Exposing your kids to chicken pox

I always thought I would - good to get it over with while they're young, I had them when I was a bit older wand was utterly miserable and off school for a month.

Now that I've got a baby, though, I can't stand the thought of taking him somewhere knowing he might get sick because of it, even though I can see it might in theory be a good idea. So I wouldn't anymore.

I am the same as Hopes, I always thought it would be good to get them over with.. Until a friend offered for me to come up when her kids had them to expose DS who was about 11-12 months. I couldn't do it.. He was already teething and I just couldn't knowingly make him ill.

After my experience with DS1 & chicken pox I would of said no. He got a very bad dose & was really sick, completely covered for head to toe & had several trips to the dr to bring his temp down, he was delirious, vomiting it was horrid. DS2 was 3 weeks old, fully BF & got 6 spots on his feet the Dr said he was the youngest child he had seen with them.

DS2 has not had them again. We were going to get DS3 immunised against them due to the server dose DS1 had but a week after making the decision to do it he got them & a mild dose with only a few spots, he was at kindy when he was infectious & no other child caught them off him.

DD was exposed on several occasions to a family member who had them. I was in hospital at the time and I know her family tried to keep them far apart but when I came back I was relaxed about it. We're BFing, I've had chicken pox and even though she was exposed, she never got them. I've heard that I would have anti bodies to it which would pass through my BM to her... I don't know if that's true or not though.

Anyway... My granddad always tells me this story his father used to tell him. My great grandfather came from a family of about 13+ kids with 4 sets of twins in 5 years... If one got sick they would stick them all together to catch it. Get it over and done with quickly than dragging it on. But apparently they only had that many kids because often if one got really sick then they had a high chance of dying... Plus lack of contraception. Anyway!

If I had more than one child I would probably expose them to it if the other one had it too if that makes sense.

No. Although some kids don't get it bad others do and I won't intentionally get my kids sick with anything.

I'm someone who didn't get them as a kid. I'd rather immunise myself and my boys than get them.

Kel - the vaccine has actually come down a lot in price. For me it use to be $150 odd and last time I checked it was now $70. Kids I imagine would be cheaper?

I couldn't expose them on purpose, I would feel awful. Most kids will catch it at some point, we all had had it by the time we were 10, I got it when I was 3 or 4.

I would and have purposely exposed mine to CP (not my youngest, although he was unknowingly exposed at only 4 days old ) My oldest was due to start school in less than a year and I figured having him get it before then, rather than missing out on school time was better. He had a very mild dose, but it seems to have been enough as he hasnt had it again since. Jae got it without being exposed on purpose, but if she hadnt gotten it already, then I would in the next year or 2 if I knew someone had them. Not sure about D as, being my last, and the only one in this house who hasnt had them yet, has noone to catch them off here at home. I wouldnt go asking for people to tell me their kids had CP, but I wouldnt NOT visit had they told me either.

We have just had the chicken pox - and it was not fun - little amount of sleep for 3 days and very miserable children. But now its done - i am quite pleased they got it quite early as its all done - being young they didtn scratch much and they were not worried about how they looked. The doctor did tell us that children can die from complications of chicken pox so that was rather sobering.

Also i was breast feeding the little one adn she was covered in them

No I wouldn't expose DD on purpose to any illness or disease I'd prefer to get her vaccinated against CP.

Two_Puddle_Ducks wrote: I would expose them. I would rather they get it before they start school and while I'm at home to give them lots of love and attention. I wouldn't go searching for it though. I guess if a friends children had it, it wouldn't stop me from visiting. Just like if a friends children have colds that doesn't stop me from visiting.

Ditto! I would like for DD to get them while shes young (<10) (she has eczema anyway so is constantly scratching, so wouldnt make much difference!) Not sure if I would go searching for it, maybe if she was starting to get older and still hadnt had it yet then I would...
The one thing that would make me want to intentionally expose her (I say want because I havnt and hope not to, but would prefer it) is because chickenpox is much more likely to cause severe disease in adults than in children. Adults are 10 times more likely to be hospitalized when they have chickenpox than are children. And the vaccine lasts for around 20 years (if Ive remembered my facts right)
So the vaccine could be starting to wear off when shes turning into an adult (which is not preferable IMO)