Save the Couch!

Save the couch!  No matter where we lived, the couch was one of Maddie’s favorite places to hang out.  When she was feeling well, she was in the center of the action.  When she was sick, the couch allowed me to monitor her and do medical treatments.  It was perfect!

Well, almost.  I’m sure there are other caregivers who aren’t as messy as I am (I’m an artist, that’s my excuse!), but I spilled meds, formula, and other things I’ll leave to your imagination.  The first couch was toast in a year and a half.  So I set to work reupholstering the thing.  What a pain!  So to protect the new surface I started using cloth under pads.   It helped but before long I had a mess again.  And I certainly was not going to reupholster it again!  So we got rid of the couch.

I got smart and did not buy another couch.  This time I borrowed a daybed from a friend.  It was the best move I could have made.  I put a vinyl sheet under a mattress pad with a sheet over the top.  I could wash it every day if I needed to and some days I did.

When I went to the daybed I was thinking that I needed a surface that was washable.  But the daybed turned out to be amazing for a couple of other reasons.  For one thing, there was storage space underneath big enough to accommodate big plastic bins for diapers, blue chucks, and other assorted things.  I just put a twin sized dust ruffle with elastic banding around the metal frame and no one could tell we were hoarding medical supplies. 

The number one thing I loved about the daybed was the cuddling opportunity it provided.  Being able to cuddle beside Maddie to read a book, watch a movie, or take a nap was a little bit of heaven.  There were times when she was sick enough that I slept beside her.  Occasionally she was too sick to want me beside her so I slept on an air mattress on the floor beside the daybed. 

I learned!  If you have a medically fragile child, cover everything under and around them with something to protect the surface from wet things and cover it with something washable.  Even pillows need a waterproof cover.  There are some now that don’t feel like plastic so are comfortable to use.  A couple of women made Maddie sets of pillow cases that were bright, colorful, and seasonal.  The winter ones were flannel and summer ones cotton.  Maddie loved them.