To help my 12yo vomit

[thirdistheonewiththehairychest]

She has obviously caught a stomach bug from her sis and knows she needs to vomit but can't. Reluctant to show her how to make it come but think it would help.

Over the counter

ludicrous idea

What a bizarre thread, if she has a stomach bug then it will either come up or go down or both as needs be, no one needs to help it along, what a strange suggestion.

I don't agree that no one "needs" to vomit. I also desperately hate being sick and do my best not to be, but if you're really unwell with something then it'll come flying out regardless of your opinion on the matter. Bitter experience. I had a horrendous bout of salmonella or similar in Cuba. Felt wretched for hours. Ate a small spoonful of soup as my tiny hotel had cooked dinner especially for me and immediately had to sprint to the loo. Hell like I've never known it exited in an upward trajectory. Immediately followed by hell in a downward trajectory, which then continued for days. I am only thankful I was near a toilet because if I'd been out and about I'd still be recovering from the trauma of puking and pooing myself in public.

I think bugs should be left to do their own thing though.

And just to be clear, it would also be stupid if she had food poisoning. Just no.

Thanks everyone. I know it's a ludicrous idea. It's just horrid seeing her like this. She is generally petrified of being sick but having been hunched over the loo for 30 mins, she is saying she wants to get it over with! Parenting is hard!!

Could she stomach sipping peppermint tea? Might help with cramps? Or give her a polo/hard mint?

well you should know, we all know, how to be sick

Poor girl. No, don't show her how to make herself sick. It's a dangerous thing for a teenage girl and as PP are saying, if it's going to happen, it will. Try and distract her from how bad she is feeling, a film under a blanket on the sofa or a nice book/ music.

What on earth have I just read. Medical advice from the 1800s? Good grief.

WTF

Eh, what?! No of course you don't show a child or teenager how to make yourself sick!! What a bizarre notion!

Let her lie confortably with liquid and hot water bottle and something to be sick in.

Put a film on to distract from discomfort, if she needs to be sick she can have a bowl or something better than stressing over a dirty toilet. It's awfulnto force it and sometimes you feel like youbreally need to be sick but never do it's just very bad nausea

I'm emetophobic and this would happen to me as a child. I knew I'd feel better once I'd been sick but I was so genuinely terrified that I somehow held it back. It would always come out eventually and I think it was worse because I'd kept it at bay and was so tense.

I don't know what to say apart from that I find it helpful to sit on a step in the bathroom with a bucket. It's far more comfortable and relaxed than hunched over the toilet. When the vomit actually happens I still make it to the toilet but haven't had a long wait on a cold, hard floor hunched over the toilet so it's just a little bit easier.

Being sick is horrible but bit will come when it comes. If she gets to that dry wrenching stage then drinking something sweet like Lemonade or lucozade can mean that at least what comes up isn't pure acidic bile which burns your throat.

Unless there's something wrong with the food e.g. she has food poisoning, I wouldn't.
You need to address the emetophobia (fear of vomiting) though. A friend's is so bad she's terrified every time she gets nauseous - she's 40.

Get her back to her comfy bed with some towels, a sick bowl and some kitchen roll.

Noone should force themselves to vomit, your body will do it if it needs too.

Hope she feels better soon.

Give her some water or peppermint tea - liquid makes vomiting easier and drinking something might bring it on

Absolutely not!
She will vomit when she’s meant to vomit.

She’s feeling nauseous.
Give her a bucket and tell her to go to bed.
Hanging off the toilet isn’t going to help.

If possible give her something like buttered toast to eat and sweet tea to drink.
It’ll either make her feel better or vomit but the vomit will be actual food instead of just nasty bile.

Bed with a bowl and a glass of warm water, not cold will do the trick. If it needs to come up it will.

Thanks everyone. She's been sick and feeling a bit better. Such an ordeal though!

Interested in the PP's suggestion that I 'deal with' the fear of vomiting...any suggestions how to do this would be very welcome!!

Sorry, I think the suggestion was that I 'address' it. Not sure how...

CBT

Definitely 'address', I meant well :) Have a google for emetophobia, Young Minds and Anxiety UK have advice. Treatment can vary depending on causes and triggers, but it can indeed include CBT. Perhaps like any phobia - figure out the cause (however minor!) and slowly build up to get used to it. I'd use the phrase immersion therapy... but that seems inappropriate when discussing a semi liquid