How to get an EBF 6wo to take antibiotics...

[RubyrooUK]

Six week old DS2 is on penicillin for a rash that may be getting a bit infected.

He has had the rash for two weeks now. It is a mix of pinprick pink spots and milia-type pimples. It was on his face, head and body and is now spreading down his arms.

I know newborn rashes are common and he seems ok otherwise. But it was spreading so I took him to the doctor who thought it might be getting a bit pus-y in places so was worth antibiotics.

He is supposed to have 2.5ml four times a day taken on an empty stomach. But how do I get it in him?

The strong taste makes him gag. He's thrown up two doses so far and I have got 1ml in him over the last hour by squirting it into his cheek with a syringe. Then he gagged on the taste and was sick.

How do other people give strong tasting medicine to such small EBF babies?

(My DS1 was so resistant to taking Calpol that he used to be prescribed suppositories as even doctors/nurses couldn't get it into him....I am hoping history is not repeating itself. )

Is it fluvoxicillin? Its vile, and vile to an ebf baby as to a formula fed one!

Has he had a bottle of any sort yet? We found it easiest to put in a dab of the medicine with the syringe, then quickly give a drink of warm, cooled boiled water in a bottle ie same temp as breast milk. Dd managed to get the medicine down by this method.

My son was ebf when i had to give him it, and it was far harder, as didn't think of using a drink to get it down.

Thanks Running - it is indeed the horrible Fluvo! Smells vile so I can imagine it tastes even worse. He is massively unimpressed.

No, he hasn't had a bottle yet (hence me mentioning the EBF bit). I haven't had the chance to get any of the equipment in yet. I am all for the laziest approach to feeding.

Technically the instructions say he should take it 60 mins before meals on an empty stomach. I don't know what the chances are of knowing when 60 mins are before a demand-fed baby is about to eat!

I am going to have to go to Mothercare and try getting a bottle, aren't I? BUGGER.

That stuff is vile! we ended up going back to GP for something else as I didn't manage to get any into my ds. I don't know how anyone gets this into their children, I tasted and have to say I wouldn't take it!
Sorry, that's not much help

I am hoping to avoid going back to the GP as I already have such form with DS1 being a total medicine refuser.

Maybe this is because DS2 pooed on the doctor during our visit.

I phoned the chemists to ask if it was a dud batch - couldn't believe it tasted so disgusting!
I looked up the instructions on google and the page i found said it could be more or after meals as long as the tummy is as empty as you can manage.
Giving a bottle is a handy option for ebf babies so maybe an investment now for this, will come in handy for expressed milk etc

Always a positive

Thanks Running - I am now the proud owner of a set of MAM bottles which are the ones that total bottle refuser DS1 liked to chew (although he didn't go as far as actually drinking) rather than simply clamping his mouth shut.

A baby who will take a bottle is a very useful thing though, you're right. I totally failed with my first child despite returning full time to work when he was 9mo old - he just waited for me to come home rather than take a bottle. So I'm hoping that DS2 will be a more bottle friendly type! (Or else I will later deduct the cost of the steriliser and bottles from his pocket money. )

I don't envy you. My DS who is 4.5 had it for the first time a few months ago and he threw up the first 3 batches. In the end we had to hide it in Vimto squash - which I realise is not an option for you. My dsis said she'd had to phone the GP and get another antibiotic prescribed for her daughter when she was little as she couldn't keep it down at all.
I tasted it- it was horrific.

Oh dear. This is looking like a thread of 100% failure to get this antibiotic into children.

Have you tried inserting the syringe at the same time as BF? Kind of on the side of the nipple... We've had some success with that in the past, but amoxycilin tastes a whole lot better in comparison. I'd go back and ask for something else that also doesn't require four doses a day.. we've had zithromax a few times, which only needed one dose a day

Dont give up hope, i forgot to say, where possible, two people make it easier. Person 1 shoots in a bit of the foul medicine, person 2 is holding the baby and provides a drink of delicious warm water instantly, before baby has the chance to spit it out.

Can you express a little bit of milk, mix with the medicine and syringe into his mouth?

Thanks everyone. Will try the milk and syringe method too.

DH has to attempt the next dose so he is busying himself ironing and saying hopefully "Oh no, has he fallen asleep before I have had the chance to give him the next dose...? What a shame!"

Hi, I struggled to get antibiotics into our EBF 4wo DD, until I tried syringing it into the teat of a bottle, then she helpfully sucked it all down without a problem. The pharmacist advised that it is hard to get medicine into small babies as their swallowing reflex is only triggered by sucking. Syringing it into her cheek was a disaster - she could pouch a surprising amount of it then either gag or spit it out, but getting her to suck it from the bottle teat worked a treat.