Getting covid has become inevitable

[Whathefisgoingon]

Almost two years of this we have managed to escape infection, but with Omicron spreading like wildfire I feel it’s inevitable now.

We still live fairly cautiously, don’t eat and drink at indoor restaurants etc, triple jabbed etc.

I have a 20 month old and I have wanted to avoid it for him too, I know they say children are at “low risk” of severe disease but that is not zero risk, and severe disease is not the only issue covid brings.

I’m so fed up. This is not the motherhood I had imagined, with family abroad having not seen my kid since he was a few months old.

I am worried for the world, for my 78 year old father, for ourselves. Is this the world my kid is going to grow up in?

I had always reassured myself that humanity has seen this before, the Spanish flu burnt itself out after 2 years, after all. But if it’s true and this was a lab leak, who the hell knows what we are actually dealing with and if this will ever end?

I can’t just pretend it’s not happening. When I walk through town and see the odd elderly person, walking stick in hand and FFP3 mask tightly work, I feel terribly sad for them and how unfair it is to make it through life and now, this.

Sometimes I look at my kid and I am filled with fear, what if I am one of the unlucky ones and he is left motherless? I lost my own mother as a young teen and it has left me with all sorts of emotional issues.

I’m not bothered about the lockdowns, though DP’s business is on its knees and won’t survive another one, which doesn’t help. Mainly, I just want us to be healthy. No more deaths. No more fear.

Anyone else?

It’s a worrying time OP, especially if you own a small business.

Do you think you might have anxiety? If you are all in good health there’s no reason you couldn’t have been eating in restaurants etc earlier this year.

If you do it might be worth going to see your GP as it can get worse without treatment

OP you, or your child or anyone else in your family could catch any number of things that could kill you. You could fall down the stairs, you could get knocked down. You could slip on some ice, hit your head or you could just go to bed and never wake up. These things happen to people every single day, random people, no rhyme nor reason.

I don't mean to be horrible but you are overthinking Covid. Life is not risk free.

We will never get to no covid deaths, face that fact and get on with your life.

@LadyCleathStuart

OP you, or your child or anyone else in your family could catch any number of things that could kill you. You could fall down the stairs, you could get knocked down. You could slip on some ice, hit your head or you could just go to bed and never wake up. These things happen to people every single day, random people, no rhyme nor reason.

I don't mean to be horrible but you are overthinking Covid. Life is not risk free.

We will never get to no covid deaths, face that fact and get on with your life.

Exactly this.

I dont envy mums of young babies. Mine are teens and I worried more when they were small. It must be so anxiety causing.

I worry so much less about my dcs' health now.

It must be tough being a new (ish) mum in covid tim3s

You are restricting your childs life because of your anxiety. Think about what you are doing & get support. Kids get ill with all sorts & it’s just a part of growing up. They need to get I’ll to build up their immune system. Covid IS a mild illness for kids, particularly the under 5’s. I have 20 month old, she’s my second & motherhood has been perfectly normal for a good chunk of this year. We do toddler classes twice a week, she goes to nursery twice a week, she sees my parents at least once a week, we travel to see the in-laws every school holiday. We’ve been on holiday, we go to softplay, we go to trampoline parks, farms, zoos, the shops, restaurants!

DD2 had covid last year at 9 months, she had a runny nose & slight fever for 24 hours. My niece is 9 months, just had covid, completely asymptomatic. Yes, covid could cause complications but so could any illness. DD2 ended up in hospital with dehydration in summer following tonsillitis. DD1 was in hospital with chicken pox because she had a weird reaction.

You are not living in the real world. Do you have friends with similar aged kids? What are they doing? Do you work? What do you think people do with older kids in school? Not send them in in case they or a younger sibling catch it?! Have you taken your kid to do anything Christmassy?! See Santa? All the lovely Christmas stuff?

In the kindest way, you need to get help & start living again. I mean, now is probably not the easiest time to do it given an impeding lockdown 🤦🏼‍♀️

@Bobholll I’m not restricting him at all, actually. We do all of those things though we have knocked the soft play on the head for now which I think is perfectly reasonable.

I hate it when people constantly say it’s “anxiety”, even if I am anxious about it all, it’s hardly unwarranted!

@LadyCleathStuart

OP you, or your child or anyone else in your family could catch any number of things that could kill you. You could fall down the stairs, you could get knocked down. You could slip on some ice, hit your head or you could just go to bed and never wake up. These things happen to people every single day, random people, no rhyme nor reason.

I don't mean to be horrible but you are overthinking Covid. Life is not risk free.

We will never get to no covid deaths, face that fact and get on with your life.

This.

To put it in perspective, your child has been very fortunate to be born here and now. Most of our ancestors faced far greater hardships and risks than covid, and many people in the world would give an arm and a leg to be here rather than where they were born.

Those elderly people walking down the street with a mask on are very fortunate to make it to such an age! We enjoy longer healthier lives than much of the world, which our ancestors could only have dreamed of.

Yes covid sucks. But I think it's really important to recognise that shitty stuff does happen. Nobody is guaranteed a plain sailing life. How we respond to it matters.

It's very difficult for kids growing up in this, and as much as I can I'm trying to keep my kids lives feeling normal.

Covid probably won't harm you or your child, but being so very very anxious probably will be harmful.

@LadyCleathStuart Sure, that much is true, but I feel like I’m just weathering the storm.

Covid will always be around, but soon enough vaccinations will be available for children his age, as will treatments in the event of a worst case scenario. Right now; there is nothing.

Not forgetting the many young that have died and orphaned their children.

I feel like being cautious right now is a small price to pay. Short term pain, long term gain and all of that.

Doesn’t make me feel less shit, though.

OP I have a 17 month old so similar age. I do also worry about her catching it or like yourself worry that I'll just be randomly unlucky and die from it, but then I take comfort that soooo many people have had it and are fine especially with the new variant. Kids are especially unlikely to be ill from it. Our toddlers will probably barely notice if they caught it! Do you have many mum friends who also have pandemic babies? I feel having a close group who are going through exactly the same has been really reasurring to me and we can ground each other. The experience of early motherhood for us is different than that of mothers with older children for example so try to find some others locally who have children same age as you might help x

@Mummamama thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately my friends with babies/toddlers are all anti vax, covid deniers! Makes it a bit hard as they obviously are not taking any precautions and going out of their way to pretend it isn’t a thing

I have a 20 month old and I have wanted to avoid it for him too, I know they say children are at “low risk” of severe disease but that is not zero risk, and severe disease is not the only issue covid brings.

Your child is no more at risk from Covid than the flu or RSV.

[quote Whathefisgoingon]@Mummamama thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately my friends with babies/toddlers are all anti vax, covid deniers! Makes it a bit hard as they obviously are not taking any precautions and going out of their way to pretend it isn’t a thing [/quote]
Ah that's difficult then you can't even confide and discuss your feelings with them. Maybe try meet some others? Facebook groups, local mum walking groups, baby groups or an app called peanut. I found my crew through a mix of these

Are you vulnerable OP? Me and my DC have recently had it (me pre booster) bar tiredness and no smell I wouldn't have known and the kids had zero symptoms. The majority of people have mild symptoms and the percentage of young people and kids who have died directly of covid is very very small. There are far greater things to worry about.

Hmm I definitely think your overthinking it and you need to get on with life the best you can. Covid will always be here now that's a fact. I have a similar aged dd, and a 7 & 5 year old. In between lockdowns we have been on holidays, days out, soft play, restaurants, kids parties you name it. Thats because I didnt want to stop my children doing anything. We actually caught covid from DH going to a pub for a few hours on the 11th of July to watch the England final... this was in the 6 weeks holidays and kids had attended school the rest of the time and we had avoided it. Kids had no symptoms, I had barely any (and pregnant) DH was the most Ill but he could still get out of bed and help with the kids. It's normal to worry as a parent but you need to put things into perspective.

[quote Whathefisgoingon]@Mummamama thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately my friends with babies/toddlers are all anti vax, covid deniers! Makes it a bit hard as they obviously are not taking any precautions and going out of their way to pretend it isn’t a thing [/quote]
Jesus, you need to get some new friends 😳

I really empathise with you OP. I feel a lot the same as this and I am not "anxious" or hysterical or whatever else. It's terribly sad and I do think it has been a trauma - especially if you are far from family and you have a young baby - to see how different life is now than before. Even if you don't restrict life it's simply different and I get that. I am really sad about it too. I don't know what will happen or if it will end but you aren't alone feeling this way and I don't think you are being unreasonable ❤️‍🩹