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Conception

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Original poster

Ttc + Thailand = Zika Virus + No baby

66 replies

16MrsE · 01/04/2017 18:40

Just wanting to warn people of the disappointment me and my Husband have had.

We've been ttc since Christmas and had planned to have our first child this year. We had already had our holiday planned and paid it off. We informed the doctors who then booked us in for the relevant time for holiday injections. On Friday we went in for these injections and was then told by the nurse we will no longer be able to ttc due to the high risk of Zika virus in Thailand. This risk was not mentioned when booking the holiday.

If I was to go on the holiday alone I would be free to ttc after 8 weeks of returning but because I'm with my husband and the virus lives for 6 months within mens sperm we now won't be able to ttc until next year. If we were to become pregnant the baby would be born with brain damage and a smaller head than average, chances of blindness and deafness etc.

This news has totally floored out plans of becoming parents. I just want others to be aware so you have it in mind when looking at holidays x

OP posts:

MrsTerryPratchett · 03/04/2017 03:41

We never get bitten. How would you know? If you can't feel it and you don't react.

Original poster

16MrsE · 03/04/2017 05:05

Like I said. We are going to just assume we have the virus once back and take the precautions until cleared so we don't risk any harm to a potential baby.

OP posts:

HbH · 03/04/2017 07:03

My husband & I 'never get bitten', I didn't knowingly get bitten & he only got one but that wasn't without a huge effort on our part. We went with 4 and a half bottles of maximum jungle formula (50% DEET i think), bought another one out there, took a mozzi plug for our room & had suncream with repellent in! We sprayed everytime we left our room, everytime we had gone in the pool or the sea, everytime we thought we had sweat enough to rub it off, everytime we reapplied sun cream! Spraying once you've got bites is too late. Even if you're going to wait 6 months anyway it's probably worth minimising the chances in the first place!

TheseAreTheGoodOldDays · 03/04/2017 14:04

16MrsE I think that will be our plan too! Now just need to fill in those 6 months with something other than thinking about babies...

Original poster

16MrsE · 03/04/2017 14:28

I know right!? I'm too impatient I won't be able to wait until next year it seems so long away.. May need to save up and get the test done asap once we come back. Xx

OP posts:

TheseAreTheGoodOldDays · 03/04/2017 19:02

I think that will end up being our plan too we wanted to start TTC last October, and there's always been a reason to wait a little longer, then a little longer.. Then we booked our holiday, talked about babies lots over the last couple of months, both assuming we'd start trying when we got home, and then read about the high risk of Zika. Very disappointing!

OnNaturesCourse · 03/04/2017 20:48

Sorry to butt in... Panic just set in.

I fell pregnant exactly 5 months after returning from Florida. I thought we were safe after 8 weeks however just read that for males its 6 months! We were both in Florida and now im freaking out. Ive tried to find if we can be tested but apparently they are only reliable if you have symptoms at the time. Neither of us had symptoms, i had a few spots but could have been heat spots. DP had none that we can remember. What on earth do i do?! The midwife and GP didnt even asked at my early scan... Im so scared.

OnNaturesCourse · 03/04/2017 20:48

Sorry to butt in... Panic just set in.

MulderitsmeX · 03/04/2017 21:34

You'll be fine, it's scary but it's so so unlikely. Plus I'm sure they would have noticed on the scan now if there was a problem with baby. Plus it was 5 months after so even if DH had it it will have mostly left his system anyway.

powerpuffer · 03/04/2017 22:10

I went to Florida in September and conceived in Jan. Even though we had the private test and got the all clear, I mentioned it to my midwife at the booking in appointment and she sent me for more tests after having numerous calls with the local lab and Public Health England (or whatever they are called). Apparently they like to have their own test results in my notes. If I were you I would ask for them to test you now you are pregnant. I'm sure the risk is very low but better to make everyone aware.

TheDonald · 03/04/2017 22:22

Can I jump in here? I'm off to Mexico next week with dd. No chance at all of either of us conceiving in the next six months but I work with 2 pregnant women and a close friend is ttc.

Is there any danger of transmitting the virus on return to the UK?

powerpuffer · 03/04/2017 22:58

TheDonald Unless you're having sexual contact with anyone then you can't transmit it

Lovely of you to be concerned though!

Are you going to Mexico to get them to pay for your Wall?

TheseAreTheGoodOldDays · 04/04/2017 13:24

Bloody Zika! All these problems it's creating!
I'm one of those people who needs something to obsess about the last few months it was preparing to TTC, now I really need to find something else for when I come home!

arbrighton · 04/04/2017 13:59

As MrsTerryPratchett says, you can't guarantee not being bitten. I usually didn't get bitten and got bitten in Singapore, where there has been Zika, at the start of our trip. Also fell pregnant on said trip. Use DEET. I didn't and if I had, wouldn't have been bitten.

Much toing and froing, no test (to my surprise) since I didn't show symptoms but four weekly growth scans- now 27 weeks and had the first a couple of weeks ago.

I think YOU MUST NOT TTC is perhaps a bit extreme

OnNaturesCourse · 04/04/2017 14:40

Thanks all.

I used DEET 50% all day gel and then topped up with DEET 25% spray most days. I stopped in the last few, only using the spray occasionally, as my skin was unhappy.

Zika didn't even cross my mind before TTC or I would have waited.

TheseAreTheGoodOldDays · 04/04/2017 14:42

Stupid question - do you always know if you've been bitten? As in, you always get the itchy, irritated spot?

arbrighton · 04/04/2017 14:47

Goodolddays

I don't usually get bitten, husband usually does, which was why I was surprised to have the itchy spots during our trip. I hadn't seen/ felt that many mossies so hadn't doused myself in DEET till it was too late.

Just hoping that laws of probability, and the fact it's just a correlation rather than confirmed cause, mean that bean is ok

TheseAreTheGoodOldDays · 04/04/2017 14:58

arbrighton surely if there was a problem with Zika it would have been picked up on already at one of your scans? From what I've read it's fairly obvious at the earlier scans, so I'm sure your little one will be ok :)

I'm just think if my DP and I use DEET, and are vigilant with covering up, and I make it home with no itchy spots, can I assume that I haven't transmitted it and I'm ok to TTC?

arbrighton · 04/04/2017 15:38

no as it's the growth of the head in proportion to everything else that matters. And it seems microcephaly can still develop even after birth if it appears normal up til then.

Consultant was sure we were tracking head circumference centile in comparison with everything else and we can't conclude anything til i've had all the extra scans.

They wouldn't do them if there was no point- NHS, cash strapped etcetc

arbrighton · 04/04/2017 15:40

There are potentially other neural tube defects with Zika that could be picked up earlier on but microcephaly seems to need the later growth scans. Certainly wasn't down for those til I mentioned the Z word...

HbH · 04/04/2017 15:41

I didn't get bitten & when we went for the test i asked whether they recommended the test or not. Of course they did! I was slightly sceptical at first because a small part of me thought of course they're going to say that to get the extra hundred + pounds. But she did say you might not know youve been bitten, there isn't always the mark or itchyness. Having done so much research on the risks (and what is still unknown) i went for it without a second thought!

TheseAreTheGoodOldDays · 04/04/2017 15:58

arbrighton I didn't realise that it would be such a lengthy process to check, obviously haven't read up/understood as much as I thought I had!

HbH that's really good to know, thank you anyone I've asked seems to give me the 'of course you'll know if you've been bitten ' look, but that just seemed too easy!

I guess we'll just have to weigh up how soon we want to TTC, with whether we feel it's worth paying for the private tests.

Redpony1 · 04/04/2017 16:02

You can't be sure you've not been bitten, i don't react to any bites but that doesn't mean i've not been bitten, just that i don't react when i am!

No sprays are 100% either, i've spent my life trying to find a spray that keeps midges & flys off of the horses and it's a lost cause haha

minipie · 04/04/2017 16:03

Just FYI there are a few travel companies out there who will let you change your destination or delay your trip if you are TTC and going somewhere with Zika. Not all of them but it's always worth asking.

TheseAreTheGoodOldDays · 04/04/2017 16:19

minipie that's interesting. I've read that some insurance companies have allowed refunds/to change holiday destination if you had a letter from your doctor to say that you were pregnant. I didn't realise that some travel companies are allowing people to change their destination if they're TTC...

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