to think nurseries are just a constant breeding ground for illness

[buttercupsareyellow]

My first baby was supposed to go to nursery 4 days a week. I say supposed as for the first year of her life she spent 50% of the time at home ill. Within one month of her starting she picked up a stomach bug and was hospitalised. When she was healthy enough to go back she immediately got conjunctivitis. After a couple more weeks off and getting back to full health she picked up chicken pox. This cycle went on for about a year. I was paying for her to go 4 days a week when in reality she would often be at home sick. At the time I had an understanding boss and was able to take time off. My DH took loads of time off too.

I spoke to the nursery manager several times who said that this is part of the course, that it takes time for children to build up immunity etc and that while she encouraged parents to keep sick children at home she recognised that many times children came to nursery when they should have been kept at home, passing on germs etc.

Everyone I spoke to said it was just a case of my dd building up her immunity and wouldn't it be great when she went to school because she would have had everything.

This month my new baby started the same nursery. She's been there less than 4 weeks and I've had to keep her at home 3 times already. She only goes 2 days a week. She's meant to be going to nursery tomorrow but has come home from nursery today with a stinking cold and what looks like conjunctivitus. I can't believe it! I thought maybe dd was unlucky last time and just kept picking up bugs. I blamed myself because she wasn't breastfed, however new baby was breastfed for first months and is still always getting ill.

AIBU to think nurseries are the most unhealthiest place for small children or am I just very unlucky? Or maybe I need to find a new nursery...

I think YABU. I think it depends on the nursery. I also however think that very young children in one room/small building together are bound to infect one another unless the staff are very careful.

Babies who attend nursery are much more often ill than babies who stay at home. It's just a fact of life that you have to be prepared for if you use a nursery. You also need an understanding GP who will prescribe lots of medicine!

If they don't get it at nursery they will get it at school. I know which I would rather my DD missed.

I think it's a bit of both. You have been quite unlucky I think.

My dd1 went to nursery for about 4 years and was only off sick twice. (and I am vigilant at keeping her off with things like diarrhoea or conjuntivitis)

dd2 has been off twice already.

I think it is realistic to expect that some children seem to catch a lot of "bugs" in a nursery setting, and those that don't will probably do so in their reception year!

Must say that DS1 has been attending nursery 2 mornings a week for about 5mths and he's pretty constantly harbouring some kind of cold or illness. As far as I can see, the nursery is a very clean and well run place so I guess it is just par for the course when kids spend lots of time swapping germs!

Of course they are. And as Lizcat says, better now than when they start school.

My son has also been continuously ill since he started nursery 7 months ago. It's just par for the course.

First winter for a child in nursery is the worst and yes you are being a bit U. Its not like the staff can disinfect all surfaces constantly though they do try to scrub up the worst of the visible germs. I've heard that even older children have the same round of illnesses no matter when they start as being at home they might not have been subjected to them anyway. It is therefore likely that your dc wont have as many bouts of illnesses when they start school. My dd is having her 2nd winter in nursery this year and haven't been at home ill once yet [keeping fingers crossed and knocks on wood emoticon].

how can it better for young babies to pick up all these germs rather than school? The reason most parents are sending their child to a nursery is so that they can work. Having a child constantly not able to attend nursery due to an illness they have picked up there beens the parent/parents are hardly ever at work. Not exactly good when it comes to trying to hold down a job and earn a living. I only work part-time and am unable to do my contracted hours because of the constant illness. My employer is not impressed and wont be when I ring again tomorrow to say I'll have to stay off.

Yep it's bloody pain in the arse alright. DD was the same when she started Autumn '09- got swine flu within a month and then cold after cold resulting in a chesty cough lasting 4 months plus.

Mind you nearly a year and a half later she (knock wood) doesn't get poorly nearly as much. She's had 2 bad colds and one bout of nasty conjuncitvitis as opposed to the 17 odd colds and things she'd had this time last year. Also she got the chicken pox few months ago so aleast she wont miss a week of school to that at a later date.

i feel your pain. DD has been in nursery for 5 months now 4 days a week and at least once a month she will be off for a few days with some new bug.

For the next few days we are home with hand foot and mouth disease. A couple of weeks ago it was cold No 734, just before xmas it was D&V.

It is relentless.

I have my appraisal next week. I was going to ask for a pay rise. I don't think i could actually look my boss in the eye and ask for more money given the amount of time off i have had.

And yes you do sound very unlucky really feel for you it's awful when they're ill but worse when thry're still trying to recover from the previous illness.

Some are, some are quite good. I've currently got a cold from working in one, been out of work for 6 months and was never ill lol but it has helped to build up my immunity I do rarely get ill, this is the first cold for ages.

Yes they are and I work in one and am constantly wiping snotty noses and using anti-bac wipes and spray on toys and surfaces! Doesn't help when parents send in children that are clearly still ill, although I appreciate that it's hard when you work, and also that colds etc can linger for ages. I am currently fighting off a horrible cold/cough that I know I picked up from one of the children at preschool. Fact of life, really.

It's not just the taking time off work, it's the fact that my lovely happy little baby is now just constantly ill and miserable Before nursery she was in peak physical health, always smiling, always happy. Since the 4 odd weeks she's been at nursery she's always so under the weather that she barely smiles at me anymore. Listening to her now sobbing in pain while DH tries to comfort her, she didn't want me at all. Irrational I know but I feel as if she blames me for sending her to the nursery to always get ill.

YANBU - it is hell

I am AMAZED I haven't been sacked to be honest, my DD is almost 3yo and whilst it is better I would say she still has a day off once or twice every couple of months.

You are particularly unlucky. I had a colleague who lamented the fact that her DS was always off sick (from CM with 2 other children), and she missed loads of work, whereas my DD's had a handful of days off nursery in 3 years (sharing a room with 20 other children). We're very lucky, colleague was very unlucky. It's the roulette wheel you play with DCs.

Wait til they start school....blows nose for 100th time today.

YAB a bit U, but then I think you've been unlucky.
DS has been in nursery since he was 12 weeks old, and he's got ill 4/5 times in the last year, but a couple of those were from us.

I think as others have said, employers and parents realise it's par for the course though with young children

My GP says children who go to nursery end up with better immune systems as older children...fingers crossed!

Erk! I guess I will have all this to deal with when DS goes to Creche!

YA sooooooooooooooooo NBU, and this is one of the reasons alf i cared for by Grandma's rather then a nursery.

Get a nanny and have the children cared for at home.