The Sick Kit

We've all recently recovered from our first colds of the season.  Thankfully it was a fairly mild cold - The Daddy avoided it altogether, Zach and I had a moderate dose, and Tabitha's manifested as a cough and good old grumpiness.

In the pre-child days, I used to quite enjoy the odd cold!  It meant a day or two curled up in bed, watching DVDs, drinking hot tea and moaning about how sick I was.  Sounds glorious, actually.

As a mother of small children, getting sick is the absolute pits.  Not only is there no chance to recuperate and recover, if the children are also sick you will get even less rest and sleep than usual, tending to the children overnight and managing their misery and grumps during the day.  So even a mild illness tends to drag on and on for a good week or two.

Once one or more children are involved in any sort of activities or childcare, there is basically zero chance of avoiding illness.  So, be prepared...

I like to keep all of our 'illness paraphernalia' together in one spot, so that if sickness strikes, we are ready to go, without having to lug my aching body around the house looking for all the bits and pieces, scattered between the various bathrooms and storage spots.

• Two vaporisers or humidifiers.  I like a hot steam sort - the Vicks one is my choice - and find the gurgling noise so soothing when I'm unwell.  I never used one before Tabitha was born, and purchased one when she first got sick after a recommendation from the GP.  Now I couldn't imagine being sick without one - completely changes overnights with a cold from being endless stretches of sleepless congestion to a relatively restful night.  One goes in Tabitha's bedroom, and one goes in the master bedroom (where we sleep with Zach).
• Saline nose drops and a sucker for the baby.
• Cold and flu tablets, with plenty of nighttime ones, for The Daddy (can't take them while breastfeeding unfortunately).
• A couple of boxes of nice soft tissues tucked away - nothing worse than running out and having to use scratchy napkins or toilet paper on a tender nose!
• Badger Balm Organic Aromatic Chest Rub
• Zinc and caster oil cream for dry red noses.  Lip balm for parched lips.
• Manuka honey (UMF 15 or above) to swallow raw on a sore throat (don't heat it or add to tea since it diminishes the antibacterial properties)
• Chamomile tea, to drink with regular raw honey

Apart from the above, more fluids than you could possibly imagine needing (3-4 litres a day of water minimum, otherwise I find I get massively dehydrated, what with the extra breastfeeding a sick baby needs for their fluids and the nose blowing), plenty of hot or cold chamomile tea, and soup.

A good amount of clear chicken soup is not only soothing, it also counts as fluids to help keep you hydrated and several studies show that strong chicken broth may actually lessen cold symptoms.

I keep a big stash in the freezer - bagged in 500ml serves - ready for the onset of sickness.  It's basically just chicken stock, so it gets used regardless.  Friends also know they can hit me up for some homemade chicken soup if they get sick!

I have a 12 litre stock pot which produces around 8 litres of chicken broth / stock.  Here's a blueprint if you haven't made it before (for a smaller amount):

Chicken Soup for the Flu

In a very large pot, put all of the following:

• 1kg chicken carcasses (called chicken frames, you can buy bags of them from chicken shops) or a mixture of frames and wings
• 2 brown onions, quatered, with the skins still on
• 2 carrots, chopped into chunks
• 2 celery stalks, including tops, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 big sprigs parsley

Cover with cold water.  Bring to almost a boil, skimming any dirty foam off the top and discarding.  Reduce heat and gently simmer for at least 2 hours, and up to 6 or more hours.  Skim any foam if needed during the cooking.  Pour through a fine seive (preferably lined with muslin or cheesecloth), season generously to taste (plenty of salt), and chill overnight.  In the morning, remove fat solids from the surface (set aside in the fridge to use for matzo balls, yum!).  

Freeze in 500ml bags and defrost as needed.  Reheat in a small saucepan, and add small pasta or rice (cooked separately, otherwise it makes the soup go cloudy) or matzo balls.  I'll post a recipe for matzo balls soon, and link to it here when I do!  Little pasta like alphabet noodles, or those tiny stars, work well.  

Add a good grind of fresh pepper and some nice herbs as well, to serve - dill is lovely, or parsley.

My only other tip for surviving cold season with a young baby is to indulge in plenty of nice steamy baths and showers.  I bathe with Zach in warm water, then pop him onto the floor (on a quilt) or into The Daddy's arms, and add plenty of hot water to my own bath, getting the room nice and steamy.  Helps clear out the sinuses for all of us, before bed.