How to Deal with Throw up in Eight Dreaded Steps

I'm sorry if your name is Ralph!

We've had a bit of a stomach bug this week. Dealing with all manner of bodily fluids always makes me grateful for good health. It also tends to remind me of past sicknesses which brings up memories of how I coped. It's taken a lot of years to learn how to deal with the stomach flu. I remember the melt downs I had as a young mother, the feelings of being overwhelmed, the drama and stress of having a sick one, and not quite knowing what to do. If I could have read a book called, "How to deal with throw up in eight dreaded steps", my life would have been much easier. Considering the nature of this post, you may want to stop now and go do your laundry. However, if this blog post can be that booklet for my children, they will have an easier time when the puke hits the fan. Sorry, I couldn't resist. Oh, and just so you know...no photos, in case you were worried.

1. When you start seeing the signs of sickness (complaining of a stomach ache, not eating, no energy), have the child stay in one place. Offer a container (bowl, pan, plastic lunch box, ice bucket, bed pan, large ziploc bag - anything that will hold liquid. A plastic yellow doctor kit, Kath?). Don't try to run them to the toilet or the garbage can. Bring it to them. It's better to clean up throw up in one place than a trail of mess from the living room to the bathroom. Trust me on this. This has happened and I cried the entire time I was scrubbing carpet.

2. Prepare the spot. I NEVER let my sick child into a bed for them to throw up all over it. Our spot is between the kitchen floor and the living room. Put down a waterproof covering (shower curtain works well or plastic garbage bags). Cover it with something that easily washes. I use an old mattress pad folded in half. It provides a lot of cushion and washes nicely. I NEVER give my sick child a pillow. Pillows and throw up just do not mix. We use a folded towel inside a pillow case. All washable. When we had really young children that were sick, one of us slept with the child on the floor to help them make it to the bowl. 

The worst thing is when your child vomits during the night in bed. Oh, the dread that washes over me when this occurs. Supplies Needed: Grocery Bags, Paper Towels, Wash Cloth, Cleaner (more on that in a bit), Spoon.

This is how I handle such an event:

3. Wake up your spouse. This is a two person event, especially if the child is really young. If they're older, I let him sleep. Get the child in the tub first thing. Start the bathtub and take out any bath toys!  Use a paper towel to get out anything significant (aka chunks) before entering the water. Warm water makes everything feel better. Fill the tub with just enough water to rinse the hair and body of all undesired mess. Drain and rinse the tub then fill it again. Wash the hair a couple times! This is where you need the extra person...to help the child in the tub while the other person cleans up the mess.

4. Once the child is squared away, conquer the mess. Use paper towels first to scoop up all the substance that you can. Use a spoon to scrape stuff out of blankets or carpet. The more you get cleaned up before the bedding hits the washer, the better. Deposit everything in a grocery bag for disposal. Take all bedding and clothes to get washed and start it immediately. Don't wait until the morning. Your laundry room will smell horrid the next day. Set the machine for the extra rinse cycle!!!

5. Time to tackle the mattress and the carpet. Make sure you have on hand a product called Nature's Miracle. It is geared toward pets but is amazing for all types of waste - vomit, urine, blood, etc. It is a non-toxic, organic cleaner that has a nice smell and is extremely effective for getting out smells and stains. You use is straight - no dilution. I pour this on the mattress and the carpet and let is sit for 10-15 minutes. Take a wet washcloth and scrub the area. Repeat if necessary. 

6. Once the child is out of the tub, brush his teeth and put her in the prepared spot (step #2). I tend to wait on any liquid for a little while.

7. As far as food and liquid while the child is sick, stick with clear fluids. I rarely give food until they have stopped throwing up. When he's ready for food start with a homemade clear soup broth, then move to banana, rice, toast, or oatmeal.

8. Nursing infants can get dehydrated so quickly when vomiting. I follow Dr. George Wootan's advice found in his book, Take Charge of Your Child's Health. According to him, you have to cut back to a nursing schedule of fifteen seconds of feeding, then wait fifteen minutes. Repeat. Then nurse 30 seconds and wait fourteen minutes. Thirty seconds, wait thirteen minutes. Forty-five seconds, wait twelve minutes. If the baby throws up, go back two steps and start again. The baby will be very frustrated but he says that if you follow this schedule, it will prevent dehydration and hospitalization. He says, "I do not know of any cases where it has failed to work." I have used this method myself with each of my sick babies and even though it's heartbreaking to see your child cry, it really does work.

There you have it. If you made it through the 8 steps, you deserve a prize! Oh, the prize is more knowledge for the next puking event...sure to come!

More to Come...but until then, Stick-to-it!