Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Flip

Original poster

Rubella - advice needed

11 replies

upwalthambarnsahoy · 16/09/2011 08:58

Hi there,

I've been TTC for about a year now. Had lots of blood tests in March and then again in June to check hormone levels etc and thought that the March tests had included Rubella. Just been referred to the Assisted Conception Clinic and the initial form specifially asks about Rubella so I checked with the doctors and they hadn't tested me as I had thought.

Got tested last week and the results have come back to say that I am not immunised (which is a bit weird as I was definitely vaccinated as a child).

I am now in a massive quandary on what to do. I ovulated on Tuesday and so have been doing the necessary this week with more to come tonight. But obviously now not sure if we should carry on or wait until I get the jab. Which would mean not trying for 8 weeks according to the nurse. Which is stressful in itself.

And of course I could already be pregnant this cycle.

I am quite upset and pretty angry with the doctors for not testing this back in March but we are where we are. Do I carry on and get vaccinated afterwards? Do I get vaccinated now and put things on hold for two months? From what I've read the chances of catching rubella are pretty minimal - and I have never known anyone to have it. But then that minimal chance leads to pretty bad things if I do catch it whilst pregnant.

Thanks for reading - any advice gratefully received.

OP posts:

harassedandherbug · 16/09/2011 09:07

Don't panic!

I found out after my booking in blood tests that I have no immunity to rubella, whereas when I had dd 5yrs ago I was fine. I freaked out at first! Especially as I'm doing school runs, but when I chatted to my mw the cases of rubella in my area are actually pretty low.

She advised that I just stay away from anyone who has or has been in contact with anyone who has rubella. I've told all my friends and family and several mums at school, just so they can let me know if they hear of any cases.

Did they give you any information on numbers of cases in your area? I'd be looking into that before making any decision.

harassedandherbug · 16/09/2011 09:08

Here's my thread from when I found out.

Original poster

upwalthambarnsahoy · 16/09/2011 09:21

Thanks for your replies. I only know about 5 children who I do not see that frequently so I can't see that there is a high risk of me ever coming into contact with anyone who has it so that makes me feel a bit better.

In a way I wish I'd found out when I was already pregnant because then I couldn't do anything about it whereas now I think I should probably get vaccinated to be on the safe side but the thought of putting off TTC for 2 months is not a nice one!! I'll ask about number of cases before deciding, thanks for that tip. Or maybe I'm like Moodykat and it's a mistake!

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy. Hopefully I will be in your club soon...

OP posts:

PopcornMouse · 16/09/2011 12:16

8 weeks?!? Blimey.

I'm not immunised either, but I wasn't that bothered tbh - as harassed said, it's so unlikely that we'll come into contact with it. It doesn't even rate particularly high if you google it iykwim.

Original poster

upwalthambarnsahoy · 18/09/2011 17:34

Thanks for your message PopcornMoused. I am feeling much more relaxed about it all now. My main thinking is that if it were that much of a threat then everyone would be tested when TTC and not when already pregnant which seems to be the case!

So I am going to carry on for now and then maybe have a break in December if I've had no joy by then and enjoy the Christmas drinks!

OP posts:

eurochick · 18/09/2011 17:43

I've just been tested for this as part of the fertility tests at the hospital. I'm pretty sure I am immune (had the jab plus a very bad dose of german measles as a kid). However, I am speeding towards 36 and there is no way that I am losing 2-3 cycles of trying at this point so the result is pointless. I don't come into contact with that many kids so I would take a calculated risk if my immunity has worn off.

MeconiumHappens · 19/09/2011 14:58

I lean towards caution and had it tested prior to ttc. Would have waited and had the jab if i wasn't immune. Yes its unlikely, but the effect on baby pretty grim. I'd rather not take the chance, but its all about how your perceive risk, so you have to do whatever you feel comfortable with.

helenlouisey · 19/09/2011 16:39

Hiya, I also got tested ahead of TTC, as personally just didn't want to take the risk. What sort of treatment might you be having at the Assisted Conception Unit? Only I'm pretty sure when we did IVF last year had to provide proof of Rubella immunity otherwise they wouldn't treat us. I've no idea whether all clinics are the same or if it was just our clinic.

Best of luck

IfAtFirstUDontSucceed · 19/09/2011 22:19

I got a letter from my docs a few months ago stating that I wasnt properly immunised although I can clearly remember at school all the girls lining up for their rubella jab. In with the letter was a leaflet which stated that you should not get pregnant for something like 6-8 weeks after the jab. As we were TTC this was a huge concern, so I raised it with my nurse when I went for a smear.

She reassured me that it was nothing to worry about and the chances of me contracting German Measles was minimal!

If you end up going down the assisted conception/IVF route, I'm pretty sure that the jab is compulsory. According to my friend anyway who went through IVF.

Original poster

upwalthambarnsahoy · 20/09/2011 13:13

Thanks everyone. I think that if I'd had the forethought to get tested prior to TTC then I would have had the jab back then but now that I am 12 months in and rapidly approaching 34 taking 2 months off seems a lot! It just didn't occur to me that the immunity could wear off.

I'm not looking at IVF at the moment, just getting ovaries scanned to see if there are any issues etc.

I found this which reassured me quite a lot. www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1195733833790

12 lab confirmed cases in 2010 does not seem to be very many (although I appreciated that there could be a number of non-lab confirmed cases).

OP posts:

alexeliza · 20/09/2011 19:05

We are just about to start TTC and I asked to be tested for whether I had still had immunity to rubella or not. At this stage I do..... and I remember having the vaccination back when I was around 11. But I was told that immunity does tend to wear off after 18-20 years, similar to a number of vaccinations (a colleague of mine has just had mumps despite being vaccinated as a child). But the risk of coming into contact with someone who is infected with rubella is also very low....

Flip