The Mom Crowd

I woke up Saturday morning with a horrible cold, sore throat, aches, and the general feeling that I felt like crap. Why do I even have a cold? I thought cold and flu season was over! I am thankful that it happened on the weekend and my husband was able to help. We didn’t do much this weekend but hang out in our pajamas and watch movies while I rested.

Tomorrow is Monday and I can’t call in sick. My husband is a small business owner and when he doesn’t work we don’t get any money. I like money, so off to work he goes while I care for the kiddos. Tomorrow we are staying home while I continue to kick this cold. What are moms to do when they are sick?

My first concern is that I am nursing my little 3 month old boy and I am taking some Tylenol cold medicine. I read on Dr. Sears:

“Most drugs taken by the mother are of less concern while breastfeeding than if she were taking them during pregnancy. If a drug is safe to use during pregnancy, it is probably safe during lactation. There is more reason to be concerned about the effects of a drug on a growing fetus than on a fully developed infant.”

I had taken a similar Tylenol cold medicine when I was pregnant, so I felt better about taking my medicine after reading this. I also monitored my temperature so I could nurse.

I am doing practical things to avoid spreading my germs like that washing my hands constantly, using hand sanitizer and trying my best not to breathe on my kids.

Here are some tips about staying home with you kids while being sick:
Heather Cabot at the Huffington Post first suggestion is to Call for Backup.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it is your husband, neighbor, friend or mom, there is no shame in admitting you need some support. And for the future, it might be a good idea to figure how who your back-up is before you find yourself in the midst of a breakdown.

When I had my morning sickness I called my friends for backup many times. I would lay on their couch sick as a dog while they watched their kids and mine.

Stayathomeparents.suite101.com recommends Forgetting the Housework.

Be willing to let certain things go when you are sick. Now is not the time to worry about dusting the furniture. If you have small children who you have to keep with you when you are sick try and stay in one area. This way you are limiting your mess. Wait for hubby to do the dishes when he gets home.

Ha! I often wait for my husband to do the dishes anyway. But I do have to let go my concern of how a room looks. I like her suggestion of staying in one area. I either hunker down in the living room or in my bed room and I bring some toys.

Brit’s plan at BabiesOnline.com is to Let the Usual Rules Go.

Safety rules… stay. Things that make the house untidy meet feeble resistance from me, but I figure if they are happy and occupied I can rest and clean up when I feel better.

I know I have certainly let my little girl unload the tupperware cabinet a few times. She was quiet and not hurting anything. It got cleaned up eventually.

Staying home with kiddos while being sick is not fun. The sickness will pass and things will get better. As moms we can only do what we can do when we are sick and that is okay.

How do you manage when you are sick? Do you actually plan ahead for it?