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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Tosser out of hours GP.....

32 replies

emskaboo · 23/01/2011 22:30

Just told me to give my baby diorilyte and gave me strict instructions on giving my baby clear fluids, tell me that she can just be bf and I'm not going mad!!!

OP posts:
Bella2010star · 23/01/2011 22:32

What is their reason for suggesting that has your baby not had any wet/poo nappys?

belledechocchipcookie · 23/01/2011 22:33

What's wrong with your baby?

Of course you can BF.

Original poster
emskaboo · 23/01/2011 22:37

She has D and V, nappies have been wet, although last two drier than before. She's alert just grumbling and feeding is sporadic. NHS direct said bf on demand and offering was good, but out of hours are saying bf not enough and I need to give 750mls of clear fluid

OP posts:
Bella2010star · 23/01/2011 22:40

I have always been told that as long as baby has wet and dirty nappys that you are fine to carry on breastfeeding and not dehydrated.

Bella2010star · 23/01/2011 22:40

Sorry meant to say that baby is not dehydrated.

amistillsexy · 23/01/2011 22:42

How old is baby? D&V must have been bad to get out of hours doctor out on Sun night? Is baby showing signs of dehydration?

Rosebud05 · 23/01/2011 22:45

What's the problem with giving diorilyte in addition to bfing, especially if her nappies aren't as wet?

Sorry, not trying to be awkward, but don't understand this.

liath · 23/01/2011 22:46

Unless the OOH doctor told you specifically not to breastfeed I don't see what was wrong with the advice. Your baby has D&V and presumably this is bad enough to call the GP. They've advised to give clear fluids to prevent dehydration. I'd only query the advice if they said to give clear fluids instead of breast milk rather than in addition to breast milk. How old is the baby?

toddlerwrangler · 23/01/2011 22:46

I have wrtiiten this lots of time, and it sounds arsey each way. I'm not arsey, but I AM worried.... you had to contact an out of hours GP (indicating not run of the mill D&V), they have given you advice based on symptoms, you were told something (I take it) you diddnt want to hear so you have come on an internet forum for reassuramce that not listening to GP is a GOOD idea?

Maybe, just maybe water is the answer in this case? I don't know, I'm not a dr, but then agin neither are you I don't think?

MoonUnitAlpha · 23/01/2011 22:47

How old is she?

I would keep bfing as much as possible, but if she's showing signs of dehydration then I'd consider extra liquids.

Rosebud05 · 23/01/2011 22:47

Anyway, hope that she gets better very soon.

Original poster
emskaboo · 23/01/2011 22:52

The issue is that she's a bottle refuser, we've tried a sippy cup and a bottle and a teaspoon now and just had screaming and water running out of her mouth. I'm looking for reassurance that I don't have to give her water as she just won't take it and I'm in bits, good enough rationale for you toddlerwrangler?

OP posts:
Original poster
emskaboo · 23/01/2011 22:54

Thanks though to everyone. I'm going to keep offering bf and if we don't get a wet nappy soon send DH to and out of hours chemist for a syringe.

OP posts:
MoonUnitAlpha · 23/01/2011 22:55

Well if you can't get water into her then you can't - just breastfeed as much as possible.

Casmama · 23/01/2011 22:56

How old is your baby?

StealthPolarStuckSpaceBar · 23/01/2011 22:56

oh sorry :(
have you tried a syringe? I know you wont get much in but its a start
If you really cant I would feed as much as I possibly can overnight and then get back to the GP in the morning - how old is she?

Northernlurker · 23/01/2011 22:58

If feeding is 'sporadic' as you say then that suggests to me that she isn't geting a huge amount of fluid - backed up by the drier nappies. The out of hours GP was trying to help you and dd. Have you tried putting a little sugar in the water and feeding it to her with a small medicine spoon? That's what I do with a vomiting child. I figure they can do with the energy from the sugar! You can try a syringe but sometimes that hits the back of their mouth to fast and they hate that!

Rosebud05 · 23/01/2011 22:58

This must be very distressing for you. Do you have one of those medicine syringe things that might be useful?

I don't think the question is dioralyte or not, rather is your baby dehydrated?

These are signs of dehydration www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/health/dehydration/. If she's showing signs of these and won't take liquid other than bf I would take her to A&E.

If not, then persevere and monitor.

eviscerateyourmemory · 23/01/2011 22:59

You might find it easier once you have the syringe. I used to use one to give my DD medication, and I found that if she was very relaxed then I could squirt tiny amounts into her mouth without her objecting. It sounds like to volume that you have to give is a lot more than that, but it might be a start.

Original poster
emskaboo · 23/01/2011 23:00

She's 18 weeks but was 6 weeks prem. I'll try mixing sugar in to see if that helps.

OP posts:
toddlerwrangler · 23/01/2011 23:01

I honestly don't want a fight, it just read that you were calling teh GP a twat for suggesting that your DD may need water in adition to BM, and not that you were worried because you couldn't GIVE her water.

I agree that a syringe (5ml, or even 1ml if she really fights it) may be a good way to go. Hope she picks up soon :)

Northernlurker · 23/01/2011 23:05

She is really young isn't she? Tbh if things don't settle soon I would take her to A&E. At that age she has few resources to fall back on.

Casmama · 23/01/2011 23:07

She is quite young, I think I would probably send your dh out to the chemists for the syringe. I found with my ds that if you can turn their head and squirt it into the cheek, that they get less of a fright.
Hope she feels better soon.

blinks · 23/01/2011 23:27

all you can do is keep bfing (make sure YOU are drinking loads) and try to get clear fluid in also... keep monitoring for signs of dehydration (dry mouth lips/ no wet nappies /lethargic)

amistillsexy · 23/01/2011 23:29

When DS3 was tiny we were struggling to feed him in any way at all, and the bf counsellor showed me how to cup feed. The cup (use one with a lip on it) is put on the baby's lower lip and tilted so the liquid just reaches the lip, and the baby 'laps' from the pool of liquid. It was amazing to see after trying everything how he just took to it!

You could try this technique with some expressed milk mixed with cooled, boiled water.

Remember, when they are small, even a few mls are worthwhile, so even if it seems like she's spitting it out, some might still be going in.

Oh! Another thing I used to do was tie a knot in the corner of a muslin cloth and soak that in water for baby to suck on (when teething, but might work for you here!)

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