Ttc + Thailand = Zika Virus + No baby

[16MrsE]

Just wanting to warn people of the disappointment me and my Husband have had.

We've been ttc since Christmas and had planned to have our first child this year. We had already had our holiday planned and paid it off. We informed the doctors who then booked us in for the relevant time for holiday injections. On Friday we went in for these injections and was then told by the nurse we will no longer be able to ttc due to the high risk of Zika virus in Thailand. This risk was not mentioned when booking the holiday.

If I was to go on the holiday alone I would be free to ttc after 8 weeks of returning but because I'm with my husband and the virus lives for 6 months within mens sperm we now won't be able to ttc until next year. If we were to become pregnant the baby would be born with brain damage and a smaller head than average, chances of blindness and deafness etc.

This news has totally floored out plans of becoming parents. I just want others to be aware so you have it in mind when looking at holidays x

[powerpuffer]

You can get private blood tests when you return. We went on honeymoon to Florida last year, in the neighbourhood of an active Zika outbreak and took all precautions such as DEET, nets, homeopathic repellents etc and although we were careful we both still had a couple of bites.

When we returned we paid for private blood tests which confirmed neither of us had been infected and therefore we were ok to continue TTC.

Definitely not the disaster it seems right now but you certainly need to be careful out there and use protection, and no other 'play' (it can be transmitted in all fluids) until you get the all clear - and this is for the full 6 months if you don't have testing done.

We were lucky in that Florida were very proactive in testing and reporting cases, which I'm not sure the rest of the world are so I would definitely go on the overly cautious approach, Zika isn't something to be messed with.

The testing cost us £350ish and we got the results back within 24 hours (although we had to wait 3 weeks after returning order to have the tests done) although they did say it could take 10 working days.

I researched Zika to an inch of my life as we were TTC too so I'll hang around if you have any questions.

[HbH]

Hi 16

This exact same happened to us but did the tests power has recommended and got the all clear within a month of return & just got our BFP a month after that!!

Was so gutted at first, but much calmer and able to enjoy hol once we knew there were options & not much time lost!

Also, in regards to thailand, where we went in Phuket there weren't many mozzys at all. Hotel on beach front and they don't like breezes, room air conditioned to within an inch of it's life and they don't survive in cool/dry atmosphere. We sprayed 50+% DEET on us at all times and only came back with one bite between us... good to minimise the possibilities.

Dr at the zika testing clinic also said Thailand much lower risk than south american etc. Still recommended the test, obviously, but just a lower chance of catching.

Don't stress & enjoy Thailand, it's an amazing country x

[powerpuffer]

@HbH Hello! So glad it worked out for you! I remember the old thread about this, so glad you're now pregnant... I am too, 13 weeks today!

[HbH]

Ah huge congrats power, I'm a newbie, only 5 weeks! Was very impressed with the clinic, thanks so much for the recommendation! Hope all goes well for you... & you OP, hope some success stories cheer you up

[16MrsE]

Thanks everyone who has responded.. And those of you are now pregnant, congratulations!! :)

I'm still so unsure on the matter. Me and my Husband never get bitten and so never use sprays or creams. We've been on holidays with friends who used products and got bitten raw while we didn't get any bites. We've said we will take a spray with us but only use it if we get bitten. I was hoping the NHS would offer a test for once we get home but they only seem to offer it once you show symptoms and in men that can take months to appear. We don't really have the money to go private due to buying a house. But I hate the idea of having to wait until next year to again wean myself off the pill and start from scratch again :/ xx

[powerpuffer]

I completely understand, it is a very frustrating situation. I was advised that you can be bitten and not even know, some just look like spots or don't even come up at all if you don't react to them or you swat them off early and so we should behave as if we are infected as soon as we were out there. To me, it's just not worth the risk.

It cost us £327 for the tests and appointment (in total) but for I justified it by having 'making do' when we came home for a few weeks and thinking of it as an extra cost of the holiday. We got the results on my first fertile day so we didn't actually miss any time TTC aside from when we were away. I still took 4 months to conceive so I'm really glad I didn't wait 6 months on top too!

The other thing that swayed me was that when I was researching Zika, the recommendations of abstinence kept changing. At first it was to use protection for 1 month, then 8 weeks and then 6 months if male. It made me feel as if no one really knew and I thought I'd hate to wait 6 months for the guidelines to change once again. I wouldn't truly relax being pregnant unless I knew I was 100% clear. But that's just my risk averse nature!

No matter what, enjoy your holiday. Thailand is meant to be amazing and I'm sure the time with your partner will be wonderful.

[TheseAreTheGoodOldDays]

Please can I join this thread just for any future comments?

I started a similar one myself on a different board about whether it was possible to get private tests but got no replies.

My fiancé and I are going on holiday next month to somewhere high risk; we'd hoped to possibly start TTC soon after the holiday but then when I started reading into it, all the advice was to use protection for 6 months after which left us very disappointed.

I do feel better knowing the tests are available!

[powerpuffer]

We went to London Doctors Clinic. Tiny little place at Victoria but they have lots of offices throughout the city and I was impressed with the turn around. There's a couple of different types of test depending on when you get tested and if you have symptoms but they explain it all on the website and the GP explained it all again when we were there and made it clear that we didn't need the test, we could just use protection for 6 months so I felt reassured that they weren't trying to rip us off!

Zika is so horrible, I really hope that it fades away soon. It's scary to think how vulnerable we all are to natural diseases.

[16MrsE]

Thanks again for the help. It seems the only options are to wait it out for six months or more being super careful or to get the test and know where you stand.. I'm guessing the people that do the Zika tests would be more informed about what's safe when ttc x

I will have to discuss it with the Husband but definitely not going to take any chances before or during the holiday it's not worth potentially harming a baby x

[Hotpinkangel19]

We are planning to ttc in November after we come back from 2 weeks in Cuba, luckily I saw a similar thread and have now changed our holiday destination. So scary how this can affect you x

[MulderitsmeX]

It's only recent that it's been advised against going to Thailand I think - that's so rubbish for you xx (I know historically it's always been present but risk super super low)

Fwiw I got bitten worst I ever have in Thailand BUT I don't think zikha has such a hold there as it does in South America so I think you should be absolutely fine with a test when u get home. Zikha mossies bite in the daytime so easier to cover up then also. Realistically DEET- I've heard it's not really great to use when ttc as of all the chemicals, you can get DEET free stuff and mossie proof clothing that might be a better idea (it's deeply unsexy but does work!)

Zikha is so shit isn't it? Without outing myself I was supposed to be going to the Caribbean for a super special even with loads of friends next month, really will be so amazing but instead am stuck in the UK and not pregnant- boo!

[16MrsE]

Thailands risk is classed as high because it's had Zika virus reported within the last three months in local areas. Nurse told us theres no way round it and to take extra care when back and not ttc for six months.

I'm not so sure my husband would justify spending so much on a test once we're back due to us just not having that much spare right now :( x

[MrsBosh]

Feel for you, OP, difficult and frustrating situation.

Just wanted to give the other side: you said you expected the NHS to pay for a check... The NHS is so stretched. It is your choice where you go on holiday and your responsibility if you choose not to follow the advice (nurse saying to hold off for six months) not theirs. They can't pay for everyone's holiday vaccinations as it's their choice - same idea.

Good luck, hope you can find the money for the tests .

[16MrsE]

I'm not blaming the NHS.. We booked the holiday last year before we even decided to ttc and haven't once been informed by the holiday providers of any risks etc. Now it's too late to change the holiday because it's paid for :/

[MrsBosh]

Sorry if I misunderstood your comment about the blood test .

Good you're aware now though, 16.

I had to wait a while to begin TTC as my DH had a stressful period of work and it felt like so long away, but at the same time went quite quickly.

Yes, suppose your holiday company should have mentioned that Zika is a risk, that's frustrating .

[16MrsE]

Waiting for my period to come which is due anyday now just to make sure I'm not already pregnant then think I may have to go on pill again. Not sure just condoms after the holiday will be even, especially when it comes to getting the hubby to use them for six months :/ lol xx

[16MrsE]

Kind of hoping my period doesn't show and I'm pregnant.. I'd put a complaint in to holiday provider and try get a swap or refund xx

[SofiePendragon]

I think if you are pregnant already your travel insurance ought to cover it, as travel there then wouldn't be advised.

[powerpuffer]

Unfortunately your DH is going to have to use condoms, it is effectively a sexually transmitted disease. This means no oral sex either as it can transmit in all fluids. The pill will help you stop getting pregnant but it won't stop any transfer of disease and with so little research on Zika right now, I wouldn't be putting myself at any risk at all - as I mentioned before, the advice keeps changing as more is found out about it. No one knows the long term impact. Just my thoughts on the matter though!

[16MrsE]

If you have the test and both of us was to come out as clear is there no chance of it developing later on as I've read that it can live upto six months In men and they may not show symptoms for three months x

[powerpuffer]

The test checks your antibodies so is definitive and you can start TTC straight away if both clear. There are two types of test though, depending how soon you are tested so it's best to do a bit of research to make sure the test is timed right.

[NewBallsPlease00]

Which company are you travelling with? For cost of jabs you could probably pay admin fee and switch to somewhere non zika and be far more relaxed?

[16MrsE]

My husband organised the holiday, he likes to get good deals so usually doesn't go direct to big companies such as Thomas Cook etc. Thailand is his bucket list holiday. He's said he would have changed it but it's too late now we've paid final fees extra. Obviously if I was pregnant already we wouldn't be able to go and we'd fight for a refund or exchange of come kind. Period is due today or tomorrow so we'll see. But if I'm not, we'll still have to go on the holiday and look Into a test. Ttc or not it's not nice to not know where you stand with a serious virus :/ xx

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Me and my Husband never get bitten and so never use sprays or creams. This is no guarantee. You may be being bitten and not reacting to the bites. Don't rely on this.

[16MrsE]

We never get bitten. Going to take sprays with us and use if we do get bites but either way we are going to be coming back with the assumption we have the virus just to be safe until we are cleared x