we’re finally on the mend over here and resuming normal activities around our house! last monday after dropping the girls off to preschool, miller {who woke up fine} very quickly went downhill. the child who is either running 100mph or sleeping {only between the hours of 1:30-4pm and 830pm-9am} tested positive for influenza type a and was one sick pup. we quickly dropped like flies…lila spiking a fever in the wee hours of tuesday morning and piper following suit wednesday. my doc decided to put me on a ‘preventative’ dose of tamiflu that very quickly turned into the real deal.
we. were. a. mess.

somehow zach stayed healthy and with an unexpected day off for him due to city water lines breaking, i was actually able to take a full day to stay in bed and rest, which i swear is the sole reason we made it out of the week alive.
the worst of it for us was the first 48 hours for each kid…no one ate food but luckily we didn’t have too hard of troubles keeping some fluids going. popcicles, water and juice was pretty much what we survived on until the worst of it was over. poor lila got hit the worst and with temps above 105, it was a little stressful for a few days.

THEN just when i thought we were in the clear, lila spiked a fever again which landed us in urgent care on sunday for what turned out to be strep on top of it all. a dose of antibiotics and we’re praying it doesn’t spread to the other two.

sick kids is no fun… but this week, i learned a lot and figured i should totally share the knowledge!

from keeping a fever down to getting your kids to take the nastiest of medicines, i reached out on instagram for tips + tricks and learned SO MUCH.

tips + tricks when the flu strikes

1. when your kids won’t take medicine
THIS was magic. all 3 kids went on tamiflu last week and if you didn’t know, it’s virtually the worst tasting medicine ever for kids. i do give my kids full credit, they tried and swallowed..but within seconds it all came back up {along with the contents of what little fluid was in their belly}. i tried to make sugar cubes, and they were okay and maybe with a smaller dose it would have been better but THIS was magic. hershey caramel coffee creamer {a little dixie cup worth} mixed with the medicine. i’m not going to lie and make it seem like it’s their favorite drink ever and they were asking for it…but paired with a straw, they drank the whole thing and it didn’t come back up. they just thought it was a little weird tasting chocolate milk. i think the heaviness of the cream masked the taste + then was heavy enough that it didn’t shock the tummy. zero science there, just my guess.

2. a note about fevers
first, i love my pediatrician. and if you don’t, you need to find a new one. we’ve been through a lot with him over the last 4 years and truly, he ranks pretty high on the list of wise men in my life. {there are multiple docs in the office and they’re ALL amazing.} one day i was having a really hard time getting lila’s fever down below 105 and when i called, slightly in a panic, he assured me that her body was doing it’s job. OF COURSE CALL YOUR DOCTOR if anything is questionable or you are uncomfortable or go to the ER or whatever you feel is necessary. i just learned a bit more about fevers that while she was certainly sick + puny, she still recognized us, she wasn’t showing dangerous signs of dehydration {sticky mouth, she still was urinating, etc.} so it was okay to ride it out a bit. i was alternating tylenol + motrin every 3 hours because she was complaining her head hurt..but again, consult your doc!
other ways to manage fevers {aside from medicine}
cold wash cloths on forehead, wrists
light + minimal clothing
cold drinks
popsicles

3. check the dosing
i’ve been following the directions for dosing on the box of meds accordingly…little did i know that lila should have been taking 7mL of motrin + 6.5 of tylenol rather than the standard 5 that is broadly directed on the box. if your kiddo gets sick, double check with your doc the correct dosing amount for your child’s weight!

{running out to get a 2nd round of tamiflu…you can see the only one who was still holding strong}

4. fluids, fluids, fluids
you always hear how important fluids are but the main goal is to keep those babes hydrated so you don’t have to go and get iv fluids at the hospital. dehydration can happen so much more quickly with a high fever, vomiting or diarrhea so sometimes you have to get creative!
ways we’ve managed to get fluids in when they just don’t feel like drinking and they won’t take pedialyte:
ice water {apparently it’s special and my kids live under a rock}
applesauce pouches
popsicles
using an eye dropper
gatorade/powerade/juice
a water bottle

5. paper products
mama, you have enough going on. especially when it hits your entire house, do yourself a favor and use paper products. we have a stash we keep on hand for family dates with other families to cut down on the amount of dishes and when the crew is sick, it is 100% acceptable to take one thing off your plate.

6. boogie wipes
these go on the list of things i thought was a load of crap before kids {just use a kleenex, right?!} and turns out we do NOT run out of them now. they make blowing noses and cleaning up snotty messes a million times easier and there’s even a sensitive option if your little one has sensitive skin.

7. switch out toothbrushes
if your kiddo winds up on antibiotics, wait 2 days after starting antibiotics but make SURE to switch out tooth brushes after they’ve been fever free for 24 hours! kids {and adults for that matter} can wind up getting sick again from the germs so get rid of those in your bleaching streak!

8. change the bedding
on the same note… change the bedding!! i’ve changed pillow cases + sheets entirely too many times this week with all the vomit but if you’re lucky enough to stay away from the puke in the beds, make sure to change the sheets and wash the bedding after 2 days on antibiotics!!

9. a humidifier
especially in these dry winter months, a cool mist humidifier can help to loosen mucus up and keep those little lungs from drying out. around 3am one morning last week when i couldn’t sleep, i amazon primed one that could be used with essential oils and also went on a google search tangent on essential oils. while i’ve been wanting to try them, i just haven’t pulled the trigger but bought some that are kid-safe and we’ve been using them like crazy and so far love them! there’s nothing more desperate than being 30 weeks pregnant with 3 very sick toddlers…. i’ll report back!

10. get out of the house
by day 5 of isolation, i was about to lose my mind. being needed 24/7 with very little sleep and everyone needing something is tiring. add in catching the crud along with everyone else… it just is a lot. when i finally was feeling better, i told zach i needed to get out of the house… it had been 6 days since i had been out {aside to the drive through pharmacy} and for my own mental pick-me-up i had to just have some quiet time by myself. i called my sister to grab a cup of coffee and wander target aimlessly {any buy new toothbrushes}…which somehow turned into the sweetest surprise baby shower for sweet baby sis…and it was so good for the soul. i almost cancelled coffee + lunch after being up all night with a puking toddler but zach convinced me that i needed to get out, and he was right. sometimes you have to relinquish a bit of the control and take 20 minutes to wander around target with an extra large coffee and be brainless. obviously, if you have been sick make sure to follow the 24-hours fever/puking free time…and then get out and come back feeling refreshed. it WILL be good for your head + your heart!

these seasons of mamahood are tough. sick babes is the worst and a sick mama should simply be illegal. but you get through and then they’re back to being their ornery little selves and you wonder how you made it through…but you did! it doesn’t hurt though to have a few extra tips up your sleeve 😉