Chicken Pox & pregnancy

7 replies

carwillin · 21/03/2006 21:20

I am 29 weeks pregnant and also have a ds of 19 months. An old friend who I see approximately every 2 months is due for a visit tomorrow although her ds has chicken pox and Dr has said he is still infectious. Would you say politely thanks but no thanks or would you let them visit?

I'm not really bothered about my ds getting it as he will get them sooner or later anyway. I am more worried about the unborn baby, I have had chickenn pox and midwife said it would be ok but I can'y get rid of the niggling worry in the back of my mind.

What do you think?

OP posts:

petunia · 21/03/2006 21:31

My DH went down with Chicken Pox 2 days before DD2 was due. I had it as a teenager so the midwife wasn't worried. I think she was more worried about DH turning up at the hospital with me when he was still infectious. I guess it's really your decision. If you're not happy about your friend visiting, leave it 'til her son is over it. I think it took about a week before DH wasn't infectious anymore.

jabberwocky · 21/03/2006 21:43

I would tell her it is not a good time for a visit. You will feel better not having taken the risk and surely she should understand.

bubbly1973 · 21/03/2006 22:57

carwillin

..at xmas my neice had chicken pox, i was about 14 weeks pg (i think), we were all supposed to go there for new years eve, and sil rang to say neice had chickenpox....i checked up and found out all was okay as i already had them.

anyway, cut a long story short...ds came up with chicken pox 2 weeks later, all of a sudden i was soooo paranoid that maybe i didnt have them when i was younger, and went through a few days feeling guilty that i exposed myself to them

it turns out i did definitly have chicken pox, and i never caught them off ds, although dh did!

i should add, that through all the research i was doing about pregnancy and chicken pox, they all said the most worst time would be to get them when you are upto 20 weeks pg, so in your case ...

you probably wont get them cos you already had them

even if you do get them, your in the safe period and your unborn wont be harmed (i think)

however, if your like me and will be paranoid after the visit, then i would say its best to tell her you cant make the meet up,....i wish i had done that cos i felt crap about exposing myself to them!

jabberwocky · 21/03/2006 23:32

My thoughts exactly. The tendency in pregnancy is to worry about everything! Why add one more thing to the list?

LeahE · 21/03/2006 23:36

Chicken pox is only dangerous to the baby in early pregnancy and in the last few weeks, so even if you hadn't already had them (which you have) the baby would be fine. There really isn't a risk to the unborn baby.

But, that said, I'd probably put them off -- not because of the unborn baby but because chicken pox drags of for ages and you do not need to be dealing with that when heavily pregnant if your ds gets it.

Original poster

carwillin · 22/03/2006 07:13

Thanks all. After a night of worry and not sleeping (just when I need it) I have decided to put it off for a couple of weeks. I would just never forgive myself however slight/nonexistent the risk is.

Like you say Jabberwocky who needs something else to worry about!

OP posts:

booge · 22/03/2006 07:48

I was in a simialr situation when I was about 8 weeks gone. I kept DS away from the childminder as one boy had chicken pox. I'm fairly certain I've had it but my mother couldn't remember for sure and I agree with jabberwocky, why add another worry to the list.

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