to think if you are going to test pregnant people for RUBELLA immunity .......

[FindingMyMojo]

at 10 weeks pregnant, and the results come back negative (ie NO immunity to rubella), telling me at 17 weeks is sooooo no on, given that the major harm to an unborn child is in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.

I'm generally a pretty relaxed person but this has really got me fuming. I catch public transport to work, and have been around loads of young kids recently being unaware of their immunisation status.

I was immunised against rubella as a teenager & was immune during my first pregnancy 3.5 years ago. So it was a huge shock to be told last night that I'm not immune. I'm now 17 weeks. The major danger time for pregnant women is the first 16 weeks. They took the blood tests at 10 weeks. I'm absolutely fuming that I am only told now - what is the point of doing the test if they aren't going to give you the information in time to do anything about it?

I haven't heard anything re outbreaks recently but last year there were several warnings issued by the local council re rubella outbreaks in our area - so many young kids haven't be immunised due to MMR "scare" I guess.

Apparently risk is reduced in 2nd trimenster, and low in third trimester. I need to do some more research as the midwife told be pretty much nothing about it and was reluctant to discuss it further - probably because they have acted so bloody stupidly.

I'm going to write and complain about them not telling me earlier - seriously could they not have sent me a letter about this? Do you think this is a one off oversight or is this a common occurance. Maybe (hopefully) I've been lucky this time, but if this is the NHS's policy of passing on test result information other women & unborn children are potentially in danger.

Am I upset about nothing here, or is there something really stupid happening re the handling of these test results?

Any info re getting through rest of pregnancy without catching rubella welcome.

YANBU. When you do write and complain, I'd ask what should have happened, and how long they've had the results for.

What do you think you would have done differently if you had found out at 10 weeks?
Stopped taking public transport and avoided children?

Probably worth a chat with your midwife to see if the policy should have been to tell you earlier, and if so, why you weren't told, but as you said yourself, there have been no outbreaks and if they were, I'm sure they would have been advising ALL pg women to avoid unnessesary exposure.

Do you think it would have made much difference though? I mean I am not sure whether you could have the vaccine when you are pregnant anyway?

I read a very good book on preconception and the advice given was to get tests to Rubella, Bacterial Vaginosis, Toxiplasmosis amongst other things prior to starting to conceive (and I have had a friend who lost a baby to BV and one who contracted Toxiplasmosis and had a nightmare of a time getting treatment but who is ok).

The problem is the same one for Group B Strep (which my GP told me to do privately at 35 weeks) - the NHS just doesn't test for everything as it is not cost effective I am guessing.

This was an American book so that advice wouldn't be generally given here (not in the interests of the NHS) but I have followed it myself and had all the tests on the NHS.

I wouldn't be blaming the midwife for this (mine never discussed the results of my blood tests either) - it is the much bigger system. I think in this country, in some or most circumstances you have to be very clued up and sometimes demanding if you are using the NHS and not private care.

I'm not blaming the midwife - more the system itself.

I think I would have acted differently. Would have been nice to have the choice. But my point is if they aren't going to give you the results in timely way what is the point of testing at all? So they can say they did it? Fill in a report? So they can make tables of statistics? If what happened with my test is according to NHS policy then it would seem it isn't for the benefit of pregnant women and their unborn children, but to compile statistics.

I don't know at all that there haven't been any outbreaks this year - I was just saying I heard about them indirectly last year. There may or may not have been this year - I don't know. Hopefully not.

And yes I would have stopped taking public transport if at all possible, been move vigilent about handwashing etc on arrival at work & home after taking the bus (I do sometimes forget), I would have got DP to take DD to the playground etc for the last couple of months, and I would have asked parents of kids I see regularly if their kids are immunised or not and those coming to DD's 3rd birthday party last week please not to come if their kids weren't immunised as I'm vulnerable to rubella at the moment.

As for being tested before getting pregnant, not all women "plan" pregnancies as such(I don't at all - I've just been open to whatever happens of not), plus I've only just found out that immunity can leave you - not something I've know before as I've been immune until very recently.

no you can't have the vaccine when pregnant as it presents a risk to the baby - they will give it to me after the birth, before I leave hospital. I must not fall pregnant for 3 months - AS IF

It is frustrating and upsetting I agree, if you feel you could have been more careful.

I didn't know any of this stuff until after I lost my first child nearly at term (and if I hadn't had a private scan one day because things 'didn't feel right' I wouldn't have discovered that there was a problem) and only at that point did I realise that even though the NHS care is good in lots of circumstances, preventative care is patchy.

My friend who had BV and the one who had Toxi (which is tested for monthly in France) also were not really aware of the risks (although the BV one is quite rare apparently) before they got pregnant.

Even if pregnancies are planned all that info. is sadly just not generally 'out there'. I would never have found it if I hadn't picked up the book about trying again after stillbirth.

AIBU to think the free care that I get for free, the really good free care that women around the world would kill for, isn't quite as perfect as I would like?

YABU.

well why didn't you chase it up if you were that worried about it?

or, perhaps you should have been immunised before you got pregnant

i think the likelihood of you catching rubella is ridiculously low

yanbu. abnormal test results should be dealt with more efficiently.

lucy - sorry to hear you lost your child.

thsisyesterday I had no reason to be worried about it as I had no idea at all that I wasn't immune. I was immune when I was pregnant with DD 3 years ago & I was immunised as a teenager. I very much hope you are right as if I did catch rubella the effect on my baby can be horrendous.

Bonnie well it's not really for free as I've contributed through NHS taxes for many many years as I still do. I'm a huge fan of the NHS, but do you not think if they are testing for rubella immunity it's for a reason? And that reason is to highlight any potential danger to the unborn child? So they should notify women if they get an abnormal/unexpected result BEFORE the period of high danger is over? As for the care not being as perfect as I would like - that's simply not the case. I am prepared to wait 1.5 hours after my scheduled appointment time etc to see the midwife - I do so patiently & without complaining and bring a book (unlike other women there who are complaining loudly to anyone who looks like they work there).

lucy "It is frustrating and upsetting I agree, if you feel you could have been more careful. " That's it I guess. They must test so that you have knowledge & can act accordingly - so why test at all if they are not going to share the results in a timely manner. I wonder if they would have told me before last night if my tests showed I was HIV+ and acting before 17 weeks would have made a huge difference to the health of the baby - or not?

Theres very little chance that you pay anywhere near enough in taxes to cover the treatment you have had in your lifetime. So yes, it is really free, and is an amazing service.

What exactly would have changed if you had known a few weeks earlier? And why do you think you didn't find out before; because they couldn't be arsed or because they are so over-stretched that they simply can't do it?

I have been given the injection 5 times, each time after giving birth as i was never immune! It finally worked on the 5th time as i was then immune for my 6th pregnancy. Sometimes it just dosen't take straight away with some people either!

I can only imagine not telling me was an oversight. I don't think it was because they couldn't be arsed or because they are that overstretched. The midwife certainly didn't want to talk about it with me which I found v strange.

Perhaps it's policy not to tell you until they see you again at 17 weeks or so, and if so then what is the point in testing you? That is what I will ask them when I write to them.

idobelieve wow that is amazing. so did you know when you were pregnant you weren't immune? Did you modify your behaviour any? Did they give you any advice at all or were you just left to it?

I will be immunised before I leave hospital with this baby, but I won't be having any more kids - I'm 43 & this in my 2nd.

I did look online & it does look as though there hasn't been any reported cases recently - whew!! After having local outbreaks last year it was very worrying.

After all the fuss re the MMR vaccine you have to wonder how long today's childrens rubella immunity will last?

No i didn't know. Most of my pregnancies were suprises anyway . It was only when i went for the initial early pregnancy bloodtest results to be done that they would come back not immune. The doctor just said some people are just that way and it may take a few shots. If i had been planning a pregnancy i would have asked for a blood test to be done to check for immunity before getting pregnant but sometimes it just doesn't work out t like that!

I just carried on as normal really and stayed away from friends if their children seemed to be getting poorly. Luckily everything has been fine.

They didn't give me any advice really just to be aware of anyone with spots!! There isn't anything that can be done really is there.

"just to be aware of anyone with spots!!" Will do

It is my understanding that the rubella immunity test is to protect future pregnancies more than the current one (like anti-d) and if the worse were to happen and you were to catch it, to help with diagnosis. They cannot vaccinate you when pg and there isnt really any action you can take to avoid rubella in the community, children with it are supposed to be quarantined.

It wont have been flagged up as urgent because there is nothing that they can do at this point. You can ask to be tested for immunity before trying to conceive (though i understand why you would have assumed yourself immune after having the vaccine and a previous preg blood test).

There is also the possibility this blood test result was wrong?

I am not impressed with MMR at the moment either as i have just been tested and my immunity to measles and mumps has gone, and i'm only 25 so was hoping it would last longer.

I wasn't immune for last 2 pregnancies. Or this one, come to think of it.

Not sure there is much you can do, so don't worry as you can't have the MMR while pregnant.

thanks littleducks - I will be immunised after baby is born, though I won't have any more kids. But I'm happy to be immunised against it if it helps keep rubella in the community down.

I'm feeling better as the day goes on and I learn more about it little by little. I was brought up knowing about the dangers of rubella etc and the harm it does to babies, so I was horrified to find I wasn't immune esp after outbreaks in my borough last year. We try & take such good care of ourselves and this is potentially major - thankfully not too much of it around now.

so the family we spend the most time with have two unimmunised kids - one in kindy with probably lots of other unimmunised kids. The incubation period is 14-21 days and can be so mild you may not even know you've had it - I def would have changed my behaviour the last 2 months or so had I know I was not immune.