To send my 11 month old to nursery?

[BeamerTown]

Hi there - I’m looking for advice on sending my baby to nursery in October/ November.

She’s all booked up with a place and will be 11 months old by then, but I’m now getting worried by scare stories saying that a baby’s immune system is so battered by the first year at nursery due to all of the new germs, that you’re leaving them significantly more vulnerable should they catch Covid19.

Half of me wonders whether we should be looking for a nanny or childminder instead - it’s such a tricky and worrying time, let alone adding in the first time mum worries.

So:
YES - you are being unreasonable to send your baby to nursery at the tail end of a pandemic
NO - send your baby to nursery, that’s how they’ll build stronger immune systems

Well if your worried about cV you could still find CM a risk as she may still have other children. However I chose sm over nursery as I liked more of a homely environment and the fact they were more able to go to different groups ect. Bt then it depends on nursery and cm.

If you can afford a nanny go for that option

I'm not sending my 2 yo back in June.
I'll wait and see how they work it all out first.

I can see points for both sides tbh but would lean towards don't send just yet.

I’m now getting worried by scare stories saying that a baby’s immune system is so battered by the first year at nursery due to all of the new germs, that you’re leaving them significantly more vulnerable should they catch Covid19.

There are pros and cons for childminders, nurseries and nannies but this ^ is unevidenced rubbish and I don't think it should form part of your decision.

I'm a childminder and I always warn parents that, in the first couple of months that their child us here, they will probably pick up every cold going! Nothing major but it's because they're in a new setting with different children and are being more exposed to germs.
I absolutely cannot see how it would make them more vulnerable to catching Vivid though.

Thank you all!

They do pick up loads the first 6 m9nths and, because kid germs are more potent or whatever, they'll bring it all back home for you!

Babies should pick up germs in the first year of life. The implications of not doing so can be far more dangerous, such as increasing risk of leukaemia. I wonder if we will see any consequences as a result of infants not being exposed to normal levels of illness and germs in their first year It concerns me that DD has been barely exposed to anything for two months now.

ScarfLadysBag get her to play in the dirt. Seriously, my parents were advised this from real little. We didn't go to groups until over 2.

I would choose a child minder over a nursery for a baby that age anyway, covid or not. Hopefully the virus might be on it's way out by November though.

Unless your baby has other risk factors then all the evidence suggests he’s in the group with the least long term and mortality risk from Covid. To put it bluntly children his age are far more likely to die from or be harmed by flu or meningitis or an unexpected case of TB / Measles. I will have an 11 mth old in nursery too - I considered a nanny but as my mum is shielding I would have no back up care if a nanny got sick.

@Incontinencesucks She does plenty of that We also have a dog and cats who are constantly bringing in God knows what, plus she is a bit older so had plenty of exposure to germs and bugs in the first year (including when she got HFM and was barely affected, but then passed it to me who got it so badly I couldn't eat or talk ) But I have visions of her getting everything going when we rejoin the world!

ScarfLadysBag i once caught dc1 teaching dc2 to lick shoes, they are gross little things but very cute!

What's HFM?

I lucked out last week as 2 dc hadnt had chicken pox, thought it was that but turned out to be a mild allergic reaction! The idea of all those (barring CP) attacking again is not fun.

Hand, foot and mouth. It was awful! DD got a few blisters on her hands but otherwise wasn't bothered. I got en entire mouth full of sores (on Christmas Day, no less) and blisters on my, ahem, downstairs.. Mild childhood illness my arse. It was one of the nastiest things I've ever had!

My mum did say that she didn't think I ever had it as a child so maybe that's why I got it so badly. But it was so painful. I had to use a text to speech app on my phone to talk to my husband as talking was agony!

I sent my son at 11 months ... he never picked up any illnesses and loved it!

None of my kids picked up bugs in creche. All went at 11 months.

Oh ouch ScarfLadysBag that sounds so very painful. Thankfully not one I've seen yet.

I wouldn't x

I decided on CM for my DC when I went back to work when they were both 11 months old.

I wouldn't do a nursery until a child could speak and slightly defend themselves from other kids.

That's just how I felt 🤷