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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not starve my sick baby?

86 replies

jamoncrumpets · 26/12/2018 22:19

Baby, 6mo, has a gastro virus of some sort. Her last vomit was early this morning. She also did three explosive poos then too.

We took her to the dr who advised nothing but water or dioralyte for 24 hours.

She hasn't been sick or had diarrhoea since and is keeping the dioralyte down, but she's starving. Proper hollering the house down starving.

DH says we need to persevere with the dr's advice but it seems crazy to me to starve her half mad.

AIBU to give her a bottle and be damned the consequences? I really thought that starvation was an outdated concept anyway.

OP posts:
Harebellmeadow · 26/12/2018 22:28

Aould also give her a bottle, as you are doing.
Also, if you even have a tiny bit of milk left, try and pump/let her suckle when she is full, there is a good chance this will stimulate your supply- the body can (not always, not for all women) catch up with demand quite fast. Worth a try.

firsttimebabybirther · 26/12/2018 22:28

No don't offer different milk, that will make it worse (learn from my mistake please Blush)

Offer half of usual milk, so if baby usually has 8 ounces offer only 4 see how she goes with that.

EwItsAHooman · 26/12/2018 22:28

Use her usual formula, she's accustomed to that one and sudden changes can cause an upset tummy.

EdtheBear · 26/12/2018 22:29

Try the juice milk is likely to currdle in her stomach with the acid if she hasn't had anything.

Original poster
jamoncrumpets · 26/12/2018 22:30

Ok. 4oz of usual formula it'll be. I may just stay awake with her downstairs tonight. She's only happy being jiggled in her bouncer.

OP posts:
Original poster
jamoncrumpets · 26/12/2018 22:31

I have a banana pouch! Just found it in a cupboard! Mix with a bit of baby rice and feed?

OP posts:
EwItsAHooman · 26/12/2018 22:31

www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/stomach-liver-and-gastrointestinal-tract/vomiting-in-children-and-babies

NHS advice is to carry on offering milk feeds.

Batteriesallgone · 26/12/2018 22:32

This seems mad to me.

I’d be up children’s A&E if she was so ill I thought starvation was better than continued vomiting / diarrhoea (I guess due to extreme fatigue sometimes it’s better, but then surely you’d need medical monitoring and maybe a drip in those circumstances?).

You could ring 111, don’t say you’ve seen a GP just run through all the symptoms. They’ll probably put you through you an out of hours doctor and then you’ll get up to date advice. You could even throw in some lie like ‘oh my mum is a nurse and said not to feed her...’ and get the doctor to give direct clarification on whether or not that advice is appropriate.

EwItsAHooman · 26/12/2018 22:32

I'd just give her the milk and see how she goes, that way she'll benefit from the fluids as well as the calorie content.

uniquehornsonly · 26/12/2018 22:33

NICE guidelines say if baby is clinically dehydrated then use oral rehydration fluids until no longer dehydrated, then milk feed as normal. If baby isn't dehydrated, then milk feed as normal throughout. Juices are a no-no.

OP - is baby bright and alert and producing the normal number of wet nappies? If so, she may well no longer be dehydrated and just plain starving. If she's still not weeing, though, then oral rehydration fluids will build rehydrate her more quickly. At this stage, I'd probably give her a nighttime bottle though.

Onynx · 26/12/2018 22:33

Just add a little extra water to her usual formula. Try not to let her 'gulp' it as it may come shooting back up - or down. It's really important that babies stay hydrated so that's the priority. Leave a good while before trying rice etc

firsttimebabybirther · 26/12/2018 22:34

I'd see if you can get by on just milk until morning time and then offer for breakfast if all goes well. Babies at that age don't need food for nutrients yet , she will get all she needs from bottle.

Really hope it's short lived for her there's nothing worse than a poorly baby, I felt totally helpless when it was DS.

Original poster
jamoncrumpets · 26/12/2018 22:34

Baby isn't dehydrated and is v v much awake and alert. She's tired but won't let herself sleep for hunger I think.

OP posts:
Original poster
jamoncrumpets · 26/12/2018 22:35

She wasn't weeing, but have had two wet nappies this eve.

My fear is she'll just vomit again and then wtf do I do?'

OP posts:
Batteriesallgone · 26/12/2018 22:36

Just because you’ve seen a bad doctor doesn’t make Mumsnet a good place for medical advice btw.

You need to find a way to speak to someone else medically trained, for a second opinion. Phone 111.

kaytee87 · 26/12/2018 22:36

GP has given you the wrong advice. Quite scary actually, when my ds was about that age the GP told me to give him honeyHmm

Carry on with milk feeds as normal.

Merryoldgoat · 26/12/2018 22:37

The real issue is that with tummy bugs babies an become temporarily lactose intolerant so milk is a bad choice.

We give oatibix/weetabix crumbled and mixed with an apple and pear fruit pot then loosened with water. It tastes fine and doesn’t irritate the stomach.

Original poster
jamoncrumpets · 26/12/2018 22:38

She's JUST 6 months @Merryoldgoat - she only has tiny bits of food and is only just learning to eat

OP posts:
firsttimebabybirther · 26/12/2018 22:38

If she continues to vomit I'd be seeking medical advice again. I'm not a medical professional but I can say you have been advised incorrectly by the GP. Seems mad to me that they've told you not to give milk feeds.

Original poster
jamoncrumpets · 26/12/2018 22:39

She's a big baby so maybe he just ignored her DOB on the system and assumed she was 9-10 mths?

OP posts:
kaytee87 · 26/12/2018 22:41

Even at 9-10mo you would carry on with feeds. It's outdated advise to starve after sickness. Children should be fed to hunger and there's no need to avoid dairy.

firsttimebabybirther · 26/12/2018 22:42

Sorry I'm commenting so much on this , only because I've not long been there with it in DS. DS is a big baby (always has been) and we where still told to offer milk feeds. 22lbs at the time.

Robots1Humans0 · 26/12/2018 22:42

From experience OP , my LB had a couple of Gastro bugs around this age, reintroduce formula using half of the amount per bottle. So 2 scoops for 4 Oz. See how she gets on with that x

Also natural yoghurt is good for settling little tummies that have been stripped of their natural gut flora! X

tobeornottobe1 · 26/12/2018 22:45

@jamoncrumpets

Please read the following medical evidence base guidelines www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg84/ifp/chapter/Preventing-and-treating-dehydration
You may feed your babies milk as per medical guideline. If she begins to vomit again after feed, stop rehydrate and rehydrate with dioralyte,, any reduced wet nappies becomes lethargic and all the red flags the GP told you about plz go to your local A&E x

EwItsAHooman · 26/12/2018 22:45

You need to find a way to speak to someone else medically trained, for a second opinion. Phone 111.

Unless OP is worried about her DD there is no need to ring 111 again or get a second opinion.

There's medical advice here along with advice on when you should see a doctor

www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/stomach-liver-and-gastrointestinal-tract/vomiting-in-children-and-babies

OP, hopefully a bit of a milk and a good sleep will see her feeling loads better tomorrow. Sick bugs are awful but thankfully tend to be short-lived.

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