chicken pox and pregnancy

[mckenzie]

I am just over 2 months pregnant and one of my son's friends has chicken pox. Should I be keeping well away does anyone know or is it okay if I were to get chicken pox at this stage? If I had it as a child, does that mean I wont get it again?

[Flossam]

You shouldn't be able to get it again, but I always get confused about the whole shingles thing... Best to stay away as much as poss if you can as your immune system is so compromised during pregnancy. Hope you're ok!

[cazzybabs]

I think you'll be fine as if you have had it as a child you have immunity. If you are worried then go to your doctor and she will give you a blood test to test immuinity. This needs to be done ASAP though.

[Cavy]

Shingles isn't contagious... it's a resurgence of chickenpox virus already in you. But shingles does spread the same virus as chickenpox, so people can get CPox if exposed to shingles. It's rare to get CPox twice, but I did -- caught it from somebody with shingles, actually.

[discoinferno]

When I was two months pregnant I came in contact with both cp and shingles. I rang my GP who told me not to worry. HTH

[bunny2]

My ds got chicken pox when I was around 8 wks pg. My gp told me it was highly unlikely to affect me as I had cp in childhood but he ordered a blood test anyway, for reassurance. HAve you had cp before?

[mckenzie]

thanks for all your meaages. My mum can't remember if I had cp as a child or not so I think I might ask my GP for the bood test to check my immunity so that I know for sure.