:(
And Mom got scared...
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| Poor sick girl finally fell asleep on Daddy's chest. |
It would have been easier if she had a cold, or maybe had been older, but when a four-month-old baby is vomiting...it gets scary real fast.
Even now, we have no idea why she was vomiting, but she would get so red in the face and looked so miserable, I could barely stand it.
The first few times she was sick, we just thought she had eaten too much (this girl is going through a major growth spurt and seriously ate like three times within three or four hours...), or that she had gotten sick because she kept sticking her fingers in her mouth and was gagging herself.
Then, she kept getting sick, even after there was nothing left in her stomach, and she no longer had her hands in her mouth. So Mom called the doctor and the doctor (well nurse) said...A nurse will call you back....
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?!?!
It was five minutes later, Adalyn was still getting sick, and I was calling the birthing center. She at least called over to the nurse to ask what was going on, and why I hadn't been called back yet.
When I finally spoke to the nurse, she didn't seem too worried about it, because Adalyn didn't have a fever, she could still move her arms and legs, no bulging soft spot, etc., etc., etc.
So, we had to watch her for the night...No sleep for Mom and Dad.
Adalyn finally fell asleep around 10 pm. The poor girl was so exhausted, she wouldn't even suck on a bottle filled with a little bit of Pedialyte. She woke up again around midnight (and so did Dad). We used a syringe to get her to drink some of the Pedialyte. She did much better this time.
Side note--Mom here really needs to find that recipe for homemade Pedialyte. I have heard that it is much cheaper to make, and much healthier too.
Back asleep again until 2 am...Mom and Dad slept this time because she had not been vomiting the last time she woke. Adalyn literally did not leave our sides, in fact she slept on one of our chests the entire night...
At 2 am, Adalyn was starting to act more like herself again. She was moving around more and woke up with this attitude like, "Hey guys! What's up? I am starved!"
The problem was that the nurse told us to only give her 1-2 tsp of Pedialyte every five minutes for the first four hours after she stopped vomiting, followed by 2-4 tsp every five minutes for four hours after that. And no breastfeeding.
When Adalyn is hungry and does not get fed, she gets mad. Really, really mad...
Yeah..., Adalyn received a bottle with an ounce of Pedialyte really quick.
The poor thing had been through so much already, that I couldn't stand to deny her having more liquids. I was a bit afraid that it would be too much for her and that she might vomit again, but she held it down well.
She woke again at 4 am, hungry, so we gave her a few more ounces of Pedialyte before she fell asleep again. Finally, at 6 am, when she woke, I was allowed to breastfeed her again.
The following day, Adalyn acted like her normal self; She was happy, playing with her toys, singing and talking.
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| "B" is for "Better!" As in, "Adalyn is feeling better!" |
We are so incredibly happy that she is feeling better now.
And that Mom and Dad have not gotten sick...yet...
Interesting. With our first I thought it would be the same thing--no nursing--and the nurse said, no, keep nursing the baby because the baby needs to get some liquids.
ReplyDeleteThe syringe is about the only way to get the baby to drink pedialyte, which is salty and tastes nasty (and breastmilk tastes like sugar water).
I would recommend just keeping a syringe around or a baby medicine dropper/eyedropper (that's sometimes easier) for the pedialytle.
Since that time, we've just nursed the babies, even when they're sick (otherwise they can dehydrate, which isn't good) and always after a bit they are fine again. Lots of baths for the puking baby and for you, who will undoubtedly get puked on.
I only had one child, who was a little older, who couldn't keep anything down for several days--and then that's a serious thing, needing an iv--but only once with 7 children--so take heart :) I think we all worry more with the first baby and especially when they are that little :)
I thought it was interesting that the nurse told me not to be breastfeeding her as well. Maybe it was because with breastfeeding, you cannot regulate how much they drink, so they end up making themselves sick again?
ReplyDeleteThe syringe worked pretty well for Adalyn when she just did not want to move, and was so exhausted from getting sick. Once she started feeling better, she had no problem taking a bottle.
I definitely agree, we do worry more with the first one. I think it made me so worried because she had never been sick before. Now, we know what to do when she is sick!
My mom was so nice to remind me that, as a child, I would vomit all the time, for reason, and with no warning. So, I should just get used to it. Thanks, Mom... :P
Now we are just working through a cold. I had it first, and it was a bad one, so I cannot imagine how she is feeling.