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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to take my chickenpoxy newborn out shopping?

44 replies

TessOfTheDullvilles · 19/08/2009 11:28

She's 3 weeks old, has mild chickenpox (diagnosed by GP), doesn't seem ill at all except for the spots. I'm going mad stuck in the house all the time - is it OK to go to a shopping centre with her or is it really that contagious?

OP posts:
bigstripeytiger · 19/08/2009 11:30

Its OK to take her out 5 days after the first spot appeared, how long ago did she get them?

gingernutlover · 19/08/2009 11:34

my GP told me that to catch chicken pox, you have to be in a room in close proximity to someone who has it for at least 15 minutes.

Therefore I was happy to pop dd in her buggy and walk to the local shop in the fresh air but I wouldnt have gone round a whole shopping centre. Don't know if i was being logical but there you go. As long as she's in her buggy and covered up mainly then a walk in the fresh air or 2 minutes to biuy a paper in a shop would be okay to me

gingernutlover · 19/08/2009 11:35

oh and they are contagious before the spots coem out by the way and until 5 days after the very last spot appears.

edam · 19/08/2009 11:38

Wouldn't go to a shopping centre until all the scabs are healed. Chicken pox can be very serious in pregnant women/people with low immunity. And nasty for adults who catch it for the first time.

Stigaloid · 19/08/2009 11:39

YABU if she is still contagious. There could be others with compromised immune systems who could really suffer through your selfishness if you take her out and she infects them. Sit in your garden or pop on a dvd or have others round to visit you - but don't go infecting others because you are bored.

Original poster
TessOfTheDullvilles · 19/08/2009 11:43

Not really selfishness to be fair - I was only going to take her out if everyone said there's no way anyone could catch it just from walking past her pram in a shop... I thought it might require closer contact than that - after all, not many people "randomly" catch chickenpox do they? You usually know exactly who you caught it from.

OP posts:
FuriousofTunbridgeWells · 19/08/2009 11:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mummywhereisyourwillie · 19/08/2009 11:49

I'd say it would be selfish to take her out. Imagine how you would feel if she was newborn and vulnerable with something wrong with her and she caught it off someone being thoughtless.

I know how you feel though and I used to put our children in the buggy and walk down isolated country lanes.

edam · 19/08/2009 11:49

No idea who ds caught it from. Or who I caught it from back in the dim and distant. It is contagious - I took ds to the park but that was in term-time during school hours when it was empty (and obv. in the fresh air, kept him away from shops/other people).

Ring a friend or two and invite them over if they've had chickenpox.

Original poster
TessOfTheDullvilles · 19/08/2009 11:51

fair enough - was hoping people would say it was OK.

Just feels like I've been stuck at home for ages since DD2 was born - first due to DD2's low birthweight, then due to DD1's cpox, now DD2's got cpox too.... makes me wonder what's next!

OP posts:
sayithowitis · 19/08/2009 11:53

I think you should not take a child out if you know them to be contagious or infectious. Chicken pox is particularly nasty for any one who has a low immune system. It can lead to major chest problems and can be fatal. My late Step-Dad had many chest problems and a compromised immune system. When the my DC's and Dnephews had chicken pox, we were all advised by the doctors, to stay completely away until they had all fully recovered.

MyMamaToldMe · 19/08/2009 11:54

YABU - my GP told me that it is contagious until the last scab has dropped off. Go for a walk somewhere remote if you want to get out of the house - I really don't think it is okay to go to a shopping centre and risk passing it on.

AmazingBouncingFerret · 19/08/2009 11:54

You dont need to go to a busy shopping centre to get out of the house though, go for a walk somewhere thats not going to be overly crowded.

puffylovett · 19/08/2009 11:55

I suppose the other thing to bear / bare (sp ?) in mind is that she herself may be more immuno compromised at the moment, and therefore you could also be exposing her to other bugs and viruses unneccessarily. Although I suspect she will get exposure from your DC1 anyway.

(Although I am all for sharing it about, where do you live so I can send my DS over - I'd like to get it out of the way before DC2 arrives in a few weeks. )

I really feel for you, I'd be stir crazy too, being stuck in for that long !

Original poster
TessOfTheDullvilles · 19/08/2009 12:02

The reason I was thinking of a shopping centre is that there are a few things I really need to buy, including anniversary card/present for DH. And I live near the centre of a city, so can't easily go walking somewhere "remote" anyway.

Oh well, I shall give up on my plans!

OP posts:
FuriousofTunbridgeWells · 19/08/2009 12:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JodieO · 19/08/2009 12:08

Buy things online. On another note, my ds1 and ds2 got chicken pox but dd managed to avoid it! We all live in the same house too.

MrsBadger · 19/08/2009 12:09

shame about the shopping but do go to the park

pack yourself a thermos and a cake so you needn't go into starbucks

FabBakerGirlIsBack · 19/08/2009 12:10

You can visit me if you want!

I am here on my own and have had it.

I know how miserable it is to be stuck in the house, .

goingtohaveagoodnightssleep · 19/08/2009 12:17

WHen DD2 had it as a newborn I put her in the pram with the raincover over her.

stonethecrows · 19/08/2009 12:17

There was a massive bout of cp at my dds school last term. Went striaght through the school and all younger siblings too. Many people (me included) had no choice but to do the school run with infectious children. What a lot of the parents were doing was putting their infectious children in buggies with the rain covers tightly on, with the hope that any germs would be kept inside for the short period we were around others. Perhaps you could try that (although maybe not in a busy shopping centre!)

MrsBadger · 19/08/2009 12:22

actually I often think there may be a market for big hats or placards that say 'Infectious with Chickenpox / mumps / etc - do not approach unless immune'

or maybe we should just ring bells and shout 'Unclean! Unclean!'

as a pg woman who has not had chickenpox I would appreciate them

Original poster
TessOfTheDullvilles · 19/08/2009 14:45

In this warm weather I wouldn't like to put a raincover on the pram, so I'll consider myself duly quarantined at home! Anniversary is tomorrow so no time for online shopping (why do I always leave things to the last minute?!) but I'm sure DH will understand

OP posts:
IdrisTheDragon · 19/08/2009 14:57

I sympathise (DS got chicken pox when DD was 4 weeks and then DD got it when she was 6 weeks). Felt like I was at home for rather a lot of time when she was little.

I don't know where DS got it from so I think your DD2 could infec t someone without them realising.

Glad she's not too ill though - my DD was like that.

misdee · 19/08/2009 14:58

please dont go to the shops.

dh is working today in the shopping centre locally, and is immune suppressed due to a transplant. he loves coo-ing over babies as well. he is due at harefield tomorrow for big 2year check-up