I am 3 months pregnant and may have been exposed to chicken pox and have never had it before. It has been 8 days since exposure. I researched incubation is between 14-20 days. I am not fond of pharmacuticals. My doctor prescribed Acyclovir. I would love feedback from moms who chose not to take the drug while pregnant vs take the drug and results of thier chicken pox cases while pregnant?
In urgent need of advice! Thank you - CR
Thank you everyone for your wonderful advice. I had taken the antibody test and learned i was not immune. However I have a healthy diet and strong immune system. It is now 20 days since the exposure and I have no chickenpox. The doctors are monitoring me and the baby. We are both healthy!! Thank you again everyone for your responses.
Truthfully, it is very difficult to contract chicken pox. I know people who have exposed their kids 2-4 times before they contracted it. The only way to catch it is to be in close contact with the person who has it and breath their air, get sneezed on by them, etc. Sharing drinks, suckers, etc will not transmit the virus since it's not in the saliva. So I wouldn't sweat it too much.
Hi Christy,
There are certain ways to keep the chicken pox at bay. The first thing is to get your immune system working at it's best. Research your prenatal vitamin and make sure it is absorbing (You can ask your doctor the type of delivery system that is used to help it absorb. That will give you a better idea. If he says gluconate or sulfate, it's not a good one. If he says chelate then it is probably fine. I can recommend one if you like that is guaranteed to absorb.) Certain digestive enzymes that are naturally found in your body can help keep a virus from being contracted. Enzymedica has a product called Viro-stop that is simply that. L-Lysine will help too. I don't know if you should take it in supplement form while pregnant but you can eat foods rich in the essential amino acid. Food sources of lysine include cheese, eggs, fish, lima beans, milk, potatoes, red meat, soy products, and yeast. Chiropractic care can help your immune system also. I don't like pharmaceuticals either but I would definitely consult an ND specifically because chicken pox can be dangerous to your little one.
God bless and congratulations!
M.
I was told that I never had chicken pox, so when I got pregnant my doctor ran a blood test to see if I had the antibody against them...and I did. So, I did have it as a child and it must have been so mild no one even noticed.
Maybe they could check and see if you have had it and didn't know it.
All I can say is I was exposed when I was pregnant with my second without knowing it origionally and had not contracted it. So you may just be fine. I wouldn't stress too much over it...although I have been through it and did stress so I know how you feel
I would try chiropractic if you want to stay away from Rx's. It will boost your immune system to take care of the illness rather than cover it up (what drugs do).
My doctors are out of Mokena (Matt Hartenburg) and Orland Park (Ashly Oschner). If you aren't in the south suburbs and would like a reference for someone in your area, send me a private message and I will ask my doc who is best in your area. We have had wonderful results through chiropractic.
Just being exposed may not mean you will break out.
You may have been exposed as a child and had such a mild case that it didn't "register" but still gave you the antibodies.
Unfortunately, chicken pox is a strain of the herpes virus.
I suggest keeping your immune system in check as much as possible. Rest, no stress, eating a healthy diet.
I got shingles when I was pregnant which is also caused by the same virus but my doctors knew what to do and my baby is completely healthy in every way, shape and form. In fact, he turned 15 yesterday.
My baby is taller than me now so we weathered it.
Certain things are okay for certain times of pregnancy so just be sure to stay in touch with your doctor. You may or may not break out.
I wish you the best!
It is possible that you have already had exposure at some point and already have antibodies. Not all people express disease in the same manner. You could get tested to see if you have that particular antibody. My mother never had the chicken pox to her knowledge and raised 4 kids who did. She never had a problem. I would think twice about taking any drug while pregnant. Good Luck!
Did your doctor draw a titer? Often people are immune to chicken pox from having a very mild infection that they were unaware of. That was the case with me- I thought I had never had them but turned out to be immune.
Acyclovir is considered safe in pregnancy, it is what is used for moms who have a history of herpes (same family of infection). However, I would avoid any unnecessary drugs if possible.
The effects of chicken pox during pregnancy can range from none to mild to severe. The most severe effects are seen with infections during the third trimester. Tough to make a decision though, with no way of knowing how the effect would be.
have you been tested for antibodies. some never have the symptoms but develop the antibodies. I would never take a questionable drug while pregnant but that is a decision for you to make on your own.
I don't know a ton about this, but I know from researching vaccines for my kids that one of the main reasons they developed the chicken pox vaccine is because of how dangerous it can be to a fetus when a pregnant woman gets it (if not immune). I'm not big on pharmaceuticals either (hence the vaccine research) but in this case I'd educate myself quickly and probably take the drug that the doc recommended.
Good luck!
I was exposed by my two-year old and then my husband(!) while pregnant with our second. I had chicken pox as a child, so my doctor said it should be no problem and not to worry.
I don't won't this to sound cruel just letting you know you should be concerned. I'm letting you know I actually met someone who never had chicken pox and was pregnant and was exposed to chicken pox without knowing until 2 days later. She did not get it because it bypassed her and went straight to the baby. The baby was born but the heart had not fully developed because of the chicken pox so the infant had passed away days later. I had no idea myself how bad chicken pox was before and now I know why they make if mandatory now to give the shot to an infant.
No drug has actually been proven safe for a baby during pregnancy. The only time a drug should really be taken during pregnancy is if your or the baby's life is in danger. Clearly that is the big question here! That being said, I applaud you for taking the time to question your doctor and do your own research before blindly taking a drug while pregnant. Obviously you realize that in the end you are responsible for what happens to your baby and doctors have been wrong about giving drugs to pregnant women before. If your doctor prescribed this drug for you w/o doing an antibody test I would quickly find a new doctor! You've gotten some great advice here from some wise women and I just want to say that I will be saying a prayer for you and your baby. You are smart and are doing your best and asking questions. I'm sure whatever decision you make will be the best one for your situation. I'm so sorry you have to go through this--I'm pregnant myself right now and that would be rather scary. I go to a great chiropractor in Plainfield and see a wonderful midwife who has me on a whole foods based prenatal. If you'd like any further info regarding those things or anything at all, message me and I'll be happy to share. Best of health and blessings to you.
