Did you take any special precautions with whooping cough prevalence and your newborn?

[LoveKnowsNoBounds]

My sil didn't take her baby out in public for months because she was afraid her DD would pick up whooping cough. A friend carried on as normal. I'm just curious to see if it affects what you do with your baby? I'm worried about it but am still thinking through what I think is best.

[glenny_c]

I guess I was kinda in the middle. We still went out but I would try and avoid closed in places like shopping centres or doctors surgery's. I also asked everyone who would be likely spending time with my dd (grandparents, aunties etc) to get immunised

[wysiwyg]

I got my mum to have booster as staying with us, but apart from that as normal - with having a two year old who is in daycare 2 days a week, figured she was more likely to bring germs home than us pick up outside and would have gone crazy staying at home.

ETA: Our council was offering Whooping Cough vaccination from 6 weeks old instead of 8 weeks because of the concern about the outbreak, and the MCHN was pushing that. I didn't end up getting it done early but it was an option.

[Jennifer13]

I know one gf who was really concerned and asked everyone at preschool last year if they had been in contact with whooping cough and/or had been immunised. She's a dr and a little paranoid!

I don't think I'm going to have the option of worrying next year - DD goes back to school when this one will only be about a month old. So I guess I'll just play it by ear. I don't remember being particularly concerned when DD was tiny, but we weren't in contact with as many other young kids then.

[LimeSlice]

No really...
We were careful to make sure our eldest understood not to touch Marley with dirty hands, etc, but we don't really have close contact with anyone else to worry about it much.

I didn't get the booster in hospital, neither did DH. TBH I have been more worried about it the few times I have had to take one or the other of them to the ER. It is the only time they are exposed in at close proximity to randoms and sick people.

Babywearing was another good one though, meant I didn't get randoms at the shopping centre coming up to me and touching her etc.

[Cranky Kitten]

We're both planning on a booster and have generally asked those who are sick to wait before visiting until they are better. Those are about the only precautions we're really taking.

For us it's less about him picking it up from random people cooing over him than being concerned that one of us might get it (DH works in an office) and bring it home - so if we can take reasonable steps to lessen that concern we will.

[Lisa B]

we got the booster and carried on like normal. we went to shopping centres etc,

[Taurean]

we got the booster and carried on like normal. we went to shopping centres etc,

We did the same. It worried us a bit but certainly not enough to put our lives on hold for a few months. We were very cautious of anyone who was ill at all though in the early weeks.

[beckoes]

with dd1 we did nothing different, with dd2 we had boosters and ran away from anyone with a filthy cough, but apart from that just carried on as normal, we were out in playgrouds etc from 3 days old, although i wouldnt 'show' the baby to other kids close up...look dont touch . having another child who would go crazy if we didnt go out every day we couldnt really lock our selves away.

[Babyluv]

We asked family members to get the booster and made sure anyone who was holding her had washed their hands and used sanitiser. Anyone who was sick we made sure stayed away.