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?

So if you set out from, say, Richmond to drive to Canterburywhich takes about 2 hours on a summer's day and the M25 was unexpectedly closed, you'd have enough water with you for a 7 hour delay? I certainly wouldn't!

Presumably, with the journey taking over 3x longer than expected, the baby had already drunk the water they took. Not beyond the realms of possibility, surely. Diet coke wouldn't be first choice if there was a better alternative, but in the situation you were in, better than being thirsty. I hope the rest of your adventures go according to plan. X

In those extreme circumstances I would have given it without a shadow of a doubt. It's human instinct surely to ensure your child doesn't get dehydrated and to give them any fluids you can find. It's better than nothing.

I'd question how suitable your dh is for travelling if he's so rigid, surely travelling requires a degree of 'make do' attitude.

I assume that the OP did have water for baby, but she was expecting a journey of less than three hours, so had plenty of water so maybe 5 hours. Not 9.
Also the bottle of coke might have been offered to them by other people /crew on board.
Read the thread- they weren't on a ferry

Surely most people know that diet coke does not contain sugar?! And a drink, even containing a little caffeine, is better than none. Doesn't take a genius.

Also can't believe that no-one sitting nearby could spare some water. Did you/do and friend not even ask? I suppose there's no knowing how clean it would be in which case diet coke was the better option

Why didn't you send your dh to get the water? You said you had it, just in the wrong bag?

I think your dh sounds like a bit if a dick, he's gonna have to be more flexible when you're travelling

In an emergency I would have given the baby diet coke. However why could your dh not retrieve the water.
And was there no other water available on the boat?

Is this true??! If so your dh sounds like a dangerous fool.

There'd be less outrage here if people actually RTFT

He should have relaxed his attitude really. As many others have said there is no sugar in Diet Coke, lots of other nasty shite but no sugar.

The boat trip sounds very scary, would it have been better to wait for another ferry? The small boat in the dark and choppy water with a baby and toddler sounds too much of a risk to me.

But your dh is bvu to not let her have Coke. I would have to talk to him about it today

Why couldn't your dh or friend have gone for the bag?

I hate all forms of coke with a passion but would have let the baby have some if there was no way I could have obtained the water in the other bag.

If it really was too rough for an adult to access the other bag, then I think I'd've waited for the next ferry, rather than taking a little dangerous boat!

arpege really? I have RTFT and I still think he sounds unsuited to travelling in SE Asia

Your husband is an idiot. Why couldn't he have gone to get the water? That makes no sense. It's terrifying that a baby was allowed to cry until they fell asleep from dehydration.

Dh would have literally had to throw me overboard to stop me getting to the water or giving the Coke.

Three adults and two children, one of you should have got the water. And all of you should read up on dehydration.

PerettiChelsea No, it's not a joke. I have never been anywhere in SE Asia where Coke is for sale but not bottled water (although I have heard of it happenig in Africa). I've literally just got back from SE Asia myself a few days ago too, and have been travelling in the region for over a decade.

Anyway, the point is, at some point during their 9hr journey they should have been able to obtain some bottled water - they can't have been that far away from civilisation if it's a route that normally has a ferry! Perhaps they just assumed the journey would be over soon and didn't think to stock up - in which case they know for next time about unexpected delays!

I don't suppose OP wishes to share the actual route? I just can't work out where they'd be where no water would be available for so long, with planning.

With regards the OP, I'd have given the diet coke...

If it was diet coke then 'anti sugar principles' are irrelevant anyway.

I've just read your update and you had water but it was at the front of the boat, have l read that right? 3 adults and you couldn't leave your toddler to get water for your baby

In that case your dh wnbu but someone should have gone to get the water!

StealthPolarBear
Why couldn't your dh or friend have gone for the bag?

This with bells on. It just sounds like a ridiculous situation to be in.

This sounds like a journo trying to find out if mumsnetters would rather let their baby dehydrate than drink coke

As I said- the M25 every summer has delays where the police are handing out water to people trapped in their cars.

I'm presuming this was a normal journey in SE Asia- it's not bloody Tenko!

Completely agree with lunar. Do you always blindly do as your dh orders to the possible detriment of your children? Your the baby's mother FFS, if you could see your baby was dehydrated you should have given her a sip of the coke. If your DH was so worried why on earth didn't he go to the front of the boat and get the water? He sounds like a prize prick.