Need words of comfort -- DD sick with stomach flu again

[october]

11 mo DD has the stomach flu for the 2nd time in the last 2 months. She is breastfed (all day and all night still). She woke up yesterday morning at 5am and vomited several times. To my surprise she was fine all day and evening and seemed so completely back to normal, besides a longer nap than usual. Then at midnight tonight she woke up to throw up twice again. This flu seems different than the last one; the first flu made her cry out in pain for several minutes before throwing up. I could tell her belly was hurting significantly. With this one she just wakes up to nurse (or so I think) and then gags on my breast and vomits. Also no fever.

My question is, do you think there could be something else going on? I took a lot of echinacea tincture in the last week or so to fight plugged ducts on the verge of mastitis. Could that make her sick? Too much vitamin C? It's 3am, I really should be in bed with my family, but my anxiety levels are insane. I just can't stand the mystery. I can't stand knowing that the same thing could happen again tomorrow... I'm very uncomfortable with the unknown. I want instant answers. I know you can't give them to me. This is one of my biggest struggles with being a mom.. I just feel debilitated watching my baby suffer, not being able to do anything to just make it all go away. I know I need to toughen up, but what I'm really searching for is reassurance that everything will be okay. This online community is the only place I know I can go in the middle of the night and just cry my eyes out as though there's really a shoulder in the room. I need that shoulder.

Any thoughts or reassurances would be so much appreciated...

[HonkyTonka]

I don't really know much, but I thought the flu came with a fever...

Maybe it was something she ate?

If she seems in good spirits, I wouldn't worry too much about her. But I totally understand - not knowing the answer is really irritating!

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

1.) BREATHE. 

2.) I Agree with the PP that if she is in good spririts, the cause for concern is minimum.  Have you tried any probiotics?  Either something like Kids Culterelle or maybe some yogurt?  Shes 11 months old, so what about something mild for her tummy, like dry toast, or maybe a little rice cooked with chicken broth, crackers?  I dont know anything about the echinacea, but I doubt Vit c would make her vommit.  Usually what you dont absorb just comes out in the urine. (Or so I thought)

3.) you are not alone, if that helps.  My little guy went through the same thing last year.  The PP mentioned  that the Flu comes with a fever, and shes right.  But if you are referring to the Stomach Flu (The kind they DONT vaccinate for) They can get one after the other after the other in any given season.  We started with a nasty diarhea one last year that last for a MONTH!  No sooner did that one go away, we went through a vommitting one that thankfully only lasted about 18 hours. 

4.) HUGS. 

[PatioGardener]

This happened to a friend's baby (at 9? months old) and it turned out it was an allergy (sensitivity is maybe a better description) to something she had eaten the day before. I think it was cheese, but I could be mistaken. Not sure if that fits the pattern with your baby, but I thought it was worth mentioning.