I've Been Diagnosed with Shingles and I Am Pregnant... Would My Baby Be Ok?

When I was pregnant with my second son I got shingles. There were no side effects for my after he was born. He will be 4 in April and is fine.

I had shingles when I was pregnant, too. I took valtrex and I think it really helped from having too bad of case. My baby was fine and a nice 8lbs born at 37 weeks. I just rested extra when I could, avoided exercise or anything else that makes you hot. Hang in there, and know it does go away!

i dont think it would harm the fettis because shingles are actuly a form of chicken pox or they call it herpy something virus and eny body that has had chicken pox can get shingles and it is more of a nerve thang but with all the pain that you are in or will be in will tell you that just make sure that you take the meds because it can get very painful because every nerve that is their can be effected, check to see if the docter thinks if you should be a high risk pregnacy or not,

My sister has had two pregnancies with shingles and Valtrex. I believe she has done just fine - and her kids were both born big and healthy!

Just in case, I will contact her and see if she would have anything else to add to the conversation. If you are interested in talking to her, please email me a personal email address at which she could contact you (not a mamasource momma - lives in another state).

Blessings,
L.

Bless your heart! I have shingles right now too. I think your baby is fine but you should ask your doctor. I hope you're not as miserable as I've been.:(

Have you checked WebMD? I found alot of information about shingles there. Good luck and may God keep you in His gentle care.
L.

I have broken out with shingles in every pregnancy at about that point and taken Valtrex and all was fine. In fact, my doctor had me take it for the last month or so of my pregnancy.

I wouldn't worry if I were you! I had shingles pain but took Valtrex before a breakout TWICE during my last pregnancy. My care providers were not at all concerned about the baby. The pain was still there right before I delivered, and my baby is fine! I think it was the stress of the pregnancy on my body, and delivering my baby seemed to clear up any pain. I had it again (same thing - no breakout, just intense pain and itching) just 2 months ago (about 6 mos. pregnant). My OB had me take Valtrex again and now I'm fine.

As for baby, the only thing I've heard is that baby might have a higher immunity to chicken pox as a result. So relax and get to feeling better. Worrying only makes your pain worse. You'll both be okay! God bless you and your little one!

H. -

No worries. I had the same thing happen at 36 weeks into my pregnancy last October. I freaked out, but once I did the research I realized everything would be fine. I also took Valtrex for 7 to 10 days. My little girl was born very healthy!

The worst part of shingles for me was the leftover scar on my forehead!

Good luck with your pregnancy!

I'm so sorry you have shingles- I know how awful it is. Just be glad you have it now rather than after your baby is born. I got shingles when my baby was 9 weeks old & I couldn't touch her for 2 weeks. It was worse thant the pain of the shingles! As far as your baby, don't worry. And don't be alarmed by the woman talking about getting a c-section. That would be something you would consider only if you had active shingles in your genital area when you were delivering. L-lisiene (an amino acid that helps fight the shingles virus) helped me, too. Also adding lots of dairy (yogurt, etc) and fruits to my diet helped. Just hang in there & don't worry about your baby-that will only delay your recovery! I'll pray for a speedy recovery for you & continued health for you & your baby.

H.,
Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus. So all of us who have had chicken pox could possibly get shingles, and since both have been around forever, I would think you'd have heard if someone had issue with shingles and pregnancy... but maybe not.

It's best to ask you doctor. I'm sure s/he would've said something when they gave you the Valtrex if there were any worries, but it's always good to ask again if you're nervous and the office staff and nurses at OB_BYN offices are used to people calling to get re-assurance or confirmation.

Try to relax and stay calm, so you don't break out in shingles and call your doc tomorrow.

I would definetly talk to your doctor. A severe form of shingles can cause paralysis as well as other long-term injury. However, my understanding that the percentage is pretty low. She would know the risk to the baby. My father had shingles and was just fine after recovering. However, I do know that there are more severe forms. It sounds like yours is of not high concern; however, I would always just check with your doctor. I wish you the best of luck; I am sorry that you are in pain. I cannot imaging being pregnant with shingles!

You may want to ask your obgyn if they practice with a high risk doc that can check you out as well, if it will make you more comfortable. That's why they exist. I did have a scheduled c-section just to avoid any complications (other fators as well) and all was fine. For me, knowing that I got to have a c-section was actually comforting... it was one less 'what if'.

If you believe in God, go to him in prayer and he will make sure that you and the baby are both ok. I will pray for you and the baby. May God bless you

I also had shingles when I was pregnant and it was no threat to the baby. However, they expressed to me later that they thought it caused her to have chicken pox in vitro which is very, very rare. I did not have much respect for my Dr. and I think he should have sent me to a high risk Dr. I would advise you to talk with your Dr. and get a feel of how serious he/she thinks this can be. Like I said, mine turned out fine, but I know it can be serious and you should never take a chance. Good Luck! I hope I was informative without scaring you. Congrats on the new addition!

You should be fine...try to keep calm. As long as your ob gyn is aware of any / all medications you are taking, you should be fine. Try to be as calm as possible, since stress adds to shingles.

I would go to a high risk Ob/Gyn, soon! Ask for a consult from your regular OB but go anyway if he won't give you one.

H.,

I just wanted to share with you that I have a botanically based skin care, health and wellness company.

We have a product that helps with the pain and itching that comes with shingles. It's a skin conditioning oil. If you'd like I can email you an ingredients list that you can take to your dr or pharmacist. I also have a before and after pic of a lady who had shingles on her face that I'd love to share with you, if you're interested.

I'm just trying to help.

I pray blessings over you, your family and your precious baby.

Take care and God bless!

M.

I had shingles last year and I know it is not fun! I wasn't pregnant and after looking on the internet, there is conflicting information regarding risks to the baby. You should check with your ob/gyn.

Along with the prescription medication, I took L-lysine. It is available in the vitamin/supplement aisle at most stores. L-lysine is an amino acid and it helps the body fight herpes infections. It gave me much more relief more quickly from the pain than the prescription. However, you will need to check with your doctor about the safety of taking it while pregnant. There is plenty of information on the web about using L-lysine for shingles, if you need to print something for your doctor.

Good luck!

Did she also tell u that shingles come from herpes u may want to consider having a c-section or ask more in detail about it so u can make the best choice for ur baby