Just a paranoid new mum!!!

[Janmad]

In woolworths the other day (toy shopping) I noticed a very blotchy pale toddler in a pushchair. She looked as if she was 1) just recovering from something very nasty or 2) just coming down with something very nasty. I had DD (7mths) in pram and legged it out of the shop. I am being honest when I say I felt really anxious that DD could catch potential nasty! Also a few weeks back in the Abbey a woman was holding a child at the counter who was covered in spots! I had to leave the bank....am I nuts?

well ... {treads carefully} .. you are a typical new mum and a wee bit paranoid that's true

but I don't think you're nuts ... well not totally

most parents will not take their child out when contagious, many viruses are not contagious without contact .. there could be a million and one reasons for the symptoms you saw and you can't wrap your child in bubble wrap all its life..

but she's still a baby so do what you feel is right .. just don't tell anyone in RL

yes you are paranoid, just run away without them noticing. as the aprents of other children could be upset. my dd1 was once covered head to toe in an allergy rash. she was playing with another child at the docs surgery, when their parnets pulled them back hissing 'you dont know whatshe has', that hurt.

I know a pale blotchy child, but it is a birth defect

What first time mum hasn't done this? You are not nuts just a concerned, loving new mum. I have 3 children and I would not have legged it away from the pale blotchy child (probably nothing) but I would have stepped discreetly away from the child covered in spots and pretended to go look at something. Even though it could have been nothing, for me it is more about not wanting my kids to catch anything as it will most likely go through all three of them and I will be even more tired and cranky .

I have to agree with Mymama. I know illness doesn't bother some people. But I hate the kids being ill, it means grumpy children, less sleep and then I get it and you just have to carry on feeling really awful. So no, I do not think you are paranoid. But illness is inevitable in babies and small children but needless to say I still find myself discreetly moving away from anybody who looks ill! and I have 3 kids and am probably worse now than I was when I had just the one! because as Mymama says - they all get it.

Don't think you sound paranoid. Why deliberately allow your baby to catch illnesses when they can be simply avoided? It is not inevitable that a small child will get ill. My first child was not ill until he was about 17 months old, I suppose because he was not in contact much with other children (although one of his friends at that time caught chicken pox and he didn't, so he must also have been lucky). Just so long as you realise that the more they catch when they are younger, the less ill they are likely to be later. When you have No2 or 3 or even 4 (like me) you have to accept that they will catch everything going.

But whilst you only have one child, I would say it was normal to protect them from whatever illness you can.

I have done it before - edged baby away from children with nasty sounding coughs in store. Then, I was a newbie

Now that dd is in nursery, she mingles with children with all kinds of nasty coughs, runny noses. The nursery posts the illness of the week so that parents can watch out: head lice, diarrhea, chickenpox, conjunctivitis. I would never dream of taking dd out of nursery for this reason. She goes in unless she has a temperature or is very obviously feeling unwell.

I agree with Lonelymum. It is good for the little 'uns immune system to get a good workout when they are small. This will make them stronger- sort of like updating her immune system software for the latest viruses. Dd was frequently ill when she started nursery at 1. Now at 2 years' old, she is rarely sick (touch wood). Still waiting for her to catch chickenpox.

blueshoes - why don't you get her vaccinated for chickenpox???

Mymama, is there a chickenpox vaccine - showing my ignorance here. I always thought you had to get the fullblown thing as a kid.

In America it is normal to vaccinate children against chicken pox as it is considered a dangerous illness - particularly for adults. In Britain we have got so used to it being a normal childhood illness that we forget how serious it can be for a small minority. My DD2 was very ill, GP was debating about hospital at one point as her temp wouldn?t go down, was becoming floppy etc
Also, there are now several strains of chicken pox and it is becoming more and more normal for children to catch it twice - and adults to catch it again. DD1 has had it twice, DD2 only once. I am not a GP but just going on personal family experience and from what the gP has told me. I thought it a good idea for them to catch it when young, happy for them to play with a friend?s children with chicken pox, but seeing as DD1 has caught it again and how ill DD2 was, I think my complacency was rather unwise. If I had known about the vaccine and known what I know now about how ill they can become, I would definitely have got it for my children.

yes blueshoes. Not sure but I think age is from 12 months. Both dd and ds1 have had chickenpox and although they were not really sick at all they both have scars . They didn't even scratch as I had lovely advice from chemist who said to moisturise pox rather than dry them out and they won't get itchy. Found hardest part was no childcare/going out for duration was hardest thing. Ds2 is immunised.

Janmad, hope you don't mind my hijacking your thread somewhat ...

On the chickenpox vaccine, I assume it is not something that the NHS currently offers eg like MMR where Health Visitor calls dd up for it. If I wanted it for dd, I would have to get it done privately?