To think it is impossible to follow excellent hygiene

[Iloveprettythings]

Firstly I am emetophobic. My daughter was sick last Thursday and nursery but was okay Friday and Saturday day. I woke up this morning to find out she had been sick in the night in her cot. Today she was sick in the car and then had a messy nappy and then was sick in her high chair (she got a bit of food stuck was a little sick and then projectile vomited straight after)

I am finding this extremely hard to deal with but also my maternal instinct hits in so I continue to clean her up, kiss her, look after her etc. Inside I am an anxious panicky mess, who feels like dying.

Back to the subject - I have read extensively about how to avoid catching bugs and it's always be very hygienic. I am doing my best and using bleach and washing hands, binning clothes she was sick on etc. But although she has been sick several times she is still acting normal, happy, wanting to play and eat etc. So she has still been touching literally everything.. should I give up hope now?

[Iloveprettythings]

DD is nearly 11 months old by the way

[BestZebbie]

If you have cleaned her hands thoroughly with soap between exposed sick/nappies and playing then random touches of surfaces shouldn't be too bad (I'd try to stop her licking things that you can't wipe down easily though).

[MrsK8541]

I have nothing to offer but I'm a fellow emetephobe and wanted to offer a hand hold while your DD is sick.

[Mcchickenbb41]

Ahh sorry dd has been ill. If your asking if it's possible to stop them catching bugs then no it isn't. Children need to mix and learn social skills etc. As long as you are doing the basic hygiene which it sounds like you are then stop worrying. I go through fazes of mad cleaning because my dd has asthma so when she gets a cold has often ended up in hospital and tbh this wears me out and doesn't stop her catching another cold anyway.

[StealthPolarBear]

Op when dd was a baby dh had a really nasty virus with vital conjunctivitis. The hospital told us to practise good hygiene but it was almost inevitable dd and I would get it. He had a separate bathroom for the duration and went round with the bleach cleaning everything he'd touched. By some miracle we didn't get it. So it is possible, and definitely worth trying. I hope she's better soon x

[Drjunior]

Fellow emetophobe here. If you are prepared for sickness, it is a lot easier to contain and control. If you are not (as is more often the case) it is much harder. Once she has had the first v, get her on to some towels. When she is sick on one, put cat litter on the sick, allow it to soak up, scrape it off while wearing a mask, place towel in a bowl of diluted bleach then wash in machine over 90degrees with biological
Washing powder. Then replace towel with another.

Keep her confined to one or two rooms. Disinfect every surface of those rooms with diluted bleach including door handles, banisters, toys and walls. Particles from sick can vaporise and survive on walls for weeks.

Cover your mouth and nose when you undo
her diarrhoea nappies and for a week after (as she is still shedding virus particles.) place them immediately in a bag and bag immediately in bin and wash your hands.

[Iloveprettythings]

Well she was just sick. I heard her coughing on the monitor and the projectile sick noise. Went into her and she is covered including her hair and all on bedsheets. I have tried my best to follow good hygiene. I laid her on a blanket whilst I cleaned her up, stripped bed, washed her hair over sink all with a muslin tied over my mouth and nose (much to her amusement)
Feeling grim and so depressed. I just want it all to be over. I couldn't bleach because I was worried about fumes in her room.

[StealthPolarBear]

Oh no :( hope you've both managed to get some sleep

[MuseumOfCurry]

Really sorry to hear this. I remember when my oldest had his first sick bug (he was 11 months old, too!).

Are you worried about you getting sick as well, or do you have other children?

I also just wanted to send because I don't function well when mine are sick. I'd suggest you get some counselling.

[specialsubject]

I get that it is a phobia, and hygiene to reduce infection spread is entirely reasonable. But babies vomit regularly and if you chuck everything spewed on it is a horrible waste.

I hope you can find help as the nature of childhood is that there is lots more of this to come. Please be kind to yourself. And a giggling baby clearly isn't too unwell and is really happy.

[Grilledaubergines]

If she's being sick this regularly I think your priority needs to be getting her seen at the GP.

Throwing sicked on clothing is very wasteful. Remove them from her, remove sicked on bedding, rinse the sick off and put on a hot wash. Anything more seems very excessive.

[StealthPolarBear]

Where did op sa y she'd thrown anything away? Apologies if I'm just missing it

[StealthPolarBear]

Ok seen it sorry

[SomethingBorrowed]

When mine are sick in bed I have the following well-oiled technique:

Wrap DC in a clean towel and carry them straight in the bathtub.
Undress DC and wash them, including hair. The dirty clothes go straight from the tub to the washing machine.
Once DC is clean, dry and dressed, I remove all bedding and plush toys from the bed and put those straight in the washing machine. I add the clothes I am wearing and start the wash.
I clean the bed/walls/etc. with antibac wipes.
I then put clean bedding on.
If needed, I use a carpet cleaner for the bedroom carpet.

[Iloveprettythings]

I don't throw everything away, just really covered stuff - I appreciate this is very wasteful, it's rather embarrassing to think that I have to do that.

My DD wasn't sick yesterday, and my OH and I were unwell yesterday (not actually sick) I always think that I am ill due to paranoia rather than the actual bug.

Anyway, last night my mum had DD over night as we were both poorly. She had diarrhoea in the night and I feel like the worst mother for passing her off to my mum because I couldn't cope.

I have bleached my house as much as I can, but of course there will be areas with potential 'bug' on. Does anyone know how long it takes for it to 'die' if that even happens?

Taking DD to doctors this afternoon too.

[Sidge]

Remember that sometimes children vomit not because they've got anything infectious, but because their muscles can be a little weak and floppy - so even just coughing too hard can make them puke. Ditto eating and drinking too quickly, then jumping around or bending over.

Of course if a child/baby is vomiting regularly then it's worth getting them checked over by the GP, but many kids are just 'happy pukers' and grow out if it as they get stronger and bigger.

With that in mind, please don't throw away everything that's been vomited on. Scrape, rinse and wash. Of course sometimes you just can't get rid of the smell or stains! But generally speaking hot soapy water is adequate.

Bleach has it's own hazards so use it carefully. Washing clothing, fabrics and teddies in hot soapy water is enough, even if bug-related. Use a bleach based water solution for surfaces, door handles, taps etc if needed.

[wizardinthegarden]

I use the toilet training bed mats for the bed and sofa when they are sick. Just fold up and throw away, reduces the washing of towels etc.

[supermoon100]

I just had to look up what that word meant. Surely no-one likes vomit? Bleaching everything from top to bottom probs isn't going to be so great for babies either. Maybe get some kind of therapy to get over your phobia so motherhood is less anxiety making?

[Iloveprettythings]

I have tried hypnotherapy. I got some anti sickness pills today from the doctor.

[Vaness80]

Having had emet for years avoidance, cleaning etc, never gets to changing you though inside... hence Try maybe the thrive book it can help people or find a good specialist Therapist or hypnotherapist for Phobias and Emetophobia I finally found one. (having for me trying many and various therapies and so on)
I know you said you tried Hypnotherapy, do though consider some therapists, bricklayers, teachers etc are good and others not so good. You may have to try a few when it comes to Therapy dare I say it
Also ask your GP for referral and try even cbt Therapy which they tend to offer.. again for some people it can help quitea bit - but NHS sadly lacks resources and under funding . But maybe ask why not hey nothing to lose!
bes strong you can manage this and find solutions to better help you hun x