How to deal with sickness and a toddler

This week has been somewhat mentally and physically challenging for our family. 

Issy came down with gastroenteritis and it was awful. This isn't the first time we've had gastroenteritis round to visit, Issys had it at least 3 times since starting nursery last year, and once you get it once it keeps on coming back like a stray cat you accidentally fed one day...

This blog post is a little "How-to" with hints and tips on how to deal with sickness and a toddler at the same time. I'll cover both parental sickness and child sickness as both are equally difficult to deal with and had me up late at night googling what to do!

Image by Tim Steele https://www.tsteelephoto.com/ 

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, therefore the tips in this post are only pieces of advice given to myself from other mummy's or personal experience, or through hours of midnight research on Google. Please seek medical advice from your GP or A&E if you are really concerned about your kids' or your own well being.

NHS 111 is a great alternative to A&E if you need urgent advice - they are quick to triage and you can usually speak to a doctor within the hour who can advise you what next to do. 

When your child is ill 

This can be a really scary experience, especially if you are a first time parent!

You cant help feeling helpless seeing your little one not them selves.

In my case, Issy was vomiting at least once every hour and wasn't keeping any water down, so we were worried about dehydration. 

Here are a few tips on how to deal with a sick toddler:

• Young children may not be able to vomit into a sick bowl or toilet, so muslin cloths are your best friend here. Just catch the sick in the cloths and collect in a plastic bag. Once the vomiting has subsided, you can use the shower head in the bath to hose away the sick. Wash the cloths with antibacterial clothes soap in the washing machine on a high temperature cycle. Don't forget your stain removal detergent! Good as new
• Try and keep your little one hydrated, but at the same time you don't want to "feed the bug". This means giving small sips of water every so often, but avoiding big gulps. Keep track of your child's temperature too - a high temperature can be an indicator of dehydration, in which case seek urgent medical attention where possible,
• If they get hungry and can keep down food, start off small with dry foods like crackers or toast. But avoid dairy products so not to upset th. stomach further. Once the stomach is settled, or even perhaps a couple of days after to be sure, reintroduce dairy a little at a time - natural yogurt is a great one to start off with.
• Build up to bigger meals, but keep them plain to start off with. Issy did really well with pasta and a teeny bit of pesto to flavour it. Bananas are a good shout too! Good for energy and baby friendly!

When you yourself are sick, the last thing you want to do is look after a toddler. These tips saw me through a recent stomach bug, i hope you find these helpful too!

• Your best bet at a speedy recovery is to stay in bed. However this an be difficult if you have an energetic toddler. You could try and make a little nest in the bedroom or on the sofa, complete with plenty of activities and snacks to keep little one occupied. I have a TV in my room so "Paw Patrol" was a life saver those couple of days. I also had a small box of toys and books next to the bed, as well as a few bags of snacks. 
• Try and keeps trips to the kitchen minimal if you can. Don't worry too much about cooking, its probably best not to prepare food when your sick so services like Deliveroo can be amazing. Nandos do an amazing kiddy menu, as do Wagamamas and Pizza Express! A couple of days eating takeout isn't going to ruin your child so don't feel guilty!
• Hand hygiene is crucial when you're looking after a little one when your ill. Wash your hands thoroughly after every bathroom visit and before handling any type of food. Hand sanitiser can be helpful between these washes if you need to handle your child
• If you support at home (partner, grandparents etc), ask them for some time to yourself so you can recover quicker. If both you and your partner are ill, maybe take it in turns to look after the little one so one of you can rest meanwhile.

Whether you or your child are ill, it is important once you are fully recovered to disinfect. Wipe down surfaces, toys, door handles with an antibacterial spray, clean the bathroom and toilet and wash the bed sheets and towels on a high temperature cycle to kill all left over germs, You don't want that bug to linger!

Reintroduce rich foods slowly. Your body may be sensitive for a short period after recovering so don't dive headfirst into foods that may upset your tummies again. Stick to things like plain pasta or clear soups. Sausages and Mash are a great first start, just don't use too much milk or butter in the mash and go easy on the gravy!

I hope this was helpful - i know I've spent ages searching the internet for tips, so i thought it might be helpful to put it all in one post!

Good luck and speedy recovery!

Gem