Worried about mum visiting after one night in London meningitis outbreak

[Haventgotthefoggiest]

I have a 4 year old and a 6 week old baby and I am abit worried about my mum going to london for one night. She is travelling there today and coming back tomorrow. My worry is with the meningitis outbreak.
I have said to my mum about us staying away from her for 2 weeks as I don't want to risk it with my children.
Am I overreacting with this?

You are doing exactly what you are programmed to do with a tiny baby - look for risks to your tiny person. This is completely biologically normal and should not be made light of.

I think realistically it's completely ok but I have absolute compassion for why it feels risky at this point in your life.

Yes. You are massively overreacting.

Yes you are over reacting. It's understandable to be nervous when you have a new born but the risk is very low.

It's not contemptuous to be straightforward. The question was "am I overreacting". The answer is "yes". If anything OP ought to be able to find comfort in how unambiguous the multiple responses are because it is so clearly an unnecessary worry and move on.

This.

Totally agree!

@DappledThings some responses are not yes though and should be reported. .

She is 6 weeks postpartum - educate yourself.

@Mere1 @muddyford however the health messaging has been to expect small clusters over the UK as students go home.

This 👆

😁

Yes, you are overreacting.

But ask yourself, do you normally have high levels of health anxiety? Or do you think this is more down to being postpartum?

To put things into perspective, only 2 people have (very sadly) died due to the Canterbury Meningitis “outbreak”.

Millions of people commute to and from London, and visit London every single day.

Your mum will be absolutely fine.

You and your children will be absolutely fine.

Stay away from the news and social media for a few days. Watch some funny and feel good TV shows instead. Enjoy these moments with your baby.

If you start to feel yourself getting worked up or anxious please make a GP appointment. 💐

Yes. I live in London. Meningitis hasn't crossed my mind or been mentioned once by anyone I know or work with.

Th outbreak was in east Kent. That's quite some way from London.

Your Mum has been to a town (London is just a city, bit bigger, but just a normal city) where millions are going about their day, no meningitis outbreak.

Your Mum has not been out clubbing in Canterbury.

And probably not been in close bodily contact (hugging, kissing) with strangers.

You are catastrophising.

Welcome your Mum and enjoy the support.

The ‘outbreak’ thankfully is no such thing. Pfizer probably just needed an increase in sales so had a little word with the media.

Read up on how meningitis spreads. I doubt your mum is going around kissing people or sharing drinks.

There isn't an 'outbreak' in London. A few students have travelled back to London and got ill. Numbers are tiny and in young people.

I would make sure your mum is fully aware of symptoms and if she is ill in any way she tells you but I wouldn't avoid seeing her.

(Said as a London resident with small children going about life as normal)

You certainly are overreacting. London is huge. I live in London and haven't even given it a thought, know nobody who has caught meningitis.

Unless your mum is extending her one-day trip from London to Canterbury and plans on sharing snogs, vapes or drinks with young people, she's not going to become a carrier of meningitis to your or your children.
https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/health-and-wellbeing/meningitis-know-your-risks

Er what??! Mad.

Yes. But it’s the worry that an older adult who goes to a huge city for a brief visit will infect a family far away from the initial outbreak I am questioning. Meningitis is not easily transmitted in such a circumstance.

Massive, massive overreaction. Your mum isn’t going to be in nightclubs snogging students so risk is vanishingly small.

OP's baby is six weeks old. Her baby will get their first MedB vaccine at 8 weeks so hopefully OP will feel less worried once her child has some protection against meningitis.

OP's reaction may be over-the-top but her mum should understand her anxieties and do her best to put OP's mind at ease by waiting two weeks as requested.

It's not as though OP's mun is being permanently banned from seeing her grandchildren.

Would you make a fuss about not seeing your grandchildren for two weeks?

Have you spoken to your midwife about how you are feeling generally. You may have post partum depression and anxiety. It's really common with a change of hormones after birth.

I’m confused. I thought the outbreak was in university’s in Kent. I live in London and not worried. I think it’s a total overreaction.