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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Health anxiety RE toddler.

80 replies

bellaweir · 30/09/2021 15:16

DD21 months started nursery on the 5th September and came down with a cold on the 9th. She is STILL full of a runny nose and this awful dry irritating sounding cough. She's fine and happy in herself. Been abit off her food this week but other than that she's all good.

I suffer really badly with health anxiety and I can't help but worry she has pneumonia or something else serious. I really don't know what to do. I wish I'd never sent her to nursery. Everyone's saying it's the weather and just post nasal drip but I'm so anxious. She coughs constantly and it sounds so dry and tickly

OP posts:
Wishbub · 30/09/2021 16:15

Does she have a fever/breathing problems? It probably is just post nasal drip as was suggested if there's no fever/wheezing. I'm afraid she'll pick up a lot of viruses at nursery, or anytime she's mixing with other children. It's all helping her immune system in the long-term though.

GoodnightGrandma · 30/09/2021 16:19

If she’s eating, playing and sleeping, she is most probably ok.
Have you asked about cough medicine at the chemist ? I’m not sure if she’s old enough for it yet.

Smartiepants79 · 30/09/2021 16:20

If she is fine and happy then she is exactly that - fine.
Have you never had a cough or snotty nose that lingered?
If she was really ill you’d know about it. She’d be lethargic and wingey or not eating or not sleeping.
She is going to catch bugs. Whether she’s at nursery or not.

Original poster
bellaweir · 30/09/2021 16:28

Thank you for your reassurance. No fever. Felt abit warm on and off but no temp symptoms.

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Original poster
bellaweir · 30/09/2021 16:29

No wheezing and breathing fine. Alert and happy. Just a really runny nose and a constant irritating dry cough

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Twizbe · 30/09/2021 16:29

Children pick up bugs all the time. It's good for their immune systems but annoying for us.

It should calm down in a few months as she build some immunity.

thaegumathteth · 30/09/2021 16:30

My toddler had pneumonia. His temperature was 40+ and he was delirious and very unwell

Original poster
bellaweir · 30/09/2021 16:31

@thaegumathteth I'm sorry to hear that, I hope he is okay now x

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BabyPotato · 30/09/2021 16:33

When mine started nursery he was sniffly and had a cough on and off for 3 years. Now he started school and he's got a cold. Grin I think this is what happens when they mix with other kids. They seem to have a constant cold, but usually it's nothing to worry about. I think if she seems happy and alert it's unlikely to be anything serious. I know how you feel though, health anxiety is horrible. Brew

Original poster
bellaweir · 30/09/2021 16:37

She had awful nappies up until yesterday as well and the coughs more but drier sounding. Is that a good sign? Sorry I'm so anxious

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GoodnightGrandma · 30/09/2021 16:39

Is she teething at all ?

Original poster
bellaweir · 30/09/2021 16:41

Nope not that I know of

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SylvanasWindrunner · 30/09/2021 16:43

Coughs linger for bloody ages with toddlers. DD had one for a month after a cold!

thaegumathteth · 30/09/2021 16:46

He's fine. Antibiotics sorted him out. Honestly though it sounds like she just has a cough - my kids had coughs and colds all the time when they were little

Original poster
bellaweir · 30/09/2021 21:13

I absolutely hate night times. It just accelerates my anxiety so so much.

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Original poster
bellaweir · 30/09/2021 21:14

She's been running round loads tonight. Still coughing and her nose is still dead runny. She's sneezing quite a bit as well today.

Surely it couldn't be a chest infection if she can run round?

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SylvanasWindrunner · 30/09/2021 21:20

It just sounds like she has a cold, OP! All the kids at DD's nursery have one at the moment. If she's running around and happy then there's nothing to worry about.

A chest infection she would be visibly unwell. She'd have a temperature, be lethargic, possibly coughing up copious gunk. She just has a cold, and she'll have zillions more of them over the course of her childhood, so just mop up the snot as best you can and hope you don't catch it too!

Original poster
bellaweir · 30/09/2021 21:23

I'm gonna see about going to the GP tomorrow because I'm just so so anxious. She had RSV bronch as a baby and ended up in hospital for 3 weeks so it just heightens my anxiety.

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Original poster
bellaweir · 30/09/2021 21:34

I know nursery said today there's a few hacking away

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Original poster
bellaweir · 30/09/2021 21:48

DD fell asleep about 9, she was playing and stuff. Can a child be happy, playing, running round and full of energy with a chest infection?

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thepinknecklace · 30/09/2021 21:51

I know how you feel.

My ds2 was unwell a few weeks ago (with what turned out to be hand foot and mouth) and I’d diagnosed him with everything right up to a rare cancer 🙈

But honestly, my two kids have had coughs, colds, ear infections, tonsillitis etc and it doesn’t really get easier but you do start to be able to rationalise more quickly.

Sending love. Hope she’s feeling better soonFlowers

ShatParp · 30/09/2021 21:54

I feel your pain! I used to be so terrified of coughs too after my eldest had constant respiratory infections, including pneumonia twice! She was so so unwell though, 40+ temp and unable to get up, if that reassures you. It took a long while for me to calm down about coughs! 3 weeks in hospital as a baby must have been awful to go through and it's not surprising you're anxious now as a result so explain that to the GP, they will be understanding. Go easy on yourself!

Original poster
bellaweir · 30/09/2021 21:57

She doesn't cough in the night really either. Her breathings fine too. I just hate this time of year and the darkness and fear it brings me. I miss summer.

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Original poster
bellaweir · 30/09/2021 21:58

No wheezing no rattling, that's reassuring isn't it. Sorry I'm a pest

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AleynEivlys · 30/09/2021 21:58

I know the feeling only too well, but honestly, if it was something as serious as pneumonia, you wouldn't be wondering. You would know something was very wrong, especially as an anxious mum.

When my first daughter started nursery at 3, she caught bugs so frequently that she basically spent about the first half year ill. I worried myself to death thinking she could have cystic fibrosis as she had always been a bit 'mucousy' (I should add that I have really severe health anxiety about my children too). Eventually after about four months of constant fevers and illness, she ended up hallucinating Minions on the wall and scared me half to death, then within days had a weird regression of speech where she started forgetting all the correct terms for things and slurring her words, and ended up in hospital being investigated for encephalitis.

They couldn't find anything wrong, and in the end put it down to her being so run down and exhausted. The speech thing was thankfully short-lived and cleared up within a few days and she went back to normal. Soon after that, the illness tailed off a bit, and now she is 7 she gets about 4 colds a year at the worst.

I realise that was a bit of a scary story, but my point is, even things that seem really frightening usually aren't. Of course you should get it checked out but I think it's very likely her doctor will listen to her chest and pronounce it clear. It must have been terrifying when she was ill as a baby but now she is bigger and stronger it's unlikely that this is anything more than a simple cold, especially if she is still active and engaged.

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