Germ OCD

I fear I am becoming a little OCD on the germ front. Ever since enduring three weeks of broken sleep as a result of the Moomin having her first cold, closely followed by a flu virus, I am on red alert.

I met a fairly new friend and her baby for coffee this afternoon and apparently my face fell when she mentioned she had the startings of a cold, I didn't even realise I'd let my concern show, oops. I think I need to get a grip before winter hits, otherwise its going to be a lonely few months for me and the Moomin!

Saturday Night / Sunday Morning

Went out for a few hours last night, leaving DH in charge of the Moomin. Kicked it up on the dance floor for a bit and felt lovely to just have to focus on ME for a while, rather than the Moomin. But the needle came off the record when I got home to a frazzled husband and screaming baby, who, to make matters worse for frazzled husband, stopped screaming the moment I held her eek.

I think the difficulty is that DH works long hours and only really gets quality time with the Moomin at the weekends, so bless her little cottons, she doesn't have that feeling of security that she has with me, even though she has the best daddy in the world who loves her to pieces.

Soft Play / Germ Factory?

Ok, I didn't think I would be a paranoid mamma, but I pretty much know that the Moomin caught the flu virus that has haunted us for almost three weeks at her first soft play session and it has led to much debate amongst me and my mummy friends - we all want our babes to enjoy the fun of soft play and mixing with children other than those of our immediate social network, but is it worth the risk of our precious little ones being constantly ill from picking up germs? Not only is it miserable for them, its miserable for us mums, as we return to the days of mothering a new born who wakes up at all hours of the night howling. 

Honestly, with Moomin having got through to 8 months old without so much as a cough, its been such a shock to the system dealing with several weeks of sick baby. We've had to cancel a bunch of fun stuff, be super careful not to spread the lurghy amongst friends and oh the hours of sleep that we need to catch up on, but that I fear I never will. 

What is the consensus amongst mothers of babies and small children? What is the best plan of action for the winter months ahead?