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Original poster

How the hell am I going to get EYEDROPS INTO A 2YR OLD'S EYES? PLEASE ANY TIPS

31 replies

drosophila · 09/04/2007 23:15

DD has baaad conjunctiitis and getting drops into her eyes is taking two of us and it is a struggle. DP is at work tomorrow and I have no idea how to do it.

I have a 7yr old ds but can't see how he can help.

Any tips???

OP posts:
cece · 09/04/2007 23:16

Bribe her with sweets.

Gobbledigook · 09/04/2007 23:16

Just pin them down!

When I was on my own doing it, I just pinned him down and dropped it onto his eyes even if they were scrunched shut. If you drop them into the corner and then hold them tightly they open their eyes eventually and a bit at least goes in.

Not perfect but it does still work.

hunkermunker · 09/04/2007 23:16

Lie her on the floor with her head between your thighs, your legs over her arms and your feet on her legs.

You now have both hands free to administer the drops.

It's quick, painless and pretty traumatic - it'll be traumatic however you do it, but this is the easiest way to pin, IMO and IMbitterE.

Trinityrhino · 09/04/2007 23:17

I was told that if you can put the drops onto their closed eye the enough will go in when they open them.....this I was told after I had been sitting on dd2 and wrestling her eyes open whilst she screamed

belgianEASTERbunNY · 09/04/2007 23:17

Have to say it took 2 of us to do dd last week when she had conjunctivitis and she is 17mths. There is SOOO much of it about at the moment isn't there. Her drops were twice a day - could dp help you first thing then again at bed time? Sorry - no help at all there but a bump nevertheless!!!

hunkermunker · 09/04/2007 23:18

Ah, yes, no need to force open eyelids or anything so scary.

pucca · 09/04/2007 23:18

You have to be cruel to be kind, pin her down and get someone to help if poss.This is going to sound really awful but lie her on the floor and pin her arms with your legs (i.e sort of sit on her, but not on her iykwim)...it really is the only way

I have to do it every few months for my dd's eye tests, its awful.

LadyTophamHatt · 09/04/2007 23:19

brute force I'm afraid.

and do as Hunker said...all 3 older Ds's have been pinned to the floor in this fashion

Gobbledigook · 09/04/2007 23:20

Tbh I got my younger ones to help and they were only 5 and 3 when I was putting them in ds3's eyes at about 18-24 months!

The way I do it, I lie him on my lap but with his head on a cushion next to me so that his body and arms are across my lap and his head next to me (iyswim). THen I use one arm and my body weight to hold him down (so I've sort of 'rugby balled' him) and drop the drops in with the other.

themoon66 · 09/04/2007 23:21

Lie them comfy and stress free on sofa. No pillows, so head is back. Say open eyes for mummy and look up at the ceiling for me.

Hold the drop bottle over the bridge of her nose so she cannot see how close it is. sqeeze bottle so that the drop is on the verge of dropping, the quickly move bottle a fraction of an inch so it drops in the very corner of her eye.

Now blink for mummy.

Keep the stress levels down... keep everything calm. She will pick up on your tension.

Cashncarry · 09/04/2007 23:21

I had this with DD just after she turned 2. I used the "hunker" technique which worked a treat. I also let her pretend to do the drops in her doll's eyes first and then let her do me as well after (I had an empty dropper bottle from when she'd had it before).

It seemed to lessen the pain a little but was still traumatic for both of us. It's only a week so it'll soon be over.

Lots of cuddles and a bag of buttons after helps too

Original poster
drosophila · 09/04/2007 23:26

Going to try between legs nmethod. Thanks.

SHe is very dark ringed and puffy too is that normal?

Loads of pus but not very red.

Hope to get GP apt tomorrow as got drops from chemist they need to be dome avery 2 hrs.

OP posts:
Cashncarry · 09/04/2007 23:30

The puffiness sounds normal and the pus unfortunately! I remember that DD's eyes weren't particularly red the second time round. The dark rings - I'm not sure - could be due to not sleeping so well? DD (and I) have dark rings all the time - it's genetic apparently

Hopefully the GP can diagnose it proper and put your mind at rest. Good luck with the drops...

Original poster
drosophila · 09/04/2007 23:31

Am still waiting for NHD direct to phon eback. Guess when I phoned them...................7pm

OP posts:
Cashncarry · 09/04/2007 23:36

God they're crap aren't they? I phoned them at the w/e for DD's chicken pox and got a message to please phone back if it wasn't urgent. Well, if it was urgent I would have phoned the emergency doc or taken her to A & E wouldn't I? [duh emoticon]

I thought the whole point of the stupid thing was to free up the emergency services?!

kidsrus · 09/04/2007 23:38

drosophila lie dd across your lap and with her eyes closed put a few drops on eyelids close to the corner one at a time then get her to open her eyes and blink alot. children hate seeing the drops coming towards the eye.(don't we all)
Then lots of praise.
good luck and don't force the issue as it only gets worse if you do
try asking a friend to try if you can't do it but im sure it will work this good old trusty way.

chocolateface · 09/04/2007 23:58

I've given up on dorps from the chemist. ask you Dr. for cream. It will go into closed eyes, and you can do it while DD is asleep.

Original poster
drosophila · 10/04/2007 00:04

Choc - Good idea.

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 10/04/2007 00:05

We had ointment for DS2. It was awful to put in, far worse than drops. Far worse [flashback]

pucca · 10/04/2007 00:07

HM...yes we recently had cream for ds (8 mth) was a joy to put in...NOT.

chocolateface · 10/04/2007 00:09

The Dr. is suprised when I ask for ointment, and says most people find it hard, but I only put it on closed eyes, and it does work.
We've had to use ointment for things other than conjuctavitis, so have quite a bit of experience.

hunkermunker · 10/04/2007 00:16

If it works for you, Choc, that's great - I just found it really hard to use and it didn't work. The drops cleared DS2's eyes up brilliantly.

SlightlyMadSlug · 10/04/2007 10:51

Wrap her in a towel (like you are swaddling a baby). That way she can't get her arms free. LAy her back at an angle on a beanbag or pile of cushions. It is cruel but lots of hugs afterwards.

glassslipper · 10/04/2007 10:53

get her to shut her eyes and put in the corner of her eye. when she blinks it will go in her eye. i only found this after 3 days of fighting with dd to get drops in and her sreaming and being restrained

Browny · 10/04/2007 10:58

I found that putting the drops in when they are asleep is far easier, just wait until they are fast asleep and lift the eyelid gently and put the drop in, I could do this twice a day as my son still had a nap in the day... easy!

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