Eyedrops - How do I do it?!?

[Ilovenannyplum]

Further to my conjunctivitis thread earlier, we now have eye drops.
7 month old quite obviously hates them and it was a nightmare getting them in and that was with DP helping.
How do I get them in when it's just me doing it?

I've never even had to put drops in my own eyes so would appreciate any advice to make this less traumatic all round!

My gp recommended that you can put the drops over the tearduct even if the eye is closed (head back or as baby lying down) as it will be blinked in. It works on my dd (9) who is hysterical otherwise! Hth.

I will try that!
Although his tear ducts are currently the gungiest part so I'm worried the drops might not make it through

The drops don't have to go directly on the eyeball, I used to pull DD's bottom eyelid down when she was asleep and put the drops there.

I used to put a fave tv on. Lie him in the couch with the TV to his side so he had to turn his head and drop in. Then flip him round wait till he is watching again and then the same in other eye.

Does he definitely need the drops?

It's rare that conjunctivitis need antibiotics. Sadly, the GP will prescribe them as routine and over 2 years you just buy them over the counter. I wish they'd change they way the prescribe drops. The NHS is quite clear that conjunctivitis only needs treating occasionally but the actual front line staff don't seem to have got the message.

Conjunctivitis is a self-limiting condition and in the vast majority of cases should be treated with cleaning of the eyes, tlc and good hygiene practices. It should clear within a fortnight. If it is still going on, getting worse or causing pain then it needs checking out but this does not happen in the vast majority of cases.

We are going to see conjunctivitis ending up antibiotic resistant. It's a miserable thing and horrid to see, particularly when it's gunky and sticking the eyelashes together. My dc quite often get it with a cold. The official guidelines are clear though. It is a self limiting condition which doesn't need antibiotics in the majority of cases.

Sorry if that's all irrelevant and you've got a severe or complicated case on your hands.

Hope it's all over and done with soon either way.

Are you breastfeeding? Breastmilk clears it up so if you are you can squirt away into/around the eye, might clear it enough to get the eye drops in if you want to use them too. Just thinking it might be easier because it doesn't matter if you use too much.

We definitely need the drops, his little eyes are pretty much clamped stuck. I can't leave him for 2 weeks, its just not fair :(
And no, not breast feeding so can't do that, I read that somewhere else though and did wonder if that was true!

Breast milk is good. It's a sterile fluid which is half the battle but my midwife friend swears the antibodies in it help. I'm a peer supporter and I do recommend it. I used it myself to great success.

Their eyes, sadly, do pretty much clamp shut without regular cleaning. You know your child though and know if they're in pain with it or it's not managed with regular, gentle cleaning.