To you mama who is worried, exhausted, desperate and feel like you are failing at being a mum.
You, who gets a pinch in your chest the minute you hear your child sneeze.
You, who has to stop yourself from getting an anxiety attack when a child is coughing next to your child.
You, who feels guilty every day for having exposed your child to so many infections because you have no alternative but to send him to childcare.
To you, the mum who has been spending weekend after weekend at home nursing her sick child.
You who have used up half your leave to stay home and care for your sick child.
To you, mama who stays up late at night listening to your child cough, racking your brains on what else you can do to make him better.
To you mama who is dreading the next dose of medicine you need to somehow get your child to digest.
To you, who would give anything for your child to eat the food that is in front of him.
“At birth, a baby’s immune system is immature and starts to strengthen when exposed to bacteria”
To you mama who feels desperate when, as soon as you think your child has recovered and you can enjoy life again, you hear that dreaded sneeze. Again.
To you, mama, I want to say
IT. GETS. BETTER.
I am telling you this because I have been there. It is not your fault that your child is getting sick. One time or another your child will be exposed to all kinds of germs and WILL GET SICK. For some children it happens in the first year, for others in the 4th.
But listen to me mama, it will always happen and you know what? Each infection that your child’s little body fights, gears him up to fight future, bigger infections. It is a proven fact that kids who are exposed to infections at a young age have a stronger immune system.
As this article by Dr. Cindy Gellner states: At birth, a baby’s immune system is immature and starts to strengthen when exposed to bacteria and viruses in the environment, prompting the production of natural antibodies so he or she can better fight off infections in the future. That means kids who are around more germs from an early age will likely have stronger immune systems by the time they start school.
“Believe it or not there will come a time when your child will interact with a sick child and will not get sick”
Parents may want to consider postponing daycare enrollment until a baby is 3 months old. Contagious infections that are normally relatively minor can be much more serious in newborns, and if your child develops a fever of 100.4 °F or greater before three months of age, he or she may need to be hospitalized.
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