Fever in early pregnancy.... panic!!

[peanutfoldover]

Hello. Have posted this in my ante-natal club but thought I’d post here too for traffic really. Apologies if you are reading this for the second time.

I’m 5 weeks today and in a bit of a panic. My DD (5) is really ill with a virus that’s going around her school. The symptoms are a very high temp for 2-3 days. She’s on her second day and I’m keeping her temp down from 41deg with calpol. It’s working and she’s fine really.

My panic is that I can feel myself becoming ill too, hardly a surprise as she has been sleeping in with me at night and clinging to me every day. Catching it was inevitable really. My temp was 38.6 (not sure how long it was that for, possibly all day) so I’ve taken paracetamol and staying as cool as I can in bed lying next to my furnace of a child and drinking loads of water. Temp is now 37.9 so the paracetamol seems to be working.

Honestly, I’m terrified of harming this little embryo before it’s even started to grow!!! Hate taking paracetamol at this early stage too, but feel it’s more important to take it than have a fever right?

At what level should I panic on a scale of calm to hysteria? Or should I just try and get some sleep?

Luckily out of pure coincidence I’m seeing the GP tomorrow. Not that she’ll be able to do anything, other than try to calm me the fuck down.

Defo see your dr as they're the best to help but I think your doing everything right and people must catch viruses all the tine whilst pregnant and be ok. The nhs doesn't warn us against being around people who have had general common cold type viruses so I'm sure you'll be ok Paracetamol is ok to use in pregnancy and tour right it is probably better to use this than have a high temp. I hope your feeling better soon

Thank you for replying. It’s crazy how worried I am, but I stupidly googled and some of the American advice sites recommend urgent appointment with a doctor if your temp is over 101f which is 38.3c, so mine has been above that. It didn’t even occur to me to check my temp until I started to feel a bit peaky in the early evening. Now I’m obsessively checking and drinking.... a recipe for no sleep if ever there was one!

Should I set my alarm for 4-6 hours to recheck temp and take more paracetamol? Is it THAT critical??

Google can sometimes be the absolute worse! I googled everything when I was pregnant. I know you said you had GP appt tomorrow but if you're unsure and going to worry phone 111. They are also there to advise they will tell you what's right/wrong don't spend all night worrying x

Hope you feel better soon OP, try to make sure you rest.

Have taken the day off work. Took paracetamol at 7.30 but temp hasn’t come down below 38.6. Seeing GP at 4pm. I guess there’s no point going in sooner?

I can't see that there's any point seeing gp at all, if it's viral there's nothing they can do.

It’s my booking appointment, I was going anyway. But like you say, what can they do? I can’t take anything other than paracetamol and I’m pretty certain it’s not bacterial. I guess I’m just worried.

Ah well yes then obviously if it's booking appt it makes sense to go, sorry! Tbh if it was me I wouldn't be overly concerned, your temp isn't sky high, I had a desperate bug with d&v and temp at 7 weeks, only one that suffered was me!

I had a fever in pregnancy and had already taken four paracetamol in 24 hours but it was still over 38C. I was told to go to A&E.

*eight, not four, so maximum dose.

I caught a sickness bug at 7 weeks and I was terrified I couldn't keep anything in at all and had terrible morning sickness the doctor didnt even want to see me I think they are stronger than we think and I'm 18 weeks now and just got over laryngitis and baby is fine 😊 if your really worried ring the doctors cc

@OrangeZog what did they do in A&E?

@peanutfoldover by the time they saw me I was over the 24 hour threshold so I took two more paracetamol and by the end of that day my fever was more manageable.

I wonder what they’d do if it wasn’t though? IV fluids maybe? Just seems like such a huge reaction.

My feet and hands are so bloody cold, can’t believe my temp is so high!

I know I’m seeing GP later but temp hasn’t come down below 38.5 all day so phoned 111. They said to keep drinking and wear light clothing and take paracetamol every 4 hours, no more than 8 doses.

Sat here feeling absolutely freezing cold. My hands and feet are like ice. But in myself I don’t feel that ill if I’m honest, just tired and a bit run down.

Mum popped round and I checked her temp to see if the thermometer was just broken. Her temp was 37.5! She doesn’t know yet about the pregnancy and I think she’s a bit confused as to why I’ve taken the day off work, normally I have to be dying to call in sick.

Do you think an eptopic could give you a temp before the usual symptoms kick in?

How did you get on OP? And how's your DD? Being pregnant really does magnify things doesn't it
I can feel the panic coming from your posts. Horrible feeling ontop of being unwell. Sending hugs

Well it’s very good news in the sense that my temp was completely normal on his thermometer. I had a funny feeling mine wasnt accurate (even though it is brand new and cost me £20 a few days ago!!) so I took mine in to compare, sure enough it measures 1 deg higher than his 4 times.

It means I’ve not had a temp at all. I took3 doses of paracetamol for nothing. Well, bar feeling awful with this virus.

He was very understanding and referred me to the midwives. To be honest I think he was more concerned about my anxiety levels and obsessive temp checking than anything else! Embarrassing really! But he was kind and understanding.

I feel very relieved.