getting baby to swallow medicine

[redcrx]

Anyone got any tips?
My 6 week old baby has been prescribed antibiotics and its a nightmare getting them into her.
I have been given a syringe to help give them to her but its nigh on impossible to get it into her. If i sit her too upright she just spits it out, if laid back slightly she chokes and then spits it out. She can also hold it in her mouth for ages and spit it out later.
I cant tell how much im getting into her because of this and im desperate to find a foolproof way.
Its meant to be taken on an empty stomach but ive even tried popping a bit in her mouth and then giving her tiny bit of milk to get her to swallow it together.
Of course, its not helped at all by the fact that the antibiotic is orange flavoured, very strong for a newborn.
anyone got any advice?

[MrLee-Gend]

If you hold their head back they do choke just slightly but then swallow.Its similar if they have hiccuops you can get some water on a teaspoon and hold their head back as you pour the water in , the slight gag or choke if you like stops the hiccups.
You might be worried by the choking which seems worse than it is but if youre using the syringe for antibiotics its obviously more important to give them than not.
id persevere and try holding baby in left arm and leaning completely back as baby gags a bit wait until it swallows then lift up.

hopefully this is helpful and doesnt cause any problems.

im sure you can check with healthvisitor for professional advice tho.

[redcrx]

thanks lee-gend.

HV are not much help around here.

When she chokes, she really chokes, its not just gagging (which she always does with a bottle). I put her down in crib a good 10 mins after giving her the antibs yesterday and a few mins later i glanced at her only to find her choking on what she hadnt swallowed, it eventually got spat back.

there is no way i am giving up, even though she seems a lot better she is going to finish the course regardless.

Just wish i could make it easier and less stressfull for her.

[daffy654]

Our local chemist sells a device for giving medicine to new borns that has a sort of spout on it that they have to suck,I don't know if you can get them everywhere but I would phone the local pharmacy and ask for their advice.

[MrLee-Gend]

re. hiccups and the water did this with my daughters and thougfh it concerns you that they choke slightly theres nothing worse than a baby hiccuping for ages its more painful i think and certainly more uncomfortable for them.

[Psychick]

Im not sure this will work as well with a 6 week old as it does with a 15 week old but I found just putting it in a bit at a time and running the syringe along her bottom gums does the trick. My one uses her tongue and swollows it little by little. I know what its like as we would have trouble when she had calpol after her jabs or dentinox for her colic. I found a bit at a time reduces the amount wasted and the amount they choke. Try stroking her under her chin too as this encourages them to swollow. Has she had her first jabs yet? If not, ask the nurse about it when you see her.

[redcrx]

Daffy, ive got a dummy like thing for holding medicine but she wont use that at all, even for gripe water.

it looks as if i shall have to continue watching her choke and hope that she swallows.

psy, no sign of an appt for jabs yet. I dont remember having any probs with little CRX when he needed calpol at a young age.

lol shes eating her bib now, perhaps she just wants to skip liquids and go straight onto solids :)

[4getmenot]

Soak her bib in it :-)

[daffy654]

Maybe someone should invent a foolproof way of getting medicine into babies,they could make a fortune if they patented it! I remember the problems I used to have when my 3 were little,it always ended up being a messy business! I hope you manage to find a way to get her to take it.x

[andrea81]

Only thing I can think of is to put a tiny bit in her mouth (even if it's a drop) bit by bit until it's all gone! will take you ages though!

[redcrx]

andrea, 2.5mls x 4 times a day.

she'd never have time to sleep lol

[Goodsoulette]

If none of this suceeds, you can take it back and ask for it to be mixed again but with something different this time.

[redcrx]

i did consider that GS but im not back there until Tuesday when her course will have ended (hopefully) anyway.

seeing her GP that day so will ask for future reference just in case :)

[andrea81]

Ahh bless! she'll finish one dose and it'll be time for another! LOL

Good luck chick x x x x

[naflharrison]

why dont you get one of her empty btls and put the amount of medicine in the teat with teh btl attached and she might suck it that way. otherwise if you use the syringe but put it in the side of her mouth instead of straight, its harder to spit out that way.

[redcrx]

thanks, will try the bottle, it just looks too thick to go through the teet.

i have been syringing the medicine into the inside of her cheek but she can still spit it out.

The good news is that the medicine is doing its job, even if shes not getting as much into her as prescribed :)

[bigmamma]

Sorry you are having problems redcrx sweetie .I'm afraid it's a case of getting it in via the syringe tiny bit by tiny bit whilst stroking her throat with her chin forward .put the tiny amounts in at the rear side of her mouth so there's less chance of her tongue grabbing it and spitting it. Gosh it's hard to describe this without showing you....lol....but , as Psychick says .....it takes time. Some babies you can squirt it in as they swallow it no problem , but some just won't play ball :-) xxxxxxx

[redcrx]

thank mamma,
yep i certainly have a baby that wont play ball, shes gone back to only feeding small amounts as well, though she is only waking once in night as a general rule.
She had an infection in her belly button, a growth of flesh rather than a red patch, even HV didnt notice it, but GP did when i took her in.
Its now dried up and gone black so fingers crossed it will fall off soon and she wont need it cut out.
Shes happy in herself and it causes no pain or discomfort at all, she has even started to really smile and laugh this week (well she started to smile at a week old but not as much) so i know shes a happy lass.