Daycare Bugs
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If you’re thinking you’ve read this post because the photo looks familiar, you’re partly right.
We ended up back in Starship the following week and oddly in the exact same room.
But why? Well daycare bugs.
Kids catch everything when they start. Especially in the baby room, all the bugs are new and they put everything in their mouths. Sylvie caught every cold in her first 6 months of daycare. It is very normal.
But I just want to highlight something with Kayden because he isn’t the typical baby.
Your kid gets sick from daycare, so you bring them back into daycare because well, everyone does. Thus, this circular pattern exists.
There are snotty kids in there on the daily. And I get it, parents need to work, peoples jobs are important and they need the income. And youre only brining back something you caught from there anyways. So everyone does it… because everyone does it. Kids are only sent home if they present with fever, but boogers are A ok.
The thing I want to highlight is that a common bug, where a kid may normally be a bit snotty, grizzly or less hungry, is not that for Kayden.
It lands us back in Starship. A place Im starting to know too well. And I humbly want to point out Im barely there compared to long haulers, my heart goes out to those families. It’s a place no one really wants to be but when you need to be there, you are very grateful for them.
We don’t need to be there every week, every cold, and we really don’t want to be.
Days at the hospital mean we pay for not using daycare , I don’t make any money at work, we pay transit/parking and to eat. Sadly they are no longer feeding parents, even breastfeeding mothers. So you have to leave your baby to get food which takes about 10-20 minutes all up. That’s not eating it, that’s just fetching food to bring back. Or at 3am when your baby is in respiratory distress you can pack lunch and snacks. You can actually order Uber eats to the hospital but again it’s more costs. A day at hospital essentially cost us a few hundred dollars and of course zero sleep.
It’s all around rather unpleasant. I’d much rather be home with a snotty kid watching Disney movies and eating everything from my kitchen. You know, things like sleeping in your own bed, having your own toilet. And a big one, not waking up to have obs (heart rate, respiratory rate, saturation, blood pressure and temperature) taken every few hours and then having to resettle your baby.
Did I mention I don’t get to see my daughter. The rules are one parent at a time and absolutely no visitors under 14 years old. Since Kaydens a baby, I’m not there to visit, I’m there 24/7. Which means I don’t get to see Sylvie until we discharge home. I suppose with some back up, Lee and I could swap but I’m still partially breastfeeding him.
So what am I getting at?
I guess a bit of perspective.
I know breaking the sick cycle will never happen but I do wish some parents to recognise that the bugs are harder for some of us. Not just our medically susceptible children but it takes a toll on the whole family emotionally and financially.
If a day home means movies and snacks, please stay home.
