To worry about catching it?

[Flufluflu]

Name changed from my regular username because I’ve talked about it on my due date group!

Our bathroom is being refitted next week and will be completely unusable so we are staying with my parents who live 10 minutes away from Monday. DM is caring for my toddler nephew this Friday. He has had confirmed flu. His symptoms began last Thursday and it’s been horrible for him, bless him. He seems mostly better in himself but I have read online that children are infectious for 7-10 days after the onset of flu and sometimes longer. DM is caring for him on the 8th day, so he may or may not be infectious still. Both his parents have had it and still feel unwell- she will see them when she picks him up and drops him back off.

I am 34 weeks pregnant and will be seeing and staying with DM 3 days after she’s looked after my nephew. If DM is unlucky enough to catch flu from him, apparently she could be infectious a couple of days before her symptoms even begin.

I am worried about the risk of catching flu myself as I am not having my flu jab until next week.

Do you think there is risk or no more than any other every-day activities like going to the shops or hospital appointments?

Trying to be rational but also don’t want to put me and baby at risk.

I'd not take the risk personally

It won't kill you to go without a shower for a few days. A bowl of water and a flannel serviced human cleanliness for an awfully long time before showers were invented. Nothing will turn green and drop off if you don't shower every day. Promise.

I wouldn't risk it. Flu is beyond awful. Anyone who thinks it's no big deal clearly hasn't actually had it, only a bad cold.

How long is it for? I'd probably stay at home and shower at dms after a few days (assuming no signs of flu) and just flannel wash at sink other days.

I too would stay home.

They will leave you with a working loo at all times.

You have solutions for the shower at the gym.

Also if you move out your plumber may take longer knowing you have somewhere to go.

We didn’t stay anywhere else when our one bathroom was being re-done. Didn’t see the need. They renovate them so you can’t use the toilet for a minimal amount of time and we weren’t particularly long without a shower either. I was also pregnant actually, just as a coincidence 😂

Your mum has offered to go and stay at her sister's... so take her up on that offer!

Relying on toilets in a supermarket down the road is bonkers! Not sure why you think that'd be a good idea... not only do you need to wee waaay more than anyone else, they're filthy! Your mum's house will be clean and I'm sure she'd be actively washing her hands and doing everything she can to minimise any risk of spreading germs.

I wouldn't take the risk.

Yes there is a risk everywhere, but this is a known risk, and it sounds like there are other things you can do instead. Also, I agree with pps who said when they refit bathrooms they generally leave you with a working toilet as much as possible!

Thank you everyone. I do think it would be easy to stay at home the only problem is if it will be too loud to get much work done, as I’m wfh, and obviously the big inconvenience of not having a toilet readily accessible in the daytime (as PP pointed out which I never considered, supermarket toilets aren’t necessarily going to be clean or virus free).

My nephew might not be infectious anymore and she might not even catch it from my nephew. It’s all the ‘ifs’ and surely there are as many ifs as there would be if I was to go to our local shopping centre. My husband also works for the NHS patient facing so could come into contact with flu at any point and realistically probably does. It feels like a hard call.

Could you get your flu jab done a bit sooner at Boots? I don't think you'd really be anymore at risk staying at your parents and trying to isolate a bit, using different bathroom etc.

I can go from today as a walk in but apparently it takes two weeks to be effective protection

You can shower at the gym? Then do that! I honestly wouldn't risk getting flu during pregnancy. And yes, the flu jab takes two weeks to take effect. I had mine last Saturday and was reminded of this fact.

We paused our memberships atm but have a few free day passes we can use. Thank you

I’ve asked my midwife what she thinks. It’s tough because this poll is so split, and I am so split too in my mind. The easiest solution is to stay there in a practical sense. Anything else would be making life hard. I have been signed off driving too by the GP due to pelvic discomfort so it won’t be so easy to travel to the shops or gym to use the toilet/shower there.

DM totally understands my concerns and is deep cleaning her house at the weekend, nephew won’t be spending time in it anyway as she’s taking him to the park and soft play. We have a bathroom to use there that she’s said she won’t use from the point of having him, and she said she would leave antibac wipes in the kitchen and keep her distance from me bless her.

Bumping for any more votes/opinions

Does your Mum live 10 mins walk or 10 mins driving?

Driving x

Then staying at home w/o a loo (when you don't feel able to ask neighbours) isn't really doable. Walking 3/4 a mile to the supermarket toilet isn't really feasible when you're so pregnant.
Not being able to drive really means you need to be where there is a loo and a shower.

Can you find out how long you'll be w/o a loo at home before you make a decision?

What did the midwife say?

The loo will be available technically apart from the few hours they replace it. The problem is they’ll obviously be working in the bathroom so it might be awkward to keep asking them to leave it while I go for a wee!

The midwife thinks since nephew will be on day 8 at least of illness before my mum sees him, it is no riskier to see my mum than any other day to day contact with others. Inclined to agree but just scared as this is a ‘known’ case rather than, someone in the shop could have it.

Bit confused. There's flu in the area and yet you'll use public toilets and public swimming baths? You'd be 'safer' at your Mums, wouldn't you?