So what happens when you are ill?

[girlinfrance]

How do you manage with the kids, house, meals etc when you're laid up, or just a bit under the weather? Does your devoted other half take over everything and bring hot lemon to your sick bed?

Just wondering, because I'm feeling rotten today and was dreading doing the school runs, looking after the baby, feeding everyone, you know the drill. In fact I'm feeling lucky because my H has just gone off to the supermarket WITH the baby which is a double bonus, and entirely unexpected. Though had the roles been reversed I wouldn't dream of leaving a sick H with a needy 2-month-old so no one would need to feel grateful.

Why is this? What happens in your house?

Dp helpsa bit, but mostly I have to soldier on. You know it's badwhen you findyourself sitting on the kitchen floor because you don't have theenergy to stand...

no dp, so not much choice. when i did have one, when dd was about 4 months old, i got really sick, kept vomiting and passing out, he wouldnt come home from work, and i have such a clear memory of vomiting into a bucket and breastfeeding at the same time. very very frightening.

DH helps when he can but with his work it's difficult. Next door neighbour is an absolute angel from heaven who will happily take DS if I'm absolutely floored during the day and would get him ready for bed etc if I really really needed her to.

We live miles from our families. I either have friends who help out or dh has to take the day off work - his employers are quite good though as they realise we moved here because they wanted dh to work for them. They also gave him two weeks compassionate leave after I had ds on top of his two weeks paternity leave, as I was very ill.

Dh just gets on with it when I take to my sickbed

As a SAHM I too just have to get on with it, DH can't miss work cos I am ill! Can remember a few times where I had to breast feed just after vomiting so that I wouldn't have to interupt DS2's feed.
I find Cbebbies invaluable at times like these!

bit under weather, cold etc - carry on but on the whole DH will come home in time to cook the dinner and put the dds to bed.

unable to get out of bed then dh would stay at home or if it was a childminder day would drop them off and pick up. He'd also keep the house ticking over and not leave me a pile of washing for when I;m better.

I;m very lucky.

As a Mother you are not allowed to be ill, didn't you sign the form as you gave birth !!!

I always thought that before DH would take time off work if I was ill I would have to be on my deathbed with a doctors note !!

He did take some time off when I had flu and was bedridden but otherwise you just get on with it.

Now when DH is ill its a differnt story ....

If dh is around he'll completely take over. If he isn't my mum and dad come and take dd. I'm so lucky, I don't know what I'd do without them.

My DH's work has a contract with an emergency nursery, near his work. We have 20 days per year there, free of charge. We never get anywhere near the 20 days, as it's actually not a great place. But when I had a really bad bug a while back, DS2 spent a few days there, and it was a godsend.

Other options:

• get a nanny from an agency. Done this, it was fine.
• call in favours from friends.
• get ILs or parents to come stay and take care of you and do your job.

Just have to carry on. Dh would help when he could but difficult to get time off work. Nobody else available to help.

Well, you certainly don't get sickleave!

I'm very lucky - firstly that I haven't had anything really bad since having children, but mostly that dh really does take on as much as he possibly can: shopping, dishes, laundry. He'll cook a meal ready for the following day, but can't take over the morning school run as it means being late home, and frankly the evenings are when I really need him if I'm ill. When I'm poorly chool runs are the toughest thing, I find.

when I injured my back we did get a temp nanny as dh couldn't (or wouldn't) take the time off work, but otherwise it is just a case of cbeebies, pasta and cheese and skipping baths. I have decided that next time I'm ill, I'm just going to take to my bed

Ill? What's that?

just have to get on with it. have done the vomitting / feeding thing. was horrible, but dh didn't come home.

when he's ill (usually with man-flu) the whole world comes to a stand still and he just goes to bed for hours and hours. i'm expected to do everything. just thinking about it makes my blood boil. i pointed this anomaly out the last time but he didn't get it. he thinks he gets far more ill than me.

Warty, that's SO true Men

Glad I'm not alone... so we all just soldier on, sneezing into the bolognese and vomiting into the nappy bucket, storing up ammunition for the next big bust-up with the oblivious H

Apart from those lucky ones with family or neighbours to fly to the rescue of course

Message withdrawn