Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Prep
Because your child is small, the enema will be given by a nurse or doctor using a syringe with normal saline (salt water) — not a store-bought enema bottle. Your care team will tell you whether the enema will be given at home or at the hospital before the procedure.
Do NOT buy or give any store-bought enema (including Fleet enemas) unless specifically instructed by your doctor.
Prepare a list of medications.
Stop iron and anti-diarrhea medicines (Imodium, Kaopectate) 7 days before.
Give routine morning medicines with a small sip of water or breast milk unless told otherwise.
You can verify what medications need to be stopped at meds.giready.com.
📅 1 Day Before the Procedure
If your child eats solids, follow a low-residue (“white”) diet through lunch — then clear liquids only after 2:00 PM. If your child takes only breast milk or formula, continue feeding normally until the fasting times below.
| AVOID | OK to give |
|---|---|
| Whole-grain breads & cereals | Plain rice cereal, white bread, plain crackers |
| Raw fruit with skin or seeds (berries, grapes, oranges) | Banana, applesauce, plain yogurt or vanilla pudding |
| Beans, corn, popcorn, nuts | Scrambled or boiled eggs, plain chicken |
| Anything red or purple | Apple juice, water, Pedialyte (no red or purple) |
After 2:00 PM — clear liquids only (no dairy)
OK: water, Pedialyte, apple juice (no pulp), white-grape juice, plain Jell-O (no red/purple), plain popsicles (no red/purple, no fruit chunks), clear chicken broth.
Avoid: anything red or purple, milk, formula (unless your care team says otherwise), yogurt, ice cream, juice with pulp, orange or grapefruit juice.
💊 Day of the Procedure — Enema
- Some watery output and a few bowel movements after the enema are expected.
Anonymous · about 1 minute
⏱️ Day of the Procedure — Eating & Drinking (NPO)
For your child's safety, anesthesia requires an empty stomach. Stop each food or liquid below by the time listed, counting back from your child's scheduled arrival time:
| Food or liquid | Stop this many hours before arrival |
|---|---|
| Solid foods | 8 hours |
| Formula or milk feedings | 6 hours |
| Breast milk | 4 hours |
| Clear liquids (water, apple juice, plain Jell-O) | 3 hours |
- Keep your child well-hydrated on the morning of the procedure — offer small sips of clear liquids every 30–60 minutes. Frequent small drinks beat occasional large ones — better hydration, easier on the stomach.
- Stop all clear liquids 3 hours before the procedure.
- Bring comfort items for your child (toy, blanket, tablet, etc.).