Why does my baby keep getting bloody sick at nursery?

[driciyfifiyf]

Please help. I'm in despair.

My 11 month old started nursery full time nearly 2 months ago when I went back to work full time.

She got a cold straight away. Fine, I thought, she's just started, these things happen. Cold turns into an awful cold plus conjunctivitis. My DH has to take 2 days off to look after her.

She goes back. Another cold. So bad that she we are up all night... cough cough, coughing so much that she's sick. Very lethargic and chesty. DH takes another day off.

DH is a teacher, so recently had half term and was off for 2 weeks. Baby is better and back to nursery she goes after this.

She's there for a grand total of four days before (you guessed it!) another cold. Now she has a temperature and is bringing back all food and milk. She's at least having water. All she's going today is sleeping (my Dad took a day off today to look after her, thank God)

I've now had to take tomorrow off. I'm in a new job and still under probation.

We have taken her to the Drs twice. They've said that it's 'just one of those things' and to 'wait it out'.

What's going on here? Why is she picking up everything under the sun? She's a porker, so at least she isn't wasting away. I'm so worried.

I feel your pain, OP! Our 11 month old DS started nursery in March and it's been exactly the same. He was miraculously well over Easter when relatives visited, thank god. But apart from that it's been constant illness. The teething doesn't help things either!

Interesting what some of you have said about child-minders. We were considering transferring him to a CM but if he's still going to be sick I'd rather leave him where he is.

I was hoping (naively), that the illnesses would wear off after a couple of months but based on some of these responses, it sounds like we'll need to buckle up for the rest of the year!

Did you really not know that this always happens when a child starts in a group environment?

Children are human Petri dishes. They build their immune systems by getting sick. A lot. It's just the way it goes.

It's definitely normal.

Normal I’m afraid. Mine went to a CM, who took her charges out to toddler groups almost every day so basically the same germ soup as nursery.

Worked with babies and kids for years.

Totally normal, expect an average of six illnesses in the first year.

I think I am lucky then! They have tended to get ill when it's school hols. Both have on average one day off a year with something like a high temp - my MIL does have them for those odd days.
Strangely neither of mine eat much & so you would expect them to be ill a lot more.
My school has just recently announced that any staff absence for dependants will have to be unpaid. It didn't go down well tbh.

(First year in the setting)

First 6 months are the worse, essp if they are young. But it will help her immune system for when shes older.

Sucks but very normal. Even effects adults, the first 6 months I work at a nursery there wasnt a day that I felt 100 percent.

As everyone else has said - it's normal.

There's a theory that the immune system work out is what contributes to the lower leukemia rates for kids who go to nursery from a young age. Reduces the risk by about 30%.

My DD didn't start nursery until she was 3.9 (I was back at work but thankfully we had family help!). I got lulled into a false sense of security as she started PT in summer term and other than a few cough and colds, she was grand.

Even in the autumn term, when she went FT she fared pretty well and then boom winter came and she caught everything going.

From Mid December until the week they broke up for Easter, I think she did about 3 full weeks? She had that horrible virus over the festive period and for most of January. Coughs and colds and then a period of severe earaches. It all culminated in a never ending bout of fucking gastroenteritis 2 weeks before the Easter holidays!!!

6yo had a few coughs and colds and baby got a less worse version of the gastro bug but the middle (4yo) was slammed. It was her first winter in a group setting so I am hoping she has a stronger immune system come next winter?

I'm on medication to suppress my immune system and I managed to avoid the worst (did have a virus over xmas and again in Feb but I was able to function!!)

I don't remember older DC1 suffering the same way and he went from family childcare to full time nursery in the height of winter????? Maybe he was lucky as I'd be very surprised if his immune system was stronger. DC1 is a fussy eater and was bottle fed, DC2 loves all things healthy and was breast fed until 2y8m. One of those things I guess????

Totally normal, although infuriating and comes at the worst time as you've just gone back to work after mat leave!! This was the case for both of mine. I remember how stressful it was.

But, I found that once they got to 18 months/2 it all just eased off. I promise it gets better! I find it hard to recall the last time my dd was off nursery sick (she's almost 4 now).

Also when my eldest started reception, he didn't get ill at all. He had 100% attendance for his reception year and he's only had one day off sick in year one (sickness bug).

Hang in there!