Chicken pox

Flugelblues

I have recently had a miscarriage and while at the doctors she took blood samples for testing. It turns out I have no immunity to Chicken Pox and will have to be vaccinated. I cannot be vaccinated until my next period as I may already be pregnant again (my mc was a week ago) but once vaccinated I will have to wait five months before I even try to get pregnant again. The vaccine is given over two months and then you have to wait three months before getting pregnant. That is a total of six months!!

All that was keeping me going after the mc was that we could try again straight away - but now I will have to wait until May of next year and even if we get pregnant straight away I still won't have a baby next year!! I am partly hoping that I am already pregnant so I don't have to wait. I am just really upset by this set-back and I am really annoyed that I didn't think to have this tested last year when we started trying.

Has anyone had any experience with this?

crazy cat lady

Firstly, I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. Its a heartbreaking time and I know how desperate you feel to want to get pregnant again straight after.

Now I want to try and be a voice of reason for you!

The fact is that you have no immunity to chicken pox. The solution to this is that you are immunised and that will take 6 months before you are 'safe' to start trying again.

The other option is that you don't get the immunisation and try and get pregnant. If you do this and you become pregnant and you come into contact with chicken pox, you risk serious complications for your developing baby. Should this happen, I'm sure you'll want to kick yourself in the head for not waiting 6 months.

I know 6 months seems like a long time, and its an awful situation for you to be put in, but when you consider the alternative I'm sure its worth the wait.

Should you be pregnant this month, please be so so careful in who you come into contact with. Avoid children (especially groups of them) as much as possible, and just try and be aware of when chicken pox are about.

I wish you luck with TTc and hope everything works out for you. And dont forget to give yourself time to heal and grieve after this loss.

Flugelblues

Hi CrazyCatLady! Thank you for your response - I know that it is only six months and I am going to take every precaution possible to avoid becoming pregnant from now on. The risk that I am already pregnant (7 days after mc) is very small. I am just upset and disappointed at the delay. I have already decided that I am going to use the time to get as 'baby ready' as possible - but I know keeping focused will be difficult.

I suppose it is a warning to all others that are ttc to get tested for these things as early as possible - I just never thought of it (which was probably stupid, I know).

Good luck to everyone as they TTC - and I am sure I will be popping in and out over the next few months to keep myself motivated!

LegacyUser

Hi Flugelblues
I got blood results today too which showed that I had low rubella immunity so have to have the MMR vaccine over the next two months. I'm not sure if it's the same vaccine you need but my gp said we only had to wait 4 weeks after the final injection. My sister whose a public health nurse so administers to MMR vaccine also says it's a four week wait so maybe double check it with your doctor.
Good luck.

crazy cat lady

The time will fly by! And you are only after losing this baby so you really should give yourself a little time to come to terms with it. However, I know myself that after my first mc I was consumed with the need to become pregnant again straight away so I can sympathise with how you are feeling.

Plan a few nice things in the coming months to help the time fly, and you're right to get yourself ready for next time. Fingers crossed that 'next time' will come nice a quick and you will have a happy and healthy pregnancy!

Take care and good luck

Flugelblues

Hi nybabe. Thanks for the response. I have done some research online and the WHO recommends a four week gap between vaccines (not 8 weeks) and a four week waiting period after that before you get pregnant (not three months). So, armed with that info I am definitely going to talk to my doctor again. I still have a bit of a wait - but hopefully not as long as six months!

Thanks Crazycatlady - I think planning a few nice things over the next few months is a great idea and will give me something to look forward to and keep me busy!!