Incredibly Covid-cautious pediatrician

[Anonymous]

Here's the thing. If a newborn gets a fever, there is real risk to the brain. And I cannot express how heartbreaking it is to watch a nurse or phlebotomist poking at your tiny baby's tiny veins to get blood work. Maybe even a spinal tap.

It's just really a horrible experience. And this was before covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never heard this advice from a pediatrician. Covid is making people irrational.

I don’t think so. Everyone in the medical community is worried about the new Delta mutations of covid as well as a bad flu season. If OP’s pediatrician is being overly cautious, I’d still prefer that to a pediatrician who tells parents only what they want to hear.

There is middle ground here, OP. Keeping your older kids home for the first couple weeks and then practicing very good hygiene when they return to daycare (bathing and changing clothes after daycare and before they get near the newborn, masking at daycare (for 4 year old), making sure your daycare is following covid protocols, etc).

[Anonymous]

OP I think the dr is being cautious but not crazy. This is coming from someone who had their older newborn catch rsv from someone who brought it from daycare. My baby ended up in the PICU for 10 day. As an aside, have you considered a nanny? Once we had 3 kids a nanny was cheaper and much more convenient as the kids started being in activities.

[Anonymous]

Does the doctor expect you to quit your job to quarantine with 3 kids and no help from August to next spring? Like we are just not supposed to work anymore because we get 3 month maternity leaves and that's too early for day care? This stupid country....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the doctor expect you to quit your job to quarantine with 3 kids and no help from August to next spring? Like we are just not supposed to work anymore because we get 3 month maternity leaves and that's too early for day care? This stupid country....

Usually people who voluntarily have three kids now have the resources to stay at home for a little while. Think the pediatrician is being cautious, but not unreasonable. Children are still not vaccinated, and there are always other viral illnesses going around.

[Anonymous]

I mean do what you want but if that baby so much as gets a sniffle before 3 mos it means a battery of testing and a spinal tap. And with 2 and 4 yr old siblings in daycare he/she IS likely to get a sniffle. Is that really worth a night or a few nights in the hospital? Just keep them all home during your maternity leave. Then by Oct when it's time for you to go back to work, chances are we're all headed back to telework anyway if Delta becomes an issue or if you have an in person job, you hire a nanny. I mean is a few thousand dollars of daycare money worth the risk you're taking here?

[Anonymous]

Agree that you need a nanny and your pediatrician is right.

[Anonymous]

That’s cray, OP. I can’t believe the prior posters who are playing along. I gave birth to my third in summer 2020 and everyone was in camp and daycare including new baby at 3 months (gasp!) because mommas got to work and a nanny is like 50k a year.

[Anonymous]

Wow the crazies are really on DCUM today — lol a spinal tap for sniffles in a newborn. Give me a break. It will be ok OP. Make sure caregivers are vaccinated though. Some centers are being upfront about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never heard this advice from a pediatrician. Covid is making people irrational.

I don’t think so. Everyone in the medical community is worried about the new Delta mutations of covid as well as a bad flu season. If OP’s pediatrician is being overly cautious, I’d still prefer that to a pediatrician who tells parents only what they want to hear.

There is middle ground here, OP. Keeping your older kids home for the first couple weeks and then practicing very good hygiene when they return to daycare (bathing and changing clothes after daycare and before they get near the newborn, masking at daycare (for 4 year old), making sure your daycare is following covid protocols, etc).

Bathing after daycare?! WTF. That’s not how covid is spread. Are you still wiping down your groceries?! This thread is insane. Op, I would seek out a second opinion from an actual medical professional and not nervous basement dwellers home on this gorgeous summer afternoon. I’m on DCUM because I’m tired from living it up all weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never heard this advice from a pediatrician. Covid is making people irrational.

I don’t think so. Everyone in the medical community is worried about the new Delta mutations of covid as well as a bad flu season. If OP’s pediatrician is being overly cautious, I’d still prefer that to a pediatrician who tells parents only what they want to hear.

There is middle ground here, OP. Keeping your older kids home for the first couple weeks and then practicing very good hygiene when they return to daycare (bathing and changing clothes after daycare and before they get near the newborn, masking at daycare (for 4 year old), making sure your daycare is following covid protocols, etc).

Bathing after daycare?! WTF. That’s not how covid is spread. Are you still wiping down your groceries?! This thread is insane. Op, I would seek out a second opinion from an actual medical professional and not nervous basement dwellers home on this gorgeous summer afternoon. I’m on DCUM because I’m tired from living it up all weekend.

Colds and flu can be spread through clothing and skin contact, PP. I wasn’t talking about covid. Newborn care specialists always wash and change into scrubs or fresh clothes. When DS went back to school last fall, his pediatrician recommended bathing and changing before playing with newborn.

Please stop with the “basement dwelling” crap. It’s so boring and no longer the least bit clever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow the crazies are really on DCUM today — lol a spinal tap for sniffles in a newborn. Give me a break. It will be ok OP. Make sure caregivers are vaccinated though. Some centers are being upfront about that.

Yes. Spinal taps for newborns who develop fevers or dehydration because they can’t suck and breathe? Absolutely. Unless you’ve been there, you have no clue how awful it is. And my experience was pre-covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow the crazies are really on DCUM today — lol a spinal tap for sniffles in a newborn. Give me a break. It will be ok OP. Make sure caregivers are vaccinated though. Some centers are being upfront about that.

Maybe look into things before you start accusing. Yes a fever in a newborn under 3 months = spinal tap. No matter what, even if they look ok and every other kid in the house is sick so you're pretty sure they have the same cold. And this has nothing to do with covid, this has been true for the last 20+ years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow the crazies are really on DCUM today — lol a spinal tap for sniffles in a newborn. Give me a break. It will be ok OP. Make sure caregivers are vaccinated though. Some centers are being upfront about that.

Maybe look into things before you start accusing. Yes a fever in a newborn under 3 months = spinal tap. No matter what, even if they look ok and every other kid in the house is sick so you're pretty sure they have the same cold. And this has nothing to do with covid, this has been true for the last 20+ years.

+1. And it’s every bit as horrible as it sounds.

[Anonymous]

Yes, pre-covid our pediatrician recommended keeping our toddler out of daycare for the first months of the baby’s life. We decided to go with a nanny anyway who started when I was still on leave as it just made more sense for us with two.