constant illness (3yr & 1 yr) - does it eveeeer stop??? Do vitamins help?

[cookiemonstress]

Since both dd had chicken pox in december, it feels like one or both is constantly ill. Christmas and easter both cancelled due to illness, my birthday tomorrow and now that looks in jeopardy due to another mystery virus (dc due to go to m-in-law and we get night off!)

In the last five months, DDs have each had bouts of chicken pox, 5 combined incidences of puking and the poops , full-on flu , conjunctivtius 3 times, a kidney infection (ddd1), the odd temperature here and there and constant runny noses.

They started nursery in Jan (3 days a week) and I expected this to some extent but it feel likes it never ends! They had both been to lots of play groups etc and DD1 went to nursery before dd2 ...so some immunity establishd (and both bf to 7 months) .. Find it stressful managing work and illness and having been a super healthy person myself, I also feel like i'm constantly battling the viruses myself. I have had more days off sick in last 5 months than in my entire working career!

Does anyone have any suggestions for boosting immunity? they have lots of fruit and veg and so far haven't bothered with vitamins because assumed they had balanced diet.

Please tell me it does get better!

is awful. I vthink it's prob just what happens to some kids (mine certainly...)

try abidec multivit tonic and kids smabucol (elderberry extract) which isupposed to prevent flu etc...

sambucol - soorry one-handed typing, baby on knee...

Purely anecdotal here - but after DS had chickenpox it took MONTHS for him to be healty again. His immunity seemed to take a real battering and he caught everything. Loads of D&V, colds and conjunctivitis - just as you say. And I have compromised immunity so we got in to a horrid viscious circle of him-me-him-me. I really feel for you.

Combine that with nursery... that'll take several months before they are at the same immunity as all other kids, and simply the time of year.

It's horrid, but as long as they are eating a balanced healthy diet then they should pick up over the summer.

oh and you can get kiddie echinacea

brilliant, thanks. Yes, def does seem a trend with chicken pox where it takes a long time for them to get back to full health (goiing on my own and my friends experience) Where can I get Sambucol from ? I assume holland & barrett will sell kiddie echinacea?

sambucol now onsale in boots

i agree about cpox - mine ill for months afterwards

Ps it DOES get better. DS1 now 9 is as strong as an ox and very rarely gets ill these days. I put it down to all that testing his immune system got when he was at nursery! Think of it as a good thing!

I could have posted that this time last year (2dc the same ages). Ds had chicken pox and a whole host of other things for what seemed like months. (we all missed Christmas) Things did improve but again this year we all went through another few weeks of one thing after another but to a lesser extent. It must be the time of year.

dd1 has been in nursery a year now and myself and dh have never been so ill in our lives! I've had 4 stomach bugs alone. Don't know about dcs but I take 1000mg of vit c each day as a precaution. Have only been doing this for a couple of weeks so don't know if it's effective.

If I manage 3 months infection free I'll let you know!

Have found kiddie echinacea and off to get sambucol tomorrow! thanks for all messages of support (dc are 3.4 & 18 months btw).. i am hoping the summer gives them a chance to get back on their feet health wise. I know to some extent it's largely unavoidable and probably a good thing in the long run, goodness knows there has to be some payback sometime!

I've been looking for kiddies echinacea for ages - where did you get it?

We have bad spells too where DD had 6 tummy bugs in 3 mths and I caught most of them. She also had continual coughs, colds plus chicken pox and conjunctivitus. Total nightmare.

I am very interested in that Sambucol. Can't abide being ill, hate it.

Sorry for long delay, kiddies ill again!!!!!!! Got kids echinacea from Holland and Barratt. It's a tincture thing and not that nice so am not convinced they will drink but will give darn good try! Also ramming vitamins down them (and me) and becoming a bit obsessive about hand-washing. I can't bear being ill either!