Covid baby

[Adifferentstory2]

Just posting for some solidarity really. I have a 15 month old who started nursery 3 months ago. He has an older sibling who, due to lockdown, wasn’t at school much over the last year and therefore didn’t expose my youngest to any of the usual bugs.

Since starting nursery, my youngest has been absolutely plagued by illness. Not hugely surprising given the lack of bugs during Covid, and the fact that my oldest was the same (we seem to do way worse than my friends’ kids for some reason).

But my youngest has taken it to the next level. 2 awful colds, tonsillitis (which led to sepsis and a 2 night hospital stay), a sickness bug and now a weird virus and horrible wheeze. I’m absolutely exhausted, my DH and I both work full time, in challenging jobs. We haven’t had one single week in the last 8 where my little one has gone to nursery for the whole week (and often he doesn’t go at all). Thankfully we have one grandma around who has helped loads (along with leave / working into the night and general juggling).

Is anyone else struggling to this extent with their Covid baby? And also struggling with feeling like an over protective parent and taking him to GP all the time. I guess I’m burnt by the sepsis and therefore want his ears and throat checking every time to make sure there isn’t an infection as he simply doesn’t cope with getting rid of them himself.

He’s gently wheezing away at the moment (but not in respiratory distress, probably just very congested) and again I’m not wanting to take him to the GP (‘it’s probably viral’) ringing in my ears 😔

Yes!

My son had been in lockdown since 5/6 months and with the various restrictions he has barely been anyway or mixed.

He started nursery in Feb and has literally one thing after another! I sympathise as it truly is exhausting. I have posted several threads, constant runny nose, cough, conjunctivitis, tonsillitis, fever you name it.

We are currently in the midst of a fever and a throat infection.

I totally feel your pain, and feel cheated that we still can't go many places as he is always ill....

Also don't feel bad for wanting things to be assessed by a GP.

Twice I have had illnesses dismissed. Firstly with tonsillitis, which he ended up being admitted to hospital for 4 days due to possible sepsis and dehydration. If I'd listened to what I was being told he might not have gotten the treatment need and secondly, 3 weeks he's been ill apparently hayfever, went to the out of hours and he has a nasty throat infection.

It makes you lose faith abit but you know your child best. Regardless of what anyone else thinks

Yes! Every fucking virus that has ever mutated has taken up residency in DS1 (and my) nose/throat since March.

It’s so draining, currently says here with a small mountain of tissues in the bin next to me.

Poor DS never gets a good nights sleep and is up coughing all the time unless we slather him in snuffle babe and put the humidifier on.

I take some solace from the fact only 2 months before he’s back home with me on may leave so hopefully it’ll calm down.

@DiscoDinoBooBoo are you me?? I’m so sorry that you’re going through the same but so glad you posted. A couple of my friends have kids the same age and are just reporting the occasional running nose. I’m like WTF - we are literally managing a day at nursery before some raging horror starts up again.

Ditto on the sepsis - I’d done 3 calls to 111 before eventually getting through to my GP (who was closed for training the day he really went off) who told me to go to ED straight away. He had a temp of 40.5 (though they don’t seem to worry about temps in the slightest), a HR of 200 at its worst and O2 sats of 91. He was going blue and was clearly very very poorly. I’m really well read on sepsis and even then I was thinking ‘don’t fuss, maybe he’ll rally etc’ - absolutely crazy reaction my me. Bloody terrifying.

@FTEngineerM ah yes! And myself who seems to get everything! I also have a giant box of tissues I'm currently working my way through....

@FTEngineerM your upcoming mat leave must feel like an absolute dream. I’m thinking through nuclear options - going part time, parental leave (unpaid) etc. My first was like this for 9 months - my small is so much sicker and we can’t take another 7 months like this. Thanks for posting - hugely appreciated though sorry you’re also harbouring a germ farm! X

@Adifferentstory2 haha! I read your post and sounds spookily similar....

Same, my sister has 2 kids that attend the same nursery and yup, just snotty noses and the occasional cough????

The tonsillitis episode was horrendous and massively scary. It just kept getting brushed off, 3 trips to A&E and numerous calls to 111. I eventually took him to doctors when he was the same 40.6 and I was literally screaming because I was so annoyed that they left him like this! By this point and 4 Days in the doctor called an ambulance as his breathing had deteriorated and was sucking in at the neck, along with blue mottled skin.... didn't even go into the waiting area at the hospital straight up to the ward. I was the same, thinking he will hopefully sleep it off, must seem worse than it is blah blah blah, I felt like that because no one seemed to be taking it seriously, I was right so I'm glad I persevered.

Hang in there, it's so tough especially when you are exhausted! The throat infection at the moment is tough as I have a sinus infection (for good measure) so it's not easy!

I know I said it before (and I've heard people say it and thought 'yeah yeah') but you know your child better than anyone.....so don't let anyone tell you it's ok if you feel it isn't, granted the GP office probably think 'it's her again' but im past it, because I know best!! Ha

@DiscoDinoBooBoo you’re so right. I always say to myself that I’m the only person that can advocate for them. They can’t talk, tell me it hurts to swallow or that their chest is tight. But it’s hard - I wish there were more nurse practitioners trained to look in mouths, ears and listen to chests so that people could be encouraged to have their smalls monitored when they’re not well. I know viruses can’t be treated with medicine and I don’t want that, but I do want to know if on day 5 of x,y,s they’re throat isn’t any better and it might be bacterial tonsillitis. Gah, hard.

Hope you feel better lovely and that your small if coming out of the long big tunnel. X

Youre right @DiscoDinoBooBoo I almost forgot about that, lots of days spent slobbish around feeling meh too ☹️.

I’ve started referring to the nursery as ‘the petri dish’, I’m not sure what they get up to there but it seems they just just go around licking each other or something 😂.

Sorry you’re both going through this too.

@Adifferentstory2 hr of 200 ?! God good job you were persistent and got better. I am, I’m dreaming of maternity at the minute.

Absolutely. My son is 22 months so a little older but he can't tell me so I have to go on his behaviour, if he isn't bouncing off the walls he's off!

I agree, I think sometimes that nurses/ gps avoid looking in the throat because (and it is) a nightmare task! But each time he's been ill with tonsils/ throat it hasn't been checked? Seems bizarre...

Antibiotics aren't always the answer, and I don't want to be constantly giving them I agree but sometimes I think surely 'everything' isn't viral?

Same to you hope your little one improves too!

It's a bloody nightmare, thanks for letting me vent on your post too! Feels like I'm alone in this sometimes as it's always mine that's bloody I'll! Bet the nursery are laughing all the way to the bank

Same, although thankfully not as severe. My two are 23 months and 3 months and they’ve both had colds solidly for the last month 🤷🏼‍♀️ It’s gonna happen after so long being confined.

@DiscoDinoBooBoo your vent is very welcome. So nice to not feel quite so alone (or that we must be doing something wrong). Someone even suggested it’s because we’re vegetarian 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤪.

@FTEngineerM we call it the Petri dish too 😆. My DH suggested we start to gel / wash his hands more. I was like, it’s not his bloody hands that are the problem, it’s his hot, slobbery little mouth 🤢

@FudgeSundae sorry to hear and hope it stays at the cold ‘level’ for you (still grim)

I don't have a covid baby but my 3 year old has been the same this year. It's been exhausting. He has been in nursery since 7m but had a year off because of covid and him immune system is shot

@trevthecat sorry to hear that. Apparently it’s affecting pre-school children badly. I’ve heard there is a wave of respiratory illness to come. Also, starting to be reported (though the article suggests over zealous parents - again)!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2021/jun/25/ae-units-in-uk-report-rapid-rise-in-childrens-infections

@Adifferentstory2 haha, because you are vegetarian?? That's hilarious!

I read the article you posted and when we were in hospital with tonsillitis the ward staff said it was absolutely hectic because of COVID!

its his hot slobbery little mouth

I’m so glad I found this thread ❤️ Our DS gives us ‘kisses’ bites that consist of him opening his mouth as wide as possible and covering various parts of our face 😂. It’s cute, I hope he grows out of it though otherwise his class mates aren’t going to be impressed.

Maybe it is all those pesky fruits and vegetables making you ill, who knows, not like they contain and vitamins or minerals anyway 🤦🏽‍♀️.

I can confirm it’s not ‘over zealous parents’😲, damn article, I’m also ill with him every time.

I didn't have a COVID baby but my 2 year old started nursery 2 month ago and like yours has picked up everything! Literally been ill for 2 month.
Tonsillitis
Sickness bug
Cold
Chest infection.

Poor things!

I didn't have covid babies, but I found each subsequent child had it worse. I put it down to not just having their own bugs to deal with, but having the older sibling's school bugs too.

However ds (#3) still tends to be ill far more than his siblings and #1 is rarely ill.

Sooooo glad I started this 😊 though very sorry you’re all suffering. It seems to be any pre-school kids. @IncyWincy21 that’s rough and interesting it’s as bad for a two year old as smaller ones.

I feel so sorry for them. My little one has escalated today - from just another virus, which we thought was getting better, to increasingly unwell. It makes no sense and seems to get worse at the 5/6 day mark. I feel sorry for us all too x

No advice, but solidarity. 4yo and 13mo. Always fucking ill. Several times on the edge of what we're able to cope with- bags packed and cars facing the right way in the drive so can shoot off to a+e is needed. It's both psychically and mentally exhausting. Also the constant negotiation re who should watch the poorly child, wanting it to always be me, but not possible as both work full time, earn similarly and similarly senior so just have to split it. Bleurgh.