Practical advice on getting through chicken pox please

[thereisthesnowball]

My 3 year old DD is on Day 3 of chicken pox. I noticed the first spots at bedtime 2 nights ago - she is now covered in them and they are still sprouting up everywhere. I am treating her fever with liquid paracetamol for children; the spots with a disinfectant (prescribed) and also a lotion to help them dry up quickly (not prescribed - a bit like calamine lotion, it's for 'sensitive, irritated and oozing skin'); and she is also taking cough medicine and an antihistamine (prescribed).

I have no intention of taking her out til the last spot has crusted over, except to let her play in our tiny garden or to take her to a friend's house who came down with it on the same day, or to the house of the boy she caught it from.

I'd like to know:

• what should I do about the two spots that are coming up on the lower rim of her eyelid? At the moment they are not filled with liquid but when they do, and then scab over, will they pose any threat to her eye?

• what can I do to encourage her to sleep? She was awake most of the night because of the itching and we are both feeling quite frayed now.

• she is traumatised by the application of the lotions: the first ones were on her clitoris so could not be more sensitive. I am supposed to be swabbing each spot but am reduced to spraying her directly from the bottle while she runs around the bedroom (I have a knee injury and can't run after her) or wrestling her into submission with DH's help. What can I do to make this easier for her and us?

• how do you keep a child comforted and occupied for over a week in a small flat?

Thanks for reading this far and in advance of any tips or advice you can offer.

poor little sausage.

Lots of baths - stock up on bicarb and add a couple of TBS to the bath water. Also a drop or two of tea tree oil and some lavender.

Overnight a bath can be really soothing - we once had 4 baths in a night :D

Lotion: Its very cold, so warm it a little in a saucer. Hand her a cotton wool ball, and have her dab herself (while you help with a second ball). Dont worry if you don't get to a spot (esp in sensitive areas)

Big fluffy towels, pre-warmed.

Lots of distracting activites, like jigsaws and colouring when they are in the mood.

Thanks. Will try the bath idea tonight.

I thought you shouldn't bath, it increases the risk of infection, soften the scab (which you don't want) and ultimately makes the scratching worse (hence 4 baths in a night)

I did spray the desinfectant too, DD1 wouldn't let me touch her, forget about the lotion (not very good for the risk of infection and must be hell to apply without scratching).

good luck

Thanks mamaloco. No scabs here yet as we're only on day 3 (2.5 really). I didn't bathe her yesterday but she can't go 2 weeks without one so she'll have to have one at some point.I think I'll give her one tonight before she gets her scabs then wait a few days before the next one.

Hello, nothing to add, but just watching with interest. 10 month old DD has been exposed to chicken pox and I am terrified she is going to get it just as we are flying home for Christmas (massive dilemma, don't know what to do).

How long was the gap from exposure to showing signs? I have read the incubation period can be 10-21 days.

Aww, the poor little thing! Re the spots on her eyes - DD3 had one right on the inner corner of her eye (she was 11 months old) and I just left it well alone. It did unfortunately get a big 'orrible scab on it which she knocked off rubbing her eyes, and there is a scar there now but TBH, you would never notice it if you didn't know it was there, IYSWIM. It did not pose any danger to her eyesight.

My rules re tv and DVDs are significantly relaxed when the children are poorly - after all, I just want to flop on the sofa with a blanket and watch crap telly when I'm ill, so why shouldn't they? I also read tons and tons of stories.

FC between 10 days and 3 weeks, I thought I had escape it but it showed about 3 weeks and a bit. (I guess the extreme tiredness was at 3 weeks but the spots came later)

For the eyelid leave alone. If the eyes goes red (like bad conjunctivitis) go see a GP/an ophtalmologist. You can get spots in your eyes and cause problems later.

No baths for 2 weeks for me and DD1 (just wash the bits that needed) and quick shower after a while.

Flyingcloud - when my 2 had it it was exactly 2 weeks between exposure and the first spot, each time.

Oh, either way two weeks - the day we fly home, three weeks - Christmas day.

Crap, crap, crap.

Apols for the thread hijack thereisthesnowball I really hope your DD survives through to Christmas ok and you manage to deal with it all.

Flyingcloud - she may not get it at all. My dd1 was 4.5 by the time she got it and had ben exposed to it quite a few times before then - so much so that I was starting to think she must have some sort of immunity. She didn't! Don't panic about it until it happens. FWIW neither of mine felt poorly with it - they were just spotty, so getting it on Christmas Day or just before doesn't have to spoil Christmas....

15 days from exposure to first spots here, for DD and her friends.

Flyingcloud, for all that people say it's good for children to get CP while they're young, I hope you're spared this. DD is really miserable.

I have just stocked up on treats - biscuits, cake, cherry yoghurts - to help her keep her appetite up. And we had watched the entire Toy Story trilogy before midday today, so we're doing well on the TV front. Thanks for all the advice so far.