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Original poster

Constant sickness since starting nursery, is this normal?!

24 replies

dancelikeyoudontgiveafuck · 16/05/2022 20:41

DS started nursery two and a half months ago and since the first week, has barely been there.
We’ve had endless colds, a throat infection, hand foot and mouth, an ear infection resulting in such high temps we ended up at emergency out of hours.
He’s now on antibiotics again, and much better and I’m already dreading what the next thing is going to be. He also seems to run a fever with whatever he gets.

is this normal? Should I be worried?
ive been presuming that being locked down due to Covid has meant he’s getting everything all at once but my god I’m a broken woman.

OP posts:

DisgruntledPelican · 16/05/2022 20:43

Yes, it’s awful. Happens to everyone! Hang in there and wait for the benefits - once they’ve had everything, they’re a little bit less susceptible.

swashbucklecheer · 16/05/2022 20:43

Completely normal- their immune system needs to get up to speed with all the bugs about. If it's any consolation at least when they are starting school it isn't a problem!

Mol1628 · 16/05/2022 20:44

Yes! It’s a really tough time. It gets better after the first couple of winters I’ve found.

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MsRosewater · 16/05/2022 20:46

Yup 100% normal as is catching EVERYTHING from them so as to be an adult pool of snot and disease ...

ofwarren · 16/05/2022 20:48

Yep, happens to everyone. Shit isn't it

nearlyspringyay · 16/05/2022 20:48

Yep, normal. Even more sine bloody covid.

Hollyhead · 16/05/2022 20:49

Completely normal, in my experience it gets better after 3 months of attendance so you’re about half way!

FabulousKilljoys · 16/05/2022 20:50

Yep all pretty standard. Since toddler started at nursery in January it's been relentless everything from chickenpox to d&v and covid. I expected it because my older ones were all the same when they went to nursery, but it didn't make it any easier! We also caught everything off him aside from the chickenpox. He's finally (fingers crossed!!) had a few weeks without a snotty nose.

sunlight81 · 16/05/2022 20:51

Welcome to the nursery lurgy .. this is your life for the next 3-5y. It will get easier as they get older and their immune build up!!

Kindofcrunchy · 16/05/2022 20:52

Yep! Currently battling with chickenpox. Once that's gone it's on to the next thing. Haven't had any vomiting yet...

katmarie · 16/05/2022 21:06

Dd has been in since she turned 1, she's 2.5 now. In the last 4 weeks she's been home for almost 2 full weeks. It's relentless. Ds however has been in since he turned 1, and is now 4 1/4, and much more robust, he doesnt seem to catch as much these days and the things he does get he recovers from more quickly, so it seems like it does get better.

FabulousKilljoys · 16/05/2022 21:07

@Kindofcrunchy 2yo had chickenpox in March, didn't fare too badly with it. Hope your LO isn't too miserable with it. He had a temperature all weekend and I thought oh lord here we go again.. but it was just a couple of off days and he was bouncing off the walls again by Sunday night. Toddlers eh 😂

zafferana · 16/05/2022 21:10

Sadly it's normal OP. I remember the winter my first DC started nursery in another country, whose bugs I was not familiar with either, he got 12 illnesses in 6 months (so roughly one every two weeks). It was hideous! Once we were through that though it got a lot better. Hang in there. It feels like it's never going to end, but it will

CustardGoodJamGoodMeatGood · 16/05/2022 21:14

DD was constantly ill for around 4 months when she first started nursery, it was in the height of the pandemic too so she'd not been around anyone at all really. She soon built up her immune system and didn't get poorly for months then other than the odd cold. She got a few more illnesses towards the end of last year when she moved from babies up to toddlers and mingled with new kids but hasn't been poorly since.

Original poster

dancelikeyoudontgiveafuck · 16/05/2022 21:15

Oh god sympathies to all of you.
nobody tells you about this part of parenting 🙈

I’m relieved to hear it’s normal but gutted to hear I’ve got a way to go get 😂 I’m petrified of us all being taken out by norovirus so that will probably be next on the list.

I think I was expecting winter to be bad but got lulled into a false sense of security thinking summer might be okay.

doesn’t help that he also has low iron so has to be carted off ti the hospital every couple of months to see if that’s improved. Which we then have to cancel every time he’s poorly, which is all the time 😂

godspeed to anyone sharing my despair and frustration at the moment and thanks for all your reassurance and encouragement.

he had better have a strong constitution after all this, love him!

OP posts:

Original poster

dancelikeyoudontgiveafuck · 16/05/2022 21:16

I also feel like I’m on complete alert every time he feels slightly warm, coughs or clears his throat or says something hurts 🙈 expecting it to become the next round of something…

OP posts:

linerforlife · 16/05/2022 21:18

Yes v normal. Worse since lockdowns etc ended. Hang on in there OP!

Thursday37 · 16/05/2022 21:19

Yes it’s normal and 18 months in it is still shit. I have used 100% of my annual leave (and so has DH) covering sickness. Horrendous.
I haven’t managed a full month at work since I returned from mat leave. Very lucky to still have a job!

greenbirdsong · 16/05/2022 21:19

Sadly, yes completely normal. It's relentless but does get better. Just make sure you always have supplies of calpol, Vicks and tissues!

GalactatingGoddess · 16/05/2022 21:23

I remember googling the same when DD started at 1yr old.
She was so unwell for 3 months or so and then after that it settled a lot. Me and DH had a lot of time off work in those first 3 months and we were all so sick with the bugs she brought back!

Hang in there,
Obviously if concerned you'll seek GP advice - but yes, my experience is that it's quite normal

declutteringmymind · 16/05/2022 21:23

Normal. Try a childminder instead.

Greenfrog78 · 16/05/2022 21:29

Ours went though stage of often getting sickness bug. And then threadworms luckly we Avoided nits so far!!!

Original poster

dancelikeyoudontgiveafuck · 16/05/2022 21:46

oh lord threadworms. Hadn’t even thought of that.

I was mainly worried about the frequency but it seems pretty normal and he does bounce back fast. He’s usually just extra tired for a bit while recovering and off his food for a while before devouring everything in sight when he’s better.

DH and I were saying we haven’t felt well since February! There’s always something.

I would consider childminder but to be honest he loves nursery and it seems like it has to happen at some point, if not now it will be school I guess.

OP posts:

katmarie · 17/05/2022 10:23

I know what you mean OP. My DD loves nursery, and absolutely thrives while she is there. But flipping hell it feels like a slog of snotty noses and runny bums endlessly. And of course there's a 48 hour exclusion period after any v and d incident. So I feel like we never get a full week in. I've told my boss that the worst thing I ever did for my career was having kids. Fortunately she's a decent boss and is very understanding.

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