Sick boy!!!

[CheekyGirl]

My poor 14mth ds has had a really weird tummy bug since Sunday morning. He is having several episodes of diarrhoea a day and is off his food. He has been sick once each day, always last thing before bed.

I don't really know what to do with him, or how best to look after him. He is happy to drink his milk and eat yoghurts or small amounts of finger foods. During the day, he can tolerate these, but can't seem to in the evening.

His behaviour is normal although he is very grizzly and clingy in the evenings which is hard as I am usually on my own and have a dd to care for too.

Any tips please??

I would advise you to stay off the milk products for a while. They don't help with sickness and diarrhoea. Just give him plain foods and water or watered down juice/squash to drink for a few days and see if that helps.

Yes, I know the dairy isn't good, it's just that that is what he seems to want. Should I not let him have it? I'm worried he wouldn't eat or drink anything - he won't drink any other fluids except milk.

Well, I know it is hard, but if you try telling him why (I know he is only young but...) My children are now older and know perfectly well that they can't have certain foods and drinks for a certain length of time after being ill, and I am sure that is because I always tood them so from an early age.

You don't need to worry about how much he eats anyway, but the drink thing is more of a problem. I think he would drink something els though if that was all you let him have.

I can but try. How long should I avoid dairy for?

I just saw your message and wanted to let you know that my 15 month old son recently had a really bad case of sickness and diarrhoea, and like your baby he seemed to only want his milk but this made him worse, my health visitor informed that milk can curdle in the stomach which makes your sick, so I had to starve him from his milk (not easy as he has always enjoyed his bottles!) and replace it with well diluted squash, he refused at first and just as I was starting to panic, he took it and drank it happily, I also only gave him bland foods such as toast fingers with a bit of butter, of mashed veg/potato and three days later he was back to normal, she also told me that a baby will never starve themselves at some point they will also take food or drink, good luck....

Sorry CheekyGirl, only just seen this. 3 days should do it. Then when you reintroduce the milk, water it down at first and don't give him too much too quickly. It might take a week to get back to normal feeding.

Thanks!! He's still poorly and to top it off, has developed an awful cough which is excacerbating the sickness!! What do I do now??!!

If you think he is going down hill, I would take him to the doctor. IME common bugs tend to be at their worst at the beginning and then gradually get better, so if he is getting worse, I would want it checked out.

That's the thing, I'm not sure he's getting worse exactly, just that he's not better, and now the cough thing. He did eat some chicken casserole and sweet potato (pureed quite finely)for lunch and kept it down (so far). He's not sleeping well either and keeps doing this awful coughing/retching thing that has me racing to our video monitor (which, I may add is the best thing I ever bought).

If he keeps some food down, I would say that is an improvement. Go at feeding him slowly and cautiously so as not to undo your good work.

Maybe he was sick to begin with because he was coming down with the infection that is causing him to cough IYSWIM. Being sick is sometimes an illness in itself, but sometimes a symptom of another illness.

If you are at all worried, I would take him to th doctor. The worst that can happen is that the doctor can say you have nothing to worry about.

Thanks. He threw up after tea which was a nuisance, but I don't think that it was all of it. He screamed at bedtime until I gave in and let him have milk. I let him have 5oz (he would have had more) and he kept it down.