Urgent help please! Salmonella in pregnancy, what are the implications?

[WideWebWitch]

I'm in a right tiz and the doctor and midwife are taking ages to call me back. Dp and I have had diarrhoea for the past 7 days and I am only better today. He's still not quite better although his symptoms started a day after mine, so maybe he'll be better a day after me. We've both been to the GP and provided stool samples (sorry, this is all gross and has been even more so in reality I'm afraid) and environmental health have just called to say that his tested positive for salmonella. No news on mine yet but it seems likely that I've got the same. Any advice? I'm 27 weeks pregnant and really worrying. What does it mean for the baby if mine was salmonella too? I've been following all the sodding advice about what to eat etc too, god knows what caused it. TIA to anyone who can help.

WWW - just searching some websites on Salmonella in pregancy - most are saying that although it makes you ill it is unlikely that it will have any direct affects on your baby (foodstandards.gov.uk). Hopefully you and baby will be fine.

www - so sorry to hear this. Here is one link that may be of comfort to you albeit a bit brief... only little info here but a bit reassuring and according to babyworld.co.uk "although your baby will not be directly harmed you may feel very unwell" - similar stuff on loads of other sites. Seems to suggest that the dangers for the baby are by from you suffering potential high temp. and dehydration. Drink loads, stay cool, relax as much as poss. and try not to panic. Good Luck (Hope the doctor can be more specific soon for you.)

oops - crossed posts with grommit !

www I had campylobacter this pregnancy, diagnosed after almost 2 weeks of diarrhoea (eugh). apparently salmonella is the same - doesn't cross the barrier to the baby, main concerns are dehydration and high fevers which it sounds like you haven't got. so really sorry you feel rotten, but I don't think it will harm the baby. hope you feel better soon.....

Just to add to the reassurance here - there is no specific risk to the baby from salmonella or campylobacter (the commonest food poisoning bugs).
this is why I'm not so fussed about keeping to the 'rules' about eating in pregnancy - and why I get really cross that the information we get is so poor, it doesn't distinguish between things that CAN harm the baby (listeria and toxoplasmosis primarily, both of which are quite rare) and those which don't.

Oh WWW - I hope you're ok! If it was anything serious you can rest assured they would have whizzed you in that hospital asap, they take no chances when it comes to food poisoning and pregnancy. Can you still feel the baby moving around ok? If you are recovering then that is a good sign that everything is ok, if there was anything wrong with the baby, you'd still be feeling sick. I hope the GP gets back to you soon, let us know won't you? Am thinking of you.

Sorry to hear you have been unwell www. As others have said the baby should be absolutely fine. It can take a while for the diarrhoea to settle down. The main thing is to ensure scrupulous hand washing to prevent spread of infection. Hope it resolves soon.

What a scare, wickedwaterwitch. So good to read that salmonella does not harm a baby. Hope you feel better soon and get that all important all clear from the doctor.

Thank you so much everyone. The GP and midwife did phone back eventually and both said no, it shouldn't have harmed the baby. I can still feel her moving too so I'm reassured. I'm loads better today and have managed to stop worrying now. I didn't have any of the fever symptoms or anything else, so I seem to have escaped a really bad bout. Dp was far worse, thank goodness for my iron stomach doing its stuff I think. Thanks for all your replies.

Thank you so much everyone. The GP and midwife did phone back eventually and both said no, it shouldn't have harmed the baby. I can still feel her moving too so I'm reassured. I'm loads better today and have managed to stop worrying now. I didn't have any of the fever symptoms or anything else, so I seem to have escaped a really bad bout. Dp was far worse, thank goodness for my iron stomach doing its stuff I think. Thanks for all your replies.

Sorry for double posting, seems to be happening to me a lot atm for some reason.

You have my sympathy WWW,
I only recovered from salmonella earlier this week, I felt like sh*t (excuse the pun), for about two weeks, and I wasn't pregnant. Must have been an awful worry for you !!
My main worry was my 4 year old DS's catching it off me, but I was very careful with hygiene.
Luckily, they were fine, not eating for 8 days had little effect on my weight ;( , but would probably have put them in hospital.
Good to hear your feeling better !!!

Sorry that was a about the weight.

www - I had salmonella from a chicken sandwich at work when pregnant with ds2. I was told that the baby was pretty insulated from the bug, but that I would feel worse than usual. Very important to keep fluids up, but otherwise you should be fine, I think. thinking of you...

WWW ... you poor thing ... what a scare for you!
I had food poisoning when I was 8 weeks pg with DS and he is fine ... but it was still scary.
Glad that you are on the mend and that there is no risk to your bubs.
Just one question though ...
Several people have said on this thread that Salmonella does not harm the baby ... I was always led to believe that salmonella was a disaster in pregnancy! What's going on??
WHY AM I DOING MY HEAD IN AVOIDING THINGS THAT CAUSE SALMONELLA WHEN IT HAS NO EFFECT ON YOUR BABY ?????

Well yes Ghosty, exactly! That's why I was in such a panic, thinking hang on, if they tell you to avoid soft boiled eggs etc etc because of the risk of salmonella then it must be a terrible thing to get in pregnancy, surely. So the minute I heard "salmonella" I panicked. I have to say it was an extremely unpleasant 7 days, most of it spent in the loo, so I don't suppose you'd want to get it at any time really. Ds was away and I'm grateful for that as I'd have had a job looking after him as well I think (although I'd have had to had he been here, guess I'd have just got on with it tbh). I suppose they can't say for sure that the baby won't be harmed so maybe that's it but I do agree, it made me think if it's highly unlikely to have damaged the baby and if the risk is very slight then why avoid eggs etc? Which is as elliott says. Annoying isn't it?

Oh, and maybe they say you're more likely to get salmonella when you're pregnant and your immune system is vulnerable but then, dp got it too and he's a fit and healthy 27 yo man! So I guess my immune status didn't make any difference, although as I said, I've a cast iron stomach and very rarely get these things so actually, I got over it much faster than he did, despite being pregnant.

The potential risk wth salmonella is that it DOES make you very ill, and that illnesses involving diarrohea, vomiting and high temperatures can induce miscarriage or premature labour.

But it is very unlikely to do these things, and by the time you have started to recover i would say there is no real risk at all.

Oakmaiden has summed up the theoretical risk - salmonella can lead to complications such as high fever and kidney infection (sadly I know this because dh caught it on our second date and NO, it wasn't my cooking, but from dodgy pate at the Mark Addy pub in central Manchester if anyone is interested...), but this is fortunately unusual. So they tend to fuss about it a bit more in pregnancy than other food poisoning germs, I guess.
So glad to hear you are all on the mend WWW and that your iron constitution stood you in good stead this time round. I would have been just as anxious in your boots...phew.