How long will the illnesses last???

[lottie198]

This may be the most stupid question as I know my baby is going to get poorly from attending nursery. BUT
He literally did 1 settling in session for 2 hours and come down with a virus, a bug (which he's passed onto us) and conjunctivitis.
Is this going to be constant now?
My partner had his first sickness day ever today because he couldn't work.
How long did the bugs last? Does it get better come spring time?
Like other babies I suppose, mine is up all night crying when he's poorly and so irritable in the day (don't blame him poor boy) and I'm worried how I'm going to cope at work with no sleep. It's the type of job where a mistake could cost someone's life so I need to be rested somewhat 😭

The first year of nursery was the worst for us. Started at 11 months old and now almost 3.
Still don't use too much holiday in a year just incase of sickness cover.
We take it in turns having days of work and I only work 3 days a week, which helps.

Age 3-4. Sorry!

DC1: Age 3 and it seems to be easing off.
DC2 caught everything from DC1 while I was on mat leave so she's got an iron constitution.

Eeeek really! I'm going back 2 days per week, 10 hour shifts. So luckily won't be working full time

This is the thing, I've not kept him in. We do lots of socialising and baby groups etc. Hes had the flu, Covid, horrible chest virus and about 5 other colds so he must have some immunity. There is so much around I suppose and nursery is the thriving place for bacteria and viruses 😩

Ah see DC1 was born 4 months before lockdown and we were rural so his immune system got zero input for the first 18 months then he was off nursery about 4 days out of 5 for the next 18 months. His grand finale was ending up in hospital with flu, RSV and covid at the same time right after his 3rd birthday and he hasn't been ill at all since. Nothing could convince me to do that again. Hope yours feels better soon.

I'm not sure, because covid lockdown started when our eldest was 20 months so then she got sick a lot less from then onwards. She was at nursery throughout but obviously much reduced numbers of kids were there and they were much stricter about exclusions with signs of illness then too.

My youngest was ill more before he even started nursery from catching it from eldest. But that hasn't helped him at all. He has been ill most of the time since he started in September. Hes been to A&E 4 times, twice of those he was actually referred there by the GP and a third time he was admitted to a ward for a few days for oxygen. It was crap and hard with my eldest but it's been an absolute stressful nightmare with my second and no sign of it letting up yet.

Forever.

2 years for us, Sorry OP 😔 I would advise thinking long term about how you can manage it between you.

Ours was terrible for the first 3 months of nursery, she was off sick for something nearly every week. It’s a little better now she’s moved up to the toddler room which is weird. She’s had conjunctivitis since Christmas but that’s it. I’m hoping that come spring it starts getting a bit better

It’s never really gone completely for us (4yo has been in nursery since 11months). You get lulled into a false sense of security over summer and then once those with older siblings at school get exposed to those illnesses when schools go back after summer they soon make the way to nursery 😩

From 11 months til 3. It's awful

Thanks for everyone's honest responses . How do you deal with it?
We are 2 weeks into Illnesses, he must've had multiple viruses as keeps spiking a temp. I've also caught it and I am so ill and so run down (never really used to Catch anything at all) I dread every bed time because he wakes up screaming multiple times a night cus feels so poorly and is teething. He choked at dinner because he's so congested which scared the life out of me but luckily he's ok. Feel so sorry for him.
Any tips to help us get through this?
Is this him constantly poorly now ?

For DS it was pretty much constant for the entire 2 years he was at nursery. He’s been at pre school since September and has been off for 3 separate spells of illness so far, so they’re a bit more spaced out. Both DH and I work full time and have no support from family/friends with childcare, so it’s been incredibly difficult but slowly improving.

We dealt with it very badly. Not going to pretend I was all stoic and fine on a few hours broken sleep because I wasn’t! Things I found helped:

1. Sterimar spray for congestion
2. Nurofen for temperatures, calpol is rubbish
3. Buying a double bed for DC’s room so one of you can sleep with him and at least be relatively comfortable. Other parent can sleep in your bed then swap so at least none of you end up on the floor/sofa.
4. Keeping foods in that they will eat with a temperature - for DD that’s yoghurt, ice lollies, mini milk ice creams, fruit pouches, and digestive biscuits
5. An in ear digital thermometer - under the arm ones are crap

Remember if temperature is over 38.5, strip down to nappy/underwear and open the window. So many parents still seem to keep them bundled up even when they’re boiling. We used to walk DD out into the winter night in just a nappy when she had a 40 degree fever (encouraged by paramedics).
It’s tough but you will stop panicking a little over the months xx

Aw I feel for you. It's so difficult. The positives are: this pretty much has to happen, every illness is helping to build a robust immune system. You won't get every single thing he gets. His sleep won't always be dire/he won't always be teething. Although there is always something going around, spring/summer is usually easier. Some illnesses will be "just" a cold - my two year old often has a sniffly nose - a full blown fevery virus less often. Good luck!

Thank you !
We already do a lot of these and I agree ibuprofen works sooo much better and really helps him but it can't be used over and over as affects the stomach lining that's the thing. He's been having at least one dose a day for the past week though but make sure it's after milk.
He's completely gone off food and will literally only eat fruit pouches which I don't generally buy because of the expense and usually he eats lots of whole fruits. I'm just gonna give him whatever he wants when he's poorly though.
X

@Greentomatoes21 thank you . That's reassuring. X

@Cuppasoupmonster oh ... and we already co sleep , he's been in our bed for 4 months. Him being poorly is obviously delaying the transition to the cot even harder. I may as well dismantle it and sell it lol he's slept in it about 5 times and not even all night! X

We put a mug of boiling water with lot's olbas oil drops in on a high shelf in my child's room when coughing or has a cold. Seems to help and better than the calpol plug in.