Foods After Having Tonsils and Adenoids Removed

I agree with these other Mommas. My daughter had hers out at 3 1/2, and I let her have anything soft, she seemed to really like mashed potatos, and soup, she got tired of popsicles really quick!

My daughter had both of them out at 3.5. It was a little rough the first couple days. JELLO is great. Pudding too. We stuck w/ water and she did fine with diluted juice and water to drink. Popcicles of any kind seemed to work. The dr. will also give you a lis of foods. Motrin is key - you'll be able to tell when it's wearing off... just whiney. Also keep the humidifier going to keep the air moist... Good luck and I hope he feels much better after the surgery.

The doctor/hospital will give you instructions and a diet and recommended fluids. They will tell you what to look for and how to take care of the patient. Here's what you have to do-don't, repeat, do not , hesitate to call the doctor if you are scared or unsure or concerned about anything-no matter what the hour-no matter how small you think it is-that's why they get paid the big bucks! God Bless!

Hi, I work for 5 ENT surgeons and am the surgical coordinator for them. Sooooo I book all there cases. We do a ton of pedi children T&A's. All children are different. Some tolerate different things. You just have to try things he/she likes. The first few days after the surgery, clears are best. They say that milk, ice cream makes the throat flemmy. Apple juice, water. Popsicles are ok, just not Red ones. NOOOO Motrin. This could cause bleeding. Scrambled eggs, oodles of noodles, even pancakes squished with a fork. Basically anything soft that will slip down. Don't be nervous if she doesn't eat much. Just a few bites is ok. The big thing after the Tonsils is that the child stays hydrated. A few sips of something every 15 minutes or so while they are awake. 3-5 year old usually do pretty well. The older the child is, the more painful. If your child refuses the pain med that is prescribed (this is not unusual since the taste is horrible) only non-asprin pain product like tylenol. Hope this helps.

L. Halko
Dracut, MA

You might want to avoid dairy as it may cause some sinus drainage. Clearing the throat is very painful.
Victoria

My 5 year old recently had her tonsils out, i made the mistake of letting her miss a dose of the pain meds because it was such a fight. She woke up shaking and in so much pain I called the dr to see if I should bring her to the ER. Mac N Cheese was a huge staple because it is so soft. Good Luck! Be ready to cuddle alot...

My son had his out a year ago when he turned 3 & I had mine out last august. Neither of us could handle anything frozen or really cold. My throat was too sensitive to handle it - it hurt! Cold juice was good - no red stuff or grape juice so it's easier to tell if there's bleeding. My son liked lukewarm chicken broth.
As for pain meds, your doctor should prescribe some. I think my son had codeine, I had lortab (basically vicodin). From my experience, motrin alone won't cut it and I like to think I have a decent pain tolerance. (I am really glad I had it done, though!) The good thing is, he should heal quickly. Better that he has it done now than when he's an adult.

Hope it goes well.

I would get jello, pudding, soups, anything that your little guy likes that is soft and easy to eat. I would recommend staying away from the things that have the red dye in them....tonsils can bleed after surgery and if you have eaten red foods it is hard to tell if it blood or red dye. When I had mine out I loved eating mashed potatoes and ramen noodles. My DD loved to eat jello. I would stock up on the stuff before he goes in and that way you don't have to make a trip to the store while he doesn't feel well to get something that he wants. Keep him hydrated and with the pain meds and he will do just fine (both of these things can prevent them from wanting to eat because their throat hurts). Good luck to you.

My 6yr old is 6 days post op right now. She loves Luke warm chicken noodle soup (hot soups is a no for a while!), mashed potato, jello, Italian Ice, pudding, soft bread with butter, frozen go gurts. The nurse also suggested soft grilled cheese (but she hates those!) oh and Gatorade has been a great hit. If they give you Tylenol with codeine make sure they flavor it becaaue our pharmacy didn't and it is nasty stuff to take. For my DD days 3/4 were the worst. She is starting to get a bit better but she still has pain. I have wonders about the pediasure drinks as well becaaue she has lost about 8 lbs so far.

Good luck and have patience!