Foot and Mouth Disease

Well, OK, it’s officially Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, but I am being dramatic because I want everyone to feel sorry for me.

Last Wednesday, we had lunch with some friends, and on Friday I got an email to say that one of the kids had come down with HFMD, and to keep an eye out. The incubation period is from 3-7 days, so by yesterday I was pretty confident we were safe.

But no. This morning Inigo was really clingy, and went down for his morning nap WITH NO FUSS WHATSOEVER! That is when I started to worry. When he refused to eat much lunch, I was sure my child had been kidnapped by aliens and replaced with a weird sleeping and not eating child substitute. Then he lunged at me to give me an open mouthed kiss (how adorable!), and I realised 2 things.

This odd child was actually mine, and the open sores inside his mouth probably meant that he caught the bug.

Today has been difficult. When he isn’t sleeping, he’s been clinging to me like a limpet, and shrieking like he’s never going to see me again if I try to get more than a millimetre away from him.

And we’re completely out of gin. Goodnight.

7 thoughts on “Foot and Mouth Disease”

  1. Oh poor you. Poor Inigo. I have never had any of mine catch it so I don’t know how bad it gets but I’ve heard it’s not great. I hope he feels better soon.

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  2. hi lara,
    my oldest and my youngest got it, too. i gave borax d4 (homoeopathic globulis, don’t know how it’s called in english) for this mouth problems and then it works.
    try all what’s soft eaten, yogurt, flan etc, very soft cooked potatoes etc.
    this is not a disease to be worried about it(even though they cannot eat and feel crotchety!
    best wihes to poor boy,
    eva

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  4. Hugo’s had HFM twice. Double the fun. On the plus side, adults are very unlikely to catch it. And it does seem to pass pretty quickly. Hope he feels better soon.

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    1. Thanks for all your comments guys!

      My nephew had it last year, and my Adam and Sarah also got it, sounds like it was worse for them than it was for Alex. We are hoping we don’t get it, Inigo seems pretty unhappy so far.

      Last night he didn’t seem to sleep for more than 40 minutes at a stretch, and then screamed for 30 minutes between naps. And of course, I was feeling really ill myself, stomach cramps and having to race to the bathroom. Mark (bless him) has taken today off work to look after both of us šŸ™‚

      My main worry is that his mouth seems too sore to breastfeed…

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  6. As a being who suffers mouth ulcers (which are bad enuf but no where near the trouble), I humbly say OH BUGGER!!

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