Genital herpes - monitoring of baby once it's born

[hfjdndhgts]

If you had a vaginal birth and have gential herpes, can you confirm what sort of checks they did on baby once it was born? I want to be assured they do extra monitoring

I dont think they do any checks unless you either have an outbreak during labour/birth or you have your first ever outbreak during pregnancy. Tell your midwife though and itll be on your notes.

They don't do checks, they check to see if you have any active blisters when in labour, and if not all fine. They also prescribe anciclovir from 36 weeks now to prevent outbreaks

Can't they check to see if the baby has herpes when it's born?

I think you'll have to ask the midwife, they didn't at my trust and didn't mention a need to

What has your midwife said they do?

Midwife doesn't think it's an issue at all. But i am concerned about the baby having the virus and me not knowing.

I'm guessing if the midwife doesn't think it's an issue then it isn't an issue.

I'm pretty sure that if you already had the virus pre pregnancy then baby has some natural immunity to it. I really wouldn't worry about it.

The main concern is if it's your first outbreak, if it's you've had it before then they think the baby will be ok, but do the anciclovir just in case, my consultant isn't concerned at all, and I'm pregnant with my second. With my first I didn't have anciclovir and knew I didn't have an outbreak when I went into labour

@annlee3817

The main concern is if it's your first outbreak, if it's you've had it before then they think the baby will be ok, but do the anciclovir just in case, my consultant isn't concerned at all, and I'm pregnant with my second. With my first I didn't have anciclovir and knew I didn't have an outbreak when I went into labour

I think you're right, although have heard you can pass it through vaginally delivering even without an active outbreak if you're shedding the virus asymptomically. It's rare but can still happen which worries me.

You could always request a c section if you are that worried about it

hfjdndhgts - the Royal College of Obs. and Gyn. guideline on herpes simplex says that babies do not need to be checked or kept in EVEN IF a woman has an outbreak at the time of birth. If your baby had caught it, it would be ill within two weeks of birth. If your baby has reached three weeks without illness, your baby has not caught herpes off you.
Think of all those mums with cold sores who kiss their new babies with no consequence!