Nasty Nasty - my children have worms - and I'm pregnant? what to do??

[beachyhead]

I've given them the pill for threadworms, but I can't have it ....and it says treat the whole family...If I do catch them, and I'm not sure I have, then won't I just give it back to them in the next few days - is there anything I can take for threadworms.... GOD FORBID I do catch them - I'm feeling soo shitty already, that's one more thing I don't need.....

Be very thorough with hand washing, especially the children!. Wash all be linen etc. Use separate towels. Clean toilet handle. My DD regularly had worms and I did not take the medication after a while because I knew I did not have them.

I think if you are METICULOUSLY (sp) clean with your hands, towels, underwear and bedding, you may be able to avoid it.

The life cycle of a threadworm means that they lay their eggs around your anus a night, hence the itching. When you scratch, you get the eggs under your fingernails, and when you put said hands in mouth, they pass into the digestive system, where they hatch.

So I was told at school, anyway.

You have to be completely obsessive about hygiene to shift them with elimination, though

Thanks - I also thought we were pretty good at our hand washing etc, but we tend to get a bout every year - it drives me mad......

My DD had worms and nits at the same time when I was pregnant with DS. Just be fastidious with cleanliness and you should be fine. Avoid chewing your nails if you are inclined to do so. Keep her nails short and let her wear pants at night. The stuff works really quickly but be vigilant to ensure reinfestation hasn't occurred.
My DD complained that her bits were sore before I had any idea she had worms as I didn't make the connection between bits and bottom.

i did get when i was pregnant just to add to general woes of piles thrush etc!! i was told I could take the pills (check with pharamcist for which make though) and then I spent a week or 2 obsessively boiling all bedding/towels and bath toys... for the buggers to come back when DD was 1 week old..

My top tip is too watch kids like hawks when handwashing, keep finger nails as short as possible and avoid finger foods for a while - hard work but anything to keep hands oout of mouths!!

Also, treat any animals (dogs and cats) you've got, so they can't reinfect you.

threadworminfo

The animal connection is rather confusing. If you do a search you will see some info saying you can't get them from pets and some info saying you can. My understanding is pet worms and human worms do not infect each other.

Its all right - I haven't got pets

Weird. I've done a net search and seen the same sort of thing. I'd always thought they came from pets.

well they do pat dogs out in the park and our nanny has two cats at home (although she would be mortified if I suggested that maybe they came from her cats!!!!!)

I had them when I was breast feeding and they wouldn't let me take the pills either.

I thought `o sh1t, I could have these blighters for a year then!'. Do you know what? They sort of disappeared on there own after a few weeks.

Try to ignore them and be scrupulous with the hygiene. Good Luck.