In order to promote our new, online business, we’ve needed some time, which has meant packing the munchkin off to nursery three days a week. Great idea we thought; it’ll be good for her development and will free up time for us to concentrate on work. In principle; yes. In practice; we’ve both spent the last month sicker than we’ve been for years! Why? Because the munchkin has been collecting infections and ailments like pokemon cards and then generously sharing them all with us when she gets home.
Nobody warned us about nursery being a mucus factory. Maybe we should’ve guessed it, but it’s not like we live in a completely germ-free, sterile environment, so we assumed she would build up her immune system at home. Consequently, we weren’t expecting such a viscerally dramatic step change in virus susceptibility. We’ve had it all, gastric flu, coughs, colds, croup, chest infections, conjunctivitis and enough snot to drown a whale.
I don’t know whether they deliberately keep the nursery temperature at optimum for germ-breeding, but I doubt even Doctor Fleming had a more efficient petri dish. The latest warning they’ve issued is about a chicken pox outbreak, which is actually a relief to us, because we’ve both had it, so it’s not something we can catch from the munchkin. Hurrah!
I feel guilty because whilst we’ve been feeling really sorry for ourselves over the last month, our little munchkin has been suffering with all the same ailments, but has stoically soldiered on in her happy-go-lucky way. For the most part she’s continued to be the smiley, happy, carefree baby we’re so lucky to have. She’s occasionally been a bit frustrated when her cough and catarrh have woken her up, but her constantly runny nose bothers her a lot less than it bothers me. Every time she sneezes, I rush to wipe away the green candle before she can swallow it, which she invariably does before I get to her and it turns my stomach every time. They’re not so concerned at nursery and she regularly comes home with a crusty nose, mouth and top, which is vile. One of my biggest dreads about parenthood was that I would have the snotty, dribbly, bogey encrusted child that I’d found so repellent prior to having one of my own. Now my worst fears have been realised.
The fact we’ve felt so ill for over a month has actually been getting us down psychologically. Having previously considered the most challenging parenting day coping with a bouncy baby the morning after an ill-judged, big night out, I would gladly trade how I feel at the moment with the world’s worst hangover, because at least I know that would have an end in sight.
Having talked to other parents, who all went through the same thing, they’ve reassured me that it does get better and after the first three months at nursery most babies reach mucal critical mass! Apparently it then plateaus, before dipping again until they go to school. Great! But that still leaves another two months of feeling pants….
Not Pink Or Blue 