How can I get my baby to take her medicine?

Elmary - posted on 10/14/2009

I had......no have this same problem. This is what I do since he is eating solids a couple times a day. My little guy likes water but I can only give it to him on a spoon so I give him a couple sips of water then I slip in the meds. This works for a couple days then he will vomit it right back up. I have tried everything else and this works for me most of the time. I have also put iron drops in his cereal which he doesn't seem to notice any more.

Anna - posted on 10/13/2009

A ripe avocado feels softer than you expect when you squeeze it. Did you try applesauce? It's nice and sweet but easy to mix medicine into.

Carla - posted on 10/13/2009

Firstly, nystatin is very thick and there have been several cases of babies choking on it. Its also less effective than some thrush meds as it contains sugar and yeast thrives on sugar. My health visitor was annoyed when my doctor prescribed this for Aaron, spoke to him and got him to change it to daktarin. Its orange flavoured so tastes better, not so thick and comes in a tube so you put it on a clean finger and rub it in her mouth.



As for the anti biotics, this mat sound cruel but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. Squirt it into the cheek area and pinch her nose, she will have to swallow it to breathe, its a reflex.

Mindy - posted on 10/12/2009

Amber,

So glad you mention avocado. Apparently I don't know much about them. I boughtt one to mush and try to feed her. But it wouldn't mush at all. Do you think I bought one just not ripe? I read the are supposed to mush like bananas. This one was so not like that.

Mindy - posted on 10/12/2009

Thanks Amy for the sypathy. I did try the corner down her cheek. Another friend suggested pinching her cheeks like a fishy face.IDK but worth a try.

She is 6 months 2 weeks. She at the point she really SHOULD be eating food. I've tried and stopped times now because she wasn't ready. This is round 3. She's a healthy chunk (21 lbs) and acts interested in our food but doesn't want hers! She's a champion nurser!

Maybe after we get thru the ear infections and thrush it will get better.

Thanks again!

Amber - posted on 10/12/2009

Hi Mindy-
We had that problem with our youngest too. It is absolutely horrible, but we had to lay him down, stick the dropper way back in the mouth (off to the side) and do little, and I mean little, drops at a time and not allow him to turn his head. He'd scream, cry, and spit it out, but it worked. It'll seem inhumane, but just remember that she needs the medicine and that this too shall pass:-) Our son is now 14 mos. and he is MUCH better at taking medicine.

Also, if it is any consolation, our youngest also had no desire to have any food other than my breast milk. And he never took a bottle or pacifier either. We started him on solids at 5 1/2 mos. and attempted solids 2-3 times a day. It wasn't until 7 1/2 months that he actually started swallowing the food. But at 10 months he wouldn't take anything pureed or from a spoon and would only eat table/finger food and breast milk. It's great now because we only have to make one meal at dinner and he eats whatever we are having...as a helpful hint, avocados are amazingly awesome great first finger & pureed foods:-)

Good luck and keep trying.

Amy - posted on 10/12/2009

Hi Mindy, first of all I'm so sorry! That's awful :( How old is your little girl? I can relate a bit...my son Simon wouldn't take the vitamins (through a dropper) that the pediatrician recommended, and if they did go down he would throw up, so I stopped giving them to him. But I understand since your baby needs medication it's important that she takes it! The only thing I thought of while I read your post is to possibly slip in the dropper (in the side of her mouth and all the way back so she doesn't have to taste it as much) when she's either asleep or very sleepy...maybe then she would just swallow the meds without putting up a fuss. Just a thought, although it sounds like you've tried eveything! I've also read that if babies spit out their food then perhaps they aren't ready for solids. We're at that stage too, with our little guy. He's not too interested yet, so we're holding off a bit. I'm so sorry again...it's so hard to watch babies suffer, and it must be especially tough not being able to get those meds down! Here's hoping you find a solution soon! Keep us posted!