Best food for 10mo with the runs?

[HoopDePoop]

Have stopped his milk, replaced with Dioralyte which he's not too impressed with. Have made some apple sauce to have on toast for lunch, and plain rice risotto balls and plain grilled chicken for tea. He had porridge fingers made with water for brekkie.

Any suggestions for food to serve up for next few days until god willing this horrible virus leaves our family? DH and I have both been horrendously sick but only for 24hrs, poor DS has been sick for 5 days

DS is BLW and sleeping loads in day as so sick so I have time to faff around preparing pfb-appropriate meals. Banana, dry toast, any other things I can dish up?

Probabaly nothing, you need to give his poor gut a rest. Any food will challenge it and make it work hard, therefore prolonging the diarrhoea. Flat, full sugar coke is still a good idea as it gives him some calories and energy. If it's profuse, back off with food, if just tail end of bug, then plain white bread'toast/breadsticks. Steer clear of fruit/veg/milk/fibre. He may be too young for crisps, but they have salt in them that will help replace his lost electrolytes (sodium, potassium).

BRAT = bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.

Thanks both. I guess the priority is to keep him hydrated, I'm just concerned about him getting calories to fight the bug as he is still getting most of his calories from milk

And yes the BRAT diet is what I'm using as a guide!

I would avoid food while he is still ill and make sure that fluids are kept up. From experience of my own sick kids when younger, breastmilk is ok or clear fluids. Stay clear of anything too sugary which can make symptoms worse. Once his tummy has settled, live yogurt is good to replace good bacteria in gut but just re-introduce slowly and see how it goes. Avoid anything too full of fibre, hard to digest eg cheese etc

My 9 month old ds had this last week. The GP said the main thing is to keep him hydrated, and for me to continue breast-feeding as normal (as breast milk contains electrolytes). Ds is also blw so I just let him eat as much or little as he wanted. But stopped offering fruit and veg, and gave porridge fingers, bread, bananas, chicken - tbh what you're already doing.

Thanks, he is FF and I'm giving it at least 24hrs off. He had the runs aged 5mo and I gave him lactose free milk, which seemed easier for him so I'm going to get some of that this afternoon.

I do want to at least offer him some simple food while I've stopped his milk. As he's BLW it's up to him anyway.

Poor sausage

hope he feels better soon

Ah that makes sense. I've just remembered meatballs went down well here - but they are one of ds's favourites anyway. GP told me not worry if ds didn't eat much for a few days as it wouldn't matter if he lost a little weight. They'd worry more if the baby was prem, or very little. Hope your ds improves very soon.

starchy foods are good e.g. pasta, rice, bread/toast, banana, etc. Current advice is to offer normal foods when your lo wants to eat as the BRAT diet is low in protein and calories. It also says to continue to offer their usual milk feeds whether breast or formula fed.

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Rotavirus-gastroenteritis/Pages/Treatment.aspx

I was going to say the current advice is to.let them have milk as usual.

I would be led by him tbh, offer simple, plain foods and encourage fluid intake.

Thanks all, v helpful. Re the continuing milk thing - I got told to stop milk during his last bug 'until it passed' but he was 5mo and the diarrhoea lasted 2 bloody weeks! I had quite a bee in my bonnet by the end of it. If one more HCP had told us to 'give him a biscuit' I continued giving milk throughout that bug, didn't feel I could really do anything else, I couldn't starve the poor mite.

Anyway this time I've stopped milk as when I give it (he has 4 bottles/day still) he vomits the whole lot up again. As he has 3 meals a day BLW and is doing well, he will at least get a few calories. I'm just replacing those bottles with Dioralyte and he's not complaining so will give it another 12 hours before reintroducing it. And lactose free milk definitely helped last time so will get that.

Anyway I have listened to your words of wisdom and stuck to toast today! The risotto balls and chicken will help me and DH get over the bug I expect. I just felt I had to rush about beig useful while he napped. Tbh he slept for four hours, I wish I'd just gone back to bed myself!