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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

chickenpox and pregnancy !

11 replies

honey86 · 22/03/2013 19:13

My daughter has had a raging temp this eve and just took off her onesie, and shes got chickenpox... ive never had chickenpox and i heard its dangerous to pregnant women... anyone gone through this or know what to do?...
shes my daughter and her dad died 4 years ago so i cant avoid havin contact with her... im 8 weeks tomorrow x

OP posts:

MrsSpencerReid · 22/03/2013 19:19

This link suggests you should contact GP, but maybe nhs direct would be better as its a weekend? Or midwife if you've got a number, hope your dd gets over it soon and you're ok

www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1109.aspx?CategoryID=54

MrsSpencerReid · 22/03/2013 19:20

Sorry, don't know how to make it linky

Bigbangevolution · 22/03/2013 19:21

I had my booking in appointment today and asked the very question you have posed as I have a DD who attends a nursery with a chicken pox outbreak.
The midwives advice was to go to GP and get a blood test to establish if you have the chicken pox virus. Apparently there is stuff they can give you, she didn't say what though.
She did say that it's very rare for there to be complications with the baby.

If I were you, I would contact NHS24 for some advice and see your GP on Monday. Try not to worry (easier said that done I know!).

lucybrad · 22/03/2013 19:58

Try not to panic. There is nothing that can be done until you speak to a health professional. Although you say you have not had chicken pox, it may be that you dont remember it, or had a really mild case, or have a natural immunity. Chances are greatly in your favour for you being immune already. You would have been exposed to the virus before the spots had appeared so there is no point in limiting your exposure to your dd now. Hopefully the doctors will be able to advise further.

Original poster

honey86 · 22/03/2013 20:40

just rang out of hrs doc n waiting for a call back...

never had this issue before cos ds got his pox when he was about 10 months old...

thanks for the advice ladies i preciate it. your right bout dd though, and its impossible for me to attempt avoiding contact anyway, as im her only parent now. poor things already got a kidney defect to deal with that causes her infections... everytime i check her a few more spots seem to appear.. shell prob be covered by morning

OP posts:

Crmmum · 22/03/2013 21:30

I hope all goes well for you, I'm pregnant with number 2 and was convinced I had never had chicken pox, so got a blood test, and it came back that I was immune. Apparently sometimes even though you have not had a full blown outbreak, if you have been exposed as a child, it offers immunity. I think it's meant to be worst if the contact is in the second trimester anyway, so please don't stress out too badly! X

MrsSpencerReid · 22/03/2013 21:41

If your son had it you would have been exposed then so you should have built up some immunity then, hope they ring back soon

Original poster

honey86 · 22/03/2013 21:42

just spoke t them n nurse said that cos my son had it before and i didnt contract it then i must have abit of immunity cos its highly contagious..
tbf i came into contact with a boy that had it last year and didnt get it then either
but she told me to ring gp on monday anyway just in case he wants to check my immunity x

OP posts:

MrsSpencerReid · 22/03/2013 21:53

Oh good

MrsSpencerReid · 22/03/2013 21:54

Good that you're prob immune I mean!

EssieW · 22/03/2013 21:58

I would get your immunity checked (it's a blood test) - needs to be done on Monday so you've got time to get results back and work out what to do if you do get it. You've got a 10day minimum incubation period.

If you don't get clear answers from GP, then keep pushing. I got chicken pox when I was about 28 weeks pregnant and it seemed that a fair few medical professionals weren't sure what to do/advise (Camden Out of Hours Doctor - I'm looking at you...). I found the most helpful people to talk to were midwives and doctors on the ante-natal ward because they are more likely to come across it before.

There is an anti-viral you can take to reduce the severity of the pox if you get it although it's not 100% confirmed safe in pregnancy (and don't know if that's different in early pregnancy too). I didn't take in the end because I felt as though I had got over the worse by the time I actually got hold of it.

If you didn't get it when your son had it, then hopefully you have immunity.

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