I cant do links as Im using dh's laptop and cant find the icons, but this is what babycentre has to say about it:
I'm pregnant and my friend's child has chicken pox. Should I avoid contact with her?
If you had chicken pox as a child, you probably have no reason to worry. Your body has developed antibodies to the virus, making you immune to further infection. However, if you think that you've never had chicken pox, you should avoid contact with people with chicken pox or shingles, a related condition that can be passed on as chicken pox.
What are the risks if I do catch chicken pox?
Chicken pox can be more severe if you catch it while pregnant. Your doctor may offer you aciclovir, which reduces the severity and duration of chickenpox but only if it is given within 24 hours of you developing a rash. Aciclovir is believed to be safe during pregnancy but if you are less than 20 weeks pregnant doctors probably won't recommend it because of the theoretical risk of the drug affecting the baby.
The risks to your baby change greatly depending on when in your pregnancy you catch chicken pox. Before 13 weeks, the risk is small, with only 0.4 per cent of babies suffering any side effects. Babies whose mothers catch chicken pox between 13 and 20 weeks are at slightly greater risk. Around 2 per cent will be underweight when they're born or have birth defects such as scars, and eye problems. They may also be slow to reach the developmental milestones that your health visitor will be checking for.
If you catch chicken pox between 20 and 36 weeks of pregnancy your baby is unlikely to be affected, though he may develop shingles in his first few years of life. After 36 weeks, the risks increase again. If you contract chicken pox just before or after giving birth, the baby is at very serious risk. Should this happen to you, your baby will be given an injection of varicella-zoster immune globulin (VZIG), a blood product that contains chicken pox antibodies, to reduce his risk of being seriously affected by the disease.
How can I find out if my baby has been damaged?
A detailed ultrasound scan can be carried out between 18 and 20 weeks of pregnancy to check that your baby's vital organs look healthy. Your doctor or ultrasound technician might also be able to see whether your baby's limbs and brain are developing as they should. However, ultrasound can't detect every type of birth defect so a scan isn't a guarantee that your baby is alright.
If I haven't had chicken pox, should I be vaccinated?
Not if you're already pregnant. If you're not yet pregnant, it might be a good idea, although you will have to wait three months after having the vaccine before trying to conceive.
I'm pregnant, and yesterday I was looking after a child who has chicken pox. I don't know whether I'm immune. What should I do?
Your GP can offer you a blood test to check for chicken pox antibodies but it must be done within 24 to 48 hours of contact with the illness. (Remember, people with chicken pox are contagious from 48 hours before the rash appears until all the spots have crusted over). If you don't have any antibodies, you're not immune and there's quite a serious risk that you'll have been infected. Your GP will suggest that you have an injection of VZIG to protect you and your baby. VZIG will lessen the severity of the infection, but you must have it within ten days of exposure to chicken pox for it to be effective.