Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Retching 2.10 year old. Not D&V.

18 replies

Bauble99 · 26/12/2007 20:18

DS3 has never been a big eater. He loves milk (cows) and as a veteran of dealing with a milk-monster (DS1) I know that I need to cut this down to allow him to eat more.

Over the last couple of weeks he has been doing this 'gagging' thing. Sometimes after eating, when he'll bring up what he's eaten, but it's not vomiting. And sometimes even before, when he sees food.

This morning, for example, he ate few spoonfulls of cereal before...well it's almost like a choking thing...gagging and bringing it back up. He's fine with fluids, though.

He's otherwise well, has a bit of a cold at the moment - but all of the Bubble boys are a bit wintery/snotty of late.

I'll make an appt with the GP tomorrow but I wondered if anyone has come across this before.

I've googled and found loads of info about gastro stuff in newborns but not anything that would start suddenly in a nearly 3 YO. He managed to eat some spaghetti this evening but it was very slowly (no probs with that) but he's been picking at food for the last few days and he doesn't have the body fat to lose.

He had a very traumatic birth and nearly died. He was checked over thoroughly at birth as the paeds wanted to make sure that his gut hadn't been compromised to maintain brain oxygen supply. All was deemed to be OK. I can't imagine that there could be a delayed effect anyway. Either he was damaged at birth or this is a new thing. And although he has always been a poor eater this gagging thing is new.

OP posts:
Bauble99 · 26/12/2007 20:28

Oh and I've had a lot of dark thoughts about oesophageal tumours and the like.

Can't help it with him. Not born under a lucky star.

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 26/12/2007 20:31

hey you

has he had the cold this long? Because you know that feeling when your throat is clogged with snot? It makes you gag - even at the sight of food.

Tis nasty this coldy virus doing the rounds.

foxinsocks · 26/12/2007 20:32

have you had a look at his throat? maybe his tonsils are up too?

FairyTaleOfNewYork · 26/12/2007 20:33

is it he doing it with food he doesnt really like? if you give,say, choc buttons does he do it then?

Bauble99 · 26/12/2007 20:38

It's intermittent foxy. That's the thing. I really don't think it's linked to the cold (which is fairly mild by his standards).

Mr Bubble took him to the walk-in at Teddington this afternoon but brought him home after seeing the triage nurse and being told there was a 3 hour wait to see the doc. He said that DS3 was charging around the play area in the waiting room and was obviously not an 'ill' child. We agreed that he needs to see our GP rather than an A&E doc.

When he got home I was making hot chocolate and toast for the other boys. DS3 looked at it and gagged. Is it some weird food association thing?

What is this?

OP posts:
FairyTaleOfNewYork · 26/12/2007 20:39

does he do it with the lovely milk?

dd2 is a gagger. still does it at age 5. was terrible between 2-4years old.

foxinsocks · 26/12/2007 20:40

It could be?

Has he had a bad experience recently (where he ate and was ill)?

or perhaps he has that feeling of something in his throat all the time (like reflux or a heavy snotty thing)?

Bauble99 · 26/12/2007 20:44

Choc buttons were gagged up earlier too, misdee.

I tried them after the cereal just to get something into him.

Yet he managed to eat some spaghetti before bed. Was V hungry by then, poor thing.

Today he has had:

Milk - no problem
Cereal - gagged and brought up.
Choc buttons - ditto.
Milk - no problem
Lunch - wouldn't even try.
Spaghetti -ate very slowly
Milk - no prob.

He is very tearful and upset when he gags/brings stuff up and I think it's putting him off even trying to eat.

OP posts:
Bauble99 · 26/12/2007 20:48

foxy. The triage nurse suggested tonsils, too.

She didn't want to look down his throat as he was obviously freaked out at being in her medical room and it made sense for just one person (ie the doc) to do the throat check.

As Mr Bubble didn't wait, we'll have to wait until the GP can check.

I suppose the being OK with fluids and milk would fit with the tonsil theory, though.

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 26/12/2007 20:49

awww poor poppet

you know mine both had reflux (and one had a hernia) and this was par for the course so I wonder whether he has had a bad experience with solid food?

either way, I think it's a good idea you get him checked out just to rule out anything like hernias etc.

dd's was perfectly innocuous but only got picked up when she was 3/4.

foxinsocks · 26/12/2007 20:50

yes, often happens with tonsils. They get swollen, they gag on food but they can still manage some fluids.

Bauble99 · 26/12/2007 20:51

misdee.

Just hearing that 'dd2 is a gagger' makes me feel better. Not for poor dd2, of course! But just because it makes it sound normal, IYSWIM.

Do I sound like the mother of a PFB?

OP posts:
FairyTaleOfNewYork · 26/12/2007 20:57

i think your allowed bauble to sound like a mum of PFB. dd2 has always been a gagher, she had terrible reflux and i spent the first twi years trying to dart out of the way as she threw up everywhere.

has he chocked on anything recently? like foxy said, it could just be he is feeling a bit 'snotty' and bringing up everything.

for now, as longt as he is taking fluids, i wouldnt worry unless the GP says to. it could be an attention thing as well. i had to basically ignore dd2 doing it, mop up the mess, clean her and get her back to eating.

its very stressful.

Bauble99 · 26/12/2007 20:59

foxy. I'm going to go with the tonsils theory until we see the GP.

Thankyou so much, misdee and foxy.

xx

PS. Have you noticed, misdee, that you will always be misdee - no matter how many name-changes you try?

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 26/12/2007 20:59

yes, you see, misdee and I are queen of the gaggers .

Mine figured out pretty early on that they could vomit and gag on demand little poppets .

I hope the doctor is helpful tomorrow. It's definitely worth having his little throat looked at.

If he doesn't come up with much, let us know and we'll try to come up with anti-gag strategies.

FairyTaleOfNewYork · 26/12/2007 21:01

i will always be misdee lol. i accept that. i did switch back toi misdee recently and it felt very strange.

try ignoring the gagging if the GP deems him fit and well. as long as he isnt choking, then he'll be fine.

Bauble99 · 26/12/2007 21:02

Will do. And I'll let you both know if we need to start up a 'Gaggers' board.

OP posts:
FairyTaleOfNewYork · 26/12/2007 21:04

fortunatly dd3 hasnt learnt how to gag. [phew] despite having a big sister being a pro at it lol.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page