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Dramatic change in baby’s bowel movements - rotavirus vaccine?

9 replies

rach333 · 07/07/2023 16:42

Hi all,

Apologies for starting a new thread on this, I’ve trawled other threads, and the internet in general, but have been unable to find anything that matches my exact issue. Thought I’d post here to see if anyone has experienced this and any advice you can give.

My daughter is 9 weeks old, and had her first set of vaccines 9 days ago. Ever since then, she’s had a big change in her bowel movements.

She used to go once a day, and it would be a big one, with occasional leaking out of the nappy. Runny, but normal (she’s EBF).

Since having the vaccines, she’s dropped to only going once every 2 days. I know this is still classed as normal for a breastfed baby. However, when she goes…it’s absolutely explosive. It’s gone from being runny to almost pure liquid. Colour hasn’t changed (yellowy/brown) and still seems normal. However, the consistency is just liquid. She hasn’t had a poo that hasn’t leaked out of her nappy since the vaccines, and because she’s now only going once every 2 days instead of once a day, the amount of it is crazy. It covers every inch of her nappy and then runs out everywhere, all over her clothes and anything she’s sitting/lying on.

My first question is, is this connected to the rotavirus vaccine? I know this is a live vaccine, and can therefore give babies a bit of an upset tummy.

I’ve done a lot of reading about the rotavirus vaccine, and diarrhoea is listed as a side effect, but everything I’ve read says that for it to be classed as diarrhoea, it’s not just the fact that it’s liquid but the amount she’s going. Diarrhoea means you’re going more frequently - my daughter is actually going less than she was before, only once every 2 days. Surely that can’t be classed as diarrhoea?

Has anyone else’s baby had the same/similar after the vaccine?

If so, my second question is, how long did it last? It’s been 9 days now since her vaccines, so I thought it would have settled by now, but she just did the biggest, messiest, most liquid poo she’s ever had about an hour ago, after not having been for almost 48 hours on the dot.

She was already a windy baby prior to the vaccines, but is now waking herself up at night desperately straining and uncomfortable (after seeing the amount that came out this afternoon, I’m not surprised!). It’s really hard to see her in so much discomfort, and it’s turned my fairly good sleeper into a ‘waking every hour to grunt/writhe/strain/cry’. Her farts have also become smellier.

Other than the increased discomfort/disturbed sleep from the wind, she seems ok in herself. No fever, or any other causes for concern. The nurse who did the vaccines just told me that if there was any red in her poo/it looked like cranberries, to contact the GP. Definitely none of that, just less frequent, but much larger and much, much more liquid poo!

Any advice? Is this normal, and if so, how long does it usually last? She still has another dose of the rotavirus one to come, should I expect things to have settled down before her next one (less than 3 weeks away)? I’m a FTM and just feel completely clueless, especially as her symptoms seem
to contradict each other - less frequent poos, but pure liquid.

OP posts:
Shopper727 · 07/07/2023 16:52

It should be part of what the nurse told you, yes they can be looser poor thing sounds awful perhaps get baby checked out as dehydration can happen fast in little ones. Also look out for blood/red jelly in stool. Be careful clearing up poo as it’s live there’s a risk of you catching rota, If the reaction is bad say to the nurse next time as it’s a 2 dose course.

PollyHousehold · 03/08/2023 04:58

@rach333 we're going through exactly the same thing ATM! How did this turn out for your poor DD?

Girlpower56 · 09/02/2024 16:29

Similar situation here, except frequency has increased from once every few days to 4-5 x a day. And it’s been a month so I’m unsure, how did it work out for your little one ? Is she ok now ? Did you do the second dose ?

LavsKaJ · 18/05/2024 08:39

@Girlpower56 sorry to jump on. We are the same atm, 2nd dose is due next week. Did you take it? How long did it take to clear up?

Northwood456 · 18/05/2024 09:07

DS had the same reaction 4 years ago. Much more unsettled at night and very upset stomach for a good couple of weeks. I declined the next dose and declined rotavirus vaccine for my second child.

They were both breastfed and I figured the risk of death/serious complications was low in a developed country. I know many others who had the vaccine with no side effects.

WarriorN · 18/05/2024 09:22

I had this with my youngest, I was also very silly and somehow got a bit off him too! On the plus side the vaccine apparently reduces chances of developing coeliac disease.

LavsKaJ · 18/05/2024 09:28

Northwood456 · 18/05/2024 09:07

DS had the same reaction 4 years ago. Much more unsettled at night and very upset stomach for a good couple of weeks. I declined the next dose and declined rotavirus vaccine for my second child.

They were both breastfed and I figured the risk of death/serious complications was low in a developed country. I know many others who had the vaccine with no side effects.

I think I'm leaning towards declining the second dose. I was unsure weather to take the first one and I'm sorry I did now. It wasn't even around years ago when I had my daughter

WarriorN · 18/05/2024 09:36

I have to say that my eldest was BF but caught every stomach bug going including Rota as it was so bad that I got him tested . Horrific smell and lasted ages. It was before the vaccine. I had to take a lot of time off work and it was hard. Particularly as I was Bf.

Anecdotally, Youngest had the vax and he's never had any d and v and is now 6 (bizarrely as obviously it's only Rota it covers) Just a different pov.

rach333 · 18/05/2024 11:10

Hi all,

So sorry I never came back to the thread earlier - I didn’t seem to have notifications turned on and have only just realised an hour ago that there are multiple replies here!

This probably isn’t very helpful now to a lot of you, as we’re now 10 months later 🫣 but for those who were asking, it did settle itself down. From memory it took around 3 weeks, and it was a really unpleasant 3 weeks, but it did calm down on its own. I was then faced with the decision on whether to get the second dose. I decided to get it, although I did feel on the fence for quite a while, as she’d only just started to get over the effects of the first dose, when I’m back in the doctors office giving her more! She responded a lot better to the second dose, I think her poos went funny for about a week, but she wasn’t in the same level of discomfort as she was previously. She never got any of the symptoms the nurse told me to look out for, such as cranberry colour in her poo, but she did get this! Explosive, but less frequent poos, for a good few weeks.

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