Diarrhea - now day 4

Kayla has had the runs for about 4 days now. At what point do I take her to the doctor? She's eating and drinking fine. The first day (after a night of pooing) she was very clingy and miserable, but was still happily drinking both breastmilk and water. I got some hydralite iceblocks so they're on hand if I feel she's not drinking enough.

Since then she's been quite perky, playing well, her sleep is pretty normal (hopeless lol) and eating and drinking, and has had quite a bit of breastmilk.

As for the poos... wow... we've had a variety of green mush, black mush, completely undigested food in either blackish or yellow liquid! It's been really stinky and fairly regular. She had horrendous nappy rash for a couple of days, but that's improving now.

I just feel like I've been to the dr's so much recently, only for her to tell me each time that it's a virus and to wait it out. This was when me and the kids were taking turns having fevers etc.

I'm inclined to just wait it out since she's eating & drinking ok.. but the nappies really are gross. The last one was like black undigested food in wierd slimey stuff. I'm pretty confident the blackness isn't blood...

Opinions?

What's she eating, Liz? If it is a strain of gastro that will probably have stripped her gut a little bit, which will make it harder to digest her food properly. Giving her more non-fibrous food for a little while might help. Things like white foods (bread, rice), noodles, banana, crackers. Of course the breastmilk is tops for it as you know.
I'd try restricting the diet to non-fibrous stuff first and then if it still keeps up I'd have a trip to the drs just in case.
Hope she is better soon.

Yeah, she's been having rice, pasta, toast, crackers (rice cakes). She's had bits and pieces of salad and a few bits of meat & veg with the rice & pasta. The cucumber was one of the things that came through undigested, same with some onion LOL. So gross. The only fruit she's had has been a little tub of peaches. Don't recall that going straight through.. I've run out of fresh fruit.. need to go shopping.

She doesn't seem to have any tummy pains with it. Altho the first night & day I think she did have some tummy cramps. Now all she does is pat the front of her nappy and say 'poo' and then you hear it bubble forth. Blerk. i think if anything she was getting upset because of her nappy rash. But that's clearing up now, so now she just poos and carries on as normal.

Whats the yoghurt you buy to help the gut heal?? Would she eat that?

also if she will eat apples. slice them and let them brown n the bench.. I know it is meant for runny ones but might help out..

Olivia's have been pretty rotten this week but have eased off now and are less gross looking. Still stinky but back to a normal colour

Well I decided to ring Health Direct Australia this morning. The nurse was lovely and assessed Kayla. She said it sounded like viral gastro (something or other lol) and to just modify her food for a few days. So nothing sweet, no fruit, except bananas. She said sugar makes diarrhea 100 times worse. Give her rice, pasta, crackers, cooked carrot. Avoid high fibre cereals etc.

She said it can last 5-7 days.

So pretty much what we were saying here :) Except I didn't know about sugar making it worse. I don't think she has a lot of sugar.. but I'll probably be surprised how much she does have now that I'll have a stricter eye on it :redface:

Good to know about the sugar - I'll keep that in mind for next time the tummy bugs hit our home.

Give her a spoonful off Strawberry juice. Just a dessert spoonful.
Should clear it up... (eta the diarrhoea that is)


x

My DS had gastro and it took 10 days to clear up. It was horrible and his bum got all red and he cringed and cried everytime he had a movement. We took him to the Dr and got some creams for his bum but other than that there wasn't much they could do as the body had to rid itself of the virus.
Hope she gets better soon.