[USAmma]

Abi just got over a bad stomach flu. For 2 days she was running a temp of 103 and could not keep down even a sip of water. She was also having diarrhea. The second day she was really dehydrated. Sunken eyes, dry lips and mouth, weak, not talking, not peeing. I took her to the ped and he gave her a shot to stop the vomiting and said take her to ER for an IV if she doesn't start drinking and peeing soon. Well the shot worked and she stopped vomiting. She was very thirsty and drank enough to start peeing again. Yesterday she woke up with no fever and was talking again and getting back to herself. She asked for french fries and a lemonade and I got that for her.

However she's not eating or drinking. She's already lost 3 pounds with this flu and she's not that big to start with. Yesterday she started to look dehydrated again and I asked her to drink. I thought she was but the level never went down on the drink cup. I figured out she was faking it and was not actually drinking. Dh got a clear straw and asked her to drink and made sure she was taking fluids through the straw. He woke up with her all night long to make sure she drank. She only ate a little bit, and drank mostly water. But we feel that she's over the actual flu now, just recovering.

She has only peed once since waking up this morning and it's now 1:30 PM. Her lips are dry, she's very moody and just not acting real good. I took her to breakfast (our house is getting work and we can't use the kitchen) and got her chocolate milk (her favorite) and some cinnamon toast sticks. She ate 1 bite of a toast stick, 1 bite of my breakfast, and 1 sip of milk. That was at 9 AM. I offered water and she refused. Several times I asked her to drink and she did make motions to do that but I looked again and the milk was full.

She finally finished it with me standing over her threatening to take her back to the doctor. She was crying about it and it took her an hour to finish it with me standing over her saying, "Take a sip, take a sip." Now she's sleeping again.

With Nitara's feeding problems I am good at recognizing dehydration and Abi still is. She is not taking nearly enough in and is peeing very dark pee, not very often.

How do I get her to drink more? I've tried the "let's see how fast you can drink it up" game and tried to do other fun things but she's just faking it, not really drinking.

I'm so worried and frustrated. If this continues she'll be in ER tonight with an IV in her arm. She's not vomiting or having diarrhea anymore. She's just not wanting to drink or eat.

Darshani

 

[captain optimism]

oy.

I don't know what you should do. Maybe bring her a story book and a glass with a straw and read to her on your lap while she drinks the glass of water?

Does her throat hurt? it doesn't sound like she's healthy and well yet.

 

[charmarty]

Kids LOVE popsicles!

to you and her

 

[chfriend]

I know Abi's got some SID-y stuff. Is room temperature, hot or cold better. Maybe a smoothie? Soup? Could it be that the irritability from having the fever is aggravating a texture or temp aversion?

ETA: Pumpkin really likes salty stuff when she's had a fever. Maybe chicken/fake chicken soup?

 

[alegna]

A couple of thoughts- 1. The milk may not feel good on an upset tummy. 2. Try other things just to get liquid in her- favorite juices, juice made with club soda (fizzy is fun!) food coloring. Cold drinks. Warm drinks. See if something works better than others. 3. Other liquid sources- popsicles, fruit... frozen fruit? 4. Maybe resort to things otherwise verboten - koolaid or soda

:

I'd try everything to avoid the poor punkin' in er with an iv.

Good luck and hugs to you both. Let us know how it goes.

-Angela

 

[Dodo]

When I was last pregnant, I had a stomach flu, well, many, actually, but this particular one was very nasty and had me contracting, so I called my care provider for advice. She said that a few sips, here and there, of water or black tea with sugar, were sufficient when recovering and, in fact, preferable to drinking large amounts. This was a mind-opener for me. I followed her advice and it really helped.

 

[USAmma]

THanks for the sympathy. With Nitara's tube, it was easy to put her on a slow drip of 1 oz. per hour when she had the tummy flu. Abi was taking the small sips and vomiting even that, down to bile and dry heaves. I'm wondering if she's developing a feeding aversion with her SID. She's never been a great eater but always drank water and milk well.

So far I've offered pedialyte, sprite, gatorade, water, popscicles, and root beer. She usually will jump at the chance to drink root beer. I'll just have to keep making sure she does small sips. What I don't understand is she was feeling better for awhile yesterday: we went shopping, she played with her horses in the bathtub quite loudly, spoke to my grandma on the phone. But she didn't drink much and she's crashing again from lack of liquids and calories.

I found a photo of a girl with an IV a couple days ago on the net and explained it to her, in hopes that it would motivate to her drink. That's when she started faking it more.

An IV is a last resort but it might be a reality if she doesn't start drinking soon. I'll keep trying the small sips and hope she gets over it soon. If anyone has other suggetions or even hugs I'd appreciate it.

Darshani

 

[maya44]

I think you are doing what you can.

She is probobly a little caught up in the whole "control" thing right now, as any kid would be. Its prob intersting to her for you to be so interested in her intake, espec since its usually her sister who gets your attention in this department.

Make it clear, she must drink or go be hooked up to an IV. This is not a threat or punishment but a medical necessity. Try to make it like its her choice and you don't really care which. (This will be hard but may help) Certainly allow her to take her liquid in any form she wants.

 

[charmarty]

Kids are SO resilient! They can often play like your dd was int he bath ect, and still have the illness. They can also change at the drop of a hat and go right back to not so good. Remember too, that this seems to have been a very bad bout of the flu, her body needs time to heal, esp her tummy. Kids instinctively know what they can eat.

Blessings
Char

 

[USAmma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maya43 Try to make it like its her choice and you don't really care which. (This will be hard but may help) Certainly allow her to take her liquid in any form she wants.

Thank you. I keep forgetting to give her choices in my urgency to get her to drink. I'll ask her which one she wants: drink or doctor? I'll have to watch though or she'll fake drinking again. Ugh!

 

[irinam]

Oh mama, hugs to you and Abi...

Just wanted to add that dehydration is a serious thing and you are right on trying to do whatever you can, even something you would not do "normally" (like bringing up the doctor and the IV thing) to make her drink.

I second the previous posters suggestions to keep on offering ANYTHING liquid to her, but also wanted to share what worked on my DD when she would not drink (and yeah, they learn how to fake!)

I would take a medicine dropper and would play that she was "a poor sick bird" and I was bird's mommy, bringing her drops of water in the beak.

I know it sounds silly and stuff, but the point I am trying to make - may be some sort of a game, or role playing may help.

My DD is also very strong willed and if she persived that I am doing something "against her will", she would resist to no end no matter how sick she would be!

So, in the case above I made sure she saw me being "on her side", so it was not a power struggle (which I probably would have lost).

Good luck to you mama and keep us updated!

 

[fromscatteredtribe]

Darshani--
sorry to hear about your struggles.

my little guys have had the stomach flu many many times--rarely needing an IV (even hospitalized pneumonia--very ill with vomiting bile, etc) . I've approached it like you have, little sips or small breastfeeding sessions every ten minutes or so.

i agree that dehydration is serious, and i might be in the minority here, BUT...........

I think you've done what you can. she sounds like she IS drinking enough. even a few ounces all day might be all she can handle after such an illness. usually i spend so much time refusing fluids to excess when they're sick that my kids are overwhelmed when they can drink again. i think OFFERING the cups of water and the popscicles are the right thing to do.

She might be stubbornly refusing because she sees you so worked up, but as the pps said she WILL drink if she needs it.

i'm not saying some of those signs of dehydration are not worth watching and that she might not need the IV if they don't improve, but i would give it a little time and stop pressuring her.

best wishes.......tiffany

 

[USAmma]

Right after posting the last time, I cradled Abi and told her I was scared that she wasn't drinking enough and I really loved her and wanted her to feel better. I told how drinking will help her feel better, but if she didn't want to drink that was okay, I would take her to the hospital and they would put water in her body with a needle instead. I never pushed further. I just presented her choices.

She was lying there looking pretty pathetic, dark circles, chapped lips, just not being her usual active self. But I could tell she was thinking. Then said that an Apple Slushie would make her feel better.

I packed the girls up and we drove to Sonic for a slushie and she actually drank some!!! Not much, but some. It's a start. I got her some more fries but she hasn't touched them. If they sit around too long I may have to help her with them. :LOL

I'm so relieved. I hope she gets over this soon and I'll try to take the pressure off of her and make it her choice. She's always been a big control person.

Thanks sooo much mamas for being there for me. I'll give an update later. Hope it's a good one.

Darshani

 

[JennInSeattle]

Just wanted to say that we're going through something similar. Nathan's been hardly drinking for nearly a week now and goes through 2-4 diapers a day when his usual is 15-20. I've tried everything and I'm continuing to try - I really wish I could talk to him and have him tell me an apple smoothie would be nice! :LOL

Keep at it - I know I will, we're going back to the doctors on Monday if he's not eating/drinking more.