Do I expose her to chicken pox?

[Lilybett]

I've just heard from a friend of ours that their son has got chicken pox. I was due to be going to see them next week anyway and now I'm in two minds as to what to do :puzzled: Is it better for them to have it whilst they are younger or am I just setting myself up for several days of hell whilst she goes through it?

I don't know what to do.

[August Girl]

I had no choice really as Z caught it from school and gave it to Del when she was 6 months old. She coped with it fine but they also cope well at school age and she is bound to catch it then anyway.

My nephew has it at the moment

[Abbie]

I keep umming and ahhing about this.

Chicken pox is doing the rounds here at the moment and I keep thinking about taking her to play with someone who's got it.

Ellie had it at 22 months and it was a breeze, she had it quite severely but she coped with it fine.

It's supposed to be easier to cope with the earlier they have it.

It would be more convenient if she had it now. We have no holiday plans or anything like that so I'd like her to have it now and get it over with

[BigB]

Personally, I would go for it. DD recently had chicken pox at about 19 mths old and tbh it was a really good time for her to get it. She didn't work out that itching would help and was just a bit off colour for a day. Having said that, it could've been a lot worse as she didn't get a huge amount of spots, so its a tricky one.

I was hoping that DS would get it too but never did so I'm on the look-out for someone to catch it off!

[Opprobrium]

I had it when I was about 6 months old & Mum said I was absolutely fine, not bothered at all just spotty. I do have scars from it though. At Lottie's age I think you'd have to be really careful about her scratching them. I always think it's better to get the bug & build up natural immunity so personally I probably would let her catch it but I think it's a personal choice.

[parkejm]

I got adult chicken pox about 5-6 years ago and it was absolutely horrendous. I would go and rub her all over your friends son!

Practically everyone I've spoken to who had an opinion has said it's better to have it while young

[Timothy's Mum]

If I was in your situation I would try and get my LO to catch it. I had it as an adult and it was horrendous - I thought I was dying!

[Jubjub]

I would take her and run the risk of her catching it. She'll probably get it at some point anyway.

William has avoided it so far, in spite of coming into contact with numerous infected children. I think he's saving it up for when he can have a few days off school for the inconvenience!

[Angie]

Your friends little boy wont be contagious if you're not planning to see them till next week. My little one went down with it yesterday and he shouldn't be contagious beyond Friday - there is no record of it being passed on beyond 5 days after the spots appear (or 2 days before the rash appears).

Looking after a poxy child is hard work (mine wont sleep at all at the moment because he's itchy, despite the calamine lotion, etc) but I'm much happier he's getting out the way now. My friend had at 18 and she was really ill :shock:

[August Girl]

I got adult chicken pox about 5-6 years ago and it was absolutely horrendous. I would go and rub her all over your friends son!


I agree, I had it last year and I have never been so ill in my life! And I also have suffered a bit of hearing loss so best while they are young

[Sonriendo]

Mine had it at 19 months and about 17 months. It was so easy to deal with as they were so young. For me the younger they are the better I think, it is hell in an adult.

[Azana]

Like the others have said - won't be contagious. One of those things not worth agonising over - dd1 spent days around a child at childminder's when she *should* have caught it - and didn't and then caught it when I was least expected it...

[Matilde]

Part of me used to think that deliberately exposing your toddler to illness was insane...HOWEVER the little girl next door had it a few weeks ago and I let Clarissa played with her secretely hoping she'd get it. She is 2 years old and we are going to be moving soon etc so i thought just now would be perfect timing.

She didn't catch it :(

[skylark]

Gemma was 8 weeks old when she was exposed to a contageous child for 3 hours (his spots had appeared that day) and got nothing - he even chewed her toys - not a sausage, which I was very pleased about at the time. But now, I would let her be exposed again. The way I see it, she is bound to get it at some point. My mother was a carrier, she never got any symptoms but passed it on to others. They only found out when later in life she got shingles.

[Squeaker]

I'm really torn with this one as (I know it is EXTREMELY rare) a friend of ours' daughter died a few weeks ago, aged 13 months, as her immune system was not strong enough to cope with a severe bout of chicken pox. If I deliberately introduced DS to such an illness and he too was incapable of coping I'm not sure I could ever forgive myself. As I said I do know it is extraordinary for it to happen and I can't protect DS from everything and it is better to have as a child than as an adult but I guess I'm still kind of raw.

[racqy-rooster]

I'm really torn with this one as (I know it is EXTREMELY rare) a friend of ours' daughter died a few weeks ago, aged 13 months, as her immune system was not strong enough to cope with a severe bout of chicken pox. If I deliberately introduced DS to such an illness and he too was incapable of coping I'm not sure I could ever forgive myself. As I said I do know it is extraordinary for it to happen and I can't protect DS from everything and it is better to have as a child than as an adult but I guess I'm still kind of raw.

:higgies:

Ellsi had it a couple of months ago and I found it pretty easy to deal with. His cousin had it 2 weeks before him so thats where he caught it from. I never kept him away.

[~Twiggy~]

There was a sign up at Nursey saying there was a case of Chicken pox there. I think well he is going t get it at some point, sooner rather than later.

[sersha]

My sister offered to take Leah to someone for me (on a day she was minding her) who had it, or whether I wanted her to cancel - I told her to cancel :oops: It just didn't feel right to me to purposefully inflict it, when she still has time to catch it - although if she got to be 3 plus, I would probably start thinking about doing exactly that.... it was a really tough one but you just have to go with your instinct I think

[Cat]

I was told by the docs that the best time to get it is between 1-2 years old. Old enough to be strong enough to fight it but the older you get the worse the itching is.

[Lois Lane]

Paige had it when she was 2 and a bit and tbh it wasn't *that* bad. We had a couple of nights when it was hard to get her to sleep because of the itching bothering her but it didn't last long. I'd rather they had it when you are home and don't have to take time off to look after them - my MIL took time off to look after P for me as my work were being @rses about my time off.

ETA P had been exposed to it on and off for a YEAR before she caught it :shock:

[Cherrypie]

I wouldn't expose my kids on purpose tbh. I think the idea of deliberatly making your kids ill is a little strange - don't mean to offend anyone. It's just my view! Connor got chicken pox a couple of years ago when it was going round at his school, and he hardly noticed. Otoh, Eilis caught it from him, and it was a miserable 10 days for her. She spiked high temperatures, and was covered in spots. She was 9 months old.

[Lilybett]

Apparently he went down with it on Monday and we'd be going to see them on Tuesday so just over a week. I think we are going to go anyway and see what happens.