Emetophobia - How do you cope?

[VickyandAlistair]

Hi, have posted this here and in mental health, just want some advice really. I'm mum to 1 ds, he's 15 months old. I was very hesitant to have babies in the first place because I suffer from crippling Emetophobia (fear of vomiting) its particularly severe this time of the year because everyone seems to get stuck on talking about the norovirus all the time.. anyway my question is this: to any fellow emets, how do you cope when your dc have a vomiting bug? I am so scared I wont cope when it happens to my son. My husband had noro a while ago and I left the flat for a week to stay at my mums! My ds vomited as well a couple of weeks ago(it wasnt a bug tho) and even though I managed to stay in the room, dh had to help him and clean up afterwards, i was just paralyzed. I need some positive encouragement to help me with these worries, I take sertraline for depression and diazepam for when my anxiety is bad but i know that if i didnt have emet then i wouldnt be anxious or depressed if that makes sense...

Hi - not sure how helpful I will be, but wanted you to have at least one answer. I have had this phobia on and off over the years - was crippling as a child. I worried as well about how I would cope with DCs. Anyway, I have a 14 month old DD, and she had noro really badly in November. Ended up in hospital (sorry, probably not helping), and I caught it as well while in hospital with her. Was broadly fine, though. I think the point is it's hideous, but you get so wrapped up in making sure they are ok, being a mum, and also getting more used to it, really. I found it helped just to act as if I was feeling really calm, even though I wasn't! Just remembered she would want a calm, gentle mummy and tried to act like I was in a play or something.

I suffer from this in much the same way you describe and I have two DCs aged almost 6 and 11 months. Over the last 6 years of being a parent I have got used to the vomiting thing but still find it hard. Like you, I leave alot of the cleaning up to DH and I try to be comforting which is really all they need. Just take sensible hygiene precautions such as hand washing and those Dettol sprays are great for handles and toilets, which helps me to psychologically feel I am doing something to get reduce the chances of them being sick again. DS (6) had noro at 18 months and I'm dreading DD getting it. I avoid anywhere with lots of children and wash her hands before eating. I also tell myself that if it happens, it really isn't as terrible as you think and they are soon better. I will be glad when she's past the age of putting everything in her mouth because it really doesn't help my paranoia but I'm trying not to pass it on to her!