If your baby is of the human variety you have probably noticed that getting them to take medicine is quite the challenge. This is especially true if the medicine in question is Zantac or some other drug that tastes like gasoline, licorice, or feet. Newborn babies who have not yet mastered the ability to get their hands INTO their mouths are remarkably good at getting yucky medicine OUT of their mouth.

I’ve been effectively shoveling yucky medicine into babies for so long I suppose it’s time to put it on my resume under “skills.” This is my super secret technique to do so. Of course I’m only sharing this with you so don’t tell anybody else.

Giving Your Baby Medicine

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• Get a small syringe from your doctor/pharmacist (take off the needle obviously).
• Put the appropriate dose into the needle-free syringe.
• Hold baby flat-ish on their backs.
• Put the syringe into their mouths pointed to the back corner. Note: if you point it directly down their throats they will choke and likely throw the medicine back up on you. However if you put the syringe into the front of their mouth they’ll simply push the medicine back out with their tongue.
• Give medicine (depress the stopper in the syringe).

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Your baby will probably be upset about this rude treatment. However if you hold them on their backs for a few seconds they’ll typically swallow the offensive medicine (due to lack of options). You’ll want to follow-up with something pleasant (nursing, rocking, warm bath) to make up for your obvious breach of baby etiquette.

Anybody else have any magic medicine giving techniques they want to share?

{Photo credit: Tambako}