DS is vomiting for the 1st time -- need advice

[almostamom]

Reeve is 7 1/2 months old. Yesterday a.m. he threw up his first bottle after he had coughed a few times. I fed him only formula the rest of the day. (I figured if anything was going to come up, better it was formula than peas or carrots.) He was fine today. He had formula, cereal, peaches, and mixed veggies. He ate applesauce and veggies for dinner and threw up immediately after (no coughing this time). We just did the whole sleep routine and I gave him his bottle. He finished it and was closing his eyes as I rocked him and he vomited again. His fever has been between 99.0 - 99.7 tonight. Any advice? What should I do? What shouldn't I do?

Many thanks from a nervous new mommy,

~Linda~
DS 11/04

[Marisa6826]

Linda, is he spitting up or THROWING up?

Sounds like he's getting an awful lot of food. I'd go bland for a while. Rice, white toast, bananas, apples.

You can keep giving him formula, but I'd go a little bit at a time. Keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't get dehydrated. If the inside of his mouth starts to feel dry to you or he doesn't cry tears, or wet dipes, you need to take him to the Ped ASAP. Try and get him to take little sips of water or Pedialyte if he'll take it.

He doesn't have a fever, so that's indicative that it's not the flu.

Has Reeve (love the name,BTW) been sticking his hands in his mouth from teething? Sophie has gagged herself a few time and yacked up food/milk that way.

It just may be a virus that you need to ride out.

Here's a link to askdrsears.com http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T083300.asp

Hope Reeve feels better.

hugs

-m

[JBaxter]

It is probably just a tummy bug. Will he drink pedialite? I would try that tonight instead of formula. Milk products dont settle well with some tummy bugs. They usually pass in 24 hours. Good luck. We have all been there.
Jeana

[almostamom]

Marisa and Jeana, thank you for your quick replies. I'm flipping through every parenting book I've got tonight. It was definitely throw up -- he rarely spits up (maybe 3 times in his life) and each of these three times it was pretty much the entire contents of his meal. Can he have Pedialyte? I just called the dr. because the darn packaging on Pedialyte says "call the dr. if child is under 1" GRRRRRR! Just took his temp again -- it's normal and he doesn't act like he's in pain or uncomfortable at all. He's chewing fingers but didn't have any in his mouth prior to any of the vomiting.

BTW, Marisa, thanks for liking his name (we get a lot of grief on that one) I'm positive my mother calls him by his middle name when I'm not around!

How much is Mia eating? They're almost the same age. Reeve has cereal in the a.m., 1/2 container of a fruit and 1/2 container of a veggie at lunch, remainder at dinner, plus his regular formula (about 24 oz/day).

~Linda~
DS 11/04

[lisams]

Sounds like it could be a stomach bug. Our ped said that after DD threw up to let her tummy rest for one hour and then give her sips of pedialyte every ten minutes. Then after she could keep that down for at least an hour without throwing up he said to give her small servings of bland foods if she would take it (for you I'd stick to just formula though since he's younger). The thing you don't want to do is keep feeding him if it causes him to throw up because then he'll throw up more fluids than he's taking in, which is why they had us let DD's tummy rest for an hour, and then just give sips of clear fluids frequently.

I sure hope he's feeling better soon. The first time DD got the stomach bug was so scary. Hang in there!

Lisa

[Marisa6826]

I don't really give her solids yet. She's had some fresh apple (I hold a slice and she kind of grates it with her bottom two teeth) but that's it so far.

I'm not in any rush, although I've bought some first carrots, first sweet potatoes and first peas. Cereal completely grosses me out (we blew it off with Sophie), so I don't think I'll give it to Mia. However, I did buy a pack of that YoBaby with the cereal in it.

I'd give him some diluted Pedialyte. He probably won't like it (Sophie refused it all together). Try backing off the food for a while to give his belly a rest.

How is he acting? Is he whiney and yucky or acting normally? Behaviour is a much stronger indicator of illness. A Ped would be a lot more concerned about a kiddo with a 99 degree fever that is completely lethargic over a kiddo with a 102 that is happily playing.

Check out that Dr. Sears link.

-m

[almostamom]

Our Dr. just called back -- she's so wonderful!!! She said yes to the Pedialyte but told us to dilute it and only do a teaspoon as a time. You mamas are so smart!!!!

I did check out the website - he didn't really fit any of the categories for vomiting. He's smiling and happy throughout all of this! No whining or discomfort? How did I get such a sweet kid?

After Reeve got sick, DH was cleaning him up, I cleaned up the chair and headed straight for the computer. DH said, "What are you doing? Oh, you're going to ask the mommies what to do, aren't you?" I'm so grateful to have you all to turn to and I know it's past midnight for some of you -- THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Big hugs,
~Linda~
DS 11/04

(Mia has two teeth???? Reeve's been "teething" for months but no sign of any teeth yet. My kiddo is half Italian -- he LOVES to eat -- just like his mama!!)

[Marisa6826]

I know. I don't know how she got them so fast. The first one came through at the retreat. The second one, four days later.

Sophie didn't get any till 7 and 9m!

I guess I oughta just give the kid a chicken leg! :P

I'm 1/4 Italian, but 1/2 Polish. Food runs deep in my blood! ;)

-m

BTW - Tell your sister that I bust out hysterically laughing over the prospect of dead clowns haunting due to lack of underpinnings! Of course it was at 4am and I almost woke up the entire family. D'oh!

And tell your Mother that if she's ever in NYC again, I would LOVE to meet her.

[pritchettzoo]

OT, but that paragraph made me crack up too. I even read it to DH who laughed despite it being completely out of context. I think it might be the funniest paragraph in the book! :)

OP, I hope Reeve is better soon!

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03)
and a BOY! (coming July '05)

[JBaxter]

Glad you have a handle on things. And I like Reeve too. I like different names. I would keep his solids light maybe rice cereal for breakfast. Good luck tonight :)
Jeana

[almostamom]

Jeana,
He had two teaspoons of Pedialyte and went to sleep with a smile on his face. Thank you for your advice. I so appreciate it. And, thank for liking his name (after teaching for 13 years I had to come up with a different name!) -- another vote in my favor, I can't wait to tell my mother!!!

~Linda~
DS 11/04

[almostamom]

Marisa and Anna,
Forgive me, I probably should know this, but is that in the new book? I haven't managed to finish it yet. Hmmm, maybe I should head toward the bathroom (it's the ONLY place I get to read -- probably TMI)

~Linda~
DS 11/04

[Marisa6826]

Well, being that I was in the bathroom at the time I read it...

Yes, it's in the new book. I don't remember the name of the chapter, but the context of it was when your Mom was going in for her surgery following her cancer diagnosis.

She apparently brought a navy beaded gown with her to the hospital to be buried in, should she die.

It has to be one of the most hilarious chapters in the book, so far.

I also loved the one about Molly - "The Unseen", I believe is the name of the chapter.

You must tell Laurie of all her fans here!

-m

[JBaxter]

The pedialyte flavors are so much better now. My oldest DS is 13 and when he was 14 months he had meningitis ( very scary but he is a thriving teen now). A nurse at the hospital gave me a "trick" to get kids to drink the plain pedialyte. Get a bottle coke syrup they usually have it at the phamacy but you have to ask add a teaspoon ( or alitte less) to 8 oz of pedialyte. It worked for us. There is something in the coke syrup that helps to settle stomachs. Worked for us MANY times. I havent had any problems since they improved the favors. I have recently used the gerber ?little lites they are dry packets you add to water they worked well for us also. Hope all is well this morning.
Jeana

[amp]

Linda - Sounds like you've gotten through the worst of this. Hoping Reeve is feeling better soon! Those first illness are a little scary for mamas! Hang in there!