Co-sleeping with throw-uppy kids

[PennyP]

We've got a great big family bed. Fun and enjoyable and all until you've got kids with tummy bugs who throw up not only all over themselves but all over you and their siblings and dad and the bedding, etc.

Suggestions on how to prevent the whole family from needing a shower when you have a kid who likely will be throwing up at night?

[mammal_mama]

Okay, dh thinks this is gross but I don't pull everyone out of bed and change the sheets, etcetera, when someone pukes in the middle of the night. Specially since it's possible that a moment later it would happen again.

Plus, if it's bad enough then it's gone all the way through to soak the mattress, and putting clean sheets on doesn't make sense right then...

So I put towels between the wet area and my sick child, and of course clean her with a warm cloth and change clothes if needed. And we go back to sleep. The next morning I can strip the bed and wash sheets, and clean the mattress with vinegar and let it dry before putting the clean sheets back on.

We do keep some kind of bucket nearby if someone's feeling sick ... sometimes my reflexes are fast enough that it all gets into the bucket, sometimes not.

[Pepper44]

Originally Posted by mammal_mama

Okay, dh thinks this is gross but I don't pull everyone out of bed and change the sheets, etcetera, when someone pukes in the middle of the night. Specially since it's possible that a moment later it would happen again.

Plus, if it's bad enough then it's gone all the way through to soak the mattress, and putting clean sheets on doesn't make sense right then...

So I put towels between the wet area and my sick child, and of course clean her with a warm cloth and change clothes if needed. And we go back to sleep. The next morning I can strip the bed and wash sheets, and clean the mattress with vinegar and let it dry before putting the clean sheets back on.

We do keep some kind of bucket nearby if someone's feeling sick ... sometimes my reflexes are fast enough that it all gets into the bucket, sometimes not.

That's what we do when someone pees the bed, unless it's just a huge huge pee. Thankfully we haven't dealt with pukey kids yet, knock on wood.

[PennyP]

Originally Posted by Pepper44

That's what we do when someone pees the bed, unless it's just a huge huge pee. Thankfully we haven't dealt with pukey kids yet, knock on wood.

Last week my 3 year old puked all over my husband and bed and floor and pillows, but he missed me and the baby! Yay! I told my husband that it was payback time for all those times that the kid puked on ME and missed my husband. I've needed to shower too many times in the middle of the night because I was coated in throw up. Dad deserves it too once in a while.

My baby now has a tummy bug and last night I randomly took him to the bathroom in the middle of the night to change his diaper because it had leaked through and while we were there he puked into the bathtub. I was lucky. But today he's puked at least 2 more times and I'm worried about bedtime tonight. My reflexes aren't fast enough to catch pukey kids...

[LCBMAX]

As soon as I know that puke is in the offing, I cover every possible inch of the bed with receiving blankets and towels and cloth dipes. Replace as needed. Heavy layers under head and shoulders, and extra towels at the ready for the parent who's holding the puker. Also a puke station just off the bed, bucket if possible, but little ones can't aim so a spread of towels there is good too.