Day Care sickness'

WHEN WILL I GET A BREAK? It one thing after another. Pink eye went through our house. My son, my daughter, me and then husband. Last week I took off 3 days of work. I have NEVER done that. I had walking pneumonia. Yesterday when I brought my son out of the car he puked ALL OVER ME. All over my shirt and pants. There was no way to clean it up. I had to go home and change and figure out something to do with him. Husband had to work yesterday. Really work...not just work at home. I felt bad because I had taken 3 days off the previous week, so I called my mom. I was still late to work because my mom had to work a half day. When I got to work they called me and told me that daughter had 2 loose bowels - diarrhea and that I had to come get her. Seriously. She seemed better so I brought her to day care today and when I took her out of her car seat she had poop all over her. When I held her I got poop all over my shirt. I don't have an extra shirt so I had to go back home AGAIN. Husband was working from home he is able to watch her.

I just can't take it anymore. I am at my wits end. When will things get better? They are always sick. It breaks my heart. I can't take any more days off work or I am going to get fired. I can't get fired because I carry the health insurance. I wish I could stay at home and take care of my kids so they stop getting sick. I can't. Seriously, I can't take another thing.

To back up...my twins have been in day care since they were 8 months old. They had so many ear infections that in December they got tubes in their ears. We have had it all...ear infections, stomach flus, and pink eye (twice). I just seems like they are always sick. Does it get better?

 

The first year that my girls were in daycare (they started at 11 months) they were sick all the time too. But now they are hardly sick at all (they are 4). I attribute that to two things, one they got their defenses built up. But also when I was at my witts ends just like you are now, I took them to a homopathic doctor because I'd been to our reguluar pedi at least twice a month for six months and was SICK of it! The homopath got us started on an immune system building program with probiotics and a few other things. It saved my life.

:hug:


ETA: Oh I also want to say part of what "drove me to the homopathic doctor" was my pedi said to me "You're going to have to take them out of daycare so they can be well." Like you, that just wasn't an option. DH was a full time student in a different city, I had to work. I broke down in tears at the homopaths begging him for some solution, he was able to calm me down and help my girls.

 

:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

Dianna

 

I am sorry you are dealing with this...I deal with it as well. It does get better but it never ends-does that make sense?
Hang in there...you cant keep them in the bubble us mommy's want to keep them in forever-eventually they will go to school and I think that the daycare system will help them build their immune systems so that later in life they will be stronger against sickness. Hope that helps!

 

:hug: My girls were in daycare from 4 to 6 months old and were constantly sick so I was missing more work than I could. They now go to my neighbor's house (she is a mom of 4 girls who are older) and things have been much better. Not saying you should look elsewhere, but just letting you know that I know how you feel. After we were at the pedi's office for the 3rd time in 2 weeks I asked her "OMG will it ever end?!" She had her kids in daycare and they are very healthy grade school kiddos now, so I guess it does get better. I hope you all feel better soon. :hug:

 

Mine were in a day care center from 4-12 months. They were sick a lot, too. Now that they've been home with me this winter, things have let up some, but they've still been sick. We've had a hospitalization from the stomach flu, multiple colds and a respiratory infection that required a chest x-ray to rule out pnemonia... and that's just since January!

I know it's so hard to deal with sick kids and work, but even if you stayed home, they'd still get sick. It's just inevitable.

 

As winter is winding down I promise you it will get better. I had mine in daycare starting at 3 months. They started daycare in April and did not get their first cold until October/November. We have all been sick this whole winter but it is finally coming to an end. The runny noses are clearing up etc. Hang in there!

 

Im right there with you!! My kids have all been in daycare anywhere from 2 yrs-4yrs (depending on the child) but they have never been as sick as they have been lately. They switched to a new daycare in January and all of my kids have had a stomach thing at least once; one of them twice already. I honestly think it depends on how clean they keep the daycare. I mean, I know that they are going to get sick when they are around a bunch of other kids all day who carry germs, but if they clean the toys and shelves, etc on a regular basis it would help minimize the germs.
At the old daycare my kids went to they never got anything major. They had all only had a stomach virus once in their whole lives. The only other thing they got besides a cold was strep throat. . and the twins had a lot of ear infections, but that was before they even started daycare. I want to switch my kids back to their previous provider but I dont know if I'll be able to do that. So, maybe it just takes a while for the childs immune system to get used to that particular environment.

 

:hug: I am sorry to hear your babies keep getting sick. My friend who has 2 little ones in daycare says it is better for them to get sick now rather than later - that the kids who stay home will get these illnesses when they are older b/c they won't have built up any immunity. I'm sure that doesn't make what is happening right now any easier though. :hug: I hope they are better soon and stay that way.

 

The boys first full winter in daycare/life was awful (October 2007 to March 2008--9-13 months old). I think a mixture of daycare, germs, weather, age, etc all played a roll. They were each admitted to the hospital, I was in the ER three times, and I was literally at the clinic at least once to three times a week with one, the other, or both boys. This winter...other than a couple of colds and one mild stomach flu...nada...they've only gone to the ped this winter for their flu shot.

Once April rolled around last year, things were much better. I'll cross my fingers for you.

 

Ah yes, the joys of daycare! My duo have been in daycare since they were 9 weeks old. They were SOOOOO sick the first winter, it was HORRIBLE! Over the summer, things were better, but we still had some stuff & then again this winter we've all been sick on & off. I can't tell you how many times I've been to the Pediatrician, but every one I see (it's a large practice) reinforces that, while it sucks that they're so sick so young, they'll be healthier later when they enter school & all the other kids drop like flies! It's also similar in families who's oldest goes off to school & brings all the germs home to the younger ones at home .

We have had RSV, rotavirus, stomach flu x3, pink eye, roseola, Hand Foot & Mouth x 5, and more colds than I could count. There is actually a study out there somewhere that daycare kids typically get 1 cold per month. Each cold takes around 2 weeks to resolve, so daycare kids are sick essentially 50% of the time. Then, take into account, that your immune system is weak after any illness, so catching another is highly likely. It's a vicious cycle.

I also agree that the cleanliness of the daycare is crutial. Most daycares only wipe down toys DAILY & power clean weekly. A lot only mop daily, even if babies puke or spit up (which they quickly wipe up). Some daycares push hand sanitizer with the adults & reinforce lots of hand washing with the kids. I think the cleaner daycares, the healthier the kids. Unfortunately, our first daycare wasn't tip top & I attribute THAT to most of our illnesses. Our current center makes my boys wash their hands so much that I had to provide lotion because their hands got raw! Until they get out of the 'everything in their mouth' phase, germ spreading is inevitable. And, with twins, it's almost inevitable that any illness is spread between the 2. And then there are the parents who send their kids sick. Most daycares have rules about illnesses....like 24 hrs of antibiotics before they can come back, 24 hrs of being diarrhea free, etc. A lot of parents lie & don't follow those rules, thus spreading the germs even further. I can understand the parent wanting to lie so they could go to work & not get in trouble themselves, but then another parent ends up having to call in sick to work when THEIR child is sick (and, another CHILD has to deal with being sick). Again, vicious cycle.

Have you looked at your nearby hospital/clinic to see if they have a sick care program? I, personally, would have a hard time dropping my kids off when not feeling well, but we have a TLC program that allows certain illnesses to be present (and it's run by a nurse who can administer the meds typically required to get back to daycare). That might help you save your days off of work (I, too, was 1 day away from being written up & putting my job on the line). Might be something to look into when you're in a pinch.