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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To let my baby catch chicken pox?

207 replies

Rumplestrumpet · 18/12/2015 19:48

In brief, my husband, baby and me are due to go away for 3 days with another family next week. They're a lovely couple though, tbh, our husbands have nothing in common, so it's really just us wives pushing it. She told me yesterday that her son has come down with chicken pox. Our baby is almost 6 months old and has never had it, though DH and I have.

I spoke to my HV today and she was very relaxed about it - they have to get it at some point, at least now you're on mat leave so won't have to take time off to look after her. She is exclusively breast fed so you can comfort her with the breast - it's your call.

DH would happily ditch the whole thing, but I feel like I still want to go... But then I will feel terribly if baby catches it and is in a lot of pain....

Anyone had a small baby with chicken pox? Is it really awful? ie worse than when they're older?

Welcome advice please!

OP posts:
honeyroar · 19/12/2015 12:38

If the husbands have nothing in common and her child being ill risks your baby why not just leave the kids at home with the husbands and go away for a few days just girls? You two sounded the only ones that wanted to go anyway...

madwomanacrosstheroad · 19/12/2015 12:39

Chicken pox in a baby is dangerous. Can necessitate hospital admission. With an older child it's up to you and yes they will get it but with a young baby it is completely irresponsible.

MrsJayy · 19/12/2015 12:41

Ah so its my fault she didnt catch them ok then do you think i had her in bubble wrap or something dont be so ridiculous and stupid

CoteDAzur · 19/12/2015 12:42

Can you read? I said not letting her catch it as a child OR VACCINATE HER so she doesn't catch it as a young adult.

mum11970 · 19/12/2015 12:43

My youngest caught it at 6 months and was fine. You're not going until next week, so the other child may well have stopped being infectious, and your dc being exclusively breastfed will also have some immunity from it from your breast milk.

MrsJayy · 19/12/2015 12:46

Op i suggest you rub your baby up and down your friends kid several times a day to guarantee you will have chicken pox by christmas day

MrsJayy · 19/12/2015 12:48

Oh and dd did get the vaccine

CoteDAzur · 19/12/2015 12:50

So vaccine didn't work. Are you saying that people who say "Let children diseases take their course. Vaccines only delay the onset of these illnesses to adulthood and make them more dangerous" are correct? Interesting.

MrsJayy · 19/12/2015 13:02

I didnt say anything of the sort Insaid that seeking out chicken pox to make your baby ill is a stupid thing to do naturally occuring childhood viruses happen letting your child be ill at specific times because its convenent for the parents is the silliest thing I have read.children catch colds doesnt mean you wipe a snotty tissue on them so they catch it.

MrsJayy · 19/12/2015 13:04

And to say its my fault that my dd is ill just makes me think you are a bit bored today and looking for a fight to brighten your day up

CottonSock · 19/12/2015 13:04

You really want it for Christmas time? My daughter had infected spots, high temperature, didn't sleep for two nights. Lots of calls to our of hours gp. I would definitely cancel

AdjustableWench · 19/12/2015 13:09

My DS had chickenpox at 9 months - just a few spots and he wasn't terribly unwell. I wondered whether he would have full immunity and was a bit worried about the possibility that he might get it again as an adult, because I've been told it's much worse in adults. But then when he was 10 he got a rash on his back that the GP diagnosed as shingles. Not sure if that means he's immune from another dose of the pox, but I hope so.

Clearly it's impossible to predict how any particular child will be affected. If it were me, I'd try to avoid exposing a baby to chickenpox, and then get her/him vaccinated once old enough. But when my kids were little the general expectation was that parents should expose their kids to get it over with as soon as possible!

CoteDAzur · 19/12/2015 13:13

Chicken pox has a two-week incubation period. If OP goes to visit this family next week, her baby will have it in early-January.

CoteDAzur · 19/12/2015 13:18

"I didnt say anything of the sort Insaid that seeking out chicken pox to make your baby ill is a stupid thing to do naturally occuring childhood viruses happen letting your child be ill at specific times because its convenent for the parents is the silliest thing I have read."

Your post is unintelligible but I'll take a guess that you are trying to say parents who try to manage when their DC will catch a disease are stupid.

You are wrong. Childhood diseases are easiest for children. They are most dangerous for adults. Therefore, making sure they get a childhood disease as a child is actually the smart thing to do.

"children catch colds doesnt mean you wipe a snotty tissue on them so they catch it"

If you don't know the difference between the common cold and a one-time disease such as chicken pox, you really shouldn't be embarrassing yourself by posting about them.

Common cold: Get it many times. No lifetime immunity.

Chicken pox: Get it once. Lifetime immunity.

pregnantgrump · 19/12/2015 13:19

Please don't go. Babies do not have very effective immune systems and there is a risk of developing a viral pneumonia from chicken pox at that age.

PGTip · 19/12/2015 13:30

My DC2 had it at 16 weeks and he was & is fine. HTH

Kittykatmacbill · 19/12/2015 14:44

Gosh i wouldn't children die of chicken pox and six months is tiny!

ottothedog · 19/12/2015 15:17

mrsjayy did your daughter have 2 vaccines or just the one? What a shame it didnt work.

FannyTheChampionOfTheWorld · 19/12/2015 15:49

Advising, advocating, suggesting, whatever you prefer to call it bumbleymummy. Either way, waiting until someone without immunity is in their teens before vaccinating is running the risk of the vaccine being less effective.

CoteDAzur · 19/12/2015 15:53

"waiting until someone without immunity is in their teens before vaccinating is running the risk of the vaccine being less effective."

Why do you think the vaccine will be less effective when given to a teen?

JemimaHighway · 19/12/2015 15:59

Veterinari
those of you who are saying don't expose or are choosing vaccination - can I ask what are your long term plans? Vaccination lasts about 10 yrs - what then?i has a friend at uni who hot chicken pox. He was horribly I'll. Was told it would have been better to get it earlier

The simply isnt true! You shouldn't state such nonsense as fact - that's dangerous!

The vaccine is AT LEAST effective for 20 years, and probably longer. It was first used in the US in 1995, and those vaccinated are still immune - so it is definitely effective for 20 years. It probably provides immunity for life, as the vaccine is a weakened live virus, but we won't know that for years. But if you vaccinate your child now, then in 20 years time, there will be another twenty years of data, probably saying it's still effective. But if immunity wanes, then you'd simply get a booster (like tetanus).

ottothedog · 19/12/2015 16:29

You can always blood test to check immunity

JemimaHighway · 19/12/2015 16:44

Exactly ottothedog

FannyTheChampionOfTheWorld · 19/12/2015 16:50

The NHS say so cote:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/pages/chickenpox-vaccine.aspx

The immunity rate for vaccinated teens and adults is lower than for children.

waitingforsomething · 19/12/2015 16:52

My baby was 10mo and it was awful for her- I wish she had been a bit older and at least able to be comforted more easily.
I've just had shingles and dreading ds 5mo getting chicken pox from Me.
I would avoid it if possible at 6 months