Gastro bug, I hate you!!

Poor DS has the gastro, again!!! He had a night of vomiting 2 weeks ago, up and down practically every hour from 3 am to 8 am. Next day he was off his food but gradually got better and better. No more vomitting after that one night. Fast forward to today, and he had a massive vomit at a play center, we just got there and sat down to have a toasted sandwitch, within a few minutes and a couple of bites, vomit was everywhere (sorry tmi). Then he said he felt better and actually finished his sandwitch, but we went home as I was scared he was going to vomit on the play equipment. Then he was OK most of the arvo, and then I no more than put him to bed, he coughed, I ran in and too late, he vomited lying down, I sat him up, it was again everywhere, his face, hair, clothes, bed etc. And I stil managed to catch the bulk of it in a bucket, I always have one at the ready when I suspect a tummy bug. The thing is, I rarely get gasrto. I can count on my one hand how many times I've had it in my life. DS has been getting gastro more often since going to kinder, especially kinder (less in daycare). Now, what is your theory about that? I know you are not supposed to send your child when they have a tummy bug, I never do (he will stay home tomorrow) but I wonder how many parents send their little ones to kinder/childcare straight after a bug, is the child still contagious then, or unknowingly just before a vomitting session, is the child contagious then? And what do they do there? Do they regularly disinfect toys, surfaces etc? I know he could have got it elsewhere, he loves to play at mcdonalds even when he doesn't eat anything there, he asks to go for a play. Should I just avoid playcenters or play equipment elsewhere as much as possible? It's impossible not to ever go, especially in winter when the weather is not great. What do you do? Are some kids just more prone to tummy bugs? I've aleady stripped the whole bed, I've currently got towels all over the bed, etc. I hate you gastro!!!!!!

Oh I sympathise!weve just had our first one here for the year,I'm not sure about what happens with it all etc but my daughter went to Kindy last year well I've never been so sick in my life we had gastro so badly a few times and we had constant colds and flu then hand foot and mouth then she got phnemonia mild but still we then pulled her out as she was going Monday and Tuesday and every week by the Thursday we'd all be sick again no one could believe it !saying that she's started school this January and there's been heaps of gastro and flu and she's only had one cough so maybe they eventually build up an immunity?its awful though we went through poor hell last year and I'm sorry you are having a bad run too poor little guy .i saw a lot of sick kids while I was there and I suppose some parents just have to work etc so don't even mention that there child has been sick I don't mean that in an awful way as I thought at the time if I worked when dd was sick constantly last year I'd never be there!so hard one day I as up there and I saw so many green snotty nosed kids and the carers just wiped there noses and didn't wash there hands and one child had bad diarehoa in the toilet and wasn't even flushed eww saying that I think some are better than others my cousin is a child care mum and she is very strict on gastro they have to stay away the 24 hours etc

Technically it is supposed to be 48hours from last spew but I am sure there are plenty of parents that don't wait that long. I am lucky that DS (touch wood) has never had gastro and has only ever spewed twice in his 2 short years. He has been at daycare since 6 months old.

He gets more than his fair share of colds and coughs though and we just alternate who has to stay home until he is at a stage where if he was someone elses kid I wouldn't be annoyed if I saw him at daycare.

We had adenovirus here which is a strain of gastro. I have found giving DS lots of yogurt everyday seems to keep gastro away. The pro biotics seem to help. That and banana when he had diarrhea. I cant tell you how many times he vomitted in the 10 days he had the virus. I wore most of it. Its gross, smelly and makes soooo much work :(

Thanks ladies :). I didn't think of the pro biotics Vic, I was actaully avoiding diary as much as possible lol. The smell is what gets to me, the mess and the work that goes with it by washing everything! Yuck!!!! And of course with me having undiagnosed OCD, I've washed my hands a million times in the last two days ;)

Called kinder but they haven't had any cases of gastro, said it was good idea of keeping him away for at least 48 hours.