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Parenting

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Original poster

Horrible cold - scared my son will get it

53 replies

FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 19:43

I’ve come down with a horrible cold, streaming nose and sore throat, the first I’ve had in 3 years. I’m feeling really rotten but most of all, I’m so worried that my 18 month old son will get it. He’s never had a cold before and I can’t bear the thought of him coming down with it and feeling ill! My symptoms started yesterday morning but have worsened quite a bit today. DH has also got it so DS is going to catch it too isn’t he - it’s inevitable really?

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DobbyTheHouseElk · 03/10/2021 21:09

My DC had a cold when they were a few weeks old. They were ok. I rang my mum asking how DC would know to open his mouth when his nose was blocked. I sympathise.

I’m amazed you’ve got to 18months old without a cold.

TinaYouFatLard · 03/10/2021 21:09

Do you understand that your child needs to encounter normal, everyday bacteria and viruses in order to build a healthy immune system? He SHOULD have had a cold by 18 months!

Original poster

FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 21:16

He SHOULD have had a cold by 18 months!

As I say, he’s had plenty of interaction with other people. I’m not sure what more I can do

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Original poster

FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 21:18

And I’m now worrying that DS isn’t building a strong enough immune system because he hasn’t caught a cold yet!!

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Original poster

FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 21:21

If he doesn’t catch this cold (or coronavirus - hope not) off of me then I will be amazed. I couldn’t have got any closer to him today, short of deliberately sneezing all over him!

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HarrisMcCoo · 03/10/2021 21:22

As someone else has said already, he may have caught a few colds but just been asymptomatic.

3luckystars · 03/10/2021 21:24

I think I read before that children get on average 4 colds a year.
Can you pinpoint what you are so afraid of?

ODmenow2021 · 03/10/2021 21:25

You really need to get the bugs through him at this age. All the way the through to school starting.. then he will be in good position to face off to the germs at school.

Clearly COVID is different but otherwise they need to get cracking their immune systems.

I had a frightful time it's sickness of all types when my first started nursery. By the time she was 3 he was much much better at warding off bugs. My second- had a nanny and they got the bugs when starting pre school and sit dragged on and on........

Original poster

FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 21:28

You really need to get the bugs through him at this age.

@ODmenow2021 but how am I meant to do that, beyond what we’re already doing? If he doesn’t get sick from the childminder and doesn’t catch whatever I’ve got now, then it’s hard to know what more I can do.

Perhaps he’s had a few bugs already without symptoms, as some other posters suggested…

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Original poster

FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 21:30

I also feel bad because I fibbed on the gov.uk website to get the PCR test. I said we had the three symptoms it listed, even though we don’t…

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Sally872 · 03/10/2021 21:33

I've had some awful colds. My children always seem to have milder versions or maybe they just have more energy or more time to rest than me, even when we had norovirus when dd was 2 she was sick once and then slept for most of the day.

If he catches it then it probably won't be as bad as you feel and it won't last long. Get well soon.

Original poster

FTM8987 · 03/10/2021 21:34

Thanks @Sally872. I’d assumed it would be worse for him as he’s so little, so that’s good to know.

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ODmenow2021 · 03/10/2021 21:38

I'd probably suggest you are willing for him to get your cold now as a starting point. ? 🤷🏽‍♀️

EarringsandLipstick · 04/10/2021 06:41

All these posters saying you should ensure your DS gets a cold ... 🙄 you are bringing him out & about & he is interacting. As you suggest, very possibly he's got colds & minor viral infections without it affecting him too much. Some children just don't get sick too much, it's just the way they are. Mine rarely had colds when little, whereas some kids have streaming noses constantly!

Hopefully you'll feel well soon. 💐

Abitlost2 · 04/10/2021 11:25

Totally normal to worry op abd I hope you will all be ok. I worried about my dcs getting ill as i hated seeing them unwell and in pain and also it often meant lots of nightwakes which when you have 3 dcs is very full on, add you being sick also and its a nightmare.
My kids were all breastfed until 18 months and got the odd cold but v rarely ill and they were exposed to plenty of things particularly my 2nd and 3rd. I agree some illness is ok to build immuniy but i know some kids systems being weakened by constant chest/ear infections etc..
I think it's luck, having breastfed for long, loads of fresh air and physical exercise that helped us but obvs can depend on other things. My kids are older now and tbh were never massively hit once they started school. Sounds like your exposing him to gerns etc

Somethingsnappy · 04/10/2021 14:32

@EarringsandLipstick

Hopefully you'll feel well soon. 💐

Yes, I agree. From the sound of it, with childminder and playgroups etc, he is bound to have come into contact with plenty of viruses. Maybe fewer than in previous years, what with covid measures, but colds are still unavoidable really. Plenty of kids only experience very mild symptoms. One of my kids barely shows symptoms of colds when his siblings have one.

That said, don't fret about him getting your cold. It's not nice to see them poorly, but it is inevitable from time to time. And as others have said, it all helps to develop his immune system.

heywassuphello · 04/10/2021 21:37

My 3 month old has had 3 colds already bless him 🤦🏼‍♀️ his 17 mo brother had just started nursery so he gets everything that he gets... your ds is going to get all these viruses eventually so you are going to have to let him
Build up his immune system at some point. At this rate he will be ill constantly when he starts school as he's not had any illness before

randomome · 04/10/2021 21:59

He could be getting colds etc without snot. I could count on one hand the number of times mine have been snotty - but they've definitely had bugs as they've had temps, looked generally run down, chicken pox etc.

If he's going to a childminder he'll be fine. It would be concerning if he wasn't mixing with others.

My youngest is a similar age and has been ill a few times, worse that happened was put off food and a bit more cuddly.

Original poster

FTM8987 · 04/10/2021 22:11

Build up his immune system at some point. At this rate he will be ill constantly when he starts school as he's not had any illness before

@heywassuphello as I’ve said to others, how exactly am I meant to do that? I’ve been sneezing all over the house for the last few days and he hasn’t caught it (yet). He regularly socialises with other children and adults in indoor settings. I genuinely don’t know how much more I can do to build up his immune system! I very rarely get ill (luckily) so maybe he just has my genes?!

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Original poster

FTM8987 · 04/10/2021 22:19

And thinking about it, I actually socialized less than my son did at his age, as I didn’t go to nursery until I was 3!

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heywassuphello · 05/10/2021 20:29

Sorry, I posted too quickly without reading the thread, rooky mistake. I assumed you were being over anxious and shielding but clearly not! In that case, you're very lucky and no need to stress! It's just a cold, it's sad to see but little ones are resilient and as others have mentioned, they often get a milder version of our colds

Jenufer · 05/10/2021 20:33

Oh goodness, OP, it must feel as if you can't do anything right.

If your DS is going to catch something, from you or anyone else, he will. Worrying about it won't change anything.

Maybe everyone has their 'big moment'. My DC were rarely ill when they were little - possibly because they didn't go to nursery - but there was one year when DC1 started school when they and I seemed to be ill for about 9 months solid. I hadn't had a day's illness in my entire life until that year - I always said my immune system was catching up. After that, none of us was ill, other than one of mine who always seemed to catch whichever stomach bugs were doing the rounds.

Jenufer · 05/10/2021 20:35

BTW, OP, I can count on one hand the number of times my DC1 has been ill in 20 years. He is the child who could most readily be mistaken for a clone of me, so has probably inherited my disease-resistant genes, too.

AegonT · 05/10/2021 21:18

If he gets it it won't necessarily be the same for him. It'll be the same virus but a different body and immune system. Kids usually get more colds than adults but the symptoms often don't bother them as much.

Original poster

FTM8987 · 05/10/2021 21:34

Thanks everyone. I’m still fighting this nasty cold and sneezing like there’s no tomorrow (whilst awaiting the results of a PCR test). DS is still fine, despite lots of cuddles and close contact etc. Famous last words though, lol.

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