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Original poster

Scared to take baby into public places!

13 replies

Habichuela · 19/02/2013 16:12

Hello there

I wondered if anyone has been in the same boat or would like to tell me I'm being irrational and need to get a grip!

My baby is 15 weeks old today but before he was born I became totally freaked out by the whooping cough epidemic that's about in UK. My baby came a little early so I missed the opportunity to get the jab they have started offering to pregnant women. Because of that I became terrified that my newborn might catch this terrible disease and the worst might happen, so I decided to keep him "quarantined", or at least out of the public as much as possible. We have basically only been to appointments and Sainsbury's for supplies!
Hello!

My baby had a bit of bronchiolitis when he was 5 weeks and spent a night in hospital (I freaked out so much because they put him in the respiratory infection pediatric ward, he was surrounded in spluttering children!). I expressed my concerns and that I wasn't vaccinated as a child so no immunity would have been passed to baby and the doc in charge decided my baby should start immunizations at 6 weeks (the immunization schedule in New Zealand also starts at 6 weeks). I very happy about this and decided that after his first jab I would be able to take him into public spaces, go on buses and be normal again. However, I began to feel very anxious that 1 dose would offer too little protection and decided best to wait for his final jab at 14 weeks.

I was told that its 2 weeks until body makes an immune response so I figured when my baby is 16 weeks he will be as protected as possible. Today I am starting to get anxious again because in a week I will be 'unleashing' my baby but now I'm thinking, what if the vaccine hasn't worked on him? what if the nurse administered the wrong injections? What will I do if someone starts coughing near my baby? I know that no vaccine offers 100 % immunity and I'm so scared that my baby gets this potentially deadly disease!

    |f you got this far, than you for reading this! Please tell me what you think, honestly :)

OP posts:

Lizzy1975 · 19/02/2013 16:22

In the kindest possible way, I think you need to try to relax. It's very very unlikely that he will pick anything up. You and he will benefit greatly from getting out and about for some fresh air, particularly on lovely sunny days like today. Maybe just start with a walk in the outdoors, rather than anywhere confined, if that would be easier for you. Your level of worry does sound rather irrational to me, but you have a precious new baby and its natural to want to protect him.

ZuleikaD · 19/02/2013 16:58

He'll be fine. He's had his jabs now, so start getting out and about.

Original poster

Habichuela · 19/02/2013 17:43

Thank you Lizzie and Zuleika, I need to hear these comments-it helps to put things into perspective. I've been brave and booked swimming lessons starting in 2 weeks time!

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honeytea · 19/02/2013 18:51

I think now he has had the jabs you should go out and enjoy yourself. Maybe look at photos of him when he was newborn and look at him now and see how big and strong he is :)

I too have very high levels of anxiety regarding my baby's health, ds also had bronchiolitis at 5 weeks, he was in hospital for 5 days, I was so scared.

I had a trip planned to the UK (I live in Sweden) we have decided to wait till the summer for 2 reasons, firstly ds has a higher chance of catching another strain of rs virus in the UK and secondly because I didn't have tge whooping cough jab, I asked my Dr for it but tgere is no whooping cough outbreak in Sweden so they wouldn't give it to me.

I think it is normal to worry about our baby's health.

Original poster

Habichuela · 19/02/2013 21:12

Thank you Honeytea,

that's a good idea about looking at photos. He certainly does look more robust these days :)

How old is your little one? I'm guessing a newborn? I would do the same if I was in your position.

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efeslight · 19/02/2013 21:42

i agree, time to get out and see some people, but to be honest, swimming is not the first activity i would take a little one to, unless you're a regular and experienced swimmer yourself...i'm sure the likelihood of catching whooping cough or anything else unpleasant is as small as it would be anywhere else, but personally i find swimming quite stressful... the undressing/dressing out of your own space, wet slippery dirty floors, wet slippery baby, worries about the cold if you are a bit of a worrier anyway...shall i take him, he's got a bit of a snuffle etc etc...could you start with visiting other peoples houses or a play group?

Lala29 · 19/02/2013 22:32

I think getting out and about will do you and your little one (but mainly you!) the world of good. You must be going stir crazy! I was very adamant from the outset that I wouldn't be stuck in the house on my own, so was out after a few days meeting new mum friends. I also started swimming lessons with my daughter from 8 weeks old.

Try to stop stressing and just get out there. The worst that is likely to happen is your baby will catch a cold! Just stay away from public transport for now if you'd rather, go for a walk with baby in pram or sling and remember that you can't protect them forever. It's also good for them to be exposed to some germs, etc to develop immunity. All the best to both of you. Xxx

NaturalBaby · 19/02/2013 22:41

efeslight how is that helpful?! I took all my dc's swimming when they were a few weeks old and it was lovely. So long as you have a nice warm pool and lots of towels, as soon as baby is out they have a feed then have a nice long sleep. It was the only thing we did regularly and really enjoyed.

PacificDogwood · 19/02/2013 22:50

This is not about your baby's immunisation status or his health, the problem is much more your anxiety about it. Please seek some help for this as health anxiety, particularly when relating to your own child how you love and want the best for, can be really distressing and limiting.

All of life is full of risk, you have to be able to take risk and accept that there are some things you cannot foresee.
Your DS will get bigger and mobile and more independent. He will want to, and need to, explore and it is your job as a mother not IMO 'to keep him safe' at all costs, but to prepare him for the world.

He must come in contact with people (for all sorts of emotional, social and developmental reasons) to allow his immune system to develop by being exposed to bugs. Yes, he will be ill at times, yes, you might be worried, but you have to learn how to deal with this.

If you had had him a year earlier, nobody would have been offered the whooping cough vaccination and not a lot of people were talking about WC then.

Please take your baby out, talk to your GP or HV, maybe consider attending some postnatal groups to mix with other mothers with babies at a similar age?
If you do not learn to relax around him, it will make you ill. Which does not help him tbh. V best of luck.

morescribbles · 19/02/2013 23:19

I feel for you as our twins had bronchiolitis when they were a week old. I think it is the closest I have come to losing the plot completely with anxiety when that was going on. We had the hospital stay too. I would say though that you need to get out and about, if your little one had older siblings they would be bringing home all kinds of bugs from school. I am no doctor so I am not sure if this is right but I assume that if your baby is up to date with jabs that a certain amount of exposure to moderate bugs is normal and probably quite healthy for a child's immune system to learn how to fight. Before long your little one will be crawling around and putting everything in their mouth so now would be a good time to relax :)

Cubtrouble · 20/02/2013 00:10

;-) well done with swimming lessons!!

He will be fine! You will be fine, it is one big worry fest as a new mum! I went through this too and try to avoid germy things and places. Then he started to crawl so I had no choice but to chill out and go with the flow!

Good luck!!

honeytea · 20/02/2013 00:15

My baby is 9 weeks now, I look at photos of him to reassure me he is stronger now.

I would have been so worried on an open ward, I would have been worried about ds catching something ontop of the rs virus but also I would be worried about him infecting other babies.

I hope the summer comes around fast and all these nasty bugs disappear :)

Original poster

Habichuela · 20/02/2013 13:01

Thank you for all your replies:

Efeslight: To be honest, swimming pool germs don't worry me, literally the only thing worrying me is whooping cough-its so weird, I'm quite OK with anything else. I think I'd prefer swimming to other activities because people are less likely to go swimming when they feel ill?

Pacificdogwood: That's really good advice. I know that even if he gets the dreaded WC, because he is bigger now and vaccinated, the chance of major complications is very small now. I took my boy to pediatric A and E about 7 weeks ago because I thought he had apnea, the Dr was very reassuring and took the time to listen to my worries and I told him how I literally scour all the internet sites about WC and get so worried when it features on the news. He told me that many babies get WC and the majority are sent home to get better and extreme cases are very rare but these are the ones that sadly "make news". I did take some comfort in this but then it wore off and my mind started wondering again. I feel better for a few days and then I start stressing again

Again,thank you all for your suggestions and support, I do feel a little better. Wish me luck for next week!

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