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Original poster

Baby 10mths, back at work full time... so much illnesss....

14 replies

gingerbreadlatte · 01/02/2010 12:22

Been back at work a month and while my daughter is settled with the nursery the illness just keeps on coming.Since starting in January she hasnt been 5 days due to snow and being ill.

I am gettting stressed out about appearing so flakey to work. (I work with clients so they are less accommodating) And Im sharing the load of staying at home and collecting her etc with DH.

Last friday she was sick, then all better over the weekend now me and DH spent night chucking up so im at home today- although working remotely. Probably not thinking straight as Im feeling rubbish.

Please tell me it gets better and we ill develop immune systems of steel....?
thank you

OP posts:
CMOTdibbler · 01/02/2010 12:25

It does get better, and you do get a fab immune system - DS hasn't been off nursery sick for well over a year, and that was because he got a chest infection (which he is v prone to due to lung issues) and had too much of a temp to go, rather than it being a bug caught from others.

They have to get all of these things at some point I think, so you get it over and done with when they bounce back faster

Original poster
gingerbreadlatte · 01/02/2010 12:31

Thanks CMOT. Just what I wanted to hear!

Its annoying as DD ws never poorly before going to nursery full time (even when she went 1 day a week she was OK)

Are you full time too?

OP posts:
dontrunwithscissors · 01/02/2010 12:43

DD started nursery FT at 12 months, and we had a couple of months of colds etc, followed a few months later with two horrendous tummy bugs. In the 21 months since then, DD has only been ill once (chickenpox).

Original poster
gingerbreadlatte · 01/02/2010 12:49

Ah thanks dontrun
Not so good on chicken pox though.

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 01/02/2010 12:51

we had to give up on nursery and get a nanny

final straw was after picking up a tummy bug (from them), she then got conjunctivitis and having been off nursery for about a week with the tummy bug, they then wouldn't let her back for another week till the eyes had cleared up fully

we waved goodbye and I never regretted it for one minute

if both of you have jobs where you really cannot afford all that time off (or have no outside assistance like family, which we didn't have), a nanny is the only option

sorry to be so negative but that was my honest experience of the whole time

mrsbaldwin · 01/02/2010 13:09

Mine is the same Gingerbread. He is ill every other week with something or other. I am just hoping that what all the others on here say about it being temporary is true. Meanwhile I have a helpful neighbour who can sometimes cover ... Do you have anyone like that?

I get every single bloody thing as well, which is even more annoying.

indie37 · 01/02/2010 16:22

It definately gets better and by the time they're at school, they have great immune systems. Sorry to tell you though, it takes a while. But hang in there, it will get better.

notyummy · 01/02/2010 16:38

I feel your pain. I am sitting home at today with dd (3.6) who has suspected swine flu and is really poorly. BUT - in the last 6 months she hasn't been off nursery once (she goes 4 long days a week.) There are always things like jabs etc to try and accomodate though.....

She started at 6 months and we were all spectacularly ill on and off until she was 2.5!! Tummy bugs/eye infections/ear and throat infections. I got strep throat 4 times which then turned into pneumonia on one occasion - and I ma usually a robust fit and healthy type (ex military) who never used to be ill. Unless you count hangovers....

I try to make it up in other ways to work to try and prove my 'worth'. It is difficult, but I think/hope we are past the worst.

meep · 01/02/2010 16:48

I am at home with dd2 who has a vomit bug! She is 10mo and only been at nursery for 3 months.

On the other hand dd1 is at nursery and so far has avoided the vomit

Kiwinyc · 01/02/2010 19:28

yes i think this is the one thing they forget to tell you about returning to work. My DD1 was ill continuously for 4 months, (flu then vomit bug then flu then vomit bug again) but after she finally recovered her immune system is incredible.

It doesn't last, but it feels like it is at the time.

Original poster
gingerbreadlatte · 02/02/2010 08:00

thanks for all your replies on this.... seems that most children get a strong immune system off the back of the many bugs...

my daughter has been pretty resilient to now so fingers crossed she will be a strong one.....

Me on the other hand.....

This is definately the thing no one tells you about....for parenting or returning to work....

OP posts:
dizzee · 02/02/2010 10:29

My DS has been FT at nursery since he was 5 months old. He had so many colds and tummy bugs for the first 5 or 6 months. I think I caught all of them too. Last summer was awful we were all constantly ill for about 3 months - just one illness after another. DS carried on at nursery when he had a cold, but we had to take time off for tummy bugs. At one point he had to live with my parents for a few days as I just couldn't take anymore time off work .

However, we do seem to have turned a corner now. No tummy bugs for about 6 months and just a few minor colds. I felt bad that he was ill so much, but just had to hope that he was building up a good immune system.

FWIW, I never went to nursery as a young child and when I started school I missed so much of the first term due to being constantly ill. It seems that they almost have to go through a bad spell with illnesses once they start spending lots of time with other children - either starting nursery or school. I think it's just unavoidable!!

Hope your dd is better soon.

FlyingMonkey · 02/02/2010 10:50

Hi Gingerbread, I'm in a similar position. DS is 10 months and I started back at work in the middle of January. He's at nursery 3 days a week and has already had a severe cold and conjunctivitis, both of which he gave to me! I'd only been back a week at work when I had to take a week off sick. Everyone tells me that the first year is the worst and then it does get better. I think the worst part is trying to look after a sick baby when you're also sick. It's so exhausting... I have no one to help either as DH works full time and my family live miles away.

choceyes · 02/02/2010 12:53

My DS started nursery at 10 months too for 4 days a week. He started in September and till December he seemed to be constantly ill - colds/coughs and a tummy bug etc.

Then he had the MMR and booster jabs end of Oct and that made him ill too. I had to take quite a few days off to look after him.

But since Jan he's been fine, no illness at all, so i'm hoping he's got a good immune system now and he'll continue like this!

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