Nursery bugs - will we ever catch a break?!

[user242526]

Hi,

My DD started nursery when she was 9 months in September. For the past month she's constantly been unwell. She's had Bronchiolitis, general cold and flu symptoms, she now has a stomach bug and has been throwing up everything she eats and drinks and I'm starting to reconsider my decision to send her to nursery - I know this is supposed to be a part of her getting used to nursery but I think she's spent more time off due to illness than she has at nursery.

Does it get better? What can I do to help? Is it worse when they're younger?

Thanks

It does get better - sort of. They do generally get quite snotty pretty much year round but the bugs do become less and less. Sorry to hear your DD is unwell. It will build her immunity to it but I know that doesn’t help now. I gave my eldest a multivitamin once a day and just held out hope he wouldn’t get sick again. It’s hard for them when they’re babies as they do pick up absolutely everything they’re exposed to and always the most unwell with it. I hope your DD feels better soon.

It does get better. The first few months are the hardest but after that you then don't tend to get everything going. We give vitamins every day and in particularly bad winters, Sambucol which helps against the colds etc.

I gets better. They also don't get to skip this bit if they don't go to nursery. They will just pick it all up when they start school and you will be in the same boat.

The first 12 months is a killer. I remember not working a Friday for 6 weeks between two kids at nursery passing bugs from one to the other and then around the nursery!

Yeah it does get better. We had a horrific first year- 18 months, and then it got much better. We were unlucky though - DS had pretty much back to back bouts of tonsillitis during that time and would ALWAYS get fevers way over 40, so spent a lot of time at A&E. We were very unlucky though. It’s not as bad as that for most.

Oh the first few months were horrific for us - DS genuinely missed more than he went as he was ill all the time. It started to settle when he was approaching two, but the issue we had was he always developed bronchiolitis with every single cold so we also had many A&E visits and several admissions. It was hell, so you have my sympathy!

DS2 starts in a couple months and I’m dreading it for him, especially as he has the same issue with developing bronchiolitis with each cold. Hoping being the second child has helped his immune system!

Going against the grain, no. Just as they get used to it they move up a room, or into school.

14 years in and every start of term it's the usual colds - and beginning of each half term too!