I have a real dilemma. My partner has swine flu and although a week ago I was panicking that I had been into contact with someone I am actually quite calm that he has it, I am 18 weeks pregnant.
My issue is that we are due to drive to France next Tues. My partner is recovering well and although it was nasty he dealt with it fine. Myself and my two children (3 and 5) have no symptons whatsoever but am aware they could develop at any time.

Should we go away at all? The thing I am worried about most is getting the symptons on our travels. We are covered on our travel insurance for both cancellation and illness. This is our main family holiday and the kids cannot wait but am I putting them at risk by taking them away.

I am quite a logically person and now that the serious risk is small but can't fine out any info enaywhere. If we get in france who do we contact for example. Someone has told me you go to a chemist which will provide tmaiflu or the other one for pregnant people. Any advise will be greatly received.

Hi all - I am about 5 weeks pregnant and a diabetic (which is well controlled) and spoke to my GP about swine flu couple days ago. She emphasised it is really v mild at the minute (she had visited someone with it) and that it should not cause problems to the baby. An inhaler coming out in Aug/Sept apparently

I'm 31 weeks pg and have a dd 2.9. 2 weeks ago i had what i considered to be a terrible cold made worse by being pregnant. Had runny nose, sort throat, achy muscles, fever and general malaise. Stayed in bed for 2 days and slept, all the symptoms apart from the noseand sore throat went away they took about 10 days to clear.

Assumed it was nasty cold, could it have been swine flu? Haven't been in direct contact with anyone who's had it as far as i know. Have seen patients at work (CAMHS) who have cases of it in their school (but they don't have it) and went to an in-patient unit yesterday for a meeting where there was a big sign on the door saying not to go in unless absolutely neccessary due to "viral infection". Am assuming it must be swine flu.

Just abit worried about the implications really, would rather get it now and fight it off than nearer due date, also worried about new babe getting it in winter.

Is it really so much worse for pg women? Dh has come home from work with a streaming nose, sore throat and feeling terrible but again thinks it's a cold not swine flu. Should he phone gp?

Sorry lots of questions just like to be prepared!

sorry- "daughter's school". Actually two in her class.

A few girls in daughter's have been confirmed as having swine flu. Daughter and her siblings finish school for the summer tomorrow, and they all seem well on the whole, so I'm hoping we'll escape it while I'm still pregnant (am 34+3 now). Hope we don't get it while the baby is still tiny though.

Thanks Headfairy
Hope you escape it and if not then you get a mild dose of it.
Take care x

devotion, someone in my office has swine flu and I rang our GP for advice. He said that as it was relatively mild at the moment I shouldn't worry. If I had been exposed I couldn't stop getting it as Tamiflu isn't recommended in pregnancy, and if I did get it I should keep my temp down but that was it. There was no other way of treating it. There is currently no vaccine for Swine Flu, the current flu jab won't protect you against swine flu as it is a different strain. The swine flu vaccine will be available from about October and they'll start giving it to high risk groups. I didn't ask about whether that included pg people, figured I'd wait until October and ask again (if I hadn't already had swine flu by then)

can you get the flu jab when you are pregnant?

Boffinmum - sorry this thread has brought up painful memories for you. Can not imagine how sad that time was for you.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PS I am going to bf until epidemic is over.

Don't want to discuss it now for a bit. However thanks for interest.

BoffinMum I am so sorry to hear that.

My DH has just come home to say that someone in his (small) office has got swine flu. I'm 37 weeks pregnant and have a 2 year old.. I can't really do anything though can I, and can't work out whether it would be 'safer' for me to get it now whilst the baby is inside me rather than the newborn catching it whilst it's maybe less protected?

Just out of interest, Boffin, how many weeks were you when you lost your baby?

Thanks for sympathy people. xx

I am so sorry BoffinMum.

Not a day goes past where I wonder what he/she would be like now. They think it died on the Millennium Eve (although we didn't realise until later). What a momento.

I bitterly regret not having a flu jab that winter.

Boffin- I had that 1999 flu at around New Year 1999. It was horrible. Very sorry that you lost a baby to it.

It is the official advice, though it is thought that children can be contagious a short while before they display symptoms.

But you could phone the school and say that he seems a bit under the weather (a lot of kids do seem rather tired and whingy as its the end of the school year) and you aren't sure if he is coming down with it or not.

Hope you both feel better swiftly.

Personally speaking, I would ring the school, and tell them I was keeping my child home because I was not not sure whether they had swine flu or not and I felt it was the responsible thing to do. That would count as authorised absence because of sickness.

Any problems from the school, and it would be worth ringing the Educational Welfare Officer at the Local Authority and saying the same thing. I am sure they have better things to do than bully the quarantined.

Nobody is going to fine you for being a responsible citizen listening to your conscience, and if they do, I will bloody well come up there in my professional capacity and sort them out.

Hello everyone. My daughter and I have bee diagnosed with Swine flu over the past 24 hours and been given Tamiflu, told to stay home for 5 days. My concern is, they tell me HPA will be in touch-they haven't. And, to continue sending my 10 year old to same primary school, because he has no symptoms! Now surely, this defeats the purpose of us staying inside and having no visitors for 5 days if I'm sending my other child to school? I'm not sure if that is right? What about other women who are pregnant or have children with health problems. Although my child has no symptoms now, obviously my child is in close contact with TWO people who have got it, and hopefully won't, but may later also show symptoms. I'm not sure what to do. My heart tells me its wrong. But if I keep him home, the school will no doubt cause all sorts of problems for unauthorised absence. Is it right to send him to school?

Boffin Mum - thank you for telling us about that - I'm so sorry you lost baby no.3

By Musu's post we've had it as a family and ridden it out, I do hope that is the case

devotion of course you're not being silly to worry, who wouldn't?

flyingcloud - yoooo hoooooooo! (waves back)

Waves at Devotion!

Hi, thanks for starting this thread - I'm pretty unclued up on Swine Flu as it doesn't seem to have been that big here in France, but I am pg, and I travel regularly for work, particularly to the UK and I'm going back there for a wedding soon. I picked up a two day old Guardian in the airport this morning and read all about the fact that the number of cases has double each week for the last few weeks (or something like that) AND that pg women are considered high risk AND that in America a young man with no underlying health problems suffered a fatal dose. Cue panic, not on my behalf as you can't worry about things like that, but I am worried on behalf of my bean, so thanks for the info and advice everyone.

Really sorry to hear that BM.

Can I just say, without wanting to scaremonger, that people are completely right to be worried about flu and pg in general. I lost baby no 3 because of getting a bad dose of flu in 1999, and ended up on a ward with lots of other women in the same position. I would recommend anyone trying for a baby to have a flu jab - seasonal flu of any type can be a problem.

The good news is that if she developed it 3 weeks ago and that was when your children last saw her, then your children would absolutely have developed it by now. It seems to be that adults are not contagious until they are exhibiting symptoms.
Its fairly unlikely to have been seasonal flu, comparitively speaking theres very little of that around.

The good news is, your Dad has come through without worrying anyone

Thank you wannaBe and everyone else.

My mother has been told today that she has probably got swine flu or had it. She has been ill for three weeks but slowly getting over it. For one week she had high fever, sore throat and other flu like symptoms. She developed a terrible cough which they have now decided maybe asthma that could have been triggered by the flu... they said that her gp is no longer testing for it and they are not giving out treatment and that it would not help her now as she seems to be getting over it.

the last time my children saw her was just before she became ill. she had them over at hers for the night and shared a bed with my oldest age 6.

so i am concerned now that they might get it but at least i know a bit more about it.

plus the gp does not know definitely that my mother does or did have swine flu.

but do you normally have flu going around at this time of the year?

plus my dad has cancer and he was ill about the same time as my mum but he has fully recovered when my mums cough and sore throat is still there although not as bad.

i really can not cope right now with my girls getting sick, this all day sickness i have has just sucked the life out of me.

fingers crossed!

BTW my reluctance re: work is that winter vomiting disease spread horribly last year so we can't be the most hand-hygiene aware bunch.

YW, have to weigh up risk of going to work with stresses and strains of being at home with DP and DS and no air con (work is winning, even DP agrees!)

Thanks LeninG - that's really helpful.

Here's to a healthy, flu-free 7 weeks to you and your baby ...

and wishing Devotion and everyone else a healthy pregnancy

And yes, generally I was thinking along the same lines in terms of ttc ... So - will keep calm - and carry on!

Am pg too (and get asthma but this is very well controlled). The important thing if you get a temp is to get it down with paracetamol and seek medical advice. I've read a lot of info over the last few days and whilst flu wouldn't be ideal at this stage (35 weeks), mostly because it would be tiring and there is a risk of it triggering an asthma attack, I'd be straight on to a HCP to try and get Relenza in order to get over it quicker if necessary.

Have thought about giving up work a week or two earlier, or working from home. Might ask HR if anyone is reporting this at work yet.

Also, no way would I let any concerns about what might happen in life get in the way of ttc. Really, you have no idea how long it might take, and anything can happen in life, so I really would just get on with it.

Please don't apologise OhYouBadKitten - it's a really useful link - and as has been mentioned, millions of pregnant women have 'ordinary' flu without any adverse effects so I'm probably over-reacting!

Sorry - not expressing myself very well

Not unduly worried as not pregnant yet! Just trying to find out more info ...

that wasn't my intention - I'm sorry.
I think that most people in pregnancy become ill at some point, without any problems to them or their babies. I posted the guidance to show that there was appropriate treatment and that those who need it, should seek it. I'm sorry if I caused you undue concern.

Although now I've read that HPA guidance and the risk of raised temperature ... I am not sure

I'm assuming then that if one is ttc then the fact that there is swine flu around shouldn't make any difference - ie - there is no reason to give up trying until this coming winter (and the danger of infection) is over?

(I don't have a lot of time left to try to conceive so hoping this is the case)

I was wondering this today when my youngest came home announcing that someone in her class has swine flu. I decided that as I have no underlying health problems that I'm aware of, it shouldn't be too serious even if we all get it.

HPA guidance here hopefully quite reassuring for you

about 6000 people in the UK have been diagnosed with swine flu. That's out of a population of approximately 60 million people.

and out of the 6000 people that have had it here, only three have died, and all of those had underlying health problems.

Swine flu is currently no more dangerous than any other strain of flu. And no-one knows about whether the virus will or will not mutate, so that is an unknown at the moment.

I understand your fears as you are pregnant, but the reality is that nothing is certain, and the risks are actually still quite small.

So just enjoy your pregnancy, and if you are unlucky enough to catch swine flu, you can deal with it then.

whomovedmychocolate - yuck at the thought of dribbly microphones, some people practically eat them

kalo12 - thanks for tips, i forgot all about watercress. will get some, i'm eating raw carrots every day because with my ms i am piling on the pounds and eating helps so between crisps and stodge I am eating raw veg and fruit.

thank you

eat very healthily to keep your immune system up. A raw carrot every day and plenty of watercress

You don't have to take it. It will hopefully reduce the length of time you are ill by a few days that's all.

Using a hand gel is a good plan - I run a recording studio and we've installed some because people playing piano etc do spread whatever crap (and it usually is crap) is on their hands to the next poor soul using it!

And don't get me started on microphone and pop shield!

thank you!

i really dont like the idea of breathing something in. i'm a bit weird when it comes to taking medication and try to avoid it unless i really have to.

so do you have to take it or does it just shorten the lenghth of time you are ill.

i'm not worried about getting it right now just worried the strain changes and becomes more powerful.

just want to lock my family up now until next summer.

i am a music teacher and work with children who are at a greater risk of catching swine flu.

so i guess i can ask mothers not to being their children if they have any symptoms at all but i was thinking of making everyone use a hand gel as they enter too.

i am going to get it with my kind of work dealing with younger public... worrying about it alot.

The inhaled drug, AFAIK, is Relenza. Its ok in pregnancy, whereas Tamiflu isn't - or thats what I've understood, anyway.

If you get ill, devotion, I would ring (not visit) your GP straight away for advice - they may give you a prescription, as a precaution, I'm not sure.

And, congrats on your pregnancy, hope you stay well!

You aren't over-reacting. But about 12% of pregnant women do get the flu anyway.

The treatment has changed today - in any case you don't get Tamiflu you get relenza but it's up to you if you take it. The important thing is to keep your temperature down with paracetamol (not ibuprofen obviously), rest and keep your fluids up. There will be a low threshold for hospital admissions if you are pregnant with swine flu apparently. W

Pregnancy is one of the conditions supposedly at higher risk for severe influenza, so need to see your GP if you become symptomatic. Don't panic though; it still might not be swine flu. GP may take a swab (still advised for high-risk groups) and send for testing whilst starting you on antiviral.

Recommended antiviral in pregnancy is zanamivir (trade name 'Relenza'). It's a powder which is inhaled, and therefore may not be suitable if you have reactive airway disease. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) better than nothing though.

Yes, children are able to fight it although if less than 3y old they should get oseltamivir.

You can't tell the difference between swine and seasonal flu: except there isn't much seasonal flu around that the moment and therefore an influenza-like illness (ILI) is more likely to be swine.

Dx for ILI
Fever >38C (or history of fever)
AND
at least two of:
cough
headache
sore throat
myalgia (muscle aches)
runny nose
diarrhoea/vomiting

I know someone who's dd is pregnant and she has swine flu.

All they have done is give her an inhaler. Her mum said it is the drug normally given but in inhaler form, but I don't kow if this is 100% correct as her mum was understandably a bit flustered.

Other than that they told her to rest, keep fluid intake up and just ride it out.

bump

I'm pregnant and the chances of getting swine flu are so high now that i am worried about what you can do when pregnant?

Plus do you have to have the tamiflu medication if you get it or can you just fight it yourself like normal flu?

Are children able to fight it, three people in my family just had a terrible bout of flu so how do you know the difference?

I maybe over reacting.

Thank you