Really scared help! TMI!

[rubylei]

The thing is.......

having never even suffered from coldsores before i have in the last week had an outbreak of blisters "down there"....
I went to the doctors who poked me around and told me i've got herpes simplex which he thinks i have put down there from having a coldsore.. well i dont get coldsores so i'm guessing somebody else must have put it down there.

This is really embarrassing as i have never had anything like this before i really dont know when it happened but he told me he doesnt think its the first time my body has reacted to the virus... having googled it repeatedly i really think i have just contracted it as it is so painful and i have had the whole thing fever headache aching muscles and everything with it which apparently you only tend to get the first time..

I am now really upset that this could have happened as theres so many scare stories about babies contracting it in the womb or during delivery i dont know what to do i'm so scared has anyone else had any experience of this???

 

[dizzynic]

Hiya i have read about this a while back and as far as i know as long as you arnt actually having an attack of the blisters or sores you should be able to deliver normally i would talk to your midwife and ask her what normal procedure is regarding this hope you manage to get sorted

 

[Pippin]

Did they not give you anything to help hon? Haven't experienced it myself but doctors have probably seen it a hundred times so don't be embarrassed.

 

[rubylei]

Thanks whats really worrying me is it says if you contract it for the first time in pregnancy it can be passed on to the baby in the womb and cause horrible problems..
but that applies to if you get your first coldsore in pregnancy too apparently so i'm so confused as that must happen to loads of women...

 

[becstar]

You poor thing, what a shock! The thing is, it's actually very easy to get this because coldsores are contagious before they actually show, so please don't feel embarrassed. Anyone could get it.

I'm surprised that the doctor wasn't more helpful (what a tool!) but either go back to him, or call NHS direct for more advice? Or your local midwife clinic might be able to give you more practical advice to support you.

Take care of yourself and don't worry about the baby - I'm sure the chances of baby getting it are very low unless you are having an attack at the time of the birth.

ETA step away from Google! It's full of worst-case scenarios and will just scare you. Call the midwives tomorrow to ask for advice, or NHS direct now.

 

[rubylei]

yeah i'm taking something for it the doctor didnt seem concerned at all he said its fine just mention in when i see the doctor to discuss my delivery.

it took me 2 days to google it and i've driven myself crazy now! I wish i hadnt done it!!

 

[becstar]

Honestly, it's the worst thing to do... but we've all done it! It's nothing to be embarrassed about, and the chances of baby being affected are low. You'll be okay and so will baby, and worrying about it won't help anything.

Hugs to you.

 

[rubylei]

I feel awful about it like i've done something wrong.
i'm waiting for the midwife to phone me back to make an appointment luckily she was meant to be ringing anyway she doesnt know shes going to have to listen to all this yet poor woman. so i'm going to ask her and pray she doesnt say anything to make me more scared!

 

[becstar]

How have you done something wrong? Having sex? Darling, that's how we all ended up in this forum! It's so easy to catch it as like I said, coldsores are infectious before you see them so it honestly could happen to anyone.

Chin up old bean... wait for the midwife.

 

[Chaos]

Hey,

I got this about 5 years ago from a BF who had suffered from Coldsores on his mouth before and never told me, he went .. you know where and passed them on. I've had 3 out breaks since. The first was the worse, pretty much like you explained, the next two were minimal and more of an annoyance.

It's nothing to be ashamed of, it happens. Its the same family as chickenpox and acts much the same and no one makes a big ho har over that do they.

Now regarding pregnancy, I'm the same time along as you. Please don't google anymore, because there is so much bullshit out there regarding it, it's unbelievable. Please trust your MW and what they say. More people than you know suffer from genital herpes and they deal with it on a very regular basis. You can not pass it to your baby whilst its in the womb. The mucas plug will prevent that, its what its there for.

Your first outbreak normally is on the outside of the vagina, and the inside, sometimes on the cervix. In England they normally give you a weeks course of anti virals, which you take 5 times a day. I'm not certain if these are ok during pregnancy tho as I had them before I got pregnant. Also ask for a topical lidocane gel. (sp?) Its a local anesthetic that you can put on the sores and actually allows you to pee like you're not peeing battery acid.
Please get your self along to the local Gum clinic, (if you google gum clinic, it should bring up a page where you can put your postcode in to find your nearest one.) its the best place to go with this because they are so experienced with it and can give you correct information. GPs are good but from my experience do not know how to really treat it. They are very very friendly and you'll get the perscriptions for free. (this is also the place to get the lidocane from)
They will also take a swab and be able to tell you if its true genital herpes, or "facial" herpes that has been transferred down there. The 2nd kind tends to outbreak less.

When you're due to give birth your OB/MW should put you on a anti viral a month before you're due (they do in America) to help prevent you having an outbreak, if you do have an outbreak at the time of birth you will have a C section. Lots of females who suffer from herpes give birth just fine every year. Just keep your self healthy, eat healthy, take vitamins and try not to stress, because stress can be a trigger.

No more googling!

 

[rubylei]

Thanks that makes me feel a lot better

 

[tinkabells]

Thats horrible your dr should of spoken to you more about this, as this is really worrying, i would speak to your midwife asap and see what she says.
I no a friend of a friends who has herpes and she had to have c-sec for just incase but i dont no the ins and outs of all of this xxx

 

[rubylei]

He just said its fine and wasnt concerned at all other than feeling sorry for me as it really hurts! I had a cesarean with my daughter and really wanted to try for a natural birth with this one oh why is this happening!!

 

[babystar]

i did not know about the coldsore thing and passing it onto babies I have had outbreaks in them these last couple of weeks and have never suffered them before Docs said mmy immune system hasnt been so ggod last couple of weeks tho

hope u ur feelin better soon

 

[Chaos]

He just said its fine and wasnt concerned at all other than feeling sorry for me as it really hurts! I had a cesarean with my daughter and really wanted to try for a natural birth with this one oh why is this happening!!

Yea that's about as much sympathy as my GP gave me at the time. The next day I just walked in to the Gum clinic in tears cause I could barely move and I had a rotten fever, flu type aches and to top it all a bout of tonsillitis lol. I was a right mess!

You'll want to marry the Gum clinic nurses when they give you that lidocane gel haha. Its *instant* relief.
The reason it hurts so much is because the virus travels along the nerves and blisters at the end opening the nerve up to the air. If you're having trouble to pee, I know it may not seem pleasant but try it in a shallow luke warm bath. They will also test you for a pee infection with your first outbreak as it can make bacteria travel up the pee tube.

 

[emptyandsad]

Thanks whats really worrying me is it says if you contract it for the first time in pregnancy it can be passed on to the baby in the womb and cause horrible problems..
but that applies to if you get your first coldsore in pregnancy too apparently so i'm so confused as that must happen to loads of women...

Try not to worry, see a homeopath if you can, they'll be able to clear it up with a natural remedy. I had this in my first pregnancy for a time, although it was herpes zoster (shingles), but it was also 'down there'. Baby was born absolutely fine, no probs at all. Stress and worry will make it worse, please see a homeopath, far better than taking drugs.

 

[tinkabells]

Fingers crossed for ya chick xxx

 

[booflebump]

Chaos knows her stuff - first outbreaks of herpes are horrifically painful but if it was passed on to you through oral sex it is highly unlikely to bother you very much again if you look after yourself. Make sure you get a course of antivirals (usually aciclovir) from week 36 onwards - this will reduce the chance of it being passed to bubba during delivery to virtually none. If your partner has facial coldsores but has never been affected 'downstairs' you will have to be aware that during an outbreak you will be infectious and could pass it on to him through sex xxx

 

[rubylei]

I did read that its possible to have the virus in your body for years before it comes out and i am wondering if that could be what happened to me as about 2 years ago i was with my ex partner and he came out with a coldsore a day after having been down there at the time i was worried i'd get it but never did is it possible for it to havecome out now as i'm run down??

 

[booflebump]

I did read that its possible to have the virus in your body for years before it comes out and i am wondering if that could be what happened to me as about 2 years ago i was with my ex partner and he came out with a coldsore a day after having been down there at the time i was worried i'd get it but never did is it possible for it to havecome out now as i'm run down??

Generally, an outbreak like the one you are having (very painful, flu like symptoms etc) occurs not long after infection (within a week). It is possible to get the coldsore virus and not know anything about it (usually from kissing) but I think you need to speak to your gp and midwife about it all, and confirm what type it is - facial - type 1 or genital-type 2. I really hope you start to feel better soon xxx