5 Ways to Survive a Stomach Virus
Posted by Danielle Bean in Health on Thursday, March 25, 2010 10:00 AM
I got a Facebook message from a mom of 5 the other day:
“How many of your kids have ever hand vomiting at the same time? I’ve got 3/5, a fourth with a bucket. The 5 month old is the only one not puking. Do you have any tips besides double-wrapping the beds if possible?”
The answer to the first question is something like six kids at once, I think. And when I say “at once” I mean at once. As in, all of us together in the bathroom at 2 am. Plus my husband. Good times.
Stomach viruses are funny things. Each seems to have a “personality” of its own—some hit hard and fast, raging through your family in 24-48 hours. Others are less violent and harder to pin down. “Did she just eat something funny?” you find yourself asking, and “Didn’t someone else throw up recently?”
I think for simplicity’s sake, viruses should have to identify themselves completely. We’re always wondering around here who has what, if he’s still contagious, and where on earth he got the thing anyway.
Here are five thoughts I have to offer on the subject of stomach viruses (and I hope you’ll add yours in the comments too):
1. Keep the laundry moving. Yes, it’s 3:30 am and oh so tempting to pile up the messy bed linens and leave them until morning. But do yourself a huge favor and keep the dirty sheets, blankets, clothing, and pillow cases moving through the machines. Just tossing them into the washer with some detergent isn’t too difficult and the next morning you can let your usual laundry slide while you focus on keeping bed linens caught up. Come bedtime, you’ll be glad you did.
2. Canned peach syrup. My pediatrician recommended this years ago, and I have found it works really well. It does not cure a stomach virus, but it can break a seriously pukey child out of the vomit cycle in time to avoid a trip to the ER for dehydration. You know how some kids hang onto the puking stage much longer than others—the virus is done, but their stomach still won’t stop? Open a can of peaches in heavy syrup and feed the sickie a tablespoon of the syrup only. If they keep it down for 5 minutes, try another tablespoon. If they keep that down, give them a bit more. The fluids and sugar in the syrup gently coax an angry stomach back from the brink, avoiding dehydration and helping the child to stop throwing up long enough to sleep and recover.
3. Avoid viruses in the first place. Of course we can’t avoid all contact with germs, but I have found that taking some basic precautions has reduced my family’s down time each winter. Wash your hands frequently and teach children to do the same. Use hand sanitizer when you are away from home (we keep it in the cars and pass it around after every visit to a public space). Avoid touching kid-popular public surfaces such as toys at the dentist or doctor’s office and shopping cart steering wheels. Teach children to avoid touching their faces with their hands.
4. Beach towels. My older sister (a mom of 10) once called to share with me a great revelation: Beach towels are a great tool for surviving a stomach virus. You can lay them on couches to protect the upholstery before allowing sick kids to lie on them. You can use them for quick and easy pick up of pukey messes. You can even use them for extra “blankets” when the inevitable happens and you run out of linens. They’re cheap, they clean up fast, and they dry quickly in the dryer. Isn’t my sister smart?
5. Be considerate. After you’ve had a stomach virus in the house, your kids and your home are contagious for a loooooong time after you feel well again. Seriously. A full two weeks of good health and you are okay to mingle. Anything before that, though, and you risk sharing the wealth.
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