'Must haves' for chicken pox

Poppie68

Aqueous cream is a great skin soother...i suffer from urticaria and it is a great relief as it cools and stops some of the irratation.

gsymoo

When my two had it, we had very hot weather. I half filled 2 plastic bottles and put them in the freezer (kept shaking the bottles so it was like slushy ice). I put the very cold icy water in a hot water bottle and they took it to bed. It helped them get off to sleep as the heat made the itching worse.

In a way its better they have it now, I didn't get it till I was 19 and I was very bad (only time my mum had ever called a doctor out!)

keep_flyin

Can I just say that don't worry about getting shingles from children with chicken pox, it's the other way round (children get chicken pox from adults with shingles as the virus lies dormant until reactivated by something as an adult). You do have to be careful if you mix with anyone pregnant. Calomine cream was our saviour!

Alikay

A hairdryer on cool setting dries scabby little bodies and faces more gently than a towel.

Bennifred

Please please don't take the children into public places while they are still infectious - you might be surprised at how many people are immune suppressed (or pregnant) who look perfectly well. I don't want to be alarmist, but chicken pox can be fatal for some people.

Bluejeanbaby

Definitely get some piriton. You can get an under 6s version in most big supermarkets. I found the calomine lotion drying but the calomine aqueous cream was great. Put some oats in a sock & stick it over the tap when you run them a bath. It makes the water lovely & soothing & stops mess. Keep nails short & clean & pop socks on their hands when asleep to stop scratching. Also remember that they'll probably get spots on their scalp so be careful brushing hair. They'll feel rotten for a few days but most of the spots should disappear in a week or so.

It is horrible for them. Especially when they're little & don't understand but it'll be over & forgotten about soon hopefully.

Maysie

I am surprised no one has mentioned Eurax its absolutely brilliant stuff, Mine get eczema and i have used it for that it really works. they do cream and lotion. I used to put a bit of the lotion in the bath it smells lovely.http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SolrSearchLister?storeId=10052&langId=-1&catalogId=10551&stReq=1&searchTerm=eurax#container
buy one get one half price in boots.

works by stopping the itching for up to 10 hours. I used it for my daughters skin first then had it in for chicken pox for my son he has no scars!

notanewuser

Calamine makes them itchier. DD's friends have all had it within the last 2 months and have found plain sunflower oil on the skin has helped.

Am beginning to think that DD must already be immune.

growler834

If they get it in this warm weather I suggest they sleep with just a sheet on their beds & have an electric fan on - any heat will make them itch horribly.

I know you fear nursing them together but it will be better to get it out of the way in one go - for them & you. Chicken pox is awful if you get it as an adult. My brother (18) caught it & I (then 22) moved out so I didn't catch it before my holiday to Greece. I was too late & got it on my holiday - in 30 degree celcius temp & a high fever - it took me 2 weeks to get over it once I got home & I now have several scars where I scratched myself during my sleep!

Good luck.

notanewuser

Also, get them out in the sun. There's research to suggest that high vitamin D levels in the days before the spots appear reduces the severity of the infection. One friend's daughter only had 10 spots and was completely over it within 6 days! We'd been out a lot. 20 mins outside with no sun cream should do it.