ADVICE ON TUMMY BUGS and feeding

[NessInKew]

DS (11 months) has caught a horrible tummy bug. I'm not sure if I'm meant to be feeding him, and the usual "taking the lead from the baby" doesn't seem to apply, as he doesn't seem to care either way. If I offer him food or milk, he takes it - although it arrives moments later in a horrible mess in his nappy! Today I tried not feeding him, and he doesn't seem at all bothered or hungry. In fact he's really cheerful! (I've kept fluids up with water/well-diluted-juice which he's loving as he's normally only offered water!). Would love some advice if anyone has a similar experience. Will the bug go away more quickly if he doesn't eat...? (assuming he continues to be unconcerned about food/milk). Thanks so much.

Hi Ness I am having the same with my daughter at the moment, although it is both ends. I have done the same and she is through the worst of it I spoke to my hv and she said just keep feeding as normal so I have although I now have lots of extra washing!

the up to date advice is to feed as normal but when ds was ill at that age I avoided dairy and formula for a couple of days and it seemed to help it pass quicker. I gave him his solids as normal but tried to avoid too much fruit/veg and concentrated on carb rich foods e.g. toast, pasta, banana, rice, etc

Thanks so much. So I guess I'll go back to feeding him...and loading up the washing machine! And would you also avoid all contact with other babies? I'm thinking he's likely to pass it on....

they do say not to give dairy or milk if they have tummybug well so i have been told but to give water or juice just to keep them from dehidrating . as the milk can mk thm sick or come out the other end but his is what i have been told by my docs and have allways donr it with my 3 . of corse when they stop i put them bk on milk

Ness, I am in the same boat as you with my DS (also 11 months). Sorry about this long post, but just wondering if someone could advise.

2 days ago, he couldn't keep any food or formula down. He'd vomit about after eating or drinking formula (anything from 5 mins to half an hour afterwards). He could keep water down ok though. I gave him beakers of water mixed with Dioralyte (rehydration powder) after speaking with the local pharmacist, and did not give him food or formula for the rest of the day. He was fine - no more vomiting.

Yesterday he didn't vomit all day. I continued giving him water & Dioralyte, and gradually introduced a bit of toast, which he kept down ok. Then tried a bit of pasta & tuna, which he also kept down. I noticed his poos were a bit runnier than normal, but I reckoned this was cos he was mainly drinking fluids, and not eating much solid food. I gave him his afternoon formula, which he kept down ok. Then, as he seemed back to normal, I gave him food at teatime, and his formula at bedtime.

Today he has been eating & drinking as normal, but his poos are still runny. He normally has 2 or 3 a day, but today he's had about 6 and they've leaked a bit out of his nappy - yuk. Then, just as I was going to give him his tea, he vomited everywhere. So now we're back to square one with water & Dioralyte .

Is this normal or should I be worried? I spoke to the health visitor 2 days ago and she said don't worry as long as he is keeping water down, but if it continues I should see the GP. At what point should I see the GP?
DS is still his usual cheery self, doesn't have a temperature, and is still sleeping well at night. He just has intermittent episodes of being sick, and has runny poos. What do you reckon? Tummy bug? Ride it out for a couple more days?

Hi Eaglebird, sounds so similar to the bug DS had. For us it seemed to last for ages (probably about a week, but he then immediately got a chest infection, perhaps from being so run down with the bug...). I'd go to the GP as soon as you feel out of your comfort zone with it - I'd never worry about seeing a doc even if it's just to put your mind at rest (in DS's case, I never felt DS needed a GP when it was just the bug - although we went as soon as the chest infection kicked in) . BTW it's amazing to hear you can get Dioralyte down - how d'you do it..?!

Thanks Ness.
After being sick on Friday, DS was better on Saturday (but still had runny poo).
He was totally fine on Sunday (so sickness or runny poo).
Today he was fine til teatime. Then I'd just put him in his highchair to give him his tea, and he puked everywhere. Then he did a big runny poo
Toast & Dioralyte for his supper.

I think I will take him to the GP tomorrow. I'm a bit worried about him getting better then relapsing. Not sure if that's normal or not.

Actually, I've just thought - I was just wondering if the relapsing was due to me reintroducing formula for him to drink.
He soon gets better when he has only Dioralyte to drink. And he was ok when I'd reintroduced 1 bottle of formula. Today he has 2 bottles of formula.
Hmmmm, not sure, maybe just clutching at straws...

I'm surprised he drank the Dioralyete, Ness. He only drinks water or formula usually, so raspberry flavoured water was something new to him, but he guzzled it down.

I would not feed them at all for 24 hours.

Water or dioralyte only.

If you have a tummy bug do you generally eat within 24 hours of throwing up? No.

Food in the stomach gives the bacteria something to live on and carry on multiplying in.

The babes will not starve.

My one year old daughter just suffered from a tummy bug. It started Friday early morning, she threw up best part of that day and had 4 running poo. On Saturday she was alot better, only threw up twice and had one running poo. Sunday she was completely fine, however on Monday evening she threw up all her food. She is refusing all types of food, and fluid expect milk. I thought milk is something you should cut down on, but I can't as that is the only thing she is taking. However I've diluted her milk and she only takes about 3oz each time. Do you think that is ok?