink on a hot and humid day if there was a drink right in front of you and you were thirsty?

Have a look at this leaflet:

www.uhb.nhs.uk/Downloads/pdf/PiHydration.pdf

Caffeinated drinks are fine, maybe not the best choice for a 12 month old, but in this situation - who cares?

I def would have given it, better than dehydration. Your DH was BVU.

Why did you not have water in a sippy cup? Surely you had all her supplies like nappies, snacks etc, so why not water? Just be better prepared in future.

As for it not quenching the thirst, of course it would, I think any water based drink would have. And water is the main ingredient.

I drink a lot of coke as the caffeine keeps me going with 3 under 5's, don't drink tea/coffee. Try not to drink it infront of the kids but would let them have the odd sip if they insist. As I feel stopping them totally would make them want it more. Anyway some juices have more sugar in them.

Yes I would have given it too. Obviously Diet Coke is not good for a 12 month old, but then neither is dehydration and as a one off its much better to have that to drink than nothing.

I hate diet drinks and think they're grim (they give me thumping headaches), but in this circumstance, it was better to give some clean, safe drink even if it is diet coke than risk dehydration.

In an emergency yes.

Surely there was a chance to get some drinking water at some point in the 9hrs? I've travelled extensively in SE Asia and cannot imagine how one would get into this scenario! Unless you are really in the middle of nowhere - but if there's normally a ferry, that's clearly not the case.

You were both unreasonable for being so unprepared! Your dh was unreasonable for letting her continue to be dehydrated as diet coke is better than dehydration. You were being unreasonable to not put your child's health above your dp's anti sugar beliefs. No mattet how choppy or dark it was there's no way I'd let my baby dehydrate.

Sounds horrendous, you're bloody brave for doing all that traveling with a baby!

I'd have given the Coke too - I thought the sugar and salt content were good for dehydration?

On a day like you had you do what you can

Not rtft yet but come on,

you run out of WATER when travelling with two young children, yet you had a bottle of friggin coke going spare!

water is the basic survival principal! should be first on your list and well stocked!

That is awful. Poor baby! I would've given her a little of the Coke but I assume this is a joke thread and no parent would be this irresponsible.

'you're bloody brave for doing all that traveling with a baby!'

You say brave...I say foolhardy and disorganised.
Please don't tell me that travel in far-away places an enriching and life-changing experience that your child with benefit from. She's 12 months old, and neither parent seems to have her well-being at heart.

'I assume this is a joke thread and no parent would be this irresponsible.'

I have met many who really are.

Coke will dehydrate you but not how someone else mentioned it on here. Because of the caffeine content it'll make you wee more which can lead you to being thirstier than before BUT it's still better than nothing ,would definitely help with babies thirst pangs and I'm sure you'd find somewhere with clean water before then.

No armchair, it's an enriching experience that the adults benefit from. Why does everything have to be about the baby?

It's brave to take such a young baby along, yes. I didn't take DD until 3. And although she enjoyed it she would have been happy at Butlins too. If parents want to travel then we'll done for not letting the fact you have kids stop you!

'Why does everything have to be about the baby?'

You seem determined to be a bitch Armchair.

I'm out

I would have given it, absolutely, if nothing else than to relieve her dry mouth.

What the fuck was he thinking?

No water? in a ferry? why not? Yes I'd have given coke! Blimey! Your oh sounds bloody stupid sorry

It kinda does need to be about the baby, though. I'd have thought...

I've travelled extensively in SE Asia and cannot imagine how one would get into this scenario!
I can, Coke is far more widely available than clean water
Hoping this is a joke though

Thank you for the replies.

I had taken 5 X 2 litres of water with us for the car - generally that would be more than sufficient for 3 adults, a toddler and the baby for a 2 hour journey in an air conditioned car. The ferry would have sold more but we missed it and the shops were all closed at the port.
The Coke was something our friend just happened to have and not part of my plans.

I posted in a hurry and should have said the only drink to hand was Coke. The remaining water was in a bag at the front of the boat (stupid I know but I had two navy bags and kept the wrong one by my side)and when it started to get choppy I couldn't risk walking to get it. The boat was small and my toddler needed me.

I would never leave home without water, it is the first and most important thing. We found ourselves in a terrifying situation last night and I'll never forget it.

But my aibu was whether DH could have relaxed his no sugar for children policy just once?

My question

No Coke won't dehydrate you - it just won't hydrate you as well as water or an isotonic drink.