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Pregnancy

39 weeks and chicken pox!

19 replies

Livingwithmymother · 14/05/2013 08:00

Just my luck.... Woke up this morning to my DS (5) saying mummy I got a spot on my arm. I was washing up so I just said that's nice eat your breakfast... 10 minutes later 'mummy I got another spot on my head ' ... Took a look.... They're everywhere! He's not itching them yet. But I'm 39 weeks 3 days pregnant. Do I need to tell someone besides the school that he has chicken pox? Does anyone know what happens if you go into labour and you've got chicken pox? Am I correct in thinking camomille lotion is the only way to treat the spots?

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ilovepowerhoop · 14/05/2013 08:04

have you had chicken pox? If so then the baby should be ok while it is safe inside you so you better cross your legs for a few days! Your ds will be contagious for the next 5-7 days until the spots crust over. I would contact your MW/GP just to check if there are extra precautions you need to take.

You can use aqueous calamine cream or there are more expensive products like poxclin and virasoothe. Piriton anti-histamine can help if he is itchy. Oats or bicarbonate of soda in the bath can also be soothing for the spots

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SoupDragon · 14/05/2013 08:04

Bad timing!!

Are you immune to chicken pox? You probably need to tell your midwife and/or your GP to discuss any risk to you and your new baby.

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SoupDragon · 14/05/2013 08:05

Eurax cream is good for the itching too.

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Rico08 · 14/05/2013 09:04

I know how you feel. My DS(4) had just had chicken pox and bad timing at a week before a week before my elcs.

I checked with my GP when I took DS and he said if I had had chicken pox baby should be fine, but I would speak to your GP or midwife about your circumstances.

I used camomile lotion on his spots which he hated as he said it was too cold !

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Livingwithmymother · 14/05/2013 09:10

Thank you for the replies, got a drs appointment at 12 to confirm the chicken pox. Hopefully baby will be fine if she comes now as I've already had it when I was a child. The drs receptionist said its only german measles I should be worried about.

Thanks again

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AnneEyhtMeyer · 14/05/2013 09:27

Receptionists are not medical professionals, despite what they may think. Chickenpox can be harmful, so please speak to the doctor and maybe ask the doctor to put the receptionist right.

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RoomForALittleOne · 14/05/2013 09:27

I would phone your midwife if I were you. I had to have a blood test to check that I was still immune to chickenpox in a similar situation. If not, I would have been vaccinated. My brother got chickenpox at two weeks old from my dad having shingles for the last week or so of mum's pregnancy despite my mum being immune and fully breastfeeding my brother. Supposedly that is impossible but it happened. He was fine in the end.

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RJM17 · 14/05/2013 17:07

I work in a nursery and some of the children currently have chicken pox. I rang my doc and was sent straight to hospital for blood tests to check immunity and have been signed off for a week to let the infection clear before I go back. U should defiantly contact ur doc or midwife. Hope all is ok x

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Livingwithmymother · 15/05/2013 13:37

Seems like your dr is better than mine !
Mine just said if the baby comes now she will defo get it but it's good to have it while they're young.
I thought bloody hell there's a difference between young and newborn!
She told me if I go into labour I need to tell my midwife and she will give the baby an injection.
And that's it!

I have calamine lotion and aqueous calamine lotion. Both don't seem to be working .
Sigh .

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MightBeMad · 15/05/2013 14:30

Getting it young and getting it as a newborn are very different! CP can be fine, but can be serious for a nb so you really don't want her to get it if you can avoid it! Also, from what I've read (I'm 30 weeks and my dc1 just had CP last week), newborns' immune systems may not be developed enough to build immunity from infection so early, so they may get it again anyway in the future :( fwiw I was also given a blood test to check my immunity levels. I think there is an anti-viral injection that can be given in the very early stages of infection to hopefully reduce the severity if you or baby get it (I assume this may be what your doctor is referring to), but let's hope it doesn't come to that! you must be one of the only mums-to-be out there hoping to go overdue by a week :)

Good luck!

PS I found a mixture of piriton for the itching and poxclin on the skin worked best for my toddler. I also used oats (in a pop sock!) and bicarb of soda in the bath water to help dry the spots and moisturise the skin.

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lukymum · 16/05/2013 22:20

Dear MightbeMad where did you get Poxclin from if you don't mind me asking? Also, how did you use the Oats through the socks, I've heard great things about oats. Thanks for sharing.

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insanityscratching · 16/05/2013 22:26

I brought dd home to ds2 with chicken pox and ds1 just recovered. I knew I was immune as I still had the odd scar. Dd caught it at 7 days, a mild dose and dh caught it the same day and was in bed for a week really ill. It was hard work tbh ds recovering, a new bprn and an ill dh.

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ThePathanKhansAmnesiac · 16/05/2013 22:40

My immunity ran out and I got it at age 42, it,s awful as an adult. Please see your midwife.

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MightBeMad · 18/05/2013 10:56

Lucky, I got the poxclin from boots (can't remember if it Was on the shelf or behind the pharmacy counter but didn't need a prescription). For the oats, I used a knee-high, about 15 denier I think, maybe a bit more :) put the oats in a mug, pulled the sock opening over the top of the mug, emtied the oats into it and removed the mug, tied a knot in it and then held it under the running tap and let it soak in the bath water. With a bit of squeezing and swirling it released lots of soft 'oat milk' into the water and dc1 enjoyed playing with it!

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CoolaSchmoola · 18/05/2013 11:04

Asda have both Poxclin and Virasoothe on the shelves near the pharmacy. Tesco sell them too (found out Asda had them because Tesco sold out when I went).

My GP advised me that calamine isn't recommended any more.

I used Virasoothe every few hours on DD and she barely seemed to notice the spots. I also used oats in the bath.

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mikkii · 18/05/2013 11:15

No newborns here, but DD1 and DD2both had chickenpox last month. I used Piriton and calpol/nurofen. I tried virasoothe, but DD1aged 6 said it didn't really help. Dd2 got calamine which seemed to help her.

Gp said to make sure bath every day and all clean clothes to reduce risk of infection. We put bicarbonate in bath water to help dry out spots.

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Livingwithmymother · 18/05/2013 11:21

My DS loves having the bicarb bath also he said it made his spots better. He has some hard crusted spots on the top of his head but Everytime I clean around it he says it hurts, does anyone know if i should wait for it to drop off or it might be infected or it might be hurting because Hes got hair stuck in it

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lukymum · 18/05/2013 22:46

Thank you all for the advice. My Ds is fareing much better than I hoped. Livingwithmymother, good luck with it all. I'm not touching my son's head. I massage it gently without rubbing the area and give him a bath, but I don't clean his head rigorously.
Hope labour etc goes smoothly for you.

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