Vomiting bug, bland food to start with?

[katiepotatie]

DS has had vomiting bug since Sat, Dr advised starvation diet for the last 6 hours then clear fluids first if he's ok with the water. What's the best thing to offer? I was thinking porridge?

BRAT

banana rice apple and toast

keep sipping water to void dehydration

poor chap

All dd2 could keep down for days was crisps when she had swine flu.

I would actually do starvation for 12 hours after last bout of vomiting, apart from water.

And after keeping water down ok maybe some flat coke.

Then a rice cake.

Then a piece of toast.

All slowly slowly slowly.

I have two dc, 9 and 6, and although they have had their fair share of vomiting bugs these have never spanned over a couple of days - and I am convinced this is because I am horribly mean and don't give them any food too soon.

Forgot to mention, he is only 9 months, and still breastfed between solids. Will try banana and baby rice
Thanks for replies will check again later

Ah, maybe no crisps then

NHS Direct said to give dd2 anything she would eat, they weree very worried as she hadn't kept anything down or attempted to eat anything for days, so they just wanted to get foods into her. The GP later suggested bland, carby foods like plain pasta, boiled chicken and rice, toast, mashed potatos, oven baked chips etc.

better to stay away from milk and dairy for a good 48hours

MDS, apples naturally contain pectin anyway - stewed apples shouldn't be any different to shop-bought sauce but agree that eating raw apples would be an issue (pectin hasn't been cooked to expand into its gel structure)

Well, he vomited on the doctor yesterday, and had to take him to out of hours last night as wasn't even keeping water down! but no vomit for the last 12 hours thanks goodness, he's kept 3 small breastfeeds down, a few spoonfulls of porridge so fingers crossed, we may have turned the corner

Oh no! I spoke too soon. My poor wee man!Vomiting again! Back to the drawing board

Can anyone help? My 22mth old has had 3 days of sickness and diarrhoea, barely holding down water and no food. He now seems to be recovering, having had bits of water and one or 2 breadsticks but has spent over 6 hours today in bed - demanding to go back regulalrly throughout the day.
Feel for you all who have had similar bugs - they are such a worry aren't they?

Re-hydration sachets are good and seem to stay down better than water.
Our DS slept for long periods too while suffering with vomiting, looking like we are over the worst, although poor dh looks like he's coming down with it now.
Hope everyone else is feeling better

Our GP told us that nowadays there is a school of thought which advocates eating completely normally....

Didn't sound right to me at the time so not sure I'd recommend it, but just thought I'd mention it.

I'm sure it is differen for non-food poisoning D&V bugs (although not quite sure how, tbh) but I do know when I had rotavirus food poisoning, extreme prostration and D&V simultaneously, not nice) I ate nothing, could barely keep water down for about 10 hours. The next day I survived on water, flat ginger ale and extremely dry biscuits. I was better by the day after. A friend of mine who contracted the same virus at the same time kept trying to eat normally and was still in a dreadful state 3 days later (when I got to speak to him) - he then went on dry biscuits and water for a day and it went.

Not exactly scientific but I prefer the "removal of anything that keeps the D&V going" approach.

Jux - When we went to The Out of Hours clinic, that's what the doctor suggested to us. Went with breastfeeding only, then slowly onto solids. I thinks he's on the mend now

Funny isn't it, thumbwitch? DD had something nasty and I fed her normally and she was fine very quickly. DH had (apparently) the same, but subsisted in the traditional way and was still ill () days later!

Well I though I could put the bleach away! DD 2.5yrs has it now. Oh happy days

Do you know what really works? Most stomach bugs can't survive in your gut if you drink a strong-ish lemon juice solution, as it changes the pH levels and they all diiiiie.

So I make a solution of about 50% lemon juice, 50% water (less juice for a child as they find it hard to drink - but keep it as strong as possible). You only need about 40-50mls in total. Let him gulp it down with a straw so he tastes less of it (I persuaded 3 yo to do this last week by bribing him with TV, bless him).

I usually find that after doing this twice (first thing in morning, last thing at night - on empty stomach and then eat/ drink nothing for 20 mins) my stomach is bug-free.

thumbwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!!!

speeeeeeeeeeeeedy! My main woman, how are you? How's the bump coming along?

Good tip re. lemon stuff - can you get away with jif squeezy or does it have to be fresh? just for completeness, fresh lemons are easier to get than jif squeezy here.

katie - for you but you have some good tips here to try and get her over it asap - best of luck!

If he's still breastfed, then go back to exclusive breastfeeding until he's better. Always worked for ds2 (the one thing he never threw up no matter how ill he was was brestmilk ). This was even true when he was so sick he didn't keep down water or diaoralyte!

Hey thumbs. I'm bloomin' knackered. Trying to earn a living/ be mum/ be wife/ run the home/ shop/ cook/ gaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Oh, and once in a blue moon I go: shit! I have to do my pelvic lifts/ perineal massage/ hair/ knee-chest rocking, etc. And then it gets way past midnight and I go: I forgot to rest!!! No wonder they say women get a rougher deal out of family life than men do.

How are you? Is Aussie blazingly hot at the mo?

Well, re lemons, I should say that only unwaxed organic pure-bred lemons from Puglia will do...but Jif does a splendid job and is far quicker to use. But hey, if you have lovely fresh lemons where you are, you go girl.

Oops - only just realised the OP's DS is only 9 months. Forget the lemon juice then, there's no way that'll work! Well...I suppose you could use a syringe...actually you know, I would try that if I were you, followed by lots of cuddles. Though having said that, it might just be too strong for his tender tum at this age. Okay, forget the lemon juice until he's over 2.

This D&V bug is a nightmare. Poor 6.5mo DD has had 4 days of first all coming out top end...the bottom end since yesterday.

Been settling today. Interesting re what to feed them.GP said stay off ff & only dioralyte for at least a day then reintroduce ff. (EBF till 4mo/now ff).

Made a trip to Kids A&E today after worry continued and paeds there said try to reintroduce normal routine/feeds asap. DOn' t know if she meant steak pie...but DD reached for it and also sucked on breadsticks and melon.

Question:would you wake her up to check her bum during the night? Diarrhoea defo settling and despite sickness she still sleeps through! I say leave her...DH says wake her...but guess whoo would need to do the settling