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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Or could I be making my baby ill?

18 replies

deliakate · 31/03/2010 19:49

He has just been sick again this evening. He's had norovirus, or a vomming and diarroea bug very like it, twice already this year, quite close together. The first time I caught it and it wiped me out, so he must have been feeling awful at his size (8 months).
Its only started since we gave up breastfeeding at 6 months, which I was reluctant to do, but needed to as I had to start some medication he couldn't have.
At first I didn't sterilise bottles, because I read a lot about it not being necessary. But I am doing so now since his illnesses.
I wonder if there is something I'm doing that means he keeps getting ill. Can the same virus re-infect someone, or is he picking up new ones all the time?
How often did you/ do you wash the toys/ teethers of under one y/os? I feel like its all my fault, maybe if I was cleaner, it wouldn't be happening. But I would have no life if I spent any more time cleaning up.
Anyone else experienced this?

And, you would think by now I'd be able to spell effing diarroea without googling it too

OP posts:

rubyslippers · 31/03/2010 19:52

some germs etc are good and increase immunity

i think some kids are more inclined to pick up bugs than others - things like norovirus are easily spread

Pofacedagain · 31/03/2010 19:57

Is he at nursery? Or going to lots of baby groups? If so then I think it is pretty normal [tho awful]

LynetteScavo · 31/03/2010 19:57

Diarrhoea has an H, doesn't it?

I think if you sterilise / disinfect all toys, teethers as a once-off, and always sterilise bottles, but keep everything else clean then that should do the job.

Firawla · 31/03/2010 19:59

im sure its not your fault. i would keep sterilising the bottles though just to be on the safe side? if its since he started formula could he even be allergic to it or something like that?? i really doubt it would be due to not washing toys often enough or anything along those lines.
poor ds and poor you, i hope he feels better & doesnt get it again but u really cant feel its ur fault!

shivster1980 · 31/03/2010 20:02

Don't beat yourself up too much. It is that your baby has been ill but not your fault. I agree with ruby's whole post. Particularly the norovirus spreading easily.

I am a hygiene freak to some extent and only because my late Dad was immuno suppressed for the last 4 years of his life and so we had to be ultra cautious around him. However despite this DS age 3 caught the noro and had it for 48 hours. I was smug and scrupulously handwashing confident that I would not catch it... guess what...he recovered then I went down for 72 hours. Then DH went down for 84 hours - DS and I think he isn't made of as strong stuff as us!

Anyway this long ramble is meant to reassure you. When I was born my (ward sister) mum cleansed and disinfected until she was blue in the face and I caught everything going anyway! When my DB was born she didn't bother beyond the usual bottle teats and he was a very strong healthy baby. Sometimes babies are unlucky.

Don't beat yourself up - just don't!

Original poster

deliakate · 31/03/2010 20:02

Come to think of it, its since he started solid food too.... I guess its very hard when he's eating so many new things to keep a tab on all germs.
He does go to a creche at the gym, and one other baby club, but obv I keep him away for the required time when he's poorly.
I don't hear that many other mums talking about sickie babies - maybe it a guilty secret we all have.

OP posts:

AvadaKedavra · 31/03/2010 20:06

It's been the season for getting ill and babies aren't immune to that, 2 bouts doesn't sound overly much to me tbh.

Pofacedagain · 31/03/2010 20:09

we all had a hideous one last month. Worst ever.

shivster1980 · 31/03/2010 20:12

Ours was last month too Pofacedagain - you aren't in the west midlands are you?

chandellina · 31/03/2010 20:33

my son had it last year, when he was still BFing 6-8 times a day. He's had cold after cold since he was born, despite BFing to 17 months. Some babies just seem more resistant than others. Very unlikely, IMO, that it has anything to do with your hygiene practices.

as far as i recall, you have some immunity from norovirus for a few months after you have it, but then can get it again.

Alambil · 31/03/2010 20:36

my friend's baby has only JUST got better after being ill since the New Year.

That's 3 whole months of illnesses, colds, coughs and bugs. He's 11mo too so quite tiny.

It isn't your fault. Illness happens. You can't prevent contact with all germs, by any means!

ElleBing · 31/03/2010 20:41

My DS had the norovirus when he was around ten months old. It scared the crap out of me However, the doctor at a+e did advise me that if I wasn't already doing so, to be rigorous handwashers. It spreads hand to mouth so wash hands after handling DCs soiled nappies/vomitty clothes (sure you are anyway!) and i also washed LOs bed clothes each night and wiped over the hard surfaces of his cot with diluted Dettol.

It's not your fault. Kids thrive in all sorts of conditions and I'm sure that any "dirt" he is exposed to is minimal, day-to-day dirt. No-one thinks you're grubby or dirty. LOs get sick. That's life!

groundhogs · 31/03/2010 20:49

deliakate: it may be a bug, it may be the way he is, it could be food related.

Do what you can to rule stuff out. Start with the food, go back to stage one foods and only one new one a day and see what happens. Try them at the beginning of the day and observe, safe foods for lunch and dinner. Try a new thing each day and then rotate once you know they are safe.

DS spewed orange the first encounter he had with carrot, it was a mess! So I took it off his menu as it were and retried it when he was much older, with no problems at all.

All the while, sterilise his dummies/bottles and feeding stuff after each use, and see if that helps. Yeah, second the hand washing too, just to be sure.

If you do all this and there are still D&V issues, then have a chat with the Dr.

It's not your fault at all, you are not doing anything wrong. and yes, this will make him stronger somehow.

HumphreyCobbler · 31/03/2010 20:51

Children catch stuff.

Just take ordinary precautions (handwashing etc) and that will be fine.

I sterilised everything for DS and he caught loads of stuff. Didn't bother with DD and she is less likely to catch stuff.

You can't live in a sterile bubble, that is not how the world works.

Original poster

deliakate · 31/03/2010 20:52

Thanks. I should be washing his hands too, right? Its so awkward holding him up to the basin, but I think that's the best way.....

OP posts:

ElleBing · 31/03/2010 20:58

Don't hold him to the basin if it's a struggle, just get a bowl of soapy warm water close by and wash them that way

zam72 · 31/03/2010 21:13

Seems like this year has been particularly bad for vomity things and bad colds and weird bugs. That's my impression from mostly anecdoctal and personal experience, but I'm pretty sure the norovirus official stats are way up this year - there was a first wave in Nov (DS1 got it) and second in Jan (DS2 got it!). I was pretty scrupulous in washing/sterilising etc with DS1 (I'm an anal microbiologist!) but less so with DS2 (second child syndrome and realisation of how futile it all was - DS1 and DS2 have had a similar number of illnesses though!). Take normal, sensible precautions (hand-washing, etc) as I'm sure you are doing - but don't beat yourself up about it. Some bugs are just very good at spreading despite our very best intentions. Sorry your son is sick and hope he feels better soon!

hellymelly · 31/03/2010 21:22

I never sterilised anything,ever,but they have never had a bottle.My dd's have each only had one vomiting bug,the first,dd1 had when she was nearly two,and the second dd2 had last week,she also had diarrhoea but I think she picked it up from a child at DD1 School as it was going around.I had the most hygenic mother in the world and my brother and I were always ill .I'm sure its just bad luck.Wash his hands when he's been out and about,that helps I think.

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