Tips on when both parents are sick on a weekend?

[psychochick]

DH and I woke up sick on sunday morning and we hardly survived it with my 7.5 mo. My parents were sort of available and watched him for 2 hours so I could nap. I also napped with him 2/3 naps. DH was even more sick than I was and was bed ridden. It also doesn't help that LO is mostly BF so pretty much attached to me even when I'm sick. If my parents weren't available to watch him I really don't know what I would've done. Put him in the crib with some toys and go nap? Ask a neighbor? I just felt so helpless and so bad for not having a backup plan for LO.

Any tips on how to prepare for a situation like this? Also wondering how the single parents do it?

 

[Teri7489]

I was quite unwell after having my daughter and spent months in and out of hospital so got very paranoid about things. Now I've got into a habit of being prepared for it happening again. I always have home cooked meals frozen that can be easily cooked, easy to prepare cupboard food (snacks, cereal) so my kids will always be fed no matter who's ill. I also have a basket in my room plus the living room that has nappies, wipes, calpol, and the essentials so if we are ever I'll it's a case of being in a room and staying there. Just resting, watching TV, and doing not much else. Having things already to hand saves energy and worry of having to go find stuff or worse, having to go buy it. It's hard but it's having to make do. I regularly have to be awake all day, go to work all night and come home to be awake until bed time utterly exhausted. It's hell when poorly but needs must z

 

[lau86]

For me it's definitely one of the hardest parts of being a parent. I can remember one time where me and my dh had a d&v bug, we felt AWFUL! It was only ds1 then and he was right as rain. My main tip is try to get someone to look after them! Which is difficult if breastfeeding. Other than that it's a case of muddle through best you can and just use any options you have to make it easier!

 

[minties]

Well, no tips, but here the mum carries on like usual while the man stays in bed all day moaning and groaning.

 

[happynewmom1]

Well, no tips, but here the mum carries on like usual while the man stays in bed all day moaning and groaning.

This. Typically the man is near death when he has a cold but if I'm sick with the flu I'm still up and about taking care of everyone. It totally sucks.

I'm sorry, I don't have any tips really. Just sleep when baby sleeps (this only works if you have one baby really) and keep things you need handy. If your baby is old enough.. Don't be afraid to pop movies in while you lie around.

Hopefully you won't be sick at the same time too often but it does seem to happen that way. If we are not sick at the same time, he is much more help to me keeping the kids entertained so I can get short naps. It's just complicated for that when baby is still so young and relying on you.

 

[xdxxtx]

I do have a few tips. 1. A safe playspace is essential. We have a playroom with everything baby/kid proof, no tip hazards, locked windows, etc. and a camera in the room. I can rest/sleep in my room while my kids play safely in it. For a baby, a pack 'n' play would work fine, although nursing in the sidelying position kept ALL of my babies busy for many hours while I napped. 2. Freezer meals. I have a bunch of kids now who need to eat, so I have several freezer meals in my freezer so I can thaw and heat up 3 home cooked meals every single day, no matter how sick I am. 3. Screen time after 2 years old. I don't allow any screentime at all in my home unless it's been storming out for days or someone's sick. If I'm sick, I'll let the kids watch a movie while I try to sleep through it on the couch. 4. QUIET time. My 5-year-old hasn't taken naps in almost 2 years, so we don't have nap time anymore. I do have a 2-hour long "quiet time" every day. My younger kids nap, but my oldest (the 5-year-old) can come into my bed with me and read quietly while I sleep. 5. Just make sure your kid(s) have a good routine/schedule. We do a timed schedule, since we are a bigger family with all very young kids. I am able to maintain their schedule while doing a lot of resting/sleeping. This way, the kids pretty much know what's expected of them and what we'll be doing and when. I just have a few certain points on my timeline (meals, snack, bedtime routine) that I have to hit when I'm sick, and the kids can take care of the rest of their own!

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

When they were babies, we napped together and they played in bed or my room with the door blocked by a gate.

When they were toddlers, they watched TV, played or napped with room blocked by gate

Now? They function and can be fine.

NO family or friends to take them.

 

[kirstybumx3]

Well, no tips, but here the mum carries on like usual while the man stays in bed all day moaning and groaning.

This

 

[MindUtopia]

Take it in turns to rest while the other stays up with him. Two years ago we had the flu over Christmas when nursery was closed, so we did this for two weeks! One of us would go downstairs for 3-4 hours with her while the other slept and then we'd switch. It was rough, but it helped to have those rest periods to re-charge. But you have to share it equally. No one gets to feign being more sick to sleep longer. And easy meals. I think we did a lot of pizza and ready meals that week (which we don't normally eat) just so there was less cooking and less clean up. Yours is a bit young probably, but we also watch lots of tv which we wouldn't usually if we were well enough to do something else. Same here with no family nearby to help.

 

[psychochick]

Okay here's the summary of what I'm hearing:
- safe playroom/play pen for baby. We need to set this up asap. We do have a playpen but it's shallow so baby can already pull up and stand. We need to lower it.
- nap with baby (done)
- quiet time for older child, will note for future, good idea
- screen time for older child, definitely will do
- freezer meals: this last one I need to ask, which freezer meals? So like pizza/pasta I know can be frozen. What else can we freeze that's easy to store? Soups?

Lol yeah when both of us are sick, it's most frequently him lying in bed moaning while I still have to function. But he does recover faster that way and takes over the next day which works too I guess. This situation seriously has only happened this one time, I never ever thought we'd both get sick at the same time, I think we're not as healthy as we were pre-baby.

 

[Teri7489]

Things like lasagne, bolognese that can be warmed through and stirred in to pasta, casseroles/stews. Cooking and shredding/cutting meats then freezing that can be defrosted and warmed through for sandwiches or wraps is handy too. Can bake potatoes cool and freeze individually too and they just take 10 minutes to cook from frozen in the microwave. Easy for kids when you feel awful.

Can you tell I am prepared for another disaster happening? haha

 

[psychochick]

Things like lasagne, bolognese that can be warmed through and stirred in to pasta, casseroles/stews. Cooking and shredding/cutting meats then freezing that can be defrosted and warmed through for sandwiches or wraps is handy too. Can bake potatoes cool and freeze individually too and they just take 10 minutes to cook from frozen in the microwave. Easy for kids when you feel awful.

Can you tell I am prepared for another disaster happening? haha

Thanks, great ideas! Also how long can you keep these in the freezer? Is it the same as like breast milk so like 6 months?

 

[minties]

I had food poisoning on Christmas day last year, he left me alone with the kids and went to eat with his mother! I didn't make it to the toilet and spewed on the carpet. Left it for him to clean up when he got home...

Well, no tips, but here the mum carries on like usual while the man stays in bed all day moaning and groaning.

This. Typically the man is near death when he has a cold but if I'm sick with the flu I'm still up and about taking care of everyone. It totally sucks.

I'm sorry, I don't have any tips really. Just sleep when baby sleeps (this only works if you have one baby really) and keep things you need handy. If your baby is old enough.. Don't be afraid to pop movies in while you lie around.

Hopefully you won't be sick at the same time too often but it does seem to happen that way. If we are not sick at the same time, he is much more help to me keeping the kids entertained so I can get short naps. It's just complicated for that when baby is still so young and relying on you.

 

[Teri7489]

Every food is different. Meats last long than foods that have dairy in them. Have a quick Google of the meals you are likely to freeze and the ingredients in them and you will get a rough idea. I only ever have about 6 family meals ready and frozen (remember to label and date them) so it's not too much room taken up and if you get close to it being in there too long you can eat and replace them without too much trouble.

 

[happynewmom1]

I had food poisoning on Christmas day last year, he left me alone with the kids and went to eat with his mother! I didn't make it to the toilet and spewed on the carpet. Left it for him to clean up when he got home...

Well, no tips, but here the mum carries on like usual while the man stays in bed all day moaning and groaning.

This. Typically the man is near death when he has a cold but if I'm sick with the flu I'm still up and about taking care of everyone. It totally sucks.

I'm sorry, I don't have any tips really. Just sleep when baby sleeps (this only works if you have one baby really) and keep things you need handy. If your baby is old enough.. Don't be afraid to pop movies in while you lie around.

Hopefully you won't be sick at the same time too often but it does seem to happen that way. If we are not sick at the same time, he is much more help to me keeping the kids entertained so I can get short naps. It's just complicated for that when baby is still so young and relying on you.

Haha!!! I would have too. That's so messed up he left you like that! I had the flu on Christmas. He helped with the older kids but I still had to be up with the youngest. That night he caught what I had and laid in bed for a few days haha it is what it is.

 

[Bevziibubble]

Well, no tips, but here the mum carries on like usual while the man stays in bed all day moaning and groaning.

Sounds about right

 

[caz_hills]

Well, no tips, but here the mum carries on like usual while the man stays in bed all day moaning and groaning.

Sooooo true!

 

[babyjan]

Aargh that's hardest part about parenting. When your sick and have young kids to take care of. I recently had a flu, no partner around and had to still get up take my 5 year old to school, look after my baby and still cook and clean etc ...

Just last week I had a cold this time me and baby both sick but still had to just get on with it as no other choice.

I hope your both feeling better now and baby doesn't get sick either x

 

[loeylo]

We had this a while back and just took it in turns. Our dad was maybe about 6 months too.

One slept for an hour or a few hours while the other one entertained the wee one. Easy freezer meals and takeaways were lifesavers!

I always batch cook and freeze food. In my experience pretty much anything can be frozen, my entire freezer is full of frozen meals which I have prepared. I buy the foil "takeaway" style containers with the card lids, write the date and meal on the card, pop it in a food bag and freeze. That way it pops straight in the oven. I do lasagne, pies, macaroni cheese, pretty much anything. I also freeze homemade pizza bases and pizza sauce.

If I'm freezing soup I freeze it in portions, poured into stand up freezer bags. They can go straight from freezer into the microwave.

All my food is in individual portion sizes. Normally when we aren't well we fancy different foods, so that way we can just choose what we fancy even if it is a different meal. I also have frozen veg which we serve up with the meals.

Now my daughter is older it is admittedly much easier. She likes to pretend play so we just do gentle games like dolls or playing with soft toys. Or I sit at the back door and let her scoot around the garden on her scuttlebug!

 

[BellaRosa8302]

I agree with the mom vs man thing. Totally that in my house.

Honestly, when I'm sick, I purposely keep my nursling home with me in order to breastfeed fresh milk - because this will keep baby from getting sick. I've kept my baby home with me through fevers, flu, stomach bugs, etc. It SUCKS. But it keeps my baby from getting sick. So I just suck it up & do it.

Meanwhile, my husband has told me that if he's home sick and one of our kids gets sick, I need to stay home, too, because there's no way he can take care of the baby while he's sick.... when he says things like that, I want to scream, just thinking about what I've gone through just to keep my baby from being sick (and keep me from having to pump too, lol).

Good luck & hope you feel better soon.