Chicken pox going round DS's nursery, I'm 15 weeks pg

[BettyButterknife]

Although I've had CP, another thread I'm on has made me really nervous that you can contract it again, and that the effects at my stage of pregancy can be bad.

I'm waiting for my midwife to call me back to discuss it with her.

Anyone got any advice in the meantime? My main concern is that my brother and I both had it when I was maybe 8 or so, but he went on to catch it again in his teens, which makes me think we didn't have a particularly virulent strain perhaps...

Feeling very scared and upset

bumping as its going around where i work too. I thought we didnt need to worry. Im seeing mw in the morning will ask then. I'd ring mw myself if i wasnt at work and they didnt already consider me to be paranoid

There is no issue if you already had it - you can have a blood test to check anti-bodies - if you have not had it you can have a vaccine - it is like the biggest needle in the world though and it goes in the top of your leg or your bum!

Same problem here; DS's best nursery friend has it, so he's def been exposed, and I was told by a pharmacist yesterday that I could still get it again despite having a mild case when I was really young.

Trying not to over-react, but can't help being a bit worried

I thought I'd be ok as I've had it before, but according to posters on this thread (towards the end), you CAN get it again and it can be serious during pregnancy.

MadameCastafiore - one of the posters said she had the blood-test, was deemed immune, went on to develop CP and miscarried.

Without wishing to sound alarmist, it seems there's lots of misinformation out there and I really want to find out the actual risk to me and my bump

Betty, I think I was on that thread. I am one of the 1% who cannot make immunity regardless of having it/having vaccine.
We are only 1% of the population though and while it is important that people are quarantined when they have cp, if you have had it, chances are you will not have it again. You can have a blood test for it quickly and esily. If you are found to be vulnerable and your ds does get it (and he may not - not all of them will) then you will be given the immunoglobin and kept an eye on.

It is potentially (and only potentially - not definitely) dangerous to the feotus until 20 weeks which you are not far off.

Please try not to worry too much.

Thanks nicky, that's kind.

I think I am particularly paranoid about it as my DS was born with pneumonia and one of the possible causes was contact with my nephew who had CP when I was in the late stages of pregnancy.

However, I guess I should take comfort from the fact that I didn't contract CP then, so perhaps my immunity is ok...

If you had it you are almost certainly immune - if you are concerned go to GP and ask to be tested....

Yes there might be someone out there who was deemed immune and then caught it, and the then miscarried etc... but there is no end to the sorts of things you could worry about that frankly are much more likely than that happening to you.

My Ds has not had it and always goes round nurseries in the spring... not much I can do about it - although fairly confident i am immune as I had it when i was 11, and i looked after DD when she had it and didn't get it.

And your son might not get it anyway... my friend's DS had it when she was around 30 weeks and despite having the injection she got it anyway and the baby was fine.

I wouldn't be too worried - my DH had shingles when I was about 17 weeks and the doctor told us that provided I'd had chicken pox (I have) and that there was no skin to skin contact there was virtually no risk to the baby.

If you're worried ring your midwife

Thanks all.

I've just spoken to my midwife, who is going to test the blood they took at my signing-in appointment for immunity. I have a routine appointment with her on Wednesday morning anyway, and she seems to think they will have the results by then. She then talked about giving me a 'vaccine' if necessary - I think she means the immunoglobulin treatment

I suppose it just terrifies me to read the stories on that other thread - makes me think the midwives could tell me I'm immune, I won't get the immunoglobin treatment, and the worst could still happen.

Well, at least there isn't anything I can do about it now. Will just have to stop worrying and wait and see, I suppose.