Both ill - how to look after 11 month old?!

[birdybirdbird]

My DH came down with what we thought was food poisoning this morning. He’s never ill and is looking seriously dreadful - grey and shivering and hasn’t moved off the bathroom floor in an hour. In the last hour or so I’ve also started feeling wobbly. My stomach is hurting and gurgling and I feel all weird and breathless, exactly how he was this morning, so now worried it’s a bug. We also have a very active 11 month old and a house that is not exactly baby proof (we’re renovating). Closest family are a three hour drive away and the two sets of friends I could call on with this are away on holiday. What on Earth do we do? I’ve just been to the shop and bought lucozade and dioralyte (and toilet roll...) But what on Earth do we do about LO if I’m struck down too? DH can’t even stand up right now.

Been there. You'll get through it. Thankfully noro is short lived and usually the worst passes in 24 hours.

Make sure you have some bread and pouches in and you little one will just need to survive on toast and pouches for a couple of days.

Oh also cbeebies.

where are you based OP? look on the internet for an emergency nanny and take note of the number, so that if you do come down with the same bug you can call the childcare. all the best and hope you feel better soon x

Whilst you’re feeling well enough to stand, sort out plates of food for your lo and into the fridge - sandwiches, breadsticks, cheese, cut up fruit etc so it can be put on the floor and tucked into with v little parental help.

Can you baby-proof one room? Say the living room? Then set up camp in there with all your supplies and get tons of things for lo to play with - paper, pens, a washing up bowl with water and cups to pour (shower curtain taken off shower to put underneath) etc?

I have done this (just dd and I) many a time when I’ve caught one of her bugs. Even when you feel absolutely horrific you sort of somehow manage to just about keep you all alive. It is not fun in the slightest and it’s going to be hard. Put CBeebies or a much loved film on and just try and doze when you can.

Your dh is going to have to also help, no matter how horrendous he feels. It’s all part of parenting unfortunately.

Play pen or travel cot set up with toys. Sippy cup of water in there.

Set up baby nursery rhymes on Netflix/kids channel on TV. One day won’t make a difference.

Have you got any food pouches, ready done foods (tinned sardines/bread and ham etc) baby will eat for dinner or snack? Try to prep it now while you can.

Other than that you’ll both have to tag team through the day. Set up in one room so you can both watch and interact with DC. Have changing mat/nappies/wipes in there too.

It’s dreadful looking after DC when ill but hopefully you’ll be feeling well soon x

Agree - snacks/pouches, play pen and lots of Cbeebies. Do the minimum to keep everyone alive.

Thanks everyone. We’ve got plenty of pouches in and LO loves toast so that’s doable. I’m hoping I can make it through the three hours til bedtime and he goes to sleep quickly for once and then be ill after. Hopefully DH might be over the very worst of it by then. I’m feeling increasingly worse and his incessant clambering with elbows and knees in my belly isn’t helping 😬

Play pen. If you don't then a bouncy seat or buggy in front of tv.
I.e. contain the baby and just get through it.

Set a timer. You both get through one hour at a time and then go back to bed.

How are you both today, OP? Sending my best wishes for a quick recovery!

Hope your OK op. It's just hideous being ill and not able to be ill without care.

Hope you managed to sort things out before you were struck down.

How are you doing OP? I've been there before and it's awful but thankfully usually short lived.

I lasted an hour after posting before being sick DH was over the worst of it by that point and I wasn’t quite as ill as he had been so we muddled through. Parenting achievement unlocked! I’m very glad I managed to get to the shops and organise some dinner and baby proofing before hand! Feel very drained today but we’re on the mend. LO doesn’t seem to have come down with it so far either 🤞🏻

Wondeful op! Achievement achieved.

Every year I get my flu jab and ask dh to get one because once we both had gastric flu or something it was awful and dd was 3. Also worth having permanent supply of sickness goods... Like lucoazde or whatever you have when ill, spare loo rolls etc

Glad you're both recovering, sounds like a 24 hour stomach bug. So nasty when it happens!

hideous situation. Lots of TV and make one small area contained