Chicken pox and early pregnancy

Counting_Pennies_2

My son has come into contact with the dreaded pox!

I will be delighted for him to get it now and get it out of the way, but my worry is I may be in the very early stages of pregnancy, too early for taking the test!

How dangerous is chicken pox in pregnancy, does anyone know? I had it as a child, I remember that vividly, does that make me immune and also protect any unborn child?

Thanks

SPENCER

Yes if you had it as a child both yourself and the baby are immune.

iwanttosave_2

Counting_Pennies wrote:

My son has come into contact with the dreaded pox!

I will be delighted for him to get it now and get it out of the way, but my worry is I may be in the very early stages of pregnancy, too early for taking the test!

How dangerous is chicken pox in pregnancy, does anyone know? I had it as a child, I remember that vividly, does that make me immune and also protect any unborn child?

Thanks

You will be fine. My eldest got them while I was pregnant and because I already had it then he was safe.

The mother needs to contract it in order for baby be to be harmed and as you have had it, it will be ok.

Hope everything goes well

Spendless

Hi

I came in contact with someone with chicken pox when I was pregnant. My MW arranged for me to have a blood test to see if I was immune (I was).

Having chickenpox before does not automically make you immune. That is why some people get them more than once;) .

code-a-holic

Spendless wrote:

Hi

I came in contact with someone with chicken pox when I was pregnant. My MW arranged for me to have a blood test to see if I was immune (I was).

Having chickenpox before does not automically make you immune. That is why some people get them more than once;) .

Exactly what i have heared. It is now much more common to get chicken pox in later life. Some kids i know have had it twice in their first 15 years.
My kids are taking in turns to have it at the moment and my sons best friends mother is pregnant and has not had the pox. So she is having a a blood test to check her immunity as she hasnt come up in spots herself where her son has. She has been told that if she had it while pregnant it could effect the baby's lungs. Also read while reasearching pox that one lady came up in spots hours after giving birth so the baby was given an injection to counteract the pox virus. For reassurement i personally would push for a blood test to check immunity and go from there.
Many congratulations for your pregnancy -enjoy!

inkie

As a midwife, one of my ladies came to Ante-natal clinic, saying that her son had chicken pox - she wasn't concerned as she had already had it is childhood. To cut a long story short, I went on to offer blood tests to her and all the other pregnant ladies who she had sat in the waiting room with that day - and then I ended up with it! Contact your Midwife - or GP if not yet booked. You may not be immune, or have low levels of immunity.

lil_me

Inkie is right, would still seek proper medical advice on that one as I know from experience people can get it more than once, my sons had it 3 times.

swizzle_2

Counting pennies- the same thing happened to me.

I did not think that I had had chicken pox and rang NHS direct, who scared the life out of me by saying it was worse than getting german measle`s.!

I went straight to my Gp who rang the hospital, I was sent to the hospital for a blood test to check my imunity- if I was so would be my unborn child. Turned out I was immune! Panic over.
Was then told that realy only a problem if the mum gets chicken pox close to delivery as the baby can be born with them-which can be dangerous.

My son got chicken pox at aged 3.

Don`t worry you`ll be fine

Mrs_Optimist

I had chicken pox twice when I was younger. Daughter had them when I was pregant with Son - told he was not at risk unless he was in contact with sister when she had them. Thankfully she had recovered before my Son was born. Please don't worry.

across

when i was pregnant with my second child my first daughter caught chicken pox and i was worried it might be born with them as i had heard of someone that happened too but the baby was fine so try not to worry! now she is two and everyone at my first daughter's nursery had them the other week (apart from her as she'd had them!)but i hoped my second one would catch them off everyone and she didnt so ive still got that all to come!!!!!

funkymonkey

such very good advice on here!

for further reference - this is one of our aproved NHS Direct sites.

http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068942/

also just to say - on the whole most people get immune after one episode of chickenpox - it is very rare for immunity not to exist after the virus. Alot of people also think they had chicken pox as a child but didnt - for example my parents had 5 kids and always said that we had all had chicken pox but on checking my medical record it turned out mine was actually measels and i have no chicken pox immunity lol.

Good luck with the pregnancy - any probs ring NHSD 0845 46 47

p.s the patient.co.uk website has info on absolutly everything! chech it out! its much better than net doctor or ideally visit https://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk