Chicken pox in very early pregnancy :/

[FlyLikeABird]

I'm about 6w pregnant and have an 8 month DD who goes to groups each week. CP is doing the rounds here and my mum doesn't know if I had it as a child. I had no contact with children when pregnant with DD so it wasn't really an issue last time but I don't want to shut us both inside unnecessarily.

I mentioned it to the GP this week (when getting booked in to be referred to the community MWs) and she didn't say anything or look at all concerned. So I thought nothing of it but I've just looked at NHS choices and scared myself

Should I pushing for a blood test? Has anyone else been in this situation? I'm thinking of avoiding a planned trip to soft play on Monday as apparantly 'close contact' is being in a room with an infected person for 15 minutes or more.

Am I panicking or being sensible

90% of adults have had CP as a child.

Even if you were one of the 10% who hadn't had it, you would have a 1 in 200 (0.5%) chance of your baby catching FVS (Fetal Varicella Syndrome).

That brings your overall risk as an 'unknown' to 1 in 2000 or 0.05%.

That's lower risk than the odds of dying by drowning, heart disease, cancer, car accident, being shot, poisoning....the list goes on.

In other words, yes, it's a potential risk, but not a big one.

If you think you've been exposed and you don't think you've had chicken pox, you can ask for an antibody screen to determine if you are immune or not. You normally get one at your booking appointment anyway, but there's no harm in asking early.

Thank lougle, I'll try and calm down and will ask the MW at my booking in appointment which should be in a few weeks.

I guess I'm just terrified of a miscarriage.

Honestly, the rates of miscarriage due to chicken pox are teeny tiny. In fact this link suggests that there is very little difference between the likelihood of miscarriage with or without chicken pox exposure.

Try not to worry.