chickenpox?

6 replies

StickThemWithThePointyEnd · 10/04/2011 14:06

DS came out in chickenpox.
I'm not really worried about myself (38+3), but I've been in slow labour for a while and we're expecting that baby will be here some time in the next few days, probably while DS is still contagious.

I don't much like the thought of a newborn with chickenpox...

has anyone else been in a similar situation?

OP posts:

WidowWadman · 10/04/2011 15:42

My brother was chickenpoxed when I was born, and therefore my parents sent him to stay with his grandparents for a couple of weeks to be sure I couldn't get infected. He was 3 at the time and seemed to have got over it without much fuss.

Chickenpox can be very very dangerous to a newborn, so I would look to find someone to look after him while he's still contagious. It sucks, and you have my fullest sympathy. Hopefully he'll recover quickly - my daughter just had it and it was only about 6 days until the spots crusted over.

Original poster

StickThemWithThePointyEnd · 10/04/2011 15:44

:(
I don't want him to go away for that long, especially when baby is so small :(
but I guess if I have to, I have to....

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mummysleepy · 10/04/2011 18:50

I had latent phase which settled and didn't give birth for another 2 weeks. Also not sure whether baby might gain some immunity from you esp if you are breastfeeding. Midwife might be able to tell you

ShouldersBackAndNoBiscuits · 10/04/2011 19:01

Dd1 developed chicken pox 2 days before my due date. Dd2 arrived 4 days later. I stayed in hospital for an extra night so that dd1 was crusted over, and she didn't come into hospital to see us. There wasn't much advice tbh from the hospital, they weren't too worried as I'd had CP. DD2 had some immunity from me as BF. you certainly shouldn't need to send your DS away for 3 weeks!

Original poster

StickThemWithThePointyEnd · 10/04/2011 22:52

I spoke to my midwife about this earlier, and she said that baby should get immunity from me through the placenta, and that that should last for a few weeks.. which is good news :)

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cardamomginger · 10/04/2011 23:08

Check with your GP, or with the obstetrician at the hospital. We had a query about whether someone with shingles should come and visit DD when she was a newborn. Even though I have had CP and so would have passed some immunity to DD, I was told by a paediatrician that someone with shingles should not some into contact with DD as CP can be very serious in a newborn. I should imagine that the advice would have been the same had I asked a question about someone with CP.

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