Daycare sickies...how long is this going to last?

[Puppmom]

My 15 month old son started daycare about a month ago and he's been sick THREE times!...like three separate instances of sick. There's a possible fourth illness but we think he may have just spiked a fever from his shots so I'm not counting that one. We're so fortunate to have MIL as backup and have only had to call out of work once but this kid is miserable when he has a cold. He's a thumb sucker and can't suck when he's snotty. This means virtually NO sleep. Last night he cried on and off for hours and flailed around in our bed. My jaw is hurting pretty badly after taking a head to the face.

Anyway, when you started your kids at daycare how long was it before they stopped catching everything that came their way? For DS, I think the other factor is he stopped nursing right after starting daycare AND the food they feed him there is virtually all new to him. His poor little body is being put through the wringer. DH is ready to quit and have him back with MIL full time but I think we need to give it a few months. In hindsight, Fall/Winter was probably not the best time to start either...

Would it be crazy to try to offer the breast again? Would that even help? I'm looking for any ideas or just some other experiences on how long the sickies lasted.

 

[Sha]

Awwww... poor N! I remember asking this same question on PS when my daughter started going to daycare (well, she moved from a small home-run daycare to a larger one; she was 10 months). She was getting sick literally every week. I think she had a runny nose for a full 6 weels after going there, plus ringworm, and a few tummy upsets. It was really hard to see her being sick so often, and I almost contemplated taking her out because of it. But I remember that when I posted about it on PS the girls said it would pass in time, and it did. I think she was sick for about 6 weeks straight right after going there, but I don't think she fully passed the hump until after 10 weeks. I guess her immunity was a lot stronger at that point because she wouldn't didn't come down with things so often after that.

She's been there over a year now and hardly gets sick anymore. She came down with a cold two weeks ago - but hadn't had a cold before that for a good few months.

Breastmilk might help a bit to build back up the immunity, and I guess it would be comforting to him, especially after having to adjust to daycare/new foods/weaning. But if you're already in the process of weaning him, you mightn't want to go backwards... I think his body will probably adjust with or without the breastmilk, really.

 

[Pandora II]

I would try going back to boob if you are happy to.

Daisy is almost never sick and hasn't picked up anything from nursery - yet, but she is still breast-fed and I have a very strong immune system so she gets a fair amount of protection from me. We all got H1N1 (confirmed) last year and Daisy came down with it last - she threw it off in 48 hours which is pretty quick and I'm sure it was because she'd had a head-start on the antibodies.

I think it does settle down eventually, but it also depends on how good the other parents are about not sending their child when they are sick.

Talking of nursery, I picked up Daisy yesterday and had to sign a gazillion forms because she'd been pushed over (by accident) and crashed into some toys and had a black eye and nose-bleed.

 

[Puppmom]

Thanks guys, I think we're going to try to stick it out until the new year at least. We originally sent him to daycare to give MIL a break (he goes 3 days) but the time away from him is hard for her. She invites us over every weekend! ...and every Thursday she says, "I don't know how I'm going to make it until Tuesday!" Anyway, it's nice to have the option if we have to take a step back.

re: the boob. N was down to nursing 3 times per day by 12 months then, about 6 weeks later, he dropped the midday/early evening feed. Then, at 14 months, he stopped taking it at bed even if I offered. He hung on to the morning feed until about 2 weeks ago and stopped. I know don't offer/don't refuse IS a method of weaning but I'm wondering if he'll take it and if my body will adjust. It definitely seems worth considering. I don't know if it was BFing but, up until now, N had a cold once.

ETA - what I meant by my BFing comments, is that it seemed more like N was *done* with it than I weaned him so I'm not sure he would be interested.

 

[TravelingGal]

I put my kid in preschool at 2 years old. She was sick 7 out of 8 weeks. Then she hasn't caught a cold in preschool really since.

 

[nfowife]

It's a big transition no matter when they start. I think they say the average kid gets 4-6 colds/ EI's each winter. That's a lot! But it is what it is. Hope you can get through it without too much trouble!

 

[Kunzite]

Awww, pupp, sorry to hear that! I think that it's just one of those things about starting daycare, no matter the age! Better that he build up his immunity now. I think you should try to BF again, but only if that's what you want to do. I doubt it would cure him being ill as EBF babies get sick when they start daycare too. O was still getting EBM when he started daycare, and like the other examples in this thread, he was sick for probably the first two months or so. He hasn't really been sick since then. He'll get a runny nose (has one now!) but it doesn't seem to turn into much. Just hang in there!! He'll be adjusted before you know it. Our teachers tell us that the transition between the infant room and the "waddlers" room is the hardest transition of all. In the infant room they eat when they need to eat and sleep when they need to sleep, etc. Then when they're N's age suddenly the day is structured for them and it's hard at first. So what N is experiencing is normal regardless, and he'll get through it.

 

[pancake]

Go back to breast if you want to for other reasons, but I highly doubt that it will make any significant difference to how many infections he picks up. At this age his immunity is built up primarily by encountering infections himself, and this immune response is much more effective and lasting than anything conferred maternally. Unfortunately kids who attend childcare always get sick more often as there's just much much more exposure, but this should lessen over time as the bugs "repeat" and he encounters those to which he is already immune.

I work in paediatrics, and I remember being sick pretty much every fortnight for the first couple of months of my first job (which was in the emergency department!). 6 years on, I barely ever get sick now! Same principle.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Two months I am sorry to say.

 

[Puppmom]

You guys are all so rational. I was seriously ready to yank him - to call MIL and beg for her to go back full time. If there is an end, and it sounds like there is, then I think we'll just have to sweat it out. I think the challenge now is that we don't really see any benefit from daycare because N doesn't really *participate* fully. This is all so new to him and it's taking him a while to get used to it and missing days due to illness isn't helping the cause.

 

[lliang_chi]

Pupp, I have not advice for you, but I just want to say I hope N gets over the daycare sickies soon. A lot of the mamas here have some great advice.

~LC

 

[Dreamer_D]

Pupp in Hunter's first two months in daycare I think he was actually there about two weeks total Either they go through it now, or when they start preschool. Eventually their immune systems get bombarded.

Actually, we found that similar sick phases accompanied any transition to a new group in daycare, as well. Or winter Kids get sick a lot when they are around other kids, there is just no way around it I think.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Still going through it here! I think my son is a particularly sickly child though. He started daycare at 6 months old and is now 18 months old. My daughter, similar to your son, started at 16 months. The first year and a half is pretty brutal for us. She's finally starting to be a lot better, though we'll see how winter goes.

It's annoying with my son b/c he was exclusively breastmilk-fed through 14 months and that didn't stop him from getting severe food allergies, reflux, asthma, and the ability to catch any illness just by waking up in the morning. He stays sick for weeks at a time too.

 

[Puppmom]

N was fine all weekend after being sick on Friday and then spiked a fever this afternoon after nap. Daycare called and I had to get him. It's very strange because he's basically been fine one day and a fever the next since a week ago. I guess he's fighting something (and losing) but I'm taking him to the doc in the morning to be safe. Oh, and this illness has made it's way around the whole house. Everyone but the dog is sick!

Dreamer, I talked to my brother today and he said he missed 15 days of work in my nephew's first 3 months of daycare. Ouch! We're lucky enough to have MIL as backup so we're usually just late to work instead of missing the day.

Logan, I guess whether or not N is a *sick* kid remains to be seen. Before daycare, he had nothing more than a stuffy nose really.

Lliang, thanks for the good vibes. This daycare thing has been tough on us! Maybe one day N will get used to it...if he can make it whole week without needing a day off!

Thanks everyone for the advice re: nursing. I don't think I'm going to offer the breast. If I REALLY want him have my milk, I have about 800 or so ounces of frozen milk in my deep freezer. While weaning was bittersweet for me, I'm not sure I want to go back.

I just thought of something else. N sucks his thumb and has a security blanket constantly shoved in his face. I'm sure they make a nice little path for all of those germies!

 

[Puppmom]

Quick update - this sickness is an ear infection. Now I feel terrible for not taking him to the doctor on Friday. I just thought it was another cold. Doc said ear infection didn't look bad enough to be 4 days in the making. I posed the obvious (and impossible to answer) question of "How long is this going to last?" to which he responded "Well, he'll probably have cold symptoms on and off until Spring." Awesome.

Sheesh, I can't even count how many people told me he would be sick all of the time when we started daycare. I just didn't think they meant ALL.OF.THE.TIME.

 

[lliang_chi]

PUpp, sorry to hear about N's ear infection. Hope the little guy will be OK. You are lucky you have your MIL as a back up. I'm starting to worry about day care now too... Although we're quite a ways off from there.

 

[Skippy123]

Quick update - this sickness is an ear infection. Now I feel terrible for not taking him to the doctor on Friday. I just thought it was another cold. Doc said ear infection didn't look bad enough to be 4 days in the making. I posed the obvious (and impossible to answer) question of "How long is this going to last?" to which he responded "Well, he'll probably have cold symptoms on and off until Spring." Awesome.

Sheesh, I can't even count how many people told me he would be sick all of the time when we started daycare. I just didn't think they meant ALL.OF.THE.TIME.

aw hugs Pupp. I am sorry about the ear infection. I hope he feels better soon.