Help--I Keep Getting SICK!

I experience the same thing when my son entered full-time day care and now I am experiencing it with my daughter.

I would suggest taking Airborne or the Walgreen's generic brand Walborne. It's worked for me.

Also, a flu shot helps.

Good luck with staying well this winter.

T. Moore

hi S.,
Something similar happened to me when my baby was about 12 months old. I got a severe case of conjunctivitis, after being sick with a violent vomitting virus. I don't remember ever getting so sick. I made a decision then and there that I was going to start getting more rest and taking action to put the baby in her crib and letting her sleep there all night. Before then, I was keeping her in bed with me, and neither of us were getting much rest. I don't know if this is anything at all like your situation, but my only advice is just to make sure you are getting plenty of rest. Hope you get better.

First advice: (Well, other than "wash hands often") No dairy. Both my kids are sensitive to the protein in cow's milk. A couple glasses of milk or too much cheese leads to cold-like symptoms every time. My daughter is 2 1/2. She's had maybe 3 or 4 short-lived runny noses since we switched her to goat milk at one year (soy milk doesn't have enough fat for younger toddlers) then soy at 2. I sent the soy milk along with her to daycare too. I think she got sick once, and only for about 24 hours. We were headed down the same snotty road with my son when he started on milk-based formula at 4 months. I switched him to soy and we've been booger-free ever since. I plan to keep him on soy formula until he's 18 mo or so, then soy milk. What I've learned from talking to others is that more people than you could imagine have this same sensitivity. I have several friends with kids constantly battling upper respiratory issues (even hospital visits!). They take out dairy and hardly ever see the dr again. There are enough dairy substitutes out there that this is a very easy switch and, if it works, saves you the time (and expense) of dr visits and decongestants/antihistamines. Highly reccomend Silk "Very Vanilla" soy. Doesn't taste like cardboard, like the other soy milks.
Second advice: www.mannatech.com Their main product, called ambrotose, is a unique combination of simple sugars that your body's cells need to comunicate properly with each other. The ambrotose itself doesn't "cure" anything, but it gives your body the tools it needs to "fix" itself. It's the only product like it in the wellness industry that has a patent. Think of it more as taking food, rather than a nutritional supplement. They have a wonderful childrens product called MannaBears. While most nutritional supplements will have an ingredients list that says "ascorbic acid, ferrous sulfate, etc" the MannaBears ingredients says "green tea, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower..." It's like a little veggie gummy bear, and it's yummy! With the fickle eating habits of a 2-yr-old, the MannaBears give me a little peace of mind that I'm getting some nutrients in her.

As trite as it sounds, "This, too, shall pass."

We went through the same thing with my daughter when she first started attending daycare.

You may want to look at how the daycare takes care of it's facility. Do they wash the toys everyday? Do they make the kids wash their hands all the time? Do they have a strict policy of sending sick kids home? Are the kids noses running all the time?

The only way you can assure yourself of these things is to visit the daycare during operating hours.

Also, ask other parents at the daycare if they're having the same problem.

I eventually stopped getting sick mainly because we switched to a new facility. It makes a difference.

The other option is to also take really, really good care of yourself. It's tough being a single mom (my sister was one and I saw her run herself ragged). Try to take some time for yourself. Hopefully you have a supportive family that can help.

Good luck.