Thursday, 13 September 2012
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DIY Remedies For Your Little One's Upset Stomach
Taking care of a new born child can be exciting and fulfilling, but also very scary and confusing. The combination of these emotions can leave a parent feeling overwhelmed. They may even begin to feel like they aren't as prepared to raise a child as they once thought. However, as the glorious and fun parent that you are, you'll eventually discover your own ways to keep your child healthy and happy along the way.What to do when you're out for coffee with friends and the little one decides that it's the perfect time to ruin your new clothes with a jet stream of vomit? You can never quite be prepared for such an awkward incident! Your first reaction, aside from being grossed out, will most likely be freaked out that something is abnormally wrong with your baby. As BabyCentre points out, frequent vomiting is very common in the first few weeks of a newborns life. Remember-- they are new, and as a result, they are still adjusting to their digestive system and feeding environments. Toddlers will also throw up quite a bit due to car sickness, indigestion or even extended periods of crying. Nonetheless, it can still be scary in the heat of the moment, and you may be left wondering what to do when your one-year-old starts to throw up. Here are a few home remedies for toddler vomiting:
Keep Your Baby Hydrated
Always make sure your baby is getting enough liquids in his system! Dehydration can easily occur after vomiting since so much liquid has already been forced out of the stomach. Be sure to choose a beverage that's light and non-intrusive to the stomach. You obviously don't want to feed him orange juice with heavy pulp or carbonated beverages filled with high-fructose corn syrup! BabyCentre recommends using Dioralyte, or some kind of oral rehydration solution, several times per hour. Tea served at a warm temperature is also a great way to calm your baby. Goldenmoontea.com carries a variety of loose teas like mint or herbal that can help relax the stomach. This should be supplemented with regular breast milk or formula with water.
Extra Tip: One important thing to keep in mind when hydrating your baby is to give small doses of liquids, so you don't put pressure on the baby's intestines, which are already stressed from being sick. Ottawa pediatrician, William James, recommends a “continuous trickle” of fluids after vomiting, as reported in Todays Parent.
Let Your Baby Rest It Off
Getting rest and relaxation is essential to treating almost any ailment, especially an upset stomach from the result of a flu. During sleep, our bodies' cells undergo an extensive healing process, and our minds set at ease. Sleep time will give the baby's body a much needed chance to heal and regenerate in the most natural way possible. During sleep, the stomach's contents often enter the intestines, and so the tendency to vomit will not be as strong upon awakening.
If your baby is vomiting due to a flu or has cold-like symptoms, you may want to go the extra mile, and purchase a humidifier or hot water vaporizer. These devices will make the room air more humid, which can be a great way to delicately decongest your baby. While he's sleeping, this will help him breathe better, and allow for more rest, according to BabyZone.com.
Carefully Introduce Food
Although your baby could be hungry after vomiting, it's best to slowly ease small amounts of food back into its stomach. The last thing you want to do is feed your baby deep dish pizza, ice cream sundaes or orange chicken when he's having enough trouble trying to keep his food down. Dry toast, crackers or other bland-tasting items are good neutral foods to start introducing to the digestive system. Yogurt or cereal are also stomach-safe foods. Solids are harsher on the stomach lining and digestive track than liquids, so it may even be necessary to have the baby skip a meal if his stomach is that irritated. Small amounts of breast milk or formula and water should do the job in the meantime while waiting for the next meal.
Pay Attention to Any Other Symptoms
Sometimes, blood or bile can show up in the vomit from tears in the food pipe or cuts in the mouth, and that is completely normal. However, if the amount of blood appears to be increasing, or if you notice green bile, you'll want to see a doctor immediately.
If your baby is still not getting the hydration even after all of the liquids it took in- or if he's having trouble breathing- it may be something that requires a hospital visit. Side effects of severe dehydration include eyes looking sunken-in, wrinkled skin, or extreme "fussy-ness" and tiredness. If vomiting continues for more than 12 hours, or if he refuses to drink anything, call a doctor, as there could be something more serious going on. And if your baby seems to be in serious pain and feeling very sick, nursing him on your own is probably not going to solve the issue. Take a trip to the hospital and get your baby some serious attention. However, if your nursing seems to be working, keep doing what you're doing, and your baby will feel better sooner than you realize.
A sick baby will come at you out of left field when you least expect it! While in the midst of running errands, working your day job and taking care of the family, your little one may catch a simple flu or a stomach virus, which could cause him to throw up. Motion sickness or eating too much could also cause vomiting. BabyCentre mentions that after 6 to 24 hours, the vomiting should subside and your baby will be laughing, sleeping and eating just fine. With the advice above and some handy wipes in your purse or pocket, you'll be armed to the teeth with remedies for your little one's upset stomach.
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Comments (4)
I kind of question some of this advice. Who says to withhold food from a hungry child who has had an upset stomach recently? I disagree with this. My dr always said offer bland foods, and if your child is hungry, let them try to eat.
Blood in vomit etc? Call your dr, mama. Don't wait on that one. It doesn't require a trip to the ER every time, but yes, it does merit a call to the Pediatrician. Every time, as far as I'm concerned.
And I'm surprised that in an article that has so much to do with dehydration, there is no mention of diaper checking. That was the first question our Peds always had for us when vomiting or fever etc were threatening dehydration - "how many wet diapers today?" It was an important question, since intake had little to do with hydration, and output can measure it so much better.
@sarahsmurfette@xanga - im agreeing with you on this... i know when my little guy has thrown up, usually asks for food within 15min (usually less).. and i would never refuse him food if he is hungry... I dont agree with the dry toast either, put some butter on it, it will make it easier on the tummy and the fat is good for the kids. I also offer him juice, smoothies, yogurt (or frozen yogurt if his throat hurts)..
Also, on the blood in vomit.. I only had this happen once and I got him into the Dr the same day. I do not see that this is normal in any way and needs to be checked out and documented by the Dr in case there is a medical issue.
Though I'm caring for a year old grandson nearly full time, I find words of wisdom in all these posts. He reminds me of my son, his father, who would projectile vomit at church, the store, you name it. So along with hydration, extra clothing is good. The next best thing, that so many new moms don'g know about if their doctor hasn't brought it up, ( which is weird in and of itself) is the humidifier. Bad colds, bronchitis, asthma, whatever, it sure makes a difference in softening up those nasty fluids in the bronchi, enabling baby or child to cough them out weeks sooner than he would otherwise. When my kids were little, I'd keep one going in the house most of winter, since our climate is dry. They do make humidifiers that make very little noise.
Although I agree with some of the advice, some of it I'm completely against. I don't see any reason to withhold food from a child who has vomited recently. Maybe something they ate didn't agree with their stomach, but they're right as rain now or they had too much sugar or got carsick?... I only withhold food when my children are constantly throwing up and everything given comes right back up. I also don't agree with thinking blood in vomit is normal. I'd be calling my doc ASAP because ya never can be too careful.