4 Mo Throwing Up

I would just let him sleep and quite giving him liquids until he acts hungry. Babies are very in tune with their bodies so go with what he's "telling" you.

That's no fun! The dr always told me a couple of things:
1. Wait at least 20 mins after they throw up to try giving any new liquids.
2. Give very small quantities at first more often. We would do just an ounce of pedialyte every half hour or so. When it was really bad we would do 3 tsps every 15 mins to keep our baby hydrated.
3. Introduce the milk when he can keep the pedialyte down.
4. Babies get dehydrated very quickly. Watch him closely and if you think he's getting worse go to the dr or the ER. There is a Children's Hospital Urgent care up at I25 and I think past 144th, you can check their website.
5. My second baby always threw up when she had ear infections, no other symptoms. My first baby wasn't like that.

Hope it helps, just remember, small quantities often to avoid dehydration.
Hope he gets better soon!

K.,

My 1 year old daughter is going through the exact same thing right now! I was told its going around, and there's not much we can do for our babies :( You didn't say if your son started with a fever, but my daughter did. I've called the Dr 3 times in the past 48 hours. Of course your guy is younger, but same ideas.

1. Keep him hydrated! Smaller doses of liquid so his tummy doesn't get overloaded. Offer tiny amounts of breast milk at a time, maybe pumping and offering a few teaspoons, or nursing for shorter periods and pumping the rest to save. Pedialyte and water is good too, but breast is best. I was told not to give my daughter any formula or milk, its too thick. She still nurses, so she doesn't have that anyway and the Dr said let her have the breast if she wants it.
2. Watch the urine. Make sure he is peeing every few hours. Even if he is throwing up, he should have a little urine output. I'm not sure what your Dr recommends for his age. My daughter is once every 8 hours.
3. Check the moisture in his mouth. He should have a little spit in there as long as he's not dehydrated. If its very dry, call back. You pay them, so bug them!
4. Let him sleep. Its ok if he misses a couple meals, I would pump and store and try to rest too. You need your energy too
5. Watch for a fever. A huge spike could mean something else is going on in there. I don't know how you feel about tylenol, or what the Dr says. When my daughters fever rose, I would give her a dose and it dropped down again. That's a good sign. That was before she was throwing up too.
6. Be prepared for diarrhea. I was told that the first time I called, but I thought I was lucky and passed it. Nope. We are on day 3 of vomiting and day 2 of poo.
7. I'm out of order, but watch for all signs of dehydration. Sunken soft spot, no tears. I know you're a smart mama, but I wanted to reiterate :)
8. I know you're giving him tons of love. Maybe try a warm wash cloth or a little tummy rub. My son used to like those just for comfort, but my daughter won't have anything to do with them. She doesn't even want to be held the past couple nights, and she's usually a cuddle bug.

Good luck! I'm gonna pray for your little guy and YOU tonight while I'm watching my baby girl wiggle and whine in pain. I HATE when my babies are sick especially when they're so little and there's nothing I can do! I can't wait for spring weather so I can open my windows and get nice fresh air!

V.

The concern really is keeping him hydrated. Wait an hour after he's thrown up before offering him anything more. If he acts like he wants to nurse, go ahead and nurse him - breastmilk is the best thing for him (remember the anitibodies) and nursing is also soothing. Also watch him closely for signs of dehydration - decrease urine output (keep track of wet diapers), lethargy, dry eyes and mouth, skin holds a peak if you gently pinch it. Don't wait for the skin thing if you see other signs first. Get him to the doctor if he is getting dehydrated (or even the ER if that's what is available, you don't want to mess around with dehydration at this age).
I would call the doctor again tomorrow if he isn't getting better. It probably is just a stomach bug, but you want to be proactive, especially at this age. And if your instincts tell you something's wrong, listen to them!

Sorry to hear this. Breastmilk is not hard on the tummy--it's much better than Pedialyte and much more natural and easy to absorb! If he can't keep anything down, just offer breastmilk further apart--every 20 mins or 1/2 hour, or whenever he shows he wants it. Even if he throws up the breastmilk, he is absorbing some of it. My daughter went through this several times and if it goes more than 36-48 hours, if he's throwing up more than a couple times an hour or if he's showing signs of dehydration, take him to the doctor. It sucks, but spring is almost here. A great resource is on Dr. Sears' website. Here's some info on throwing up and what to be concerned about (and what not to be!): http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t083300.asp. Hang in there--hopefully it will be over today!

K. - I know this must be very scary for you. My two children and myself suffered from this gastro-intentestinal virus recently. It has taken my youngest (15 months) almost two weeks to get over it - he may have had two consecutive bouts of it. Anyhow, the vomiting occurs in the first 24 hours. It is horrible to see your baby wretching - mine did for nearly 7 hours. I threw up for about 9 hours about two days later. Then the diarhea sets in and lasts for about 5 days. Keep breast-feeding - you are right that it is the best thing - and ensure that YOU are very well hydrated during this time. Keep track of how many wet diapers your baby has - it will be less, but as long as he is still urinating a couple times a day, then he's not completely dehydrated. Keep notes (vomiting incidents, feedings, diaper changes, fever?, and behavioral observations) so you can relay info to your doctor if needed. I have also found the Nurse Line at Children's Hospital to be a good source of reassurance at this time - it's a free service, staffed by nurses who are excellent at phone consultation. Your notes will be very helpful if you call them. Hang in there - it's a very exhausting thing to go through, sleep when you can, keep it simple, try to stay insulated at home until he's better because he'll be vulnerable to other viruses. Mine caught a horrible running nose at some point during the illness and has really had trouble getting well. I think things are looking up though - I agree about just wanting spring to get here and bring some health and wellness to both my children, who seem to have really taken this winter's illnesses very hard. Best wishes.

The pedealite really is the best thing for him. Milk, even breast milk is hard on an upset tummy. Let him sleep as much as possible. Don't wake him up for feedings. Keep trying with the pedialite. And good luck!!

I'm sorry you're experiencing this!! It's no fun having a sick child, especially when they're so young! I've been through similar and my doctor told me it's okay if the baby doesn't drink pedialyte as long as he's drinking a little breastmilk at a time. My doc suggested just letting him nurse or take a bottle for a very short period of time at first (she said they only need a teaspoon or two of fluid to stay hydrated). If he keeps that down, and is interested, let him have a teaspoon or two more after 10 or 15 minutes. If he still keeps it down, repeat the process. Watch for signs of dehydration: crying without tears, lack of wet diapers, the face looking sunken in. If the baby doesn't want to drink something every 15 minutes, that's also okay as long as you can get him to take in something at least every couple of hours and he's able to keep it down. Good luck!!

How fortunate for both you and your baby that you can nurse through this sickness! Some people say breastmilk is hard for a sick baby to keep down because it has fat in it that must be digested and Pedialyte has no fat, but it also has no real nutrients in it, either. It's strictly a rehydrating solution. Your milk has fat and protein in it so it's nourishing as well as hydrating. You can keep offering Pedialyte with a syringe, a spoon or a wide-based, slow-flow artificial nipple on a bottle, or you can just nurse a lot. I second the comments about nursing a little bit very often to minimize big vomits. . . . Keep an eye out for signs of true dehydration (no pee or dark pee, no tears, sunken eyes or soft spot, major lethargy) and this will soon pass. Being hooked up to mom is a lot cozier than being hooked up to an I.V., so do your best to ignore other chores and keep your baby hydrated--with a towel nearby to catch the next barf. ;) Seems like a time to watch videos and read books with your older boy while you hang out and nurse. ;) Hang in there.

just keep breastfeeding. It comforts and hydrates. My daughter had a stomach virus as an infant (threw up for 8 days!) and it was very hard. She would not touch pedialyte - drank small amounts of water, and just stayed attached to my breast most of the day, OOWWee ;) Just be careful with dehydration. That the most important thing. He's so little it can happen fast. Trust your mommy-gut, and take him to the doc if your concerned.