Daycare moms: sickness in the first year?

[ijack]

E didn't start daycare until she was 18m old, but I bet we averaged about 1 day/week that either her or I was sick. It was BAAAAAD. Granted since she was a preemie she hadn't had a ton of contact with other kids and she started daycare in October. She was in a center.
Now we have a nanny so it's really a non issue.

[pugz]

This is one of the main reasons I've decided to SAH for the first year or so. I just do not have enough PTO to cover a sick baby and we get in trouble for calling in.

[h]

A lot. I have no idea how many days my kids were out, but I am guessing it was maybe 15-20 days or so in the first year. There was a period of a couple months that first winter where I was sure I would never be able to work a full week again.

FWIW, my kids are in a center, they have a fairly strict illness policy, and my second child wasn't sick nearly as much as my first. My oldest had RSV (and now has asthma), frequent ear infections, etc.

[Deleted]

LO was born 5/22/11
He started DC full time the 3rd week of October.
By the first week of Nov he got sick (no fever but runny/stuffy nose)
He got Pink Eye in Dec
Was out 1 week in Jan with RSV
Was out 1 week in Feb with Roseola
He was sent home 1 other day (Friday) with a fever.

He was sick with some sort of virus all through Dec, Jan, Feb through mid March. I thought it would never stop. If you are like me and can't afford to miss work then check out sick day cares in your area.

[atouchofklasse]

Kids will get sick whether it's their first year in daycare or first year in school.

My kid probably has missed 1.5-2w of days but many of those were due to ear infections, which some kids get and others don't.

Now he has Hand Foot Mouth and will miss at least three more.

[octwed07]

i can't recall the exact amount, but it wasn't too eventful. DD is in a center, and although she did get a lot of colds, we were very lucky and never got RSV, coxsackie (spelling?), etc. I'd probably say maybe 5-7 days total? DH and I would switch off and my job is fairly flexible, i can work from home. We started DD at daycare fairly young also, at about 12 weeks. The winter season was definitely worse than other parts of the year.

[Guest]

My DS has only missed 5 days of daycare, 3 of which were for the nasty stomach bug a lot of people got this last year (so 3 instances). We go to an in home daycare. He was born at the end of March and started daycare Aug 1st. So, not all kids miss a ton of time because they start daycare.

[dcrunnergirl]

My twins started at 4 months (3 months adjusted b/c they were 36-weekers) in January 2011. They got RSV about 2 weeks in and missed 4 days. They then had a perpetually runny nose all winter and then it went away until about November and they had runny noses again until about March. However, they didn't miss any daycare during that time except for in December when they missed a week b/c they both got mild chicken pox from the chicken pox vaccine. DS just missed his first day of daycare for sickness (except the vax rxn) last week since January 2010.

How often were they sick that did not require them to miss daycare? They just had the perpetual runny nose and sometimes had slight coughs much of the winter, but they weren't sick enough to not do activities or stay home.

They're in an in-home daycare with about 10 other kids. When they started, they were the youngest ones there.

[savannah11]

All.the.time for the first 2 years. DS and I were sick every 6 weeks or so. I probably had to stay home at least one day for every 2 out of the 3 colds. I burned through my sick leave as quickly as I could accrue it. I often went to work sick myself because I couldn't afford to waste a sick day.

The good news is that my kids are now 3 and 5 and rarely home sick. Maybe twice a year.

ETA: In home daycare

[dcrunnergirl]

RSV is a chest infection that lots of kids get. It can be mild or quiet serious. It usually goes around daycares. My kids had relatively mild cases given how little they were, and just needed nebulizer treatments at home for a few days.

The other common daycare infections are Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease and Roseola.

[Ashley&Scott]

DS has been in DC for 11 weeks, he's caught 2 colds but didn't miss any days. He was exposed to HF&M but never got it.

I did take him out for 1/2 a day yesterday. He had an eye infection caused by a combo of a cold & his blocked tear duct. The pedi thought it would be a good idea to keep him home just in case it was contagious.

[mie]

My girls go to an in-home daycare.

#1 started daycare when she was just shy of 6 months. She was sick once a month and would be out for one week. #2 & #3 have been healthier. They started when they were 5 months and 4 months old and were sick a lot less. Each time they've been sick, I've kept them home because they've had fevers.

[Mushe]

My baby is 6 months and has been in daycare for about 2 months. He had a little sniffle/runny nose for about two weeks, but that's it so far! He did not miss any time, and goes to a center.

[karinothing]

DS has been in daycare for about a month and a half and he has not gotten sick once. He got RSV when he was 3 months from his cousin. I on the other hand was sick pretty much from January to April. As in fever of 101 barely able to move sick. He also gave me RSV which sucked. I just kept getting re-sick. Luckily, I was home. I haven't been sick since going back to work.

My midwife once told me that it would take a year for my immune system to return to full speed after giving birth. I fully believe her.

[rootbeerfloat]

It's been awhile, so I'm a little fuzzy. They both started around 11-12 weeks and went to in-home daycares. They probably got sick once a month for the first year, usually with a cold, maybe a stomach bug a time or two. We were more conservative about keeping them home during the first 6 months (so they'd be out 1-2 days), but after that, they only stayed home if they had a fever, vomiting or diarrhea, or needed frequent nebulizer treatments.

Like pp, said RSV is a common respiratory illness. For bigger kids/adults, it's mild; for infants, it can be dangerous. DD was hospitalized w/ RSV at 5 wks.

[cjeanette]

My kids both started school at 13 months. Honestly, neither gets sick very often at all. DS' worst illness was before he started daycare. DD has only had anything more than a tiny cold once.

[dcrunnergirl]

May 30, 2012 18:06:08 GMT -5 karinothing said:

DS has been in daycare for about a month and a half and he has not gotten sick once. He got RSV when he was 3 months from his cousin. I on the other hand was sick pretty much from January to April. As in fever of 101 barely able to move sick. He also gave me RSV which sucked. I just kept getting re-sick. Luckily, I was home. I haven't been sick since going back to work.

My midwife once told me that it would take a year for my immune system to return to full speed after giving birth. I fully believe her.

Kari brought up a really good point I meant to mention. Every time the kids got a runny nose or cold, DH and I got it even worse. When the LOs got RSV, they were sick for a few days and the pedi said DH and I would only get a mild case if anything. Instead, DH and I got it so much worse, and we both missed a week of work just to take care of ourselves. When the kids got a stomach bug over a weekend, they each vomited once. DH and I spent 24 hours vomiting and several days nauseous. DH and I were sick way more than the LOs the first 18 months.

[Redpoppy]

In his firs year of daycare DS had 7 ear infections (before tubes), a stomach bug, croup, and a couple random fevers. That is at least 20 days right there. His second year, new daycare, he had Fifth Disease, a stomach bug or two, and two viruses that took him out for a week each. Those were the worst with five days a piece of sick day shuffle as we have no one nearby to help. He was sick longer with those too, we just "lucked" out that they ran Saturday to the next Sunday.

[Redpoppy]

May 30, 2012 18:24:47 GMT -5 dcrunnergirl said:

May 30, 2012 18:06:08 GMT -5 karinothing said:

DS has been in daycare for about a month and a half and he has not gotten sick once. He got RSV when he was 3 months from his cousin. I on the other hand was sick pretty much from January to April. As in fever of 101 barely able to move sick. He also gave me RSV which sucked. I just kept getting re-sick. Luckily, I was home. I haven't been sick since going back to work.

My midwife once told me that it would take a year for my immune system to return to full speed after giving birth. I fully believe her.

Kari brought up a really good point I meant to mention. Every time the kids got a runny nose or cold, DH and I got it even worse. When the LOs got RSV, they were sick for a few days and the pedi said DH and I would only get a mild case if anything. Instead, DH and I got it so much worse, and we both missed a week of work just to take care of ourselves. When the kids got a stomach bug over a weekend, they each vomited once. DH and I spent 24 hours vomiting and several days nauseous. DH and I were sick way more than the LOs the first 18 months.

Totally agree on this. DH went from taking maybe 3 sick days in 5 years to getting sick every month or two. I wasn't as bad but I worked in a daycare in college.

[pierogigirl]

DS started daycare at 13 months at a center. He missed about 20 days the first year he was there. He was sick all the time- upper respiratory infections/bronchitis and fevers mostly and the stomach bug once or twice. I am on maternity leave with DS2 and DS1 goes to dc part-time. DS2 has been sick a lot with colds that DS1 brings home, so I'm hoping his first year at dc won't be as bad.

[GailGoldie]

Griffin started daycare in Sept when he was 5mo old... at 6mo he got his first fever - he got a lot of ear infections that first year (looking back at it- probably should have had tubes). a couple stomach viruses- but it wasn't horrible. We saved our vacation days to use for sick kid days- knowing we might need a lot... and then used up what was left over in Dec. Griffin was full time in a daycare center.

The twins started at 5mo old, in November... and only for 2 days/week - and were sick the past 2 years a freakin' LOT --- i blame the fact that they got germs from their class + DS1's class at home... and they were only there 2 days/week so never got to build up the resistance that DS1 got faster.

ONe of the twins also had a ton of EI's and ended up getting tubes at 18mo - wish we did it earlier - my biggest regret as a mom... would have saved us a lot of issues.

Now they are about to turn 3 and this last year has been a lot better... still sick here and there (strep keeps going around this area- it sucks- but i spot it FAST now when its' in our house).... but much better.

it's so much easier to control it with one child... once you have 2+ kids it's twice the germs at your house, things travel between them, etc.

I used to teach K and can tell you the kids who were at home until K were sick all the tiem that year - and the daycare kids were never sick.... so whenever your child starts any type of daycare or school, will be a good sick year.

[gardengal]

he's been in daycare (in home) for 1.5 years & has only gotten 2 illnesses that required him to stay home.

i will ditto pp though that both illnesses (stomach bugs!) hit us WAY WORSE.

[tardyfortheparty]

DS started daycare at 5 mos and he missed at least 5-7 days of daycare before his first birthday. His second year, he was barely sick. I am hoping that all the germy playdates we have been on while I have been home on maternity leave with DD have helped build her immunities so her first year in daycare isn'tso bad.

[pamela]

Maybe about 5. Now he was sick some weekends and Fridays that we don't work. He rarely runs a fever though.

[ohgillian]

My kid missed 1 day. I missed a full week TWICE. That has never happened to me in my entire career before or since.

[skib]

I was incredibly lucky that after my 12 week maternity leave, my mom and my husband's grandmother kept my daughter until she was 6 months and had had her first three rounds of vaccinations. I was absolutely terrified that she would be sick constantly when we put her in daycare (in-home) at 6 months, but in the year she's been there, we've only kept her home twice, once for an ear infection and once for pinkeye. She's had a couple colds here and there, too, but nothing serious that's put her out of commission.

Are you planning to breastfeed? I nursed my daughter for 10 months, and I'd like to think its helped boost her immune system, but that said, I know tons of formula fed babies who are super healthy too. Heck, I was a formula fed baby and I'm one of the healthiest people I know.

[GracieLouFreebush]

DD started day care at a center around 4 months. They have strict hand washing policies and we love them overall. She had RSV at 5 months but (luckily?) we were on vacation for Christmas so I didn't miss work. I got RSV too and it was the worst chest cold I can remember.

She had a constant runny nose all winter which everyone reassures me is normal in "day care babies" and from mid-Feb to mid-May she had an ear infection every two weeks. I was in the pedi's office one afternoon every 1-2 weeks. I don't think this is normal. She had tubes on 5/15 which required multiple pre- and post-op appointments at the children's hospital an hour away.

Time will tell if the tubes will cut down on the pediatrician visits. She caught Hand, Foot, & Mouth Disease last week and woke up with blisters on Saturday. It was not a fun weekend. Without the long weekend and my husband's weird works shifts that kept him home yesterday, she would've been out for 1-2 days.

I WAH (but must keep normal business hours) so I haven't taken any sick days for myself. My husband has different rotating shifts so he's been able to cover some pedi visits and sick baby days. I also rely on a friend and a paid sitter to help out if needed since we do not live near family.

I really hope the tubes drastically cut down on how many afternoons I'll spend at the pedi vs. working. I'm anxious that it will impact my reviews with management, etc. though I'm blessed to work for a pretty flexible/family friendly company.

[nannersp]

My daughter was in daycare fulltime from 4 1/2 months to 7 months, and then part-time ever since. (She's 3 1/2 now and in preschool 3 days a week.) Knock on wood, but I've never had to keep her home from daycare. She's been sick a few times, but maybe it's just been good luck that it's been on weekends or her off days.

[dvlish]

G has been at an in home daycare since June. She has had 1 ear infection and missed no days b/c she is home in Fridays, we went to the dr and got her on anti biotics before she went back Monday. There is only 1 other little boy and he is sick all the time. His mom is a teacher though so maybe that is how he gets it:)

[dvlish]

Oh and she breastfed 10 mos and then formula at daycare and nursed at night for another month. I think that has played a big part in her being so healthy.