Exposure to chicken pox in early pregnancy?

[Aubergenie]

I'm a primary school teacher and I'm 7 weeks pregnant. My head teacher came to me today to say that she is obliged because of my condition to let me know that there is an outbreak of chicken pox in the school and I have to discuss this with my doctor. (She knows already because I'm taking time out of work to have an early scan due to a miscarriage last year). I'll ask the doctor when I go for my scan, but is this something I should be worried about? I had chicken pox as a child so I thought I would be immune. It's getting me a bit concerned...

If you've had chicken pox it should be no problem.

You can have your immunity checked via a blood test. You're most likely immune if you had a good dose of it as a child.

Call your gp/mw tomorrow and ask them to do a blood test. It will check your immunity, and like the others have said, you're most likely immune if you had it as a child. Don't worry about it, but do have it checked.

I had a similar situation when I was 6 weeks pg. If you have had it there is nothing to worry about.

this happened to me too. i had had it and my immunity was fine but you should speak to your doctor for reassurance.

If you've had it you're probably immune (they can check via blood test, though).

If you're immune you don't need to worry.

If you're not immune you should be treated ASAP with varicella-zoster immunoglobulin (VZIG). This should trigger an immune response against the chicken pox virus.

If despite this you actually develop chicken pox during pregnancy you should be treated with intravenous acyclovir (Zovirax) and be observed in the hospital.

I'd talk to your GP about getting your immunity checked.

Thanks ladies, I knew you would all be a fountain of knowledge! I'll call my GP today.

Just to add to what portandlemon said- I had to wait to be sure that DD actually had chickenpox before anyone would give me the drugs. I already had the blood tests to know I'm not immune (knew 10 yrs ago but work re-tested last year to be sure) but they wouldn't give me the vaccine while I was breastfeeding, and I didn't stop feeding until I was 17 weeks-ish. The consultant told me I had to be in very close contact with child who later developed chickenpox- just another child at playgroup/nursery while I was there wasn't enough, but caring for ill DD was. turned out she didn't have chicken pox, but it was a bit worrying over xmas!
anyway, its all probably completely irrelevant as you're likely to be immune.However, if you turn out not to be, you might get signed off work so you can avoid it, rather than given the drugs straight away (but be able to get the antiviral drugs at first hint of not being well).
Good luck with it all,
mumofk