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Original poster

Exposed to chickenpox and due tomorrow..

30 replies

Lemonnhoney · 06/01/2022 20:17

My DS (aged 5) has come home telling me his best friend at school is off because he has chicken pox... he was in yesterday and they were playing together and sat next to each other.

I'm also due tomorrow so will be having the baby any time from now really!!

I feel horribly anxious about it all.. Will he develop symptoms and infect the baby?!

Not sure what I'm asking, just wanted reassurance or anyone who has been exposed at a similar time.

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 06/01/2022 20:21

The incubation period is 10-21 days so you'll just have to see what happens

dunkery · 06/01/2022 20:26

The main thing is that the baby can be born blind and/or deaf. As far as I know the 'bad' time to get chicken pox is in the early months when the eyes and ears are developing. I have never heard of any problems occurring if you catch it in the later stages. You should have been tested for CP early on and if you are immune the baby should be ok. Obviously you should keep an eye out for any symptoms in you son in case he could pass it on to your baby. But apart from being unwell your baby should be fine if they do catch it.

Original poster

Lemonnhoney · 06/01/2022 20:31

@dementedpixie yep it would be the time when the baby is just new here! ☹

Can you pass it on without symptoms?

@dunkery
Thank you. Glad to know the baby should be OK if they catch it. I've had it so not too concerned about getting it myself

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dementedpixie · 06/01/2022 20:32

You dont get tested for chicken pox immunity in pregnancy. Have you had chickenpox yourself?

The only issue would be if he got chicken pox when you had your newborn. There's no guarantee he will get it

AliveAndSleeping · 06/01/2022 20:35

Op has your son had chicken pox?

Are you worried about you getting chicken pox when pregnant or ds infecting thr baby if it's born in the next few days?

Have you had it or are vaccinated against it? If yes, then I believe your newborn will be immune to it for a few months. Also as far as I know chicken pox in babies even newborns isn't usually that serious.

However id call the midwife unit to get more advice or to put your mind at rest

dementedpixie · 06/01/2022 20:36

It's contagious for 1-2 days before spots appear and then until they scab over which takes about 5 days.

If he does get it contact the GP who may just tell you to monitor and see them if the baby catches it

dementedpixie · 06/01/2022 20:37

It can be dangerous to newborns but I don't know to what extent

Hungry625f · 06/01/2022 20:37

Don't panic OP. Firstly, have you ever had chicken pox yourself? You will have immunity if so.

Has your 5 year old ever had it? If yes, they will also have immunity.

If no, then PP is correct that the incubation period is long.

The greatest risk to your baby is if they are exposed in the first 7 days of life.

Personally I think the risk of harm is low. However if your 5 year old does develop symptoms within a week of you giving birth then do tell your midwife. There are things they can do

Takingabreakagain · 06/01/2022 20:39

My DD caught chicken pox off her older brother at 6 weeks old. She barely had any spots and didn't seem out of sorts at all. I think this was because she still had some immunity from me. Have you already had chicken pox OP?

SweepTheHalls · 06/01/2022 20:42

We had chicken lox here at 10 days old.... Honestly... If you all get it, you'll be fine

BigglesPants · 06/01/2022 20:45

Have you had it op? AFAIK, the dangerous time to have it is in early pregnancy. I had it then and had to have the baby's development monitored closely as a result, thankfully all was well in the end.

If you've had it then your baby should have some amount of immunity to it, and also if your kid has already had it then there is a smaller chance of them transmitting it.

I would mention it to the midwife but try not to worry (easier said than done, I know!).

CaptainSpirit · 06/01/2022 20:46

Hi OP, we had a similarish situation - when I was days away from giving birth to DD3 my two older daughters got hand, foot and mouth. A few weeks later they both caught bloody chicken pox too. 🙃
DD3 is breastfed and the health visitor explained to me that she's sort of in her own little bubble for the few months - she's three months old now and thankfully was totally unaffected.

Hope you're alright and good luck with the baby! ❤️

HalloHello · 06/01/2022 20:46

My daughter was exposed at 6 days old when my friend's son started with symptoms the day after he met her. The GP said that they're not at any more risk than any child from chicken pox and if the mother has had it, will have natural immunity, especially as she was breast fed so I don't think you need to worry too much but I would ring your midwife to make sure.

BigglesPants · 06/01/2022 20:47

Also (not the same but a little bit similar), I had a cold sore.pop.up when giving birth to one of mine and had to be very careful as a result, but again all was fine there too and the baby didn't catch it.

Original poster

Lemonnhoney · 06/01/2022 20:49

I've had chicken pox as a child yep.. DS hasn't had chicken pox, but keeps catching anything and everything so concerned his immunity isn't the best!!
@AliveAndSleeping I'm concerned about him having caught it.. it taking 10 days to appear and the baby being a couple of days old (I went over due date with previous 2 DC)..

Thank tou for the replies.. they put my mind at ease a little.. and i suppose there is nothing I can do but wait and see..

We are all full of cold atm anyway.. feel like we can't escape illnesses!!

OP posts:

CookieCrunch123 · 06/01/2022 20:50

So we had the exact same situation. It never even crossed my mind it would be a concern. I mentioned it in passing to a midwife and I was very surprised when a Dr came to see me and said chicken pox is actually not safe for a newborn baby. When baby is under 4 weeks old chicken pox is more complicated. Drs said if DS developed chicken pox me and baby wouldn’t be able to go home. DS didn’t develop chicken pox so we went home but the advice was to keep DS away from baby and definitely no DS kissing baby, lots of hand washing for DS etc. That advice was totally unrealistic. So instead we took DS out of nursery where there has been several cases of chicken pox. In the end DS caught it when baby was 6 weeks old. Baby got 1 or 2 spots only (breastfed so maybe had some of my immunity). So all was fine in the end but i was shocked to hear it’s actually an issue in newborns. I had no idea and saw it as a very minor thing before the Dr told me!

Found a bit more info here for you
healthclinics.superdrug.com/chickenpox-in-babies/

ivykaty44 · 06/01/2022 20:50

feel horribly anxious about it all.. Will he develop symptoms and infect the baby?!

baby should have your immunity in the first few weeks, thats if you've had cp

JosephineDeBeauharnais · 06/01/2022 20:52

My DGS2 caught chicken pox from his older brother at 3 weeks old. He was absolutely fine. DDiL was told not to assume he will be immune from future infection with it however.

Original poster

Lemonnhoney · 06/01/2022 20:52

@CaptainSpirit that's reassuring.. yep it's so hard to avoid illnesses isn't it! Thank you!

Planning on breastfeeding so hopefully that will help..

OP posts:

Original poster

Lemonnhoney · 06/01/2022 20:55

@CookieCrunch123 thank you for the reply.. I did read online it was dangerous for newborns yep.. I'm hoping the baby is 10 days late and then we will know if he develops symptoms!

Would love to keep him off school (I'm sure he would love it too) but feel like he needs to go atm to get more settled into it (he's only in receptoon)

OP posts:

Travellingraspberry · 06/01/2022 21:03

My older dc came down with chicken pox when younger dc was 10 days old. Not ideal! We had slightly mixed messages from different midwives/doctors some who advised separating them as much as possible which wasn't overly practical but baby didn't catch it. I'd had it as a child and was breastfeeding and other midwife said that baby would have my immunity being so young.

Feetupteashot · 06/01/2022 21:05

If you have had chicken pox and breastfeed then I imagine won't be an issue?

dementedpixie · 06/01/2022 21:06

If he doesn't get it there's always the option of paying for him to get the chickenpox vaccine

butterfly990 · 06/01/2022 21:09

My 2 year old came out in spots the day I went into labor. I was breastfeeding my new born and just careful with my toddler.

My eldest then caught if off my toddler a couple of weeks later. My baby didn't catch it at all fortunately.

Metallicalover · 06/01/2022 21:10

@Lemonnhoney we directly exposed to chicken pox when my little one who was on the 3rd centile born was 2 weeks old.

I was told by HV and GP that since I had it as a child, her being a couple of weeks old and I was BF that I was passing my antibodies onto her.

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