No one likes to give their baby medicine, but sometimes it is best for baby. Cora was prescribed antibiotics for an infection last week and the challenge began.
The problem – Cora screamed and spit all her medicine out every time wasn’t too thrilled with taking her medicine. Since I didn’t feel like the medicine was optional I needed to figure out a way to help the medicine go down (cue Mary Poppins song).
A few things that worked for me:
- Warm the medicine. Cora doesn’t like “cold” things so I realized that part of the problem was the medicine’s temperature. I started warming the syringe in a cup of water before giving it to her.
- Using a syringe instead of a dropper. The syringe gives me more control, while the dropper seemed to spill out medicine.
- Wait until she is really hungry before giving her the medicine. I started giving her the medicine first thing in the morning and after she wakes up from her nap. She is always very hungry and is more likely to drink the medicine from the syringe.
What works for you when it comes to giving your kids medicine? I would love your suggestions!
I am not a doctor nor do I pretend to be one on this blog. Please consult with your doctor before giving your child medicine. Visit Parenting.com for more tips for giving your littlest ones medicine.
Stacee Schmidt-Cottrell says
Thanks so much for the great ideas. My dd, Corahlyne, just went on meds so it was like this post was written especially for me 🙂 lol..
I tried the gently blowing & Corah actually got the meds down w/out a huge struggle. In the past, w/ my other kids, it has always been a dreaded time. I think w/ this giving meds might not be quite the traumatic event it has in the past.
Marie says
I haven’t had too many issues as my little girl hasn’t needed anything more than tylenol a couple times. But I have seen a product called a Medibottle (you can find it here http://www.mom4life.com/catalog.php?item=1248) that would help so long as they will take a bottle.
Marie says
Oops, just noticed that the parenthesis made the link not work. Here it is again http://www.mom4life.com/catalog.php?item=1248
Kelly @ Wisdom Begun says
We did a variation on the above mentioned bottle nipple method: for my kids who took a pacifier, we’d use the syringe to put a bit of medicine in the back of their mouth. Then immediately pop the pacifier in and they’d suck that medicine down. It took a long time to get the medicine in them this way, but none of it was spit out.
Heather says
I don’t have many tips, because my kids generally like meds.
I used the nipple and fake pacifier when my girls were little.
I also like giving meds in the bathtub. It’s great for accidental spills
As they got bigger, I wasn’t too proud to bribe mine. So I would offer them a popsicle in the bathtub for taking their medicine. Everyone gets what they want…and it takes away any bad taste in their mouth. When they were really little, we would have a little medicine…bite of popsicle…little medicine…bite of popsicle…untill it was all gone.
I’m struggling right now too because after years of having it easy, my girls both HATE the taste of amoxil. Even with the flavoring from the pharmacy, it’s not enough. Both gag. We haven’t figured out how to make this better so I’d love to hear how others do it with big kids.
Betsy says
I don’t think there is anything you can do to make amoxil taste better. I’ve even had the pharmacy add flavoring (read sugar) to it and it’s still nasty. (I know, I accidentally got some on my finger and licked without thinking first!) It’s very bitter. I switched my kids to the pill form and we no longer have troubles with it. If your girls can swallow pills, ask your pediatrician about switching to pills.
Keeley says
I had one child who had an ear infection pretty much from the time he was born until he got tubes at 7 months. The doctor kept ramping up the meds…up and up and up until it go to the point where she was opening the cabinet in her office, pulling out a bottle of powder and saying “Here, mix this with some water and try it…”
*sigh* Giving a 5 month old grainy nasty tasting medicine was awful. I had to basically hold the poor little kid down. =(
It was so incredible when he finally got his tubes. The experience of seeing him go from deaf to hearing was amazing. I still remember the look on his face when I splashed in the tub. Previously he’d just blinked and cried. This time he looked at my hand in absolute shock and dawning delight. Who knew that splashing in the tub was an auditory pleasure? =)
Ann says
If she is eating anything I have found out that applesauce makes it tolerable for my little girl who hates the taste of any medicine. She happily eats her “applesauce”. We don’t eat applesauce all that often so she thinks it is a real treat!
Sara says
Someone else mentioned blowing on their face…It cues the swallowing reflex and they can’t spit it back out. It works best on really little ones.
Sheri says
I have never had any issues with Tylenol, I believe because it tastes good. I do always aim to the back and side of the mouth so that it goes past the taste buds and they swallow before thinking too much.
My nemesis is the infant vitamin drops, poly-vi-sol. We were supposed to give it to our baby as a vitamin D supplement because he was strictly breastfed. We never did get into a groove of giving them to him. It is the worst tasting medicine and it stains clothing. It is just a big mess! Yuck!
Allyson says
We really liked using a syringe when when our kids were babies too. I LOVE the idea in the comments about blowing on their faces. I will have to definitely try that one next time medicines are on order (hopefully, not for a long time).
Jessica B says
At the pharmacy, they have some flavors they can add to medicine to help kids take them (or adults! LoL)
Probably not best for small babies, but would probably be GREAT for toddlers!
My son takes medicine like a pro, but he hasn’t had anything that tastes really bad… just infant tylenol/ibuprofen. 🙂
Jenny says
None of those would work for me. We have to hold our son down to give him medicine otherwise he bites and runs away.
TheHappyHousewife says
I had to do this with one child too… it stinks!
Betsy says
With my oldest (whose now 14), I had to wrap him up “burrito” style, lay him in the floor between my legs and hold his nose. He wouldn’t take medicine any other way. He spit, sputter and threw it up every time. This way the only option he had was to swallow. It sounds cruel (and looks too) but it was the only thing that worked for me.
kriswithmany says
I agree with squirting it on the side of their mouth. Seems so simple, but not everyone realizes it.
Thanks for the tips. I’m hoping I won’t have to use them any time soon, but 8mo daughter still has the flu . . .
Becky says
Rachel (the nurse in comment #5) gave some great suggestions.
Blowing in their face is good, especially for little ones.
My son was born at 32 weeks, and we found he took his meds best like you said, right before a feeding, when he was hungry.
We used a bottle nipple, putting a few drops of breastmilk/formula in first, then the medicine. Usually he would take it right away, before he realized how yucky it tasted. 🙂
My toddlers don’t have any trouble with ordinary meds like Tylenol/Ibuprofen. It’s sweet enough that they will actually ask for it when they’re not sick!
trisha says
Might check w/a pharmacist on the warming the medicine up. It’s my understanding that for “some” medicines, heating it up can alter the medicine making it less effective (or something like that). Warming to just room temperature is probably ok?
I had to put medicine in some mint chocolate chip ice cream to get it down one kid (it was some NASTY tasting medicine).
TheHappyHousewife says
Yes, I wasn’t suggesting “hot” medicine, just not ice cold from the fridge. Thanks for pointing that out!
Toni
Kate Billson says
I thought of this too – but Toni mentioning the warm water had me figuring she wasn’t meaning anything warmer than body temperature. And if you figure the medicine is just about to go INTO a body, body temperature must be okay 🙂
Liz says
Blowing on their face makes them swallow.
Angel says
I was going to say the same thing. My grandma told me that. Its worked for both of my kids untill they got to about 3. Just a gentle blow for some reason makes them swallow.
Jessalyn says
I am so sorry that you have difficulty giving Cora medicine! My little Elliot just LOVES getting medicine. I think he would drink it all day if I let him. All I have to do is open the medicine cabinet and he starts smiling… he is odd… I am sure this will not be the case with all my children so thanks for the advice.
Betsy says
I have the same problem with my youngest. Now that’s she’s old enough to open “child-proof” bottles by herself, we really have to keep an eye on her and the pill bottles!
Taking Heart says
For the babes in the hospital, we measure it out and put the med in a nipple. At home I found that if I poured a tiny bit of strawberry milk… only a treat at my house… into a sippy… I’d add the meds and they’d take it down. Probably not ideal, but we got em down.
Rachel says
I am a nurse in a pediatric emergency room and give LOTS of medicine to less than enthusiastic children. My son was also horrible about taking medicine when he was a baby (thankfully we are over that stage!).
Some tips that work for me are to use the syringe and but the medicine in on the side of the mouth towards the back and then blow in their face. It is harder for them to spit it out and by blowing in their face it usually forces them to swallow. You can also hold their nose, but that usually just makes them even more angry.
Rubbing their throat also helps, as it makes them swallow.
I also find that doing small amounts at a time works better b/c if you put it all in at once on a screaming child, they are likely to gag on the medicine and throw it up.
The nipple trick works pretty good for babies – it puts it far enough back in their mouth that the medicine doesn’t hit their taste buds too much.
I hope Cora feels better soon! Having a sick baby is miserable (for momma and baby!).
Kelly says
We used to love the little pacifier style ones for giving medicine, but these days we’re loving the syringe. My little one will actually ask for her “srinch” when we tell her it’s time to take some medicine. 🙂
mistie says
something that works for my little ones is that .. i lay them on my lap on their backs head laying off between my knees and rub their throat as i give them the meds it forces them to swallow .. or i mix it with a little bit of formula like an ounce and give it to them that works to..
Tawni says
I had a son who had to take medicine regularly when he was a baby but hated it. Then one day, a nurse put a nipple from a baby bottle in his mouth, added the medicine and he sucked the medicine right down.
So after that, I would measure the medicine in a syringe put the empty nipple in his mouth and he would take whatever he needed right down. I usually had some juice, water or formula ready in another bottle and would switch it out…fast.
Good luck.
The (Un)Experienced Mom says
We also use a syringe and find it works better. Both my boys are pretty good about taking meds, but I think for my oldest it was b/c he had to take reflux meds for months.
I don’t think it’s out in stores yet, but on a recent reality show I saw that there was a product created to help kids take meds. It was called “Ava the Elephant” or something and would hide the meds inside the elephants trunk. Sort of the “what they can’t see….” method.
I don’t really have any other tips since it hasn’t been much of a struggle for us, but good job figuring out how to get those meds down!