39+4 days and daughter had chicken pox

[Yumchips]

Hi everyone

Need some advice pls. I'm v close to my due date and my daughter has what looks like mild chicken pox. A few fluid filled blisters around her back and around her body. No more than 12 since last night - she doesn't appear to be itching them. I had chicken pox as a child so should be immune but what is the risk to the baby? Should I be isolating from her incase I go into labour?

I'd give your Midwife (or the MLU at your hospital) a call for advice.

I've spoken to them and they've said as long as I don't go into labour in the next day or so, the worst of the contagious element of it should be over in the next day or so. Fingers crossed, they were reassuring but I can't help but feel worried.

My son had chicken pox and midwives not interested as I had it before. If you are immune there's no risk to you. And I think it's much earlier in pregnancy that the risk to the baby/mother is there.

If the baby is born you might want to keep the baby away from it's sister until she's not contagious... that's probably what they meant by the next few days.

Thanks that's reassuring. I was debating whether I should send my daughter to stay with grandparents incase I go into labour but fingers crossed i'm ok for a couple of days. The worst of the infection should be over in a day or so from what I understand.

It's contagious for about 5 days after spots appear, so if she first got them last night she should be past the contagious stage by Wednesday. I wouldn't send her away now, if you go into labour the presumably someone will be coming for her while you have the baby anyway, so they can take her to their house then. At most it will mean them keeping her an extra day or so if you and baby come home while she's still contagious.

Yes that's right, she would go to grandparents house regardless once I go into labour. Possibly ridiculous question but the thing I'm worried about is, by holding baby after birth, cuddling and feeding etc will I pass on the infection to baby - purely because I've been tending to my daughter? I guess the answer should be no since I am personally immune, having had chicken pox as child myself.

I had exactly this experience. Dd got chicken pox just days before I had ds (and he was 10 days late). In all brand new ds pics dd is absolutely covered in spots! Everything was fine though. At the time I thought he might have contracted it from her but been asymptomatic but he actually definitely had it a few years later so couldn’t have had. I think their mother’s immunity protects babies to such an extent that he was immune at that early age.

Thank you that's great that your son was unaffected! I've got my fingers crossed that baby is late. Just found out now that my husband never had chicken pox as a child - brilliant. I'm watching him like a hawk now for any signs as he is supposed to be my birth partner!

My eldest got it when my baby was 4 days old. Thankfully I was immune and baby was fine as I was bf. DH got it though!

the incubation period is around 10 days (can be more or less) so I really wouldn’t rely on him nor would I feel comfortable taking him into a busy maternity ward with vulnerable babies and mothers. Maybe rethink your birthing partner / consider a home birth?

Yes you're right - I just can't believe he hasn't had it! I would rather go alone now or take my sister than to worry about him having it and spreading it amongst the vulnerable.