Eldest with stomach bug - am I being OTT?

[Cheshirewife]

So, quite early this year, but eldest DS (7) appears to have come down with a nasty stomach bug. I obviously kept him at home on Friday and he appears to be managing ok. However, I really don't want to come down with it myself or pass it onto younger DD.

So far, I have insisted on wearing surgical gloves (rather fetching purple!) when checking up on him and also keep my stash of disposable aprons for bathroom duties etc.

DH thinks that I'm being neurotic and that the gloves/ apron thing is a bit silly. Interested to know AIBU?

I cant quite comprehend the single use plastic waste.

If you had a parent that behaved that way torwards normal sickness I can imagine you'd become a germaphobe your self, with possible OCD, maybe even struggling to love and comfort your own child because you wasn't shown it yourself when ill. But I don't know

Wow, that’s not going to damage your child at all.

My first reaction was

Then I felt desperately sorry for your poor child.

If this is for real you need to lighten up, take your bloody scrubs off and go and give your DS a cuddle.

I agree just wash your hands lots. That's a good example to set too, most kids don't wash their hands after loo or before meals etc and it's such an easy way to swerve bugs and illness.

I would wear disposable gloves for cleaning up sick/diahorrea and for cleaning loo, sink and bath. Other than that thorough hand washing with soap and water before food prep is enough. When DGD was a few months old the rest if the household went down with noro one after the other. There was no one to be with her who was well. I used disposable gloves to make up her bottles and to change her nappies and I wiped down door handles and other things that were used by the upchuckers. Remarkably the baby didn’t get it which was a relief.

If you have a young baby, are immunocompromised or are around older people then I can understand the extreme precautions but it would be safe to dial it back to gloves for dealing with vomit etc. Hope DS gets better soon and you all stay well.

Do you have emetophobia OP?

Emetophobia really sucks. If you do then have you received any therapy for it?

it is a waste of plastic though op

Most germs are airborne anyway! I see where you are coming from ,but sadly this kind of bug will find its way around the family whatever you do .DH was ill a while back ,used to scrub hands with anti bac cleanser still got it ! Its not pleasant but part of life really

Tbh I think if you’re checking him and still being kind and affectionate the gloves etc won’t matter

Far more damaging to have a parent who leaves a sick child to look after themselves and says it’s because they are a bad person that they are sick (happened to me) I’d have given anything for someone who cared no matter if they were in a biohazard suit

If there’s no convenient drip feed about emetophobia (which seems to be suffered by almost every other person on mumsnet hmm )

Talk about overexaggerating. Ever thought you hear about it every so often on MN because it's a fairly common phobia @Hiphopopotamus?

What a ridiculous comment.

only on mn.

Hi. I am abit freaked out by stomach buga so i understand you are preventing it spreading to the rest of the family the best you can. My DD had two last year and our son was under a year. I didn't want him to get it so I took him upstairs for the night and DD stayed downstairs with her daddy. He soothed her and emptied her bucket etc. We did put disposal gloves on for cleaning the laundry she had vomited on and I scrubbed the carpet with gloves on. Other than that I tend to hold my breath whilst carrying any vomit and I wash my hands lots. I do lots of wiping over surfaces with bleach too.

I do understand your fears but we never leave DD alone when she's vomiting she always has one of us in the room to hold the bowl etc. She's quite brave with being sick. She gets travel sick etc so she's vomited in many places bless her. She's on kwells now though and it's stopped.

Hope your lad is better soon. Sick phobias are horrible. Nobody likes loosing control of their bodies. My biggest fear is it happening when I'm not home.

I dont think you are being you unreasonable. I done the same when my 4 year old had norovirus. I have severe anxiety (GAD) and I have emetophobia. I done everything in my power so I didnt get it aswell (and i never did). I Cleaned everywhere constantly, wore my gloves, even chucked out the duvet covers which my child was sick on. Extreme I know lol. I even sat at the back of the living room, whilst my boy sat on the sofa with a bucket, and i didnt eat properly until i knew it was all over. I do think about the impact it could have on my child, but having extreme anxiety makes you act really 'strange' at times. For those judging or being a bit harsh, please dont, coz some people cant help the way they deal with certain situations.

Blimey the virtue-signalling “single use plastic” didn’t take long did it? 🙄 Best get onto the NHS @littleducks, I reckon their impact will be far greater than the OP’s.

I didn't wear aprons and gloves when any of my family had bugs, but I wiped everything with bleach and washed their hands and mine, kept towels separate etc...and never had these things go through the whole family. I think you're sensible!

I think the NHS could be forgiven for its single use plastics

It will not provide enough protection. You need a biohazard suit. Also a sealed laboratory to keep him in. Finally a psychiatrist to help the pair of you to adjust to life outside should you wish to risk it.

Or. You get ill. You get better. Your resistance improves. It’s a lifetime thing.

To help you on your way, never touch a door handle except with a long broom handle. You can leave the head on it to push people away.

I even sat at the back of the living room, whilst my boy sat on the sofa with a bucket

I know it probably can't be helped if someone has a real phobia, but I find that so sad He was only four. Don't let your anxiety get to this stage, OP! Stomach bugs are nasty but they're a part of life, especially with kids. Sometimes we might need to throw caution to the winds a bit and risk getting it ourselves in order to parent and comfort our children when they need us. My mum would always rub my back when I was being sick and it was comforting and meant enough that I remember it to this day.

I dont think you are being you unreasonable. I done the same when my 4 year old had norovirus. I have severe anxiety (GAD) and I have emetophobia.

How does that mean the OP is not BU?

She hasn't mentioned GAD or emetophobia?

@gingersausage work for nhs actually, single use plastic used is mostly justified and reduction is an issue being looked at in my trust anyway

But hey I'm just virtue signalling and it's totally normal to wear disposable gloves to check on your child or change nappies like another poster mentioned

YABU

You're precautions are pointless and just create more work and contaminated waste all over the house and will make no difference.

Sometimes I get what the DC get sometimes I don't. Depends if it's something my immune system has seen enough of before. Also DC are often sick when they have what would be a common cold in an adult.

Even HAVING surgical gloves and a stash of disposable aprons is batshit.

And - single use plastics.

Wash your hands and stop being nuts.

Get a grip! It's a sickness bug. Grow up and look after your child with love.

I have emetephobic and I still think OP is BU.

The fact is OP doesn't even seem to recognise that her behaviour is abnormal and potentially damaging to her child