What to do when my baby is having diarrhoea?

I was really panic when my baby first have diarrhoea. We have given him Rotavirus vaccination and I thought it would have solved all the diarrhoea problem. But I was happy to early. When my son started to have more than 10 times of diarrhoea and with 'extreme' stomachache, we knew that he must see a doctor. (Extreme stomachache cos it woke him from him sleep and made me cried non-stop).

It was a Sunday's evening and all the clinics were closed. We went to a neighbourhood clinic (the only one which was still open). The doctor appeared to be confident and commented that we should have sent in the child earlier. He gave medication to stop the diarrhoea but the medication didn't work!

The next day, my son had diarrhoea, at least once in every 15 minutes! It really scared me and we sent him to the hospital to be checked.

OK. These are what you should do when your baby is having diarrhoea.

1) Calm down. Has the child been vomitting? If yes, then, it might be serious and need to be admitted. Blood need to be taken and tested to see whether it has been infected. If blood is OK, parents can monitor the child at home.

2) Let the child drink more water. Doctor said that there is NO medication to stop the diarrhoea for toddlers. It will stop when it is time to stop and the medication given by the clinic's doctor is in fact, bad for the toddler! Oh my! I can't believe it. A doctor giving out medication to harm my son? Believe it or not? So, be careful parents out there when you're giving your children medication. The only medication the doctor will give is ORS (Oral Rehydration Salt).

3) Let the child eat well - My son doesn't really want his porridge. So, I've to be more creative with my cooking. =(
But he takes Milo with biscuits, which is good. And he also takes black bean soup.
Doctor said as long as he is eating and drinking, it should be alright. Just let him snack more often to replenish his/her energy.

4) Let the child rest well - I on the classical music for my son while he is taking his nap. Research shown that babies listening to classical music tend to feel more secured and sleep better. And I believe after all the diarrhoea, he is extremely tired.

5) Use disposable diaper for the time being (if you're using cloth nappy so far) - I used cloth nappy with my son but because of his diarrhoea, I can't be bothered to use the cloth nappy now. Otherwise, I will have to wash the nappy and I believe before I finish cleaning one nappy, he would have soiled another! In fact, he almost finishes a pack of 54 diapers in 3 days because of his diarrhoea. Just make sure that you check your child diaper every 15 minutes. Otherwise, he/she will have serious rash.

6) Buy good nappy cream - the child will definitely have rashes after all the diarrhoea. So, get one tube of good cream. I'm using Aloe Vera gel because I find that it is soothing and helps reduce the soreness.

7) Mommy rests when the child rests - Take a break. Leave the house chores aside for the time being and take a good rest. It is stressful enough to have a child who needs to clean up constantly.

So, the main key to diarrhoea baby is - RED (Rest, Eat, Drink) and of course, with the accompaniment of a good nappy cream!

NOTE: Doctor said that as long as the child appears to be active and eating and drinking, just let him be. He will regain his immunity soon...it is a process that every toddler (0-3 years of age) have to go through. So, Mommy, don't worry.

(see pic: my son is still bouncy and active. nobody will believe he is having his diarrhoea with almost 20 times a day!)