Was I supposed to know this?

[beansprout]

Ds has chicken pox and I am 37 weeks preg. I had an ante-natal check up today and the GP told me off (and I mean told off!) for bringing him into the surgery as there may have been pregnant women there.

Dh was there yesterday and the first thing she asked was how he was, and I know dh raised the c/pox with her then as he needs to establish his own immunity (or otherwise).

She said that I should have notified reception so we could have been shown to a side room to wait for my appointment but there are no signs to this effect (or for any other illnesses preg. women should stay away from, e.g. rubella).

I felt bad as I know what the risks are but thought that keeping him away from anyone else while we were waiting was all I could do.

Is this standard practice? Have I missed something?

yes, you could say doc was right to tell you off, but you said you could have given those babies birth defects.. there is a difference.

You know I don't know Beansprout personally but I doubt she is the type of person who would wish birth defects on other people. I'm very sure that had she known she might have done things a bit diffrently

Nobody said she or anyone else here was one type of person or another. I did not say she intentionally wanted to give some pregnant woman's baby a birth defect

If her kid was contagious, it could mean birth defects for the pregnant women in that office. This is serious. So yes, GP was right in telling her off.

Too bad straight talk ruffles your feathers, paula. This is not the first time you are trying to tell me how to talk/post on MN. And you are getting the same answer: If you think I am out of line, report me to MNHQ.

Straight talk doesn't ruffle my feathers but rudeness does.

you have my utter sympathy beansprout. ds had chickenpox when i was 37 weeks pg with dd, & she was born at 38 weeks. i think it was one of the worst weeks of my life. wishing him better very soon (assuming you are immune to c-pox & intend to breastfeed there should be little risk to the new baby. i did lots of research ).

I wouldn't have known either beany and fwiw I think people are overly hysterical about this. It's not like he had rubella after all. Plenty of us have had our kids get CP whilst we are pregnant.

I remember going to the doc when pregnant when my toddler had CP and asking him if it was anything to worry about. He said, 'No. Probably not' then on further reflection, 'Actually, shall I just do a quick blood test to check you are immune. Most people are.' And that was that. So don't you worry.

... and I'm with paula Cote. That was rude and overly critical. She already said she felt bad. Your comments were unhelpful.

'Unhelpful'? 'Rude'?

If you were in that office, pregnant in your first trimester, and a woman showed up with her kid who clearly has chickenpox, I find it hard to believe you would be so loved-up with her hurt feelings and the 'rude' GP who told her off.

This is what Asperger's Syndrome must feel like. I have no idea what you are being all emotional about.

Oh FGS chill out.

lulumama - re "what if you went to the docs for something, with your DCs, and there were pregnant women there, and the next day your DC came out in chicken pox?? would you be telling yourself you had given their babies birth defects???"

Yes, I would, actually. The possibility would give me a lot of grief. I would call the doctor's office and plead with them to get in touch with the pregnant women in that waiting room and give them immunity tests.

not read the whole thread, but don't beat yourself up.....it isn't exactly well publicised is it????

I have a fear of chicken pox now tho.....my DD2 had it when I was 38wks pregnant, and I had never had it. they insisted on confirming that I had indeed never had it via blood test, and then I had to be given a vaccine to prevent it passing thro the to the baby....apparently can be dangerous.

anyhoo.....vaccine didn;t work, DD3 was born with chicken pox, I also got it, DD3 left with an immune deficiancy, and now me and her are still not immune and am always at risk....normally I am fine, but she gets ill everytime she comes into contact, and up until she was 5, also ended in hospital with it too.

I now try n avoid, obviously, but to be fair to the rest of the world, it in nigh on impossible as you are most contagious 5 days before spots become apparent.

sooooooo.....don't feel bad

Whoa CoteDAzur - your post at 17.25 is completely unneccessary. What a horrible thing to say.

ok....read more of thread.....my DD3 is living proof that babys can be born with/catch chicken pox.

it doesn;t cause birth defects, it can cause probs in the mum much worse.....it can however cause encephalitus if baby does get it......but the likelyhood is extremely rare.

if you have had chicken pox, then immunity will pass thro to baby covering the newborn.....apparently 100% effective according to my doctor.......it is if you haven't had it then probs can occur....and then not even guarunteed.

the OP feels bad enough for the telling off, and I agree that she should NOT feel guilty, as it isn't like rubella that is advertised.

chicken pox can be dangerous......but very very rarley.

Your GP could easily have let you know you'd done the wrong thing without shaming you and making you feel terrible. Life is hard enough if you're pregnant and have a sick DS as well!!

I did not know this.
Yet another Mn thread goes weird.

Whoa Cote, The OP did not know the danger she 'may' have 'possibly' caused other pregnant women.
You are out of line, do you have a pox mark up your butt ?

Many thanks to everyone who has supported me on this thread. A bit more research has shown that I really don't think that anyone has been at any risk given the stage ds is at.

To be fair to Cote, I think that this is like so many things - once you know something, it just seems blardy obvious and anyway, ignorance is no defence in the law!!

The irony is that I work with people who have congenital rubella syndrome so I know just how incredibly serious birth defects can be. This places the MMR debate in a different context for me, so I was mortified at what I did yesterday.

Anyway, thanks again!

I think the GP was out of order to be honest, he needs to get himself up to date with CP.

From what you have said your son was past the infectious stage so anyone who came into contact with him would not have caught CP, pregnant or otherwise. You have learnt something because of the experience but you have put no-one at risk so don't feel bad.

Hope all goes well for you.

It is german measles that causes birth defects,in the first 3 months of pregnancy.You didnt ask for your child to have chicken pox.Hope you have a good birth for your new baby not a good start to the year if you have ignorant people having a go at you.Any one could be lining up at shopping and their child could have chicken pox coming without the spots being there out.Thats when it is most catching.Just be glad its over with now and not when you have your new baby,GOOD LUCK.Happy 2008 xx

"This is what Asperger's Syndrome must feel like. I have no idea what you are being all emotional about." coted'azur, what a ridicolous comment. you have no idea what ASD feels like , you made a nasty comment, and cannot understand why people are offended for beansprout. to equate that with having special needs is even more offensive.

madness, utter madness

You didn't know and its obvious that you'd never have done it if you had, so don't feel too bad, please.

The waiting room at a doctor's surgery is going to be full of people who are contagious. When dd had chickenpox, she was ill for three days before the spots came out. Had I taken her to the doctor, she would have been extremely contagious without anyone realising it.

says something about doctor's attitude to mothers, I think

yes, tell her.. but tell her off? like a child who was naughty?

ridiculous