How long does a baby virus last?

[Etherealhedgehog]

Four days in to her first full week at nursery DD (12 months) was sent home with a temp - that lasted 3 days and was immediately followed by vomiting (which has luckily stopped now) and diahorrea. From the first day of temperature we're now on day 7 of whatever this is... no more fever, but diahorrea and she's very lethargic and miserable and basically just wants to sleep all day. Saw the GP yesterday who said nothing majorly wrong, miraculously not dehydrated, it's viral gastro and we just need to wait it out. I guess what I'm asking is, how long is normal for them to be this low with a bug? She's my first and it's covid times, so this is literally her and ours first experience of a baby illness (bar one cold), I'm one of those irritating people who barely gets ill and gets over everything really quickly so 7 days and still miserable is starting to stress me out (both from the perspective of her health and time off work!), but it's probably normal, right? Tell me what's normal!

7 months and counting for us. That's when our nursery journey started. Sickness bug, cold etc. Once recovered, it's starting all over again. Been going on since March with very little break in between! Joys of nurseries :(

That's normal yes, don't worry, when a virus gets you like that you're not done and dusted in one week as an adult and it's no different for babies. If you can keep her vitamin c up that might be worth doing, it is a water soluble vitamin is not stored in the body so dietary intake is the only way of getting it, it is vital for immune response. You could get it in drops form if she isn't up to eating orange /kiwi etc

Thankfully I’ve found bugs as bad as that to be relatively rare but first winter in nursery you can pretty much expect back to back viruses to the point where it’s hard to tell where one ends and another begins. Sorry probably not what you want to hear but I find most of them aren’t worse than a stuffy nose! Hope your LO feels better soon!

Sorry OP, didn't want to sound very matter of fact, just read back my post and it comes accross rather abrupt. Apologies. You have all my sympathies, our DS was never ill before he started nursery but obviously as he started going to mix with other children, all the bugs and illnesses are inevitable. It goes on and on until their immune system gets used to them. All you can do is watch they est a healthy diet, plenty of fluid and vitamins. They say it does get better after the first year but it literally can't come soon enough. DH and I pick most things up from him as well and we are exhausted. I remember the first coupe of months we barely left the house as we took in turns with the colds and PCR tests and as soon as one of us was better, the other started. By the time we recovered DS bought home another virus and all started again. So I'm afraid the 1st week is just a beginning (especially with the cold & flu season starting) but I'm having everything crossed for you that you! All the best

Thanks all, that's good to hear. I knew lots of bugs from nursery was to be expected but was expecting more like never-ending colds, I think we have been a bit lucky to get a virus like this straight off the bat. Big fingers crossed she's on the up for next week - not sure my leave allowance can take much more! And thanks for the tip on vitamins @TopCatsTopHat - she has the Healthy Start drops with breakfast but stupidly we've been forgetting recently as she hasn't been having her normal meals, but I just gave them to her before bed.

That should say unlucky!

Glad I could be a handy memory jogger. Hope she's on the mend soon and stays well. When my two were at nursery they didn't get ill often so it isn't a given, let's hope after this you get off lightly for your leaves sake.

Yeah, I'm really hoping it's not too many more bugs like this She's woken up today with a cough and really hoarse, poor thing, so I'm wondering if it might be actual flu - not sure what else would cause this whole combination of symptoms. That would be very unlucky, as I've only had it once myself and that was as an adult

So we're now on day 10. Upset tummy seems to have resolved but she has a sore throat and ears. She seems pretty jolly for periods of every day but then it will be as if a switch has been flicked and she goes into full meltdown mode - writhing around, screaming and totally inconsolable except with boob and sometimes Cocomelon. Does anyone have experience of that kind of thing as part of a virus - is it likely ear pain? Don't know why I'm asking as we're already dosing her up with Calpol so I'm not sure what else we can do other than wait it out, but God this is hard - I was braced for a very long stream of colds but this feels next level, and like parenting baby Jekyll and baby Hyde to boot.

If you suspect ear pain, especially if she also has a fever, I would get her checked by the doctor as it could be an ear infection and need antibiotics.

@LakeShoreD thanks - she saw the GP yesterday who said that ears are red and tonsils swollen but still thinks it's the same virus, just migrated to ENT (which we had already guessed based on cough and hoarseness). They said they would prescribe antibiotics if her temp spiked again, which it hasn't for almost a week now. But if she's still like this on Monday we'll go back and ask again - I assume it's possible to get a bacterial infection on the back of a virus (?) and I'll honestly try anything