How to prepare for a stomach bug spreading through the household

[Mamma2737]

I’m just recovering from a stomach bug and it looks like DH might have it. I have an older child and a baby too. I have a few hours now when everything is calm and I’m going to do a quick tidy in case it’s chaos for the next week.

What else can I do to prep in case all three have it and I’m still feeling weak. I’m thinking of cooking food in the fridge as it won’t last the next 2 days and I can’t freeze it, and also in case the kids are fine but I’m run off my feet with them and sick DH I have meals available for them. I’ll get more disinfectant in too. Pro-biotics are on the way.

Also thinking logistics of moving DC mattress off his bunk bed so he is more accessible. Baby sleeps with me.

Thank you for any suggestions!

How old is the older child?

There was a sickness bug going through the school once and one evening my gut was saying that DD wasn’t quite herself, despite her saying she was fine. Putting a sick bowl and a towel next to her bed overnight turned out to be a very good move!

If you can stop your husband from eating that can help ward off the sickness part of stomach bug so atleast that’s one less person to deal with , make sure you have sick bowls , towels and new bedding at easy access

-Calpol/paracetamol
-Vomit buckets and old towels at the ready
-Thermometer
-Diorolyte sachets and make some into ice lollies
-Buy bananas, rice, applesauce and follow the BRAT diet
-Keep diary for the kids of fluid intake, wet nappies, vomiting etc
-Double or triple cover beds with sheets and protectors so you only need to take over the top, soiled layer and have clean ones underneath.

Good luck OP xxx

Multiple sets of clean sheets and duvets at the ready in the kids rooms.

We all slept downstairs stairs in the living room once when we were all ill so it was contained to one room and downstairs toilet was just in reach.

LAYER THE BEDS at the first sign of D&V.

Waterproof layer, can be opened out bin liners. Old towel (you just need it at the top end). Fleece blanket. Sheet.

Repeat these layers twice, like making lasagne.

When child vomits etc, strip off one set, bundle it up in the bin liner layer & dump it all somewhere you can deal with it later. Clean up child & put back into bed, which now has a nice fresh top layer.

If you have spare duvets & pillows, have them with covers on & ready to go - if not, put any spare duvet covers/pillow cases on any old blanket/cushion - it will look/feel normal to the child, which is reassuring!

If anyone is fit to deal with washing, hose off the worst of the mess with the shower & get a load on straight away. It doesn’t get any less gross for drying on…

With the food in the fridge, would it make soup? Easy to heat up & frankly, easy to throw up…keeps the fluid levels up & won’t aggravate sensitive tummies.

We had one three weeks ago. It started with DS then youngest DD and myself and while I was puking into the loo my phone rang to tell me eldest DD needed to be collected from school. DH was the last to get it and got the mildest dose. Like PPs have said make sure you have spare bedlinen at the ready and towels and pjs and underwear. Basins in the rooms so everyone can have one. Get in bread as toast is always great when you are recovering. Also plenty of tea bags, milk, biscuits or whatever comfort food you’ll enjoy as even if you aren’t sick you might be housebound looking after everyone. Antibacterial cleaning wipes are a godsend to wipe things quickly when you aren’t physically able to properly clean and sanitise things. Try catch up on laundry now to get ahead as even when you recover you will be wiped out for a while afterwards.

I’m always surprised when people say they’ve thrown up several times - if you don’t eat anything then there’s nothing to be sick on.

You can absolutely throw up on an empty stomach.

Make sure you have lots of laundry detergent and toilet paper/nappies and wipes
Make a pile of every sheet and towel you own on the landing outside the bedrooms (but not between the bedrooms and bathroom doors)
Get older dc off bunk bed and onto floor bed
Remove all fuzzy friends from their beds and put on the windowsills or up on a chest of drawers
Persuade them into putting all lovies somewhere safe from vomit
Put shower curtains on the floor beside the bed to catch vomit…they are less slippy than bin bags

and remember NEVER move a vomiting child..it just spreads out the disaster zone. Bring the clean up to the child

Saccharomyces boulardii is effective both as a prophylactic and as a treatment. This is well documented and researched, not an old wives tale.

Therefore, I suggest that as soon as possible, you get to a chemist and stock up. Boots have it, although I detest that shop.

Thank you, so much good advice!

DH and I had be wondering if it started with older DC actually - he had one loose poo a week ago but has otherwise been fine. It would be a relief if he’s already had it.

Desperately hoping antibodies hold out and baby doesn’t get it. She is breastfed and she cosleeps and she was with me throughout the illness. I had a stomach bug when she was a newborn and amazingly she was fine.