Herpes and pregnant

[Natalie2900]

Hi there.
I'm after some advice.
Embarrassingly I have herpes. Have had it before I was pregnant. Since I have been pregnant I have had around 6 outbreaks and I have had 3 since I hit 30 weeks!! I am
Now 36 + 2 and having her another outbreak.
My midwife spoke to a consultant who said they would not see me nor give me any anti virals because I didn't contract it during pregnancy!
Everything I read online tells me I should be taking something to suppress any more outbreaks.
Can I plead with midwife/consultant to just let me have a c section. How likely am I to get a planned c section is I beg them!? I feel that because I've had so many outbreaks the likely hood of another one close to due date is likely! It's worrying me so much. All I want it my baby born and healthy and no risks!!
Does anybody have any experience in c sections and herpes or pregnancy and herpes? I can't sleep at night at the thought of giving birth and my baby catching this awful virus from me!
Also, shedding? Will I still be shedding the virus between now and due date?

[Natalie2900]

C section booked! She wouldn't book it for medical reasons and said it was for my own preference. She was not happy and changed her tone as soon as I said I wasn't happy to give birth given the risks.
I will get a call the week I turn 39 weeks with two Days notice of when the date will be.
Consultant has terrified me about a c section now! But I need to remember why I'm doing this!!

[RB68]

Its your choice at the end of the day so stick with it. Would second though that the antivirals are good, they basically stop the virus multiplying so whats there dies off and doesn't replicate then you get chance to heal. Think about taking some vit c and zinc (check for contraindications though with preg,) to help your immune system along a bit as well

[KTD27]

Just wanted to send you a massive hug. I had a section with my little boy - totally unrelated reasons to you but it was a beautiful birth. We had a playlist ready to relax me and we listen to it even now 18 months on the songs are really special. I was given skin to skin and it was really honestly lovely.
Sore recovery but it was so much less awful than I'd imagined it.
You sound incredibly stressed - understandably so! - and if a c section is what you want then listen to their advice and make up your mind for you and your baby.

[sunshinestorm]

Glad you got your section!
Don't worry too much about their scare tactics. To be honest, they don't actually give you clear, unbias information. They just emphasise all the risks of a c-section, whilst completely leaving out the very real risks of vaginal birth. Both have their pros and cons.
Sorry they weren't particularly supportive, there was no need for them to change tone and be obviously unhappy with the request, you need care and support as a pregnant woman! But main thing is you have your section date now! :)

[Natalie2900]

Thank you so much! Last three comments have made me feel less guilty about the whole c section thing. I've already had people turn their noses up. My mum said it's my
Body and my choice and with the risks with herpes it's a no brainer really.
Desperate for me date now. Read other forums which say they got given the date 36 weeks. I'm 37! Would be so nice as husband could book off work now and could arrange child care. Don't think I should bother he hospital again I feel like I've harassed them for the Past 3 months!!

[brownstar]

So pleased to see your update, and sorry they weren’t more supportive! as soon sunshinestorm says they only focus on the negatives and there are also negatives to a vaginal birth, both can take recovery time. Hopefully now you can enjoy the remainder of your pregnancy without the worry in the back of your mind, however small the risk was it’s only you who should decide on how you proceed. I’m really am so pleased for you

[sunshinestorm]

It's really nobody else's business, if you're worried about being judged then you don't even need to tell people why you're having a section. Just say baby was picked up as being breach or something.
I think 39 weeks is standard for planned sections in the UK. 36 weeks is very early and baby may be a fair bit smaller than if you wait, 39 weeks is best for baby to be optimal weight and healthier.

[Solar99]

Hi,

You are 100% doing the right thing by asking for a c section. Here's why. I have herpes - got if from my husband actually who has had it for over 20 years. It's nothing to be embarrassed about at all - many people have it with no symptoms and don't even know (10% of the adult population)

When we were pregnant with our first baby (and naive) I had an outbreak at 40 weeks on my due date. I hadn't had a single outbreak during pregnancy before this point. I called antenatal who sounded worried - a doctor was supposed to give me antivirals from 36 weeks pregnant but I was suffering extreme morning sickness and it got overlooked. Like you when I started to read up in detail about it I was gripped with utter fear. After all it CAN be life threatening for baby and can cause blindness and other awful things. I didn't care what the % risk was, it was still a risk in my head. My husband works away lots - he was away on my due date so I had to rush over to antenatal for an emergency appointment with my consultant on my own.Long story short I was in such a state they agreed to a c section. As others have said they can't refuse you one by law in the UK. I was also given antivirals immediately. They took it very seriously. I had the c section two days later. I spent those 2 days literally praying my body would not go into labour (which given my highly anxious state would most likely have been a dreadful labour - who wants to push a baby out when thinking they could be pushing that baby through a birth canal that could harm them??) .The c section was lovely. I had no trouble bonding, no trouble breast feeding. Because I'd had an outbreak so close to my c section they swabbed baby in 5 places when baby was born.

Unbelievably when our baby was 7 days old we got a call late one night at home from our local GP to say that one swab had tested positive for herpes and to put our baby in the car immediately and drive to the hospital where a team of paediatricians were waiting for her. I don't even want to explain how we felt at that moment. No one was being blasé about herpes then - in fact everyone was sounding worryingly tense.

Our baby went through hell for 14 days - she had needles and cannulas inserted into the veins in her head in order to get antivirals into her through an IV. Her veins collapsed all of the time so at 16 days old she had to go into theatre for a central line to be put in her leg. They also did a spinal tap which was traumatic. They were forced to treat her even though more thorough test results were not back yet just in case she did indeed have it because the ramifications of it are so grave. It ended up that they THINK it was a random false positive. Baby never had the herpes it was possibly fluid from my body which got on the swab. But let me tell you this - when paediatricians THOUGHT she might have neonatal herpes they did not hang about and the situation was extremely frightening. It's not something to be blasé about. We spent 14 days in hospital praying and praying ever second that results would come back negative. It takes a long time for them to be able to confirm this and it's nerve wracking. We were lucky in the end and she's absolutely fine and never had it. BUT it taught me a lesson very quickly which is that if your gut tells you to do anything at all to protect your baby you do it.

Also after they have failed to give me antivirals at 36 weeks pregnant my consultant actually sent an email to the entire department explaining what had happened to us and why it was VITAL that medication was given to women with herpes at 36 weeks.

When we were expecting our second baby I simply told them I would be having a c section and I made them give me the prescription for the antivirals immediately so that I was always prepared. Midwives etc will try to tell you it's not really necessary but they are not the paediatric team and they are not faced with the trauma of what can happen when the odds don't fall in your favour.

You are doing the right thing 100% by having a c section for this. The relief I felt on that table was something else. In some countries it's standard practice for herpes. Baby WILL have antibodies from you because you have had the herpes before you fell pregnant. Don't even worry about feeling guilty - it's not even worth the risk at all. Ask them to lower the screen during the section if you want (we even got to film her coming out) and you can have baby put on your skin immediately in the theatre whilst they stitch you back up. It will all be fine. Feel free to PM me if you need to.

Also I was totally open with everyone about why we were having a c section - people are not as judgemental as you may think and actually it was lovely to have everyone's support.

[Natalie2900]

Wow! Solar99! You have made me feel so sure I have done the right thing now. I am the same as you though praying that I don't go into labour
Now. I hate that I don't have a date, I may ring tomrorow and say if I can get a date asap so my husband isn't away.
So even though you had the c section your baby still tested positive? That must of been terrifying. It's the baby going through what yours
Did that made me want the c section so badly!
I'm really looking forward to my section now.. I've started a play list to play during the procedure to help me relax. ☺️ It's so hard to find a doctor/midwife/consultant who takes you seriously. Even though I got my c section today she refused to base it on medical reasons and told me it was ridiculous to have it because of herpes! Crazy! I can guarantee it's because she's never had to deal with neonatal herpes!!
Thank you so much for that post though! It's genuinely made me feel like I've made the right choice.
It sounds like you had to force the consultant to do it and sound a little crazy to make them say yes lol! I was finally given the anti virals on Sunday so I will continue to take these I guess? I thought I'd continue incase I went into labour early, but my gp did say if I go into labour I can ask for a c section, o said that to consultant today and she said the gp doesn't make that decision, they don't know what they are talking about! Unbelievable!!!

[Greystar]

Hey Op, how are you getting on?

[Natalie2900]

Still waiting on a date, hopefully will hear something on Tuesday. Can starting to feel like I'm getting yet another outbreak!! But doesn't feel as bad, maybe the anti virals are helping it? Making me feel I've made right decision for a section. Dreading the recovery now.. and having to deal with everybody's opinions on a section ( not telling people the exact reason why). My step sister turned around to me and said " oh I'd hate that" ! 😒

[Courtney10891]

Hey can I ask how did your c section go? X x

[Eve0147]

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