last thing I need - chickenpox worry (not immune)

[berolina]

Hi all.
I'm a bit upset at the moment. Am 31 weeks pg. On Sunday I shook someone's hand who then announced he'd had shingles since Xmas. I was pi**ed off but wasn't particularly worried as I thought I'd had chickenpox, but I went for a blood test 2 days later anyway to check my immunity. In the meantime my parents said they thought they could remember me having it, so I relaxed more or less completely. Anyway, rang for the results today and they're completely negative, i.e. I'm not immune! I also don't have a current infection - yet - but 2 days isn't long enough to tell. Anyway, the doctor who'd done the blood test (not my usual one as he's on holiday this week) said he thought I'd be OK and I would only be given ZIG if I got ill - by which time it's too late though, isn't it?!? Rang the local hospital who said they wouldn't do anything without a referral from the doc and they don't have the ZIG in anyway. Feel pretty helpless and don't know what to do. Any thoughts anyone?

I wouldn't worry too much. If you fall ill they can give you the ZIG. If you were closer to your due date then I would say request the hospital to get some ZIG in case the baby needs it.
You catching chicken pox at this stage of pregnancy shouldn't be a cause for alarm, your baby is past the 'development' stage when harm could potentially be done and is a few weeks from due, which is the other danger point.

Hi Berolina,
I think there isn't much risk for the baby considering how far along you are. I also, think that the cahnces of cross contamination from a hand shake of someone with shingles is not very high. So try not too worry too much!

berolina - please do not worry. You would only have a risk of getting chickenpox if you were in contact with fluid filled vescicles with someone who has shingles. If he has had it since Christmas, he will be suffering the after effects of a shingles infection, not active shingles.

here's a link to the british royal college of gynaecologist info on chickenpox in PG - basically if you do get cp between 20 and 36 weeks of PG then it's not going to harm the baby.

www.rcog.org.uk/mainpages.asp?PageID=1344

mears is a midwife (just in case you didn't know)

Thank you everyone

My MW, who I've also rang, has put me in touch with a lab specialising in infections in pg. I've got to ring up there in 1/4 hr or so. They should be able to tell me more.
It's one thing after another in pg isn't it?

Update...
lab person very informative. Reckoned I could actually really have had cp and be immune but not be showing antibodies (he did explain briefly how that could happen but I can't remember it), or the test could be false neg. Said nothing will happen to the baby if I contracted cp but it could be nasty for me, especially with my asthma. Said it's a tough call but on balance (probability of infection in the first place, possibility that I am actually immune, unpleasantness of ZIG) he too would tend towards not giving me the ZIG. I'll probably have to have another couple of blood tests though.