Chickenpox…

[Pbbananabagel]

Ok so my eldest, after evading it three times this year, finally picked up chickenpox from nursery. Ok. All good, a week later he’s fully scabbed and back in. But I couldn’t work today as my family member who normally takes my 14month old on Fridays doesn’t feel safe having him. That’s totally fine and their right of course, but Baby seems ABSOLUTELY fine. Anyone with multiple kids have experience of this? I know the NhS site says it can develop anywhere between 1-2 weeks after exposure but is it possible for babies to just … not get it? Or have it but have no spots?

Every sibling set I know caught it from each other unless they’d already had it. Including my own - two weeks after DC1 first spot DC2 came out in spots. It’s also infectious before the first spots appear. So if your childcare person is vulnerable in some way I think it’s reasonable to avoid a very close contact of a confirmed case during the incubation period - of course it’s possible your baby won’t get it but I think it’s much more likely they will.

When did your eldest come out with first spots? Most sibling sets I know the first had it and then the second started with spots exactly 2 weeks later. So your littlest could still be in the most contagious phase of pox (just before the spots come out).

Ahh ok that makes sense, so we’ve got another 6 days to go as eldest first came up last Thursday. This is the thing, I don’t want to pass it on to anyone vulnerable but it’s tough trying to keep two of them busy without going out. So if they’re infectious for two days before spots show at least I can take them to the park this weekend without too much fear!