Do you use a babysitter?!

I'm curious as my husband and I haven't been for an evening out together since last summer, and that was the first time for 3 years! My daughter's asthma is bad, she's 4 in June, and she's had other serious respiratory problems since birth with other related complications like night terrors. (We also have a 2 year old who's always been wakeful and quite demanding at night!). We just start feeling we could possibly ask a relative or close friend to come round so we can go out, when something starts up again and it feels too much to ask of a sitter or of our daughter. I've only once left her when she was having symptoms, though mild, and her aunt gave her her medsas, and that was in the daytime.

So can I ask do you have people fully practiced in giving meds and how did you help your children be ok with this, or do you just do takeaways like us?!!

Thanks

Ali

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My 3 sons have asthma, and we tend to know if it is playing up and would always stay with them with a no alcohol rule just in case we need to drive! Our mums look after them now and then and on some occasions they have needed inhalers and that always been fine. One of our boys has nut allergy which he has epipens for, we havn't had to use them yet but I feel extra anxious leaving him.

We all need a bit of time out and I think it's maybe just a case of plan it and if they arn't too well rearange and i'm sure you will get there eventually!

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I thought I'd reply as I babysit children with asthma and I'm 16. They are close friends and out of their 4 girls, 2 have asthma. The eldest (12) has very mild asthma and hardly ever needs a reliever, the youngest has more severe asthma. The youngest (almost 2) doesn’t need nebs, but takes preventers and Ventolin whenever she is wheezing/coughing (unfortunately she cant tell you when she needs it yet, so it means watching and listening for symptoms). I find it east to recognise her symptoms, but sometimes its difficult to get her to accept the space mask, especially when she’s tired. If this is the case I usually get her sister to do it (making sure she is doing it correctly).

I think because I have severe asthma and know how to give meds and what symptoms to watch out for, their parents feel happy leaving them with me. The down side is if I have an asthma attack, so I only babysit when Im well and have high peak flows, but the eldest does know what to do if I have an attack.

Some suggestions:

1. Make sure the babysitter knows your daughters asthma plan.

2. Maybe get the babysitter to come over one day, explain everything to them, (if you kids don’t know them let them hang out while you still at home), and watch them give your daughter her meds, so you can correct them if needed.

3. Don’t go too far away, in case you need to come home.

4. Impress on the babysitter to call you if there are any problems.

5. Maybe call your daughter once or even twice throughout the nigh so she talk to you and you can hear if shes wheezing.

6. Really goes without saying but always make sure you have enough meds and a back up neb and spacer. When I was babysitting one of the middle sisters manage to break the spacer and the youngest needed ventolin, lets just say that a late nigh dash to the chemist with 4 girls isn’t fun!

7. If you know anyone whos had asthma (even mildly) and doesnt have it anymore, they may be a good babysitter option.

Sorry for the long post! I hope you do get to go out sometime, because everyone need time to relax.

Hope your daughters health improves.

Kate