To ask for your help with DD?

[HannahBananaa]

Backstory: My other kid has just had a sickness bug followed by a week of a horrific cough. Thankfully she’s much better but I just wanted to explain that at the time of writing this post, I am massively sleep deprived.

My older DD came down with a sickness bug through the night last night which culminated in me sitting in the toilet with her from 4am to 8am. We tried to go back to bed but she instantly felt nauseous and had to go back to the toilet. She was sick a few times over that 4 hour period. I feel like a terrible person for writing this because I really feel for her but she is extremely demanding when she’s ill. Whilst she sits with her head over the toilet, I basically have to hold her hand and rub her back at the same time continually, so I did that for the best part of 4 hours this morning plus some other random half hours or so through the day. It’s now 11.15 and I’ve been again sat in the toilet with her since 8pm holding her hand and rubbing her back m. She hasn’t been physically sick since about 10am but she must still be experiencing nausea. For some reason she will not entertain the idea of sitting in bed with a sick bowl. She panics massively when she feels even the slightest bit sick. I do wonder if she has a phobia of it or something along those lines. I’ve just had to firmly tell her I can’t keep running her back and holding her hand and I feel like a terrible person for it. I’m still sat on the floor and holding her hand but my back is aching. I’m just really struggling and wondering if anyone has any suggestions 😢

Not fun for either of you. You're doing a grand job. I have a thing about puking (get panicky and anxious). A back rub sounds brilliant. Appreciate it's knackering for you though. Can you provide cartoons as a distraction to give you a little break?

I know it sounds silly but could you make it as comfy as possible for you both? Get blankets for the floor (I feel it’s a universal truth that all bathroom floors are bloody freezing), maybe some cushions, a tablet or book etc if you’re both staying awake.

Or, and I know it’s kind of gross but sometimes needs must, could she/both of you bed down in there for the night? Would she try and sleep?

If she has emetophobia (phobia of vomiting) I can tell you in no uncertain terms it is utterly horrific, life ruining, life controlling, horrendous.

How old is she?

She has fallen asleep with her head over the toilet and I’ve lifted her into my bed. I’m hoping she’ll stay asleep but I’m really not holding my breath. Camping out in the bathroom is a good suggestion. If when she wakes up, I’ll do that. Like you say, needs must.

@newbingepisodes I have no experience of emetophobia and from what you’re saying it’s most likely not. She has scarlet fever a couple of years ago with quite violent vomiting and after she got over that, each morning she’d wake up she would run to the bathroom saying she was going to be sick. This went on for about 6 weeks. She’d cry, she’d panic to the point I had to keep her off nursery on one occasion because I couldn’t get her to leave the toilet. If she eats a larger than normal portion, this can trigger her fear. She won’t have eaten enough to be unwell but the minute she feels full she panics and we’re back to sitting in the toilet. She’ll go for spells though of being fine for a while though so I guess it’s maybe not that?

She is 6 @mynameisigglepiggle

I didn’t explain that well. She wasn’t sick once in those 6 weeks of waking up and running to the toilet. My gut feeling is that she was waking up with hunger pangs and panicking. I think any feeling in her tummy can cause her to massively panic incase she’s going to be sick.

Pleased she's asleep now. Hopefully she will stay that way!
I have a 6 year old too - think I would have said to her she could come and sleep in my bed but with sick bowls handy. If she wanted to stay in the bathroom that would be fine but I needed to go to bed so I couldn't stay and rub her back.
You all need sleep by the sounds of it.
Norovirus is awful though, we had a horrific night last summer when my then 5 years started at teatime, followed by the 7 year old followed by me and then my husband over the next few hours. Truly horrific.

Tired is not the word 😴😔

Ah I feel for you. My 6 year old is similar, although not as extreme. He had a sickness bug a few weeks ago and there are lots going round school. He says he feels like he's going to be sick every single day. We talked about it last night and he admitted he's worried about getting sick again and we talked about how that can make him feel sick, but that he isn't actually sick. I don't know if it will help though!

I've suffered from emetophobia since I was 6 years old and I do honestly think this sounds like the start of it and if I were you when everyone is well again I would see about doing some cbt with her to get it under control young before it spirals. I used to have my poor mum tortured like you are, the slightest bit of nausea and mum would have to stay awake with me, hold my hand and distract me from my fear. At that age I couldn't articulate what it was as I didn't know the word anxiety or phobia but It's honestly controlled my whole life.

You have my full sympathy as you must be absolutely exhausted by now with 2 of them having it in a row. You sound like supermum x

@Nogodsnomasters That sounds awful for you I am definitely noticing a pattern with DD that she’s getting worse each time she catches something. By contrast, my 3 year old just takes herself to the toilet when she feels sick and goes straight back to bed.

I really feel as though the level of panic is not normal. I think maybe taking her to the GP would be a good idea.

Just a little update... DD is soooooo much better and I’m feeling very relieved. Praying for some sleep tonight for both of us!

I'm so glad she's feeling better, I hope you get some much needed rest! Yeah I would definitely approach the gp and see what they can do for you as it can become all consuming xx