How in the world do you get eye drops in an 11 month old’s eye?! I’ve tried holding him down while DH puts them in but he’s screaming and closes his eyes super tight. I try to open up his eyes with fingers but holy cow they are tightly closed. DH puts it in the corner hoping that when he opens his eyes or blinks it will go in but by the time he opens his eyes the drops rolled down his cheeks. It’s impossible!!!
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Poor baby and parents
We've had to do eye meds on a newborn but I would think an 11 month old would be even harder! Is it something that could be done in an ointment instead of drops (like erythromycin)? It's still awful but I think a little easier than drops.
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I would wrap him in a towel like a bad cat and then pull down the bottom eyelid to make a little pocket and drip it in. It’s probably a two person job
no fun
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Agreed re: pinning them down. It suckkkkkkssssss. I usually have to try multiple times to hold his eye open and get a drop in, because I can usually only hold it open for a very short time. He screams bloody murder and it sucks. I try to narrate calmly what I am doing and why and tell him he is doing great even while he screams and thrashes.
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@gotkimchi: When I try to pull down his lower eyelid I swear it doesn’t budge. He has like super strength eyelids that’s glued shut!!
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@MrsBucky: it’s the worse!!! I hate it so much.
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@MrsF: it sucks!! No ointment, just drops.
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Our pediatrician recommends aiming for the corner of the eye and it’ll get into the eyeball without you having to pry the eyelid open.
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Corner of eye, near bridge of nose. Even if their eye is shut, when they finally open them it goes in.
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@Boopers: @SweetiePie: really? We always put in the corner of his eye but the drop just lays there and he refuses to open his eyes. He keeps moving and crying with eyes shut. He only opens his eyes when I hold him upright and then the drops roll down his face so it’s hard to know if any got into his eye!
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@dolphin: We had to do drops for pink eye and it worked for us. I know it worked because within 24 hours his eyes were basically back to normal.
I don’t think you need to worry about it ALL going in because even as adults when we do drops a fair amount is blinked out.In a pinch I’ve also put the drops in the corner and then kind of pulled his bottom lid down a tiny bit. Like if I was in a hurry.
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@dolphin:
Do you still have/use a bucket infant carseat?We had to do drops twice last fall when my DD was 9-11 mo old. I would put her on our kitchen island in the bucket seat, then stand behind her head and tip it backwards towards me. She would try to look up at me, and I would quickly put the drop in! Like the others said, aim for the corner of the eye and when she blinks it will disperse. I would do it again for the other eye.
We had to do drops twice a day, so I would do it right before we were walking out the door in the morning and as soon as we walk in the door at night.
Best mom-hack I ever discovered!!
Another tip:
I personally hate the feeling of eye drops, but I found that they don't bother me as much when they are warm. So for DD I would hold them in my hand, or between my thighs for a few minutes to get them warm. -
@jennlin821: omg thank you for the tip! we were just about to move ds out of the bucket seat but may keep him in longer just to get the drops in. haha! so i tip the bucket seat back and talk to ds while dh quickly tries to get the drop in. sometimes ds would turn his head to quickly though and dh misses. it's like a game.
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@dolphin: So glad it helped! I hope you LO is feeling better.
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Eye drops are the worse! I’m glad you found something that works. We typically ask for the topical cream and apply with disposable plastic gloves.
We've had to do eye meds on a newborn but I would think an 11 month old would be even harder! Is it something that could be done in an ointment instead of drops (like erythromycin)? It's still awful but I think a little easier than drops.
no fun
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