Help help help help help!

[cutiepatootie]

Hi everyone, it's me BabelFish just out of retirement for a bit.

DS has had chicken pox, quite badly. His rash appeared about two weeks ago.

Yesterday, DD (who is 29 months old and has had her first CP vaccine) complained of being tired all morning, and then had a 4.5 hour sleep in the afternoon.

This morning, she has about eight little red spots on her tummy, back and neck and one on her cheek.

It is our wedding in four days (this Friday).

There will be three people with babies under 18 months old coming, and bringing their babies.

If she does have it, she will no longer be contagious by Friday unless she is touched directly.

I will be telling everyone that she has it (of course!) but what would YOU do if it was you bringing a baby? Would you still come and just not go anywhere near her? Or would you stay at home?

I'm devastated, really. This has been the worst year EVER for us and to have these people not come to our wedding would break my heart. They are dear friends, and in fact one of them is my bridesmaid.

I'd NEVER hide it and will be making sure they all know. But wow.

What would you do in their situation? :(

[Lemonhead]

Meh, wouldn't bother me. I had chickenpox as a teenager and it sucked so I'd probably come run DS1 & DS2 on your childs skin so they get it as kids haha (joking).

Its only chickenpox, while I would avoid your DD I wouldn't not come to your wedding.

[waterlily]

oh Hun, I'm so so sorry.

I wouldn't go, I'd be too scared of infecting DD :(

I hope you have an amazing day though!!

[Chunkydunks]

if it were me I'd still go an try make baby sitting arangements so the little one wasn't at risk. Failing that I'd just keep a close eye and make sure there was no direct contact.

But I'm a little more relaxed about things once they reach the "less contagious" stage.

[PrimaDonnnaGirl]

I would never miss a friends wedding for your reasons. I would be concerned depending on the age of the baby I had (as in the younger the more concerning I guess), but I would organise a babysitter instead and express if need be. Hopefully your friends have options like these.

I'm sorry about the bad timing for you.
:hugs:

[cutiepatootie]

Thanks guys. There's only one very new baby coming (my cousin's third - he'll only be ten days old) but I would miss her like anything. That's cool though, I would totally understand.

The other babies (there's actually four but I'm not sure if one is coming or being babysat) are 7 months, 11 months and 11.5 months. Two of those Mums I know are very laid back (one of them is my bridesmaid) and will most likely bring their bubs and just not go near DD. But the other one might not bring her son (the 7 month old) and it's her husband who is our MC and celebrant. She'll be devastated.

Worse, DP took DS over there yesterday to finalise our ceremony and he played with the 7-month-old all afternoon. He is totally not contagious anymore, he's nearly completely over it, but now I wonder if he could have carried the second wave of the virus over there? Can you be a carrier if you have had the disease already? We had NO idea DD might have it because a) she's vaccinated and b) she hadn't shown any symptoms or rash until this morning.

[SpecialPatrolGroup]

I would either get a babysitter or take her but not get close to anyone and if possible get someone to come and take her home. I hope everyone can make it - what a sucky time for chicken pox. Hope your wedding goes well.

Maybe once the big day is over you will remember the password!

[just her chameleon]

Oh you poor thing. Talk about terrible timing. My DD has chicken pox too and it sucks. I can't imagine how stressed you are right now.

TBH and im really sorry because I know you probably don't want to hear this - I wouldn't go with a child if I knew someone had chick. Pox. Even if I was told try weren't contagious and to stay away. But having said that I'm a little irrational and OTT so hopefully there will be more common sense! LOL I think it's fantastic that you're being so honest and upfront :)

[the girls mum]

Firstly - hugs!!!

Hmmm well if I was invited I would still come.

DD is vacinated and only 2 so if she got it would probably be better for her to get it now rather then later - I have had it (and shingles grrr) so I would be sweet.

And as your daughter is at the end and only contagious on skin to skin I wouldnt feel all that nervous - might be hard on her though not to play with other kiddies??

I hope it all works out x

[cutiepatootie]

Hahaha - I've got it written down but I've hidden it at work. I'm only there a few hours a week. I did it this way so that I could ban myself from BH for a while, but there's been too much I've needed to respond to or ask! I'll be back to BabelFish by tomorrow afternoon.

Sigh.

I really hope 2011 is a bumper year for us! We deserve it.

[missie_mack]

If I was worried I would go to the wedding and go home before the reception :)

[cutiepatootie]

That's what I thought some people might do. It makes it a bit harder, though, because the whole thing is at Mum's house. So reception immediately follows ceremony and is all in the one place.

[Blairysmum]

I always thought it was better to have chicken pox while your young???

[cutiepatootie]

Definitely - but it's not really a harmless illness like many people think. There can be severe complications and they are uncommon but not rare, if that makes sense. DS had it really badly and he was utterly miserable for a couple of days - NO sleep at all, grizzly, exhausted, itchy as anything. But it did pass quickly and he is absolutely fine now.

[CazHazKidz]

With DS being almost 12 months now, I would just bring him and not worry about it.

If I had a newbie, I would leave them with Grandparents and come to the wedding.

If I didn't have grandparents to leave bub with, I'd leave bub at home with DH and come on my own

If I didn't have a DH to leave bub with, I'd still come, but just make sure bub was kept well away from the pox.

Wouldn't miss my best friends wedding for ANYTHING!

[MummyoftheMuffins]

I would bring my kids... DD1 had chicken pox at 9 months, and I would honestly prefer for DD2 to have chickenpox when she is little than when she gets bigger. So if she caught it then it wouldn't really bother me that much...

I hope you have a lovely wedding!

[cutiepatootie]

Thank you all :hugs:

It looks like there's no doubt. I found a spot on her back that is like a little blister - EXACTLY how DS's spots looked at first.

Wow, if you could swear on here you would all be shocked and appalled at me! :o

[BabelFish]

Ahhhh I'm back as me!

Looks like DD just has had a breakthrough infection, if anything. Her spots are clearing up, the one on her face is gone completely, and she doesn't have any more. She is in a very happy mood and doesn't seem to be showing any signs of a fever or other sickness.

I'll still tell everyone just in case, but it's good to see that she either hasn't got CP after all, or has had SUCH a mild dose that it doesn't really matter.

WOOT!!

And yesterday DS just started standing up on his own, out of nowhere, from a sitting position in the middle of the floor. I was on the lounge, reading, and DP was on the computer, and I looked up to see DS just standing there, staring at me as if to say `MUMMY!!! Look at me!!!'. He did it three more times in the next ten minutes and now, typically, is unstoppable.

YAY! :D

[Hamilicious]

It's a good idea that you're telling everyone, and it might also be a good idea to try to keep people away from your DD and DS (unless they've had it). I know I've said it a few times, but I'm recovering from the Pox at the moment and it's been pretty nasty. Just knowing what I've been through has made me very cautious.

I'm sure it will be a wonderful day!

[BabelFish]

Thank you!

Well, everyone knows that DS has had it and is recovering (although he's really on the last legs now, just a couple of spots to clear up and more are disappearing every day). Not many people know about DD because I didn't want to alarm anyone in case she didn't have it.

I'll be letting everyone know prior to Friday, and have told the pregnant people / people with babies already.