Emetophobia and toddler being sick

[Cornwall21]

Hi,

My toddler 15 months has woken at just gone midnight and was sick all over his bedding and himself. I have severe emetophobia and I am struggling to cope or know what to do logistically.

What do you do with a toddler who is being sick? We don’t co sleep so can’t get him to sleep between me and my husband but don’t want to put him down in his cot.

My Husband has been a huge help but my baby only wants me. I just don’t know what to do because I can’t give him the support he needs.

My mind is racing as to how we will get through the night and I hate to say this but how the bug is going to spread. He was sick once with my mum 36 hours ago and was very irritable all yesterday so I’m pretty certain it’s a bug. This is my idea of hell and I just need some advice if anyone has any? I was told I’d be ok with my own child’s sick but the fear is still huge.

xx

Not much advice but I'm awake in a similar situation so know you're not alone. Personally I give lots of cuddles and try to push the panic to one side, keep on top of hygiene measures and hope for the best. I try to convince myself (usually unsuccessfully) that it's exposure therapy.

It will pass just do your best. If they were first sick 3 days ago it's likely you might have symptoms now if it was a virus?

So sorry op, it's miserable when they are ill.

OK I don't know if this will be of any help this time but as I am not good with vomit I made sure I had emergency packs ready when we went through this stage:

-Layer extra set of sheets on the crib or bed . Use an extra crib sheet pad or mattress protector/waterproof sheet between the layers too if you have one. (Mattress, crib pad, sheet, crib pad, sheet). This makes it much easier to pull off a soiled sheet without having to remake the bed in case they throw up during the night. Hippychick do a good range of waterproof bedding.

• Put towels on the floor alongside the bed

• Have some disposable gloves ready for you and put some Vicks under your nose to mask unpleasant smells plus have Dettol wipes and Dettol ready for wiping down surfaces

• Buy a few round plastic washing up bowls and put those in 20 or 30 litre plastic bin bags (tied around them) and put scented sanitary towels in the bottom to soak up fluids) then when a child is sick you can just carefully take off the bin bags and knot and dispose of in largee bin bag knotted in outside bin.

• For older DC, use laundry basket with large bin bags in them, or bucket with a couple of inches of water and Dettol diluted in it,, then flush down loo.

-have spare set emergency very cheap hand me down or charity shop kids PJs or nighties set aside so you can throw away if really badly soiled

• have blow up mattress and fitted sheets and pillow so you or your partner can take turns sleeping in their room. You can get mattresses that inflate in seconds nowadays.

• extra night lights are useful too

Make sure your little one takes sips of boiled water or flat Sprite lemonade every 15 mins as keeping hydrated is the most important thing. They can suck on ice lollies when they are a bit better.

Have some cream crackers or tiny toasts ready for them to eat the next day or so once they are a bit better, and slowly introduce other foods like pear and apple puree from baby food range but go easy on dairy products.

These bugs are usually short lived thankfully!

Good luck!

Forgot to say, front opening night wear better than clothes that are removed over head obviously

Oh yes and if you are really really struggling with emetophobia and you are alone, it sounds awful but you can use some ear plugs in to listen to calming music or podcast on very low (obviously you have to be attentive to your child and to be able to hear them choking or coughing ) but sometimes a little music or commentary played at a very low level is enough to distract you a bit from the situation to get you through the necessities. Or just a radio playing on low. As long as you can still talk to your child and reassure them.

It also can help if you make yourself breath slowly and deeply and chew gum or suck strong mints. And holding alcohol wipes under your nose and breathing in helps to relieve nausea too.

First of all, I feel for you. Emetophobia is proper thing, and should not just be dismissed as not wanting to handle the mess, or not dealing with your children. I have had it since childhood mainly due to my brother being really travel sick, sometimes all over the place, and sometimes into a bucket that we had in the car. It wasn't an if, it was a when, and that if / when was often within 2 miles of leaving home, and then repeatedly. It seems a silly thing, but you start to avoid situations (really drunk people, people that are ill and likely to throw up, some travel and so on). When you have kids, you can not avoid it any more, I have 5 and at times when norovirus was going around we used to have what I can only describe as "mop and bucket weeks" with those that could aim into a bucket did that, and we cleared up after the younger ones that didn't manage it. You rarely BOTH get it yourself. My advice is to keep them in their own beds, and keep an eye on a child monitor, no good comes from them being between you and then puking in the main bed. Then the partner who is less squeamish has to answer the call, clear down, and start again, water for dehydration etc, These things often work themselves out within 48 hours, child is fully recovered, parents are on their knees out of tiredness. Every time they get certain viruses they get immune for while. My 5 are older now, and it has been a long time since Noro or some other sickness has struck, and at least if it did, they would know to go the loo, or throw up in a bin. Sorry, it's awful, but it does get easier. Wishing you the good night's sleep xxx

I'm emetophobic, I trained ds from being about 3 to grab his bedroom bin or get to the toilet if he could, I've only had to clear up one lot of sick on the carpet. The best things to have on hand are 1001 carpet foam or shaving foam, I completely cover the sick in that, then use kitchen roll to soak it all up & grab any solids. Then I use hot water with washing up liquid & bicarbonate of soda, wring out a cloth t& give the carpet a good rub over several times, then blot with kitchen roll & then more 1001 carpet foam, hoover when dry.