Is this Hand, Foot and Mouth? DH thinks I am being overly fussy!

[missingthemountains]

DS2 (9 months) has been unwell last 2 days with high temperature, not sleeping, off food etc. Today he has tiny red spots with white centres all over his feet, lower legs, scrotum and backs of his hands. I can't get a look in his mouth but he is refusing breast feeding which is alarming as he is a total boob-a-holic. although this rash has come out his temperature has come down this evening and he seems generally better (except for wanting breastfeeding then screaming whenever I offer it )

and I am supposed to be returning to work tomorrow from maternity leave

Hand, foot and mouth usually exhibits blistery sores on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet as a final stage after an itchless body rash. Sore patches are likely in the mouth as well as general unwell-ness. It doesn't sound as if your DS has this, but it sounds as though you should call NHS Direct, just to be on the safe side - all is clearly not right with him.
Sorry that this has occurred just as you were due back after ML.
I never went back after ML, FWIW - I just couldn't do it - I couldn't leave him. Maybe a complete non-sequitur, maybe not?

My DS had hand foot and mouth disease when he was about 1. It started off with red spots with white centres on hands and feet and massive blistery spots on his mouth - looked a bit like impetigo on his face. He didn't have any spots anywhere else though.

FWIW DS was disangosed with it but it wasn't treated with anything. You really need to get it diagnosed by a doctor.

Sympathise with you over the timing with you going back to work....childhood illnesses have impecable timing.

It sounds like it: my DS had it. THere isn;t much treatment apart from calpol or equivalent, and it isn;t serious, just miserable.
BTW people will tell you that adults 'rarely' get it. Well I caught it off DS and it is Not Fun (sore fingers and sore mouth for about a week).

ds's had tiny little blisters literally on hands, feet and round their mouths. Particularly on tips of fingers and toes, really close together and red looking but were very visible as blisters if you squeezed the skin. Nothing you can do for it particularly.
It doesn't sound like it tbh, what were your childcare plans for tomorrow?

some of the spots have got a bit bigger - blister like - (although smaller than chicken pox ones). all over hands and feet and there is one spot next to his mouth. assume mouth must be painful as he wakes up and crying and only settles after I have loaded his dummy with tons of teething gel.

he was supposed to be going to nursery tomorrow - obviously won't be going there. Hopefully DH will be able to look after him but he (DH) has Multiple Sclerosis so may not be well enough. don't have any family nearby so if DH isn't well I will have to call in and take a holiday on my first day back. arghhhhhhh!!!!!

am feeling bad enough about whole return to work and leaving my precious LO without him being poorly and needing his mummy too

by the way does anyone know how long he'll have to stay off nursery?

If you're going to have to take tomorrow off anyway I'd take him to the Doctors. It may be chickenpox (warn them so you can sit away from others in the surgery though) or it may be something else entirely.
Real pig it being your first day back after ML though. I was off sick on my first day back after a year - felt like I was taking the mickey but DD brought so many things back from nursery in those first weeks (conjunctivitis, chickenpox, hand foot and mouth, stomach bug and a lovely cold) that I thought I was never going to be well again.
Hope he gets better soon.

As long as you need him to be off. Please don't think I'm being rude/cheeky, but you clearly don't want to go back to work, and I don't blame you - I never wanted to go back and I never did. The best decision I ever made. A bit of a knacker financially, but so worth it.