A Guide to Surviving Your Child’s Nighttime Vomiting
The first time my daughter vomited, I screamed in horror, and then she cried. She was two years old and contracted a stomach ailment in kindergarten. I felt like a terrible mom and said, “Oh, I’m sorry, baby, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.” But that was not good. She vomited again. I screamed again. She cried again. I was not winning at this moment.
Since then, after having experienced various bouts of illness in our house over the years, I have come to the conclusion that children are vomiting. Sometimes, with luck, it happens in the middle of the night. As a parent, you cannot stop it, but you can try to limit the damage. I made a plan of action.
(Note: This post will focus on containing vomiting, not its cause. Please consult your pediatrician for this.)
Prepare for the inevitable
As experienced parents know, it’s not whether you wake up one night in a low sad voice, saying: “I have not been so good, Mom” – the question is when. To make this experience less excruciating for everyone, it’s best to do some prep work while your child is healthy (or … as soon as the school nurse calls you and tells you there is a chance that the cafeteria mashed potatoes have gone bad.).
In my opinion, one of the best preventive measures is to make the lasagne with a sheet that protects against all of your baby’s leaking bodily fluids. How it works: You place a waterproof mattress cover on a children’s mattress, and then a regular sheet on top of it, and then another waterproof mattress cover on top of it, and then another regular sheet. You can continue until it gets too bulky. (Layering is like lasagna.) When your baby has vomited, simply remove the top sheet and mattress cover and you will see another clean set waiting for him.
From there, you can start putting together what I will call the Vomit Preparation Pack, a set of supplies that will make your child’s future vomiting session more bearable. What to include:
- Bar bucket. A ship that – oh please, oh please – will catch it all. It could be a regular plastic bucket, although parents with chronically tearing children say the ideal reservoir is a 10-12-inch stainless steel pot that can be properly sanitized afterwards. If you prefer a disposable container, I’ve heard that old ice cream tubs will work too, and that some resourceful mums and dads put them together for this heinous purpose. Or you can just use a small trash can with a plastic grocery bag – just use masking tape to press down on the edges so it doesn’t slip off during impact.
- A glow stick to be put in the bucket. This is a brilliant hacker that I first found out about on Reddit . When the lights are off, the 10 cent glow stick can help your sick child to aim.
- Puppy pads. Use them to protect the carpet around the crib. You can also create a bed-to-bathroom walkway (and of course, reuse whatever remains clean).
- Scrunchy. Long hair and stomach flu don’t mix.
- A few of your old T-shirts. If your child becomes sick with himself, you don’t want him to pull his tight crew-neck shirt over his head. Find items of clothing that are easy to put on and take off.
- Beach towels. For toddlers, thick towels can replace a difficult-to-clean blanket at night.
- Clear liquids, such as diluted apple juice. Clear fluids may be better than electrolyte solutions like Pedialyte for keeping your baby hydrated , according to research published in JAMA .
Vomit at night …
If you’ve planned ahead, made a sheet lasagne and have everything you need, your baby nausea night should go relatively smoothly. All you need to do is tuck everything into place and then move the soiled sheets and towels to an isolated area (like a basket in the garage) overnight to deal with it the next day. However, if you haven’t done any preparatory work, don’t worry. Here’s a quick strategy:
1) Move baby to bath or shower to control vomiting.
2) Take as many towels as possible and spread them on the ground, making a small bed. (If you have a waterproof picnic blanket or tablecloth that’s great – put this down first.) Layers can be removed if necessary.
3) Place the child on a floor bed and give him any bucket you can find.
From now on, comfort your child. Rub his back. Hold his hand. Tell him that you are sad, that he is not feeling well and that you are here. Both of you will get through it, but it cannot be denied – this is the worst.
Consequences
The day after Night of Vomit is a haze of exhaustion. Hopefully the only cleaning you will need to do is do your laundry, but if vomit gets on your couch or other upholstered furniture, here’s what to do .
Don’t feel guilty about playing Finding Dory and distancing yourself from your child for the rest of the day. Later, when she is back to 100%, you can discuss how best to aim next time if she has problems. In this video, parents teach their kids how to vomit in a bucket (I promise there is no real vomit here). It is a highly underestimated life skill.
Special thanks to Anne, a member of the Offspring Facebook group , who inspired this guide by asking the “best practice” question when it comes to clearing vomit out in the middle of the night. We hope your little one is doing better.