Daycare moms of infants or BTDT

How often did your DC get sick and how do/did you deal with it?! DS has been sick for the majority of December. He was home for the entire week of Dec. 13th with a horrible virus. He went back to daycare for 4 days and got sick again. Has bronchiolitis. Was home this entire week of Dec. 27th and is still not ready to go back tomorrow and probably won't be for most of this week. Luckily I was off this week because I am a teacher but I have taken off 8 days from work already for other colds and viruses he's had since September. 2 more days off and I start getting docked pay. Does everyone with babies in daycare go through this? How do you manage so much time off from work? And do you get upset that your DC is getting so sick at such young an age? My DS is only 6 mths and I feel like he is too little to be getting seriously sick like this all the time. It breaks my heart. I'm also starting to wonder how well my daycare sterilizes. Are in-home daycares better in this aspect? I guess I'm just venting and looking for some words of wisdom here!

Re: Daycare moms of infants or BTDT

DS started at around 3 months old and is 6 months now. He has never had anything that I've had to keep him home for, but he has been sick (he is at a daycare center). It just so happens that the last couple of months he was home or with me more than in daycare so I don't know if that makes a difference. He gets colds often but nothing crazy.

It sucks, but it doesn't bother me so much. It's cold and flu season so I know he is bound to get sick. I just really view it as good for his immunity. He's either going to get sick now or when he starts going to school when he is older and I would rather him miss daycare then school.

Message edited 1/2/2011 12:23:32 PM.

Re: Daycare moms of infants or BTDT

DS just got his first real virus from daycare a week before Christmas break. I think once your DC gets sick, they're likely to catch everything else as well because their immune system is lower. It sucks - but there's nothing you can really do. I know SAHMs on here whose babies just had the same things DS was sick with and their kids are not in daycare! You can't avoid it.

Try conserving the days you take off. I wouldn't take off work for a simple cold. Fever? Vomiting? that's a reason to stay home. I've taken off 4 days total all year and two of those days were for routine drs appts.

Re: Daycare moms of infants or BTDT

My DD (7 1/2 months) has been in daycare since Nov 1st. She was fine the 1st week, then sick every week since then except for 1 other week. She has had 2 ear infections and has been on antibiotics twice. It really su*ks!!! There really isn't anything you can do about it. There are only 5 other babies in the room that come everyday plus one baby who comes twice a week. They are all always sick....

Re: Daycare moms of infants or BTDT

DS is 7 months. He started daycare at 3 months. He has been sick a lot. He was out for a 4 days after his first week. Since then he has been out here and there. He has had several ear infections, a stomach virus, and Bronchitis. We are very lucky that DH's job is flexible because I also am a teacher and out of days.

The good news is it does get better. My DD is 3 and she hardly ever gets sick anymore. The first year was the worst.

Re: Daycare moms of infants or BTDT

I HEAR YOU!

Loey is 12 month and has been in daycare since 8.5 months.

He gets sick ALL THE TIME. He had coxsackie, ear infections, they throught he had bronchitis, impetigo, you name it!!!

Re: Daycare moms of infants or BTDT

DD was at in home daycare last year with 4 kids in it (3-4 adults). the owners kids (10th grade, 4th grade, and newborn were around sometimes too). She barely got the sniffles and had one time where she got a virus. The daycare was beyond clean (place and people).

Re: Daycare moms of infants or BTDT

I feel your pain Riley's been going since she was 6 months and has had 5 ear infections, countless viruses...April had to be the worst month of my life. She might have gone 5 days that whole month I was a wreck. It can be VERY stressful.

I'm a teacher as well...she was crazy healthy during the summer! I'm dreading going back tomorrow now that she's finally healthy (just got over an ear infection and wheezing in her lungs). I can just see her getting sick with two days in. This is the WORST time of year.

It's especially hard when my family is all on LI and I live in NJ. So I end up taking A LOT of time off too (DH has to at times as well). Sometimes I can get my mom out here but I feel bad. I actually only went to school one day the week before break! I got sick that Tuesday, then I already had a day planned to take Riley to the GI doc Wednesday, then SHE got sick Thursday. I haven't been to work since December 20!

The only thing that gets me through this is believing that once she starts school she'll have a kickazz immune system. Hang in there, it's rough!!

Message edited 1/2/2011 1:21:23 PM.

Re: Daycare moms of infants or BTDT

DS started daycare Feb 2010 when i went back to work. He was 14 weeks old. had a trial day the last wed. in january; the following week he went 2 days..by friday he was at the PED and had bronchitis (or bronchiolitis..i think). We were on the neb treatment for weeks.

Got better, got a cold/cough. always had a runny nose. Then spring summer he started with ear infections.

Knock wood all he had this fall/winter so far was a little cough and runny nose.

they are exposed to lots of germs and kids and have no immunity built up. so they get sick easily. i've been told its par for the course.

I taken time off, DH had taken days here and there. we managed. Now im only working part time so if he did get sick, it would be easier.

but this is every working mom's dilemma :(

Re: Daycare moms of infants or BTDT

Nice to know DS is not the only one. I really hope this is helping him build a strong immune system and he won't get sick as much later on. But things have been really hard lately.

Posted by TaraGotHutched

It's especially hard when my family is all on LI and I live in NJ. So I end up taking A LOT of time off too (DH has to at times as well). Sometimes I can get my mom out here but I feel bad. I actually only went to school one day the week before break! I got sick that Tuesday, then I already had a day planned to take Riley to the GI doc Wednesday, then SHE got sick Thursday. I haven't been to work since December 20!

Re: Daycare moms of infants or BTDT

DS goes 2x a week and started in March.

He was sick all of March (stomach virus and horrible cold), and here and there from April to November with viruses (4) and ear infections (2).

Two days after Thanksgiving, he came down with chicken pox (he was only 11 months so hadn't gotten the vaccine yet) and after a week of that, he came down with a horrible cold. He got better around his first birthday.

Since he's only part time, either me or my inlaws watch him on the days he can't go. For the chicken pox, my mom took a day off of work to help out (my inlaws were away).

The toughest part of all of this, other than the ear infections and chicken pox, is that we get whatever he gets too so it's tough being sick and up all night tending to him.

I hear it gets better though from a lot of BTDT moms.

Re: Daycare moms of infants or BTDT

DS started at just under 4 months. since then, he has been sick a TON. there isnt much we can do about it