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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Pregnancy

Antibody Vaccination for Chickenpox - Cuddles Please

55 replies

GeorginaA · 10/04/2004 10:15

cry ... I don't believe it.

I have never had chickenpox, so last year I was very careful to get myself the vaccination for it to protect me and any baby. Ds has just gone down with it and I've had my antibodies checked (the doctor nearly didn't bother because I'd had the vaccine - I had to insist for my own peace of mind).

I'm not immune.

What are the odds of that?! There was a 97% chance of me being immune anyway even though I hadn't had chickenpox. I wasn't. There was then a 90% chance the vaccine would take. It didn't. Never ever EVER let me gamble, I would lose too much money...

I have to go to the hospital in an hour to get an antibody injection, but I know that's not guaranteed to stop me getting chickenpox. I'm not feeling too hopeful on my odds... It's a human blood product which I wanted to avoid. I'm not even thinking of all the complications that can happen with getting chickenpox for and asthmatic mother at 34 weeks of pregnancy...

Feeling very vunerable and upset.

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spacemonkey · 10/04/2004 10:16

so sorry to hear this Georgina, sending lots of hugs your way XXXXXXX

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gothicmama · 10/04/2004 10:18

Big hugs and support - do not know enoughto comment but can you put yourself in quarentine until ds is better (is there anyone else who can look after him)I survived ashma in prg ok only one trip to A&E

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GeorginaA · 10/04/2004 10:20

Bit late now - he's had it since Thursday and he'd have been most infectious the day before

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tamum · 10/04/2004 10:31

I am so sorry, Georgina. You must be so worried, that's just awful. All I can do is to hope like mad that you won't get it. Hugs.

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gothicmama · 10/04/2004 10:35

Did not think of that , thinking of you

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prufrock · 10/04/2004 11:17

Oh you poor thing. Everything that could go wrong seems to have done so. Just keep on consoling yourself with the thought "Nightmare pregnancy, angel baby"

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luckymum · 10/04/2004 11:19

GeorginaA - Hugs to you, try not to worry (like that will stop you ). I had chickenpox at 29 weeks , had the antibody injection a couple of days after the spots came out. It didn't lessen the spots and I had quite a bad bout but I didn't have any other complications. Ds1 came out just fine. If you do get them hopefully they will be mild as you've got the anti bodies early. Look after yourself.

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WSM · 10/04/2004 12:35

OH SHIT G Poor you. Have got a bucketload on today so it's doubtful I'll be able to get to you for real hugs, but here are a few virtual ones...

((((()))))

((((()))))

((((()))))

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Angeliz · 10/04/2004 13:14

Big hugs Georgina!((((((((())))))))))

I do hope everything turns out alright, don't know what else to say but i'm thinking of you++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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Kayleigh · 10/04/2004 13:28

oh GeorginaA what a nightmare, so sorry.
Big hugs to you and I hope your ds doesn't suffer too badly with his pox.
XXX

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GeorginaA · 10/04/2004 13:30

Thank you for the hugs.

Was a horrendous wait at the hospital (were there for about 2 hours hanging around). Eventually got the immunoglobin injection - no-one seemed to really know any answers to my questions (I wanted to know how likely this was to prevent me getting chickenpox, whether it was a human blood product and what the implications were). Great that they wanted to make sure who I was (confirmed my name, date of birth and address in front of a witness) but dismal that they were unable to give me any information about what they were injecting me with.

2 hours in the hospital confirmed to me that I get bored to tears in there. Think when I go in for the labour I can take my laptop in to keep me sane?!

Oh, and I have a sore bottom...

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Kayleigh · 10/04/2004 13:33

oh honey. big big hug ((((X))))

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JJ · 10/04/2004 13:34

Ooh, I'm so sorry to hear this. If you'd like me to google things, feel free to ask. (If you don't want to sort through things or your bottom hurts too much to sit for a while. . )

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GeorginaA · 10/04/2004 13:38

Thank you, I am being googly as I type Trying to get my computer fix after 2 hours of boredom....

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twiglett · 10/04/2004 15:21

message withdrawn

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GeorginaA · 10/04/2004 15:32

lol twiglett... thanks ... I think

chants "Angel Baby, Angel Baby, Angel Baby..."

Of course, everything I googled was either too simplistic to give me any new information or too medispeak to understand sigh.

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JJ · 10/04/2004 15:38

Was it Varivax?

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GeorginaA · 10/04/2004 15:43

I had varivax or varilix last year (that's the vaccination and I can't remember which brand I had - whichever it was it didn't work though). This time around I had the VZIG (Varicella Zoster Immunoglobulin) which should give me antibodies to protect me.

As far as I can tell it's a human blood product which is screened for HIV, Hepatitis etc... Don't know where it's sourced from though (if this country issues with human BSE? I hate it when scare stories break at the same time you need something). There doesn't appear to be any proper studies done on effectiveness/risks on pregnant women, and the only thing I found vaguely referencing it implied 50% chance of it giving me any protection, which considering my current playing of the odds doesn't reassure me all that much.

Balls balls balls balls. (Or maybe I should be saying arse arse arse arse considering that's the bit of me that's sore at the moment!)

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hewlettsdaughter · 10/04/2004 15:45

GeorginaA, that's SO unlucky! Most people wouldn't have thought to get the vaccination I reckon! Hope your ds recovers soon and you don't get the pox.

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hewlettsdaughter · 10/04/2004 15:46

Hope your arse recovers soon too!

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JJ · 10/04/2004 15:47

I have a phone number to call if you'd like and it's Varivax:
001 800 986?8999.

If you'd rather me call, with my broad American accent and f**k you attitude (typical American!), let me know.

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JJ · 10/04/2004 15:50

oops! took too long and cross-posted.

I did take contra-indicated drugs in my late pregnancy. The risks were worse (bacterial meningitis), but that didn't help my peace of mind at all. You've done the right thing.

Good luck over the next 6 or so weeks.

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GeorginaA · 10/04/2004 15:54

JJ if I phoned that number it'd just be to swear at them because their product didn't work I have to say, I do remember commenting at the time that it was the easiest vaccination I'd ever had because I had virtually no side effects whatsoever (apart from arm puncture wound!), and joked that it probably didn't take...

mentally wills the immunoglobulin to go swimming around my system and do its job

If this fails, can I be knocked out and put on a drip for a fortnight or so until all the itching/illness is over please? Actually, scratch that... until after the baby is born would be nice!! Had enough now!

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spots · 10/04/2004 21:47

Poor G., what a day, what a week, what a month... Keep the chin up - there will be windows of good luck in the bad luck and you're due one. xxxx((()))

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Jimjams · 10/04/2004 21:59

Hi Georgina

You could take homeopathic varicella- just because it wouldn't do any harm and may work (and it can't interfere with anything else). You can get some from ainsworths - very quick delivery time. Or I have some I could send you- contact me off list if you want me to post it to you.

Don't worry too much though (easier said than done I know)- the stuff you read online is always the worst case scenario. My grandmother had chickenpox when pregnant with my uncle. He had it as a newborn. Both were fine. I was exposed to chickenpox in late pregancy (having not had it- although I turned out to be immune) and my GP- who was a very old school type doctor was very unconcerned.

Rhus tox is a good homeopathic remedy for itchy chickenpox by the way. That's easy to get hold of- its a common remedy.

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Flip

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