Any tips for getting ds to drink? Vomiting bug!

[supermum44]

Hi,
DS (12 mths) has had a sickness bug since Thurs night. He has been on a very limited diet since Fri. Every time we think he is over it, he is sick again so we have cut down food intake and are only giving light meals. He has been very moany and grumpy and I'm getting a bit worried that he might be dehydrated.

He has never been a huge drinker and hasn't been drinking much fluids over the last day (although I have been watering down his food). His nappies haven't been as wet as normal. We did see the GP on Monday, who said not to worry as he didn't seem dehydrated.

Any tips on encouraging him to drink? What are the signs of dehydration that I should look for? Also, anyone else had this bug - how long does it last for?

Small sips of water regulary.

press firmly on the back of his hand, if the colour does'nt drain back immediately he is dehydrated.

Have you tried dioralite (I think thats the way you spell it). Its for dehydration and comes in different flavours?

ice lolly? doc advised this for my DD when she was about that age.

Leave various cups and bottles of water lying around the house! Does he have formula milk? If so my GP advised watering it down to at least 50% for a day or two.

btw I have not yet come across a child who will willingly drink Dioralyte!

Jelly is good for getting water and sugar into a child (or an adult for that matter). Use the proper stuff, not the sugar-free. He might be able to keep down a teaspoonful or so at a time, especially if you mix it up a bit first so that it's not one lump of jelly but a pile of little lumps.

If he seems worn out and unco-operative, wipe his lips with a wet sponge, and dribble a few drops into his mouth as you do it. It's surprising how much can go in this way if you do it frequently, and, because he's not swallowing great mouthfuls of water, there's nothing irritating his stomach so he's less likely to bring it back up again.

Hope he gets over it soon (and that you don't catch it). You do know not to give him milk right now?

Thanks for all the advice! He normally loves jelly, so I think I'll try that. I normally make the jelly with fruit juice and gelatine - PrettyCandles, do you think that would be ok or should I use the packet stuff?

He was taking small spoonfuls of dioralyte over the weekend but is refusing that now. He isn't on formula and I haven't been giving him cows milk.

DH and I have had the bug over the last few days - it's reallu horrible!

my doc told me to give DD a wet flannel to suck on as wouldn;t take any fluid from anything! diaoralyte made her heave...

does he take medicine out of a syringe?

When jess was really bad, we filled the syringes with water and gave them to her like that - it worked.

Couple of teaspoons of an Innocent Smoothie?

Home-made jelly even better than shop-bought. I wonder what jelly made with dioralyte would taste like? I've never had it. My mum used to make up her own rehydration drinks - 1tbsp glucose, 1teasp salt to 1pint water, IIRC. Flat Coke is great for rehydration and replacement of electrolytes and to ease the stomach cramps, but not perhaps for a 12mo.