chickenpox WWYD?

[Fluffsnuts]

We have booked to stay in a cottage this weekend with DHs uni friends, partners and kids. 6 of us plus 2 babies. 1 baby has chickenpox- newly emerged, still contagious.

The parents of poxy baby have suggested they don't go, I have suggested that they go with baby and my DH joins them and myself and DS stay at home so DS doesn't get the pox.

DH thinks we should all just go and DS should get chickenpox. I don't want DS getting chicken pox yet, he's only 11 mo, it could be mild and he get it again in a few years, he could get a really bad case and we have a number of parties and activities in the next couple of weeks which we wouldn't be able to go to if he got them.

(The other adults are fine with any of the options. Weekend is just in the cottage, no seeing other people and spreading it. We can't afford to refund the other couple if they don't go).

WWYD?

Definitely don't expose your baby to CP - what an idea!

It's not a given that if they don't have it as a child they will have it as an adult, so that logic is rubbish. If they don't have it before they reach the age they can get vaccinated, then get them vaccinated and then they won't have to have it at all.

I would say the poorly baby shouldn't go, but before even thinking about the fact your ds could catch it, there is still every chance of the baby developing complications.

Your child will probably get it soon enough if they are in childcare or when they ate at preschool but I think.it would be unwise to deliberately expose them - especially a child under 1. One of my children was very ill with chicken pox. Severe fever, absolutely covered in spots all over with about a half centimetre gap between each one. In his mouth, ears - everywhere. He also had really bad cold symptoms and a very sore and swollen airway. He was inconsolable with pain. He was school age though. There's no way I'd purposefully inflict that, or potentially worse, on a tiny baby. His sibling who got it a week later so presumably from him only had a few spots and wasn't particularly ill with it so you never know. I think on of the parents with the Ill child should stay home. They tend not to be too ill when the spots first appear but if they take a turn for the worse it would really put a downer on the trip for everyone. And it's not really fair for the Ill child to be carted around either. I'm surprised anyone has suggested anything other than the child with chicken.pox staying home. And I wouldn't expect money back if it was me. If your child is ill it's just one of those things.