Slapped cheek

[Linzerelli13]

Hi everyone. First time poster so bare with me...it's a little bit long winded.

I'm currently 18 weeks pregnant with my 2nd child. A couple of weekends ago my daughter came out with a rash that looked to be slapped cheek.
We'd both had cold like symptoms the week before so it seemed to fit.
I contacted my GP on monday and had a telephone consultation. He wasn't interested in seeing my daughter, and to be honest didn't seem to understand the risk to the baby as he kept asking why i was ringing. I quoted the NHS website to him and he said he would call someone and get back to me. 5 hours later i got a call and he said he'd spoken to the microbiologist who advised that my booking sample should be tested for immunity to slapped cheek. If they couldn't find it, they'd call me back and get me me tested for presence/ immunity.
Fine i thought. A week later I'd heard nothing so called the surgery. Lady on the phone checked my notes and said that there weren't any updates but she'd put a note to the GP to call me back with an update when he had one. No update by the Thursday when I had my 16 week appointment with my midwife (i was 17 weeks by this point). Didn't help that when I got there she was locking up to leave as I wasn't down on her sheet despite being booked in for 8 weeks... but we had the appointment and I mentioned it to her and she said she'd chase it up and call me back on friday.
No call on friday. No call on monday. Rang and left a message this morning as she was supposed to book me in for my next appointment too and she's forgotten.
Called my GP again and the less than helpful receptionist didn't even know what my booking appointment was, let alone thw risks of slapped cheek. Said she'd put a note on my file for the GP.

To be honest, I'm massively p*ssed off with my GP and a bit miffed with the midwife. I'm really worried about the potential risk to baby and have a niggly feeling that they've not even tested my bloods.

What should I do? Would you make a complaint or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill? Thanks

[Emma1609]

That sounds really annoying and pretty ridiculous - yes i think you should make a written complaint definitely. I've found out this morning that I've been exposed to the slapped cheek virus (I'm 36+6) so will be asking the midwife for advice tomorrow when I have my appointment.

[Emma1609]

It says all over the internet that pregnant mums should be blood tested especially before 20 weeks - definitely complain , it is shoddy.

[gruffalocake2]

I'm being monitored because I had parvovirus. I just made a gp appointment and got blood test done right away. Make a specific appointment and they'll have it tested in 48hrs. You need hospital monitoring if you have the virus so worth insisting.

[xflipflopx]

Hi all
I have just been given the all clear from slapped cheek today after 10 weeks of monitoring.
I caught slapped cheek when I was 14 weeks pregnant and midwife confirmed I hadn't had virus before (70% of people have) after more bloods then midwife confirmed I had an active case. I was send to my local fetal medicine unit and have being seeing the consultant every two weeks for the last 10.Today was my last one and I'm so relieved to say I am now out of the danger zone. They scan you for fetal hydrops and anaemia in the baby. I'm in Kent and was told if they see baby starts to develop problems I would be sent to kings cross in London as that's where the best baby docs are.
That's how I come to be on Mumsnet now as 10 weeks ago I was beside myself trying to find answers, reading everything on the internet. I know that there is only a 30% chance of passing it onto baby but that doesn't make you feel any better when your faced with it.
Hopefully you too are given the all clear it's actually been really nice going for all the extra scans and seeing baby grow but obviously I'd rather if not been there at all.
Best of luck

I've broken that down a lot it was far harder than I've made it sound but I'd be here all day if I wrote word for word

[SocksRock]

I was exposed to slapped cheek while visiting a nursery unit for work when I was 16 weeks pregnant. I had blood tests and the results back the same week (I was already immune). I would definitely follow this up

[Linzerelli13]

Well my GP surgery have just rung me to tell me I'm not immune. Only taken 2 and a half bloody weeks to find out. The receptionist that rang me did the doctor put a note on saying that it doesn't matter unless I've had a rash despite me explaining when i first spoke to him that a week prior to my daughter getting the rash we'd both had a mega cold which was likely to be the virus. I told her that I'm not happy leaving it so shes getting a doctor to call me...on FRIDAY!!! They have nothing sooner and as a 'what if' medical issue I'm not a priority. So i will have to wait until Friday to speak on the phone to as idiot who does not understand the risks there could be to my baby.
Rang midwives yesterday and as usual could only get through to an answer phone where i left my details at 9.30 only to not receive a call back. As usual.
Will be ringing again today but not sure what else to do!
So frustrated!

[xflipflopx]

Make sure you persist @Linzerelli13 it's not worth leaving it...the consequences could be awful. I'd say everyone is failing you...I had the rash on Tuesday and had my first hospital scan on the Friday they were that concerned.
Call every midwife who you have a number for all they need to do is another blood test to see if you've caught it.
Best of luck

[MrsY87]

I had to be tested for this due to something which showed up on my 20 week scan. I was tested through the antenatal screening team, I would call your hospital and ask to be put through to them, they should be able to advise as this is their main role. The other option is to call antenatal day assessment, they will be able to advise you too and there will always be someone to pick up the phone unlike your community midwife. Fingers crossed everything is ok for you

[Linzerelli13]

Thanks for all of the advice. I called PALS at my hospital and explained to the lady on the phone that no one seemed to be bothered and she was so lovely. She took the details and called me back after she'd spoken to the matron. Within an hour i had a midwife on the phone offering me a blood test to see if I've been infected. I went straight to the hospital and had my bloods done and i should have my results back by friday afternoon. The midwife said that if it's positive she'll be giving my notes to the consultant and we can take it from there.
Fingers crossed that it was just a cold i had and not the virus.

Thanks for all of your help and advice; it really does pay to be persistant

[xflipflopx]

Excellent @Linzerelli13
Fingers crossed for you...
Let us know you're results

[cornflakes91]

I was exposed to slapped cheek at 13 weeks in the school I work in, had a blood test that showed no immunity and no current exposure. Midwife was unconcerned just said to let her know if I got a rash but when I saw a consultant for a different reason at 24 weeks he ordered a full viral blood count to check for certain I hadn't caught it, which luckily I hadn't.

[Linzerelli13]

Midwife called this afternoon. Results aren't ready so will have to wait until Monday morning. But this should work out better as the consultant I'm under will be on duty so if she needs to refer to him she can do it right away. Fingers crossed for a negative result!

[Linzerelli13]

Hi, quick update. My bloods finally came back in today. I've tested postitive for slapped cheek.
Ny midwife has moved my 20 week scan forward to wednesday and made me an appointment with the consultant on Thursday morning. In the meantime my bloods are being sent to cambridge to be analysed more thoroughly.
I can't help but feel desperately worried about the baby now. Its been almost 5 weeks since my daughter and I were ill which is, I'm assuming, when we both had the virus.
The other half is beside himself with worry. We had been ttc for almost 18 months when i fell pregnant and we've just had a gender scan done and found out its a boy.
All that joy seems to be overshadowed with a big fat grey cloud of worry now

[Buddy14]

Any update OP ? Hope it's all ok x

[gruffalocake2]

Just seen your latest. I'm about to be signed off after 8 wks of weekly scans for anaemia/fetal hydrops. The consultant said despite an outbreak this year nobody has had any complications relating to this Virus. In hope you're finding the monitoring reassuring. After initial shock and few weeks of scans I've felt really positive.

[BlueMermaid96]

I had this exact situation. I am 9 weeks pregnant, to which my siblings had slapped cheek. I have been on at the doctors for the last 2 weeks, always put on hold, ignored or 'sorry we're fully booked.' Might I add, I am 21, early stage pregnancy and panicking at this point. They refused to pass me onto a midwife, so I had to take action into my own hands. Made a complaint to the manager director, to which they said I'm young so it doesn't matter. I'm immune because of my age, it's extremely rare. I call lies on that one! I'm waiting for my appointment with the midwife, to whom I had to contact and find myself regardless to the useless doctors.

[namechangedforthisreply]

Just read this thread & hope you & DS are healthy

[DownOnTheBeach]

I had this and went to the GP/midwife and they also seemed totally unaware/not bothered by it. I asked if they could check my booking in bloods and they said that they didn't think they would be kept so they gave me a blood test after I pushed for it but then every week I tried ringing for the results (after waiting for what seemed like hours on the phone) they said they are not in yet. One receptionist said it must be an unusual test as they don't usually do it and a GP checks them all and will call if there is any need for a follow up so I just left it and life got busy I suppose... 35 weeks now and hope all is ok 😬

[Linzerelli13]

Just an update for anyone that had an interest in this thread. I was referred off to Sheffield for 2 weekly scans from 21 weeks to 25 weeks. They checked the cord blood flow and made sure that the amniotic fluid looked alright, as well as making sure that there was no evidence of anemia. I was referred back to my local hospital who did 1 follow up with the consultant before discharging me back to midwifery lead care. My baby boy has just been born today, a happy healthy 9lb7oz. No I'll effects of slapped cheek apparent.
If anyone else thinks that they've been exposed I would urge them to push for testing as the specialists know how dangerous it can be to a fetus. I'm really lucky to have seen a wonderful doctor who showed so much care and compassion and had a real understanding of the virus.

[cakeandteajustforme]

Congratulations!

Did PALS follow up with the GP so that they know better for next time?

[Linzerelli13]

Thank you. I made a formal complaint and they've followed it up with a lessons learned sort of thing with my GP. hopefully won't happen to another mum at the surgery!

[LoveProsecco]

Congratulations!

[BrokenBattleDroid]

What a lovely happy ending. Congratulations and well done on pursuing that complaint, could well make a difference to the next person.

[mouseistrapped]

Thank you for the update and glad all is well! Congrats by the way

[BlueMermaid96]

You can go to A&E if you're seriously concerned. I was advised to do that by my GP, although I wish I had went instead of thinking I'd of wasted their time. I lost my child from the virus at 6 weeks, to which had a missed miscarriage at my first scan.
Trust your instinct.
Doctors palm people off when it comes to this virus, I have urged so many women to get tested at A&E if no doctor will bother...