Hello can I join? and grrrr re slapped cheek
Hi ladies,
I got my BFP this weekend and we're completely thrilled. Have DD 2.5 already and it will be so lovely to give her a sibling. I am a massive worrier so am already driving myself mad worrying about about at least a hundred things a day that could go wrong 
Just trying to keep everything crossed that this bean sticks.
Now as if I wasn't worrying about enough I think DD had slapped cheek syndrome last week/this weekend just gone. At first it was just a very bright red rash on her cheeks (to be honest I just thought she was finishing cutting her big teeth at the back). After a couple of days (of it being on and off on - more visible after a hot bath which is apparently common) it got a bit worse and spread to her arms and legs. So phoned NHS direct who said it sounds like slapped cheek. Minor virus. She'll be over it quickly but it can cuase problems with pregnant people. Arrgh! Looked online and all sorts of scary stories about birth defects and miscarriage rates increasing as a result of exposure to this. Cue lots of panicking.
So spoke to my Drs who were originally useless and said there is nothing they can do. Thankfully I phoned back today and spoke to the most amazing Dr who said he is going to write to my community midwife team and say I need extra monitoring to make sure baby is developing normally but has also referred me for some fancy blood tests to see whether I've got it now or have had it in the past (and am so immune).
So - I thought I'd share in case anyone is either in contact with little 'uns or has their own DC. This is a pretty scary virus but seems to not really be well know (especially considering how common it is in little kids).
xx
Replies
Fingers crosse all is ok for you x
My DD has slapped cheek too! It's starting to go now, seems to have gone from her cheeks but is now on her legs. I phoned GP too after childminder told me I need to be aware that it can cause miscarriage, so I phoned GP and he said that there isn't much they can do unless I actually catch it, but even if I do catch it there's only a 15% chance of it causing harm to the baby. I learnt my lesson looking at stuff on the internet lol, but it has been worrying me!
Wonder if it's doing the rounds?
Ele09 - really feel for you re having to teach little kids, it's scary isn't it knowing something so trivial can be quite dangerous? A test sounds sensible.
The latest (most helpful!) Dr I have spoken to said that most adults should be immune as most of us had it as kids. He also said that before 5 weeks it is incredibly unlikely that it could be passed on to the baby. He said that at the very least he was going to write to my community midwife team to let them know that I have been exposed to slapped cheek so that even if nothing else they can keep a close eye on me. He then said actually come in for a blood test so at we'll know if you're immune. He is the World's best Dr though... (I think I love him a little bit).
Lau89 - Might be worth just seeing if your GP an at least let midwife team know you've been exposed? Fingers crossed it all turns out to be nothing xxx
Yeah after you said that I had a thought to ask them to tell MW unit. My doc also said exactly the same thing about it being before 5 weeks, which kinda makes sense - found online that the incubation period (when they're most contagious) is two to three weeks before symptoms start showing, and if we're 4-5 weeks pg then we won't have even conceived (or will have only just conceived) when littluns are most contagious, well that's how I worked it out in my head, doc didn't say that in those exact words.
So fingers crossed we will all be fine but I'm guessing there's a slight chance that there may be something wrong. Will just have to wait and see what happens xx
Also apparently there's something n the way the blood moves between mum and baby that doesn't really happen until 5 weeks (which is when you're more likely to pass something n through bloodstream). Sounds ok doesn't it? Am sure we'll be fine (new positive attitude!) xx
Oh yeah, think 5 weeks is when the placenta starts to take effect, but don't quote me on that. I think if you look at things logically (not always easy when pregnant, had a minor meltdown when I found out slapped cheek can cause miscarriage) it always puts things in a better light. xx