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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

So worried

71 replies

bluepurplepinkyellow · 18/09/2021 15:04

My little girls been sick and I've got a phobia of being sick I'm so worried, any advise ? It's her first tummy bug and I am really really worrying and stressing over it, she was sick once and hasn't been sick since 10am but I am terrified about catching it

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Original poster
bluepurplepinkyellow · 18/09/2021 15:11

Hopeful bump

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KellyJonesLeatherTrousers · 18/09/2021 15:20

What are you worried about, what’s the AIBU?
At this stage, you won’t know whether it’s viral or not, ie whether it’s something you can ‘catch’ or not. Advice would be to keep her hydrated if possible, small sips of water but no food yet.

SylvanasWindrunner · 18/09/2021 15:21

All you can do is practise good hygiene and hope you don't get it! If she's only been sick once it might just be a one-off anyway.

621CustardCream438 · 18/09/2021 15:37

Goes with the territory of having children I’m afraid. Wash your hands lots, clean any bathroom surfaces etc thoroughly and hope for the best. Mine have thrown up countless times, I’ve only ever caught a tummy bug from them once - that was unmistakable noro and it was in no way a “vomit once then nothing for five hours” event.

And try to calm down. A sick child needs a calm, unflapping adult not someone panicking and stressing.

Mossstitch · 18/09/2021 15:49

Fellow emetophobe here, I had three kids, was never sick after them having vomited. In my experience children are often sick with a temperature or for other reasons such as something they ate or swallowing mucus with a cold or teething rather than it necessarily being a stomach bug and if she's not been sick again since I doubt it's norovirus/gastroenteritis. Speaking from experience of picking that up twice from the hospital I work in! No other family member caught that off me either but I am thorough with the bleaching. So try to relax👍

Original poster
bluepurplepinkyellow · 18/09/2021 18:02

How long till you can say your in the clear of catching it ?

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FrownedUpon · 18/09/2021 18:05

@621CustardCream438

Goes with the territory of having children I’m afraid. Wash your hands lots, clean any bathroom surfaces etc thoroughly and hope for the best. Mine have thrown up countless times, I’ve only ever caught a tummy bug from them once - that was unmistakable noro and it was in no way a “vomit once then nothing for five hours” event.

And try to calm down. A sick child needs a calm, unflapping adult not someone panicking and stressing.

Your last sentence is so unhelpful to someone with a phobia. Do you think the OP wants to feel stressed and panicked?
Original poster
bluepurplepinkyellow · 18/09/2021 18:08

I'm stressed worried and panicked but I am keeping or shall I say pretending to be calm for my dd, if anything I've sat in the room all day with her not flapping as you put it. A phobia is real

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Worriedmum40284 · 18/09/2021 18:24

Hi OP - I suffer with emetephobia too so understand. Can I ask what in particular is worrying you - do you worry about catching something yourself or about your daughter being sick again?

garlictwist · 18/09/2021 18:26

I completely understand your worries - vomit is my biggest fear and is actually one of the reasons I don't have children because I just can't handle it. I have no advice, but just a handhold.

Original poster
bluepurplepinkyellow · 18/09/2021 18:27

As selfish as it sounds I'm worried about catching it myself it's terrifying 😩 dd is okay only been sick the once asking for food every so often and I think on the mend xx

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Worriedmum40284 · 18/09/2021 18:36

No it's not selfish. Phobias aren't rational things so your normal thought processes and behaviours don't apply. I only ask as from my experience, quite a lot of emeptephobes struggle with one more than the other (being sick/witnessing vomiting).

I would think that as she has just been sick once (and not again for quite some time now) it's unlikely to be a bug and instead caused by another reason as a PP has said. Wanting to eat also a good sign that she's not gone an upset tummy. So hopefully very unlikely that you will catch anything.

As PP have said, it often seems to be the case adults/parents aren't sick when children are. I think the time lapse now is a reassuring sign.

prettypinkflamingo · 18/09/2021 19:07

Just coming on to say I feel for you- I'm not phobic to vomit but it's still unnerving when your children are ill. My friend is the same as you and she goes by these rules...If anyone is sick (usually in the night) then I line the floor around the bed with bin bags. Makes for an easier clean if it happens again. Also keep medical gloves in the cupboard for these events, along with wipes etc. to clean all affected areas. All soiled bedding gets bagged and either put in a hot wash or just thrown if it's too bad to deal with. Have an action plan in place and hopefully it can help take away some anxiety of the situation occurring. Hope your child is okay and it was just a one off x

Original poster
bluepurplepinkyellow · 18/09/2021 19:24

Can you catch a sickness bug through sneezing she's constantly sneezing too

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Knitsewthread · 18/09/2021 19:59

I don't think so, I thought you only really caught them if particles of the virus contained in poo or vomit got into your mouth Envy -- not envy.

If she's sneezing then I suspect she's poorly with something else which the sickness was just a side effect of.

Yummymummy2020 · 18/09/2021 20:01

If it’s any comfort, when I worked in a nursery most of the kids caught it but I never did, I just scrubbed my hands constantly. It may have been luck, but you definitely don’t always catch it even when you are surrounded by it so please try not to panic.

Glssr195726113493 · 18/09/2021 20:05

A one-off sickness that hasn’t occurred for ten subsequent hours is SO UNLIKELY to be a stomach bug, and is more likely to be a one-off vomit caused by mucus/coughing/moving a certain way. So take that and use it to try to reduce your stress levels.

And please, please seek some support for your emetophobia. You are going to come up against this time and again with a child and it’s no way to live.

halesie · 18/09/2021 20:31

Hi, I agree with PP, one event is probably not a tummy bug. With our two we found that being sick was more the first sign that they were ill with some other bug, it seemed to go with fever perhaps? Hope your DD is ok now and it sounds like you should be fine.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 18/09/2021 20:38

I have a massive fear of vomit.

If my kids are sick my husband generally deals with it.

I have a sick cleaning station set up for us to grab quickly upstairs in the night if anyone is sick that I keep under the bed -
Antiseptic cleaner
Plastic bag
Gloves
Sick bowl
Kitchen roll
Spare pyjamas for kids
Wipes

Etc so if someone is sick in the night you dont have to run around trying to find stuff at the same time as comforting them

And if I think I'm going to get it -
Take a load of pre and pro biotics if you've got any
Eat bland food
Really hydrate yourself so if you are sick for a while you wont get ill
Get in some rehydration sachets
I sometimes sleep in a different room that's nearer a bathroom and keep a bucket nearby just in case

Original poster
bluepurplepinkyellow · 18/09/2021 21:11

How long is she contagious for after the being sick ?

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Original poster
bluepurplepinkyellow · 19/09/2021 17:20

Hopeful bump xx

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Original poster
bluepurplepinkyellow · 20/09/2021 00:07

Partners just been sick I really can't cope 😩

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Knitsewthread · 20/09/2021 01:40

Oh poor you, you can do this though, you'll get through it. Just keep taking deep breaths and try and focus on here and now.

Could there be any other reason your DP has been sick? I'm surprised if it's from your DD considering she was only sick the once.

Original poster
bluepurplepinkyellow · 20/09/2021 01:44

No no other reason, he's looked after dd lots slept next to her etc, I've come to my mums but so worried I'll get Ill I've only eaten 2 bags of crisps in almost 48 hours

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Knitsewthread · 20/09/2021 01:53

Ok, keep eating and drinking small amounts of plain things to be on the safe side but hopefully you will avoid it as it's well over 48 hours now since it started. Things like norovirus tend to start very quickly.

Is there anything you can do to distract yourself to help you get some sleep?