Cold sores?!

[3rdtimemummy2845]

Okay, long story short my 5 year old gets cold sores. An unfortunate thing I think he managed to catch when he was in nursery as none of us ever suffer from them.

I had a baby a few days ago & he's came home from his DN with a great whopping cold sore. I am very paranoid about them in general as my older son doesn't get them & nor do I so I have always been worried about us getting them & now I am even more paranoid as I know its dangerous to new borns. I am becoming irrational & its literally consuming me.

How do I go about this? I am going to pick up some compeed plasters that you can put over them. But I just can't help worrying I feel like I I watching my DS5 every move. It is awful as anything he is touching I am throwing in the wash, wiping over, he jumped on DP yesterday & his face didn't touch him but I asked DP to go change his top. I feel like it's all I am thinking about atm & I feel dreadful for it! I know he was so excited to become a big brother & he can't even go near him right now.

I understand your concern as cold sores can be dangerous for babies, but as long as DS isn’t touching their lips then touching babies or kissing baby on lip all will be fine.

Could you be suffering with PNA?

@overtherainbow88 He does occasionally touch his cold sores which is why I have said to him atm not to touch the baby atm. He does know cold sores are contagious & does his best to remember but at 5 he obviously does forget which is usually fine. But I must admit I have very paranoid, it could well be PNA! Didn't even think if that. He touched the moses basket yesterday as he walked past & I literally got out my Milton wipes & started wiping over the moses basket. My DP does suffer health anxiety & even he is telling me I am taking things way too far.

I have MW coming out to do 5 day baby check, so will mention this to her. See what she says. Thank you.

I completely get your anxiety and see where your coming from, both my partner and I have the herpes virus and have just had a baby and I'm super conscious about hand washing etc. However key thing to remember is the virus is incredibly weak on surfaces, so him touching things is not going to transmit the virus. Like pp said as long as he doesn't touch the sore then immediately touch the baby or kiss the baby it will be fine, and remember you and your other child have avoided catching them so far! The plasters will help as then at least it should hopefully take some of the worry out of him touching his sore and then baby. Just remember the blisters have a shedding stage, can't remember how long it is (maybe 2 weeks) where the virus is still active even as the sores are healing/healed. But anxiety is heightened anyway with a new baby so it's completely understandable how you're feeling, I've banned family members from kissing the baby even if they don't have or have ever had cold sores just in case!

If it helps at all I have had cold sores since I was a child but my siblings never caught it and now I have a husband and 6 children who have also never caught it. I am always careful but not obsessive and it’s been fine.