Toddler sick once then fine?

[NMAA]

DD is 2years 3mos, today she woke up from her nap and asked for a snack - I gave her something and she spat it out and said she didn’t like it. So took it away and when I came back she was coughing and gagging. I asked her if she was ok and she said yes then coughed and vomited all over the floor! This was 2 hours ago and since then she’s been absolutely fine - a bit quiet and just sitting on the couch but no more sickness and her nappies have been ok. She was coughing a bit earlier today, hasn’t eaten that much, but she has also been teething (molars!) so I’m wondering if she has just made herself gag then thrown up because of it?

The last time she had a sickness bug (November), she was sick every 20 minutes for hours - so this is definitely different! She’s had a few sips of water and has kept that down, but no more food (she hasn’t been asking so will likely wait until breakfast now).

Is it common / normal for a toddler to be sick just the once and not have some kind of bug / illness? I do get quite paranoid about her health in general - my first son passed away as a baby so I have bad health anxiety. I’m dreading putting her down to bed tonight in case she’s sick in her sleep 😭 I guess I’m just looking for some reassurance that this is a one off / normal toddler thing 🤦🏻‍♀️ thanks! x

My DC have had a bug before where they were sick once a day for 2 weeks and then it went. We've also had ones where they're sick of a day, fine for 2 days then sick again. I wouldnt assume you are in the clear just yet.

Sickness bugs can vary. With some they are sick constantly but with others only every few hours. My youngest even tends to have long enough gaps towards the end that I think we’re in the clear and then he starts all over again. But if she is not keen to eat anything further then it sounds like it might be a bug. That said, they do sometimes have random vomits. But as pp said, my nephew also had a once a day but that dragged on. Try not to worry about the night. She is old enough to sit up if she’s being sick and to call out for you.

It doesn't necessarily need to be a bug, perhaps just something her tummy didn't like right then, duly expelled and then on as normal.

I've certainly had occasions when I've been sick once without it becoming anything more, so I'm sure a little one with a more delicate stomach can too. Try not to worry too much x

My son had a sickness bug where he was sick once. Definitely a bug as I caught it the day after and DH the day after me. They present differently in people and not always the typical multiple episodes over a few hours, etc

Thanks everyone - I’ll definitely keep an eye on her over the next couple of days! She’s only had a bug twice before and both times were horrendous, sick constantly for hours, so this one has caught me off guard a little! x

We've just had a bug where she was sick once overnight, fine the following day, then sick again during the night but a lot less, then fine during the day up until tea time where she didn't eat (very unusual) then started coughing/gagging and was sick a few times and in the night. Then me and her dad were sick that night too and into the next day where she was fine bar 2 nappy explosions!
I hope it was just a one off for you

My little one who is now 5 has had quite a few occurrences of randomly being sick once, going to bed and then being fine the next day. Sometimes I think they eat something that doesn't agree with them and up it comes, but not necessarily a sick bug or food poisoning.

My 2 year old did this the other day - just one lot, during the night. All milk because he breastfeeds still before sleeping, and sometimes during the night. He seemed fine otherwise, other than some coughing and runny nose since!

I'm sure she's fine and it was a one off as something unsettled her stomach, I would wait the 48 hours to send her to nursery etc if she goes just in case though. Just keep an eye and see how she is :)

Both my kids have a tendency to vomit once at the start of any illness that has a fever attached. So even if respiratory illness with fever, it begins with one episode of vomiting when their temp goes up. Then illness has usual viral symptoms and no further vomiting.

My DS used to be sick, just once, every time he got a bit overheated. That could be from a slight temperature with a cold or just being too warm tangled up in blankets in bed.

Two of mine have done this. One has done it multiple times and never seemed really ill - just one or one and a half vomits and then done. And the other did it with a headache where we suspected something like migraine. But, yeah, hopefully you might get away it!

This happened to me recently. My son vomited all over himself on the way to nursery so I duly signed him off for the required 48 hours, got him home, got out the sick bowl and towels and prepared for at least a day of settee cuddles while I worked from home. He was fine. No more vomit. No temperature. No tears or lethargy. Just running about and generally being a toddler (making working from home impossible!) I put it down to eating something that didn't agree with him and once he threw it up his body was fine. It's not always a bug. So sorry to hear about your son xx

Thanks so much for the replies everyone, so glad I’m not the only one with a randomly vomiting toddler 🤣🙈 she seems her usual self now - refusing to go to sleep and asking to watch baby shark - so I’m hoping we’ve got away with it! 🤞🏼 x

All of my children have bad bugs where they vomit loads and others where it’s just once.

Mine have both had bugs where they've only thrown up once and then been totally fine (and it definitely was a bug as DH caught it a couple of days later, also threw up once).

But equally, if she didn't like the food (was it a new food?), spat it out, she might have gagged and made herself sick a bit with it.

Annoyingly there's no way to tell really.

Aw that’s good to know, she’s gone down to bed absolutely fine so fingers crossed! 🤞🏼 it was a new food & she definitely didn’t like it - she was gagging then started to cough then sick! Worst of it is, it was half of my cookie I gave her! Won’t make that mistake again 🤣 x

I'm intrigued to know what flavour of cookie caused such a strong reaction!

If it was just a bit of sick, then I do think it sounds like she's maybe gagged and coughed over the food, rather than it being a bug of some sort.

Yes they definitely do, especially if they're coughing. If she is well in herself, peeing plenty and no runny poos try not to worry.
Sending hugs