Ermmm ladies just been reading the NHS thingy bout shingles in pregnancy and it says you can only get shingles IF YOUVE HAD chicken pox...
If you get shingles when you’re pregnant, it’s usually mild and there’s no risk to you or your unborn baby. However, you should avoid contact with other pregnant women.
How do you get shingles?
You can only get shingles if you’ve already had chickenpox because they’re both caused by the same virus: the herpes varicella-zoster virus (VZV).
After you recover from chickenpox, VZV stays in your body. The virus can become active again in the form of shingles if, for example, your immune system is low. This can happen at any time after you have chickenpox, sometimes years later.
Shingles is most common in people over 50, although younger people can also get it
Can I catch shingles from someone else?
No. You can’t catch shingles from someone else who has the condition.
Can I catch chickenpox from someone who has shingles?
If you’re not immune to VZV, it’s possible to catch chickenpox from someone who has shingles. However, the risk is very low, particularly if the person’s rash is covered, for example, by clothing or a dressing.
In shingles, VZV is usually passed on by direct contact, for example, by touching an infected person’s open blisters.
The risk of passing on VZV is higher if the person’s rash is widespread, or it’s on an exposed part of their body, such as their face.
What if I’ve already had chickenpox?
Most pregnant women in the UK had chickenpox as a child and are immune to VZV.
If you’re immune to VZV, you can’t catch chickenpox again from someone with shingles.
What if I get shingles?
If you get shingles while you’re pregnant, avoid contact with other pregnant women in case they’re not immune to VZV. You should also keep your rash covered because you’ll be infectious until your last blister has scabbed over.
Well talk about confuzzling :S
