I can’t say we took turns. We did it together. Last week my entire family had the stomach flu, with 3 out of the 4 of us having it simultaneously. It was disgusting. We’re good with washing our hands and using Purell but somehow it snuck into our home.
In this post, I will share our experience having the stomach flu at home, tips I’ve learned from fellow moms and products you will want to have on hand to prevent or deal with the the illness if it does wreck havoc in your home.
The Stomach Flu First Days
The stomach flu/virus epidemic at my home began with my youngest. The day after that awesome morning where my oldest was prepared for the pediatrician, the little one woke up at 4 AM to vomit all over herself, my pillow and my hair. She had climbed into our bed a few hours before – a habit that I know we need to break soon. I was awoken by the loud sound of her stomach grumbling. Before you knew it we were all covered. I didn’t know if it was an effect of having the FluMist vaccination the day before or what I was really dreading – the stomach virus.
For the next several hours my poor little three-year-old tried to sleep but was continuously awoken to vomit. She looked so sad. She looked so helpless. Before long she was up and at it again watching Peppa Pig and nibbling on some toast.
Still not sure if it was the stomach virus or a side effect from the vaccination we proceed with our week. On Thursday late afternoon I received a call from soccer practice. My oldest daughter was vomiting at practice. Tom rushed to go pick her up. I then knew the stomach virus was in play.
Total Barf-O-Rama
She really never gets sick, so to see her feeling lousy just broke my heart. For the next 12 hours my eight-year-old vomited about 15 times. Things got really interesting during hour four. During that hour is when I entered into the fun of the stomach virus. And just about 15 minutes after, so did Tom. Total Barf-O-Rama at the Murphy house.
It was such a difficult time as a mom and wife to want to take care of your child and husband while trying to somehow take care of yourself. I would take care of my daughter as she was vomiting in the garbage can adjacent to my bed all long keeping my mouth closed because I knew it would be just seconds until I would be running to the bathroom. We all ended up taking care of each other. We took turns getting the crushed ice to nibble on or water to sip. I think it may have been one of the longest night of my life. I promise I’m not exaggerating.
The next day she was almost back to normal. She wasn’t queasy but wasn’t too hungry. We got her to eat a few things and drink plenty of water and Gatorade. On the other hand, Tom and I were a mess. We are done visiting the bathroom but we spent hours and hours and hours laying on the couch feeling like we had been run over by trucks (or had drank a bottle of Tequilla.) I have to say that Tom did a much better job than I did hydrating himself that day – something we realized on day 3.
Hydrating After Stomach Virus
On day three everyone was back to normal except for me. You see because I did not probably hydrate myself I had one of the worst headaches I had ever had. I felt weak. I felt tired. The desire to eat was nonexistent. Tom went out and bought me more Gatorade and made me drink it. I sipped water and Gatorade all day and even had a Zofran (the prescription anti-nausea medicine I use for cruise travel) to help me with some of the remaining nausea. Couldn’t eat much at dinner time but didn’t have a hard time falling asleep.
Stomach Flu Product Needs
As the stomach flu seasons spreads across the states, I TREMENDOUSLY advocate moms to prepare homes for the possibility that it creeps into your house. Below are items that I recommend you have on hand to prevent the stomach flu and/or help deal with it. (All links are affiliate links that pay me pennies if you choose to purchase an item! Thanks for supporting me with your purchase!)
Preventing the Stomach Flu Products
Stomach Flu Remedies & Ways to Deal with It
- wipes
- garbage bag liners
- paper towels
- Zofran (prescription anti-nausea medicine)
- bucket
- Gatorade
- movies – nothing like actually having the time to snuggle on the couch with the kids or husband and watch a movie!
Final Day and Lessons Learned
Finally on day 4 I woke up feeling nearly 100% better. I ate very small meals and thankfully was able to keep everything down.
I most certainly learned with this experience is that the stomach flu at home stinks! But, in reality, as Carmen a reader of this site messaged me…
As much as I dislike and dread the stomach virus one of my daughters remembers her bout with it as one of her “favorite days”. When you ask her why she says it’s because she got to hang out and watch movies on the couch all day just her and mami. In the everyday rush of school birthday parties and activities etc we never have time to do that. So I guess my advice is if you get it try to ride it out looking on the bright side and enjoy the cuddle, do-nothing time with your child that is growing up way too fast!
I couldn’t agree more. The bonding my 8 year old and I had was incredible. The snuggle time on the couch Tom and I had was fantastic. I would do it all over again – but without the vomiting and nausea.
Stay healthy and go wash those hands!
Stomach bugs are the worst – two of my kids were sick with one last week. No fun!
I feel so bad for you guys! That sounds like complete hell. My worst bout with the stomach bug was when my daughter was about 2 and my husband was away on a business trip in India. It started Friday night and continued every hour until dawn, when my daughter woke up. Of course a 2 year old has no idea what is going on and just wants to be taken care of. I somehow stumbled through the next two days, still not eating anything, and that was how I celebrated my second mother’s day — weak after not eating for over 36 hours and alone with a kid who had no idea it was Mother’s Day. My husband will never live it down.
Yes, I will definitely take my family bonding sans the barfing and nausea! It’s not fun at all!
I am so sorry, that is just awful. I do feel better hearing your oldest still sneaks in bed at night since my nearly 4 year old is still doing it too!
I would add that for hydration, coconut water is awesome after being sick (if you like it). No food dyes or fake stuff. Also, real chicken broth is also really good for getting good nutrients back in while still being gentle on the stomach.
Ice chips is a great tip too!
I’m so sorry! The stomach bug is the worst. Unfortunately we all seem to get it every year. Once those windows are shut and the heat goes on those germs love to attack. Stay healthy!
Oh my goodness that sounds horrible. I hope everyone gets better and I never have to use your tips.
Gah! Stomach bugs are the worst, especially when you’re dealing with it en masse. We had this same thing happen to all four of us a few years ago. Since then, I keep puke buckets under each child’s bed, and keep a store of plastic bags in the car in case anyone feels the need to be sick in transit. And while I realize getting sick is all part of building immunity, I agree, it doesn’t hurt at all to be prepared.