What to do when you toddler potentially has a stomach virus and you have an infant at home too?

Question

My two year old has had three loose stool diapers this morning, each one a little worse than the one before. I'm starting to think he's coming down with something, but I'm not sure yet. He did have some rich new foods yesterday, but again I'm unsure. I have been taking proper precautions and washing my hands after handling him and pretty much any time I touch my 2 month old. I'm afraid he could get our infant sick too, so I have placed him in his room with a TV and some movies to watch until I can be sure he isn't sick. I'm also breast feeding which means if I get sick I'll have a hard time feeding my baby. On top of that what if he has a messy diaper and it's running out of his diaper while I'm tending to my baby? He has yet to have a p**p that it is running out of his diaper, but they've all been pretty pasty yet somewhat formed. What should I do? How can I handle this without losing my head??

Answer 1

If you had someone the infant could stay with for a few days that would be your best bet. That way you don't have to worry about the baby getting sick and you can spend your time focusing on your sick baby. And you can use a pump for the nursing baby.

Answer 2

You can only be so clean all the time. He also could be getting is two year molars which can have diarrhea as a symptom. Even if he's sick and you get sick, your breast milk is still best for your baby. Just make sure the 2 yr old is hydrated. Is it possible to start pumping just in case you do get sick? If that's the case, you could always send the baby and the breast milk to Grandma's until everyone's better. If it's a viral infection, chances are, you and your baby have already been exposed before your son started having symptoms. Once the symptoms start, it's not contagious anymore. All you can do is wait, and make sure that your 2 yr old stays away from the baby as much as possible, and that you wash hands in between feedings and diaperings between the two.

Put him on the BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast) diet for the rest of the day. It's ok to do crackers. Give him some water, Pedialyte, Gatorade, or watered down juice to make sure he's hydrated.

Answer 3

Wash your hands a lot.  Quit worrying about things that haven't happened yet.

Answer 4

Ive got a 4 yr old and a 9 month lod,its hard 2 keep them apart when their ill.

The virus will probably go through the whole family.

Answer 5

Wash your hands a lot, especially after your hanging out with him.  Use disinfectant spray on door handles and such.  Other than that, there just isn't too much you can do.  It may still spread through the whole family.  It'll be rough, but you'll all live through it.  The more anxiety and stress you let yourself be under because of worry of what MIGHT happen will do nothing but compromise your immune system and make you more prone to catch something.  Just relax and go with the flow.  Kids get sick.  Parents get sick.  It happens.

As far as the diaper thing goes, it's a miracle you haven't had to deal with a leak like that before now.  If it happens, hold your breath and clean it up.  You just do what  you've gotta do sometimes.  You can lay the baby down while you clean it up.  The baby will be fine for a few minutes.  You seem very overwhelmed.  Calm down.  Everything will be fine.

Answer 6

c if da little baby can stay with da grandparents or someone, 4 a few days, nature have 2 take it course, but if ur child plenty fluids, little @ a time, get some pedialyte lollipops, and take it easy, dont let ur child c u upset.

Answer 7

Whoa.  You are worrying about things that haven't happened and  might not happen.

First, calm down and call the pediatrician. Describe what is happening and ask for advice.

Meanwhile wash your hands after changing the toddler helps keep the germ transfer down. But remember ... the toddler and the infant live in the same house. So you can't really isolate him.

Relax. If you get sick, you get sick. You keep on feeding the infant. You keep on changing the toddler. You take of things the best you can. No one really expects perfection when there is sickness in the house.

Answer 8

wash your hands, wash the toddler's hands... wash wash wash and hope for the best.  Infants get sick too.  And the other... it happens too.  You just get through it the best you can.  You seem overwhelmed, so call the pediatrician if you think something is really wrong.

Answer 9

keep them apart s much as possible..............maybe he ate something off the floor try giving him some applejuice or a banan a

Answer 10

Wash your hands often. (Consider wearing gloves while changing your toddler's diaper.)  And keep on breastfeeding. That's the best way to reduce the odds that your baby will catch the bug.

Answer 11

Dont let anyone make you feel like your going nuts and not to worry... it is natural to worry and think "what if?" I do it all the time when one of my kids seem sick... my 4 1/2 year old just got over a throat virus (fever, swollen tonsils with white patches) and thought my youngest got lucky cause 3 days have passed and then at 4 am she woke up with a fever. It only lasted my oldest 2 days and its not as bad as a stomach virus, but its normal to be concerned for a young baby. When my youngest was 2 months old my oldest got the Coxsackie virus... which is HORRIBLE. She was 3 at the time and couldnt eat and just cried and cried. My 2 month old did not get it because I kept them far from each other for 2 days after the fever left, didnt kiss on the lips or eat/drink after each other and always sanitized my hands. I had a gigantic pump of Purell I kept on the counter and every time I walked past it I got some. None of us got it and my oldest had it for 2 weeks. So disregard the comment it will go through the whole family unless youve been in your oldest face a lot. Also, maybe he ate something that disagreed or hes just having loose p**p today! Try not to think the worst, but just keep them away from each other and keep him hydrated. Good luck to you!

*** One other thing, what I did when my daughter was at her sickest Monday was had my youngest in her playpen except to change/feed her... that way she was confined to one area and my oldest was on the couch. They were about 10 feet from each other all day. But if they caught it at the same time, there is nothing you can do, but take care of one thing at a time. Now today for example, my oldest is fine and playing and I have my youngest either with me on the couch or in the playpen (not the tiny ones with no room the large pen kind) so shes not having a bad time. Also, if there is no fever I wouldnt be too concerned either - fever comes with viruses normally.