Women who are living with herpes are very care about one thing: Can I have a healthy baby if I get pregnant? The following artcle will introduce some tips for herpes women on how to avoid the risks of genital herpes during pregnancy.

Can my baby catch herpes from me?

Pregnant women with genital herpes need to plan their pregnancy very carefully in order to reduce the risk of passing the disease on to their newborn baby. If the pregnancy is not planned properly, the mother could end up having a miscarriage or premature birth because of the disease. Now if these two scenarios don’t happen, the mother could still end up giving her baby herpes before the birth, during labor, or after the birth. It is rare but it is possible for the virus to be transmitted in the uterus to the baby while it’s still in the womb. If the virus doesn’t get transmitted there then it can get transmitted through the birth canal during the baby’s delivery. If that doesn’t happen, then the only way the baby could get the virus at this point is if the infected mother kisses her baby with a sore lip or exposes the baby to an open wound.

How to avoid baby getting herpes when pregnancy?

Herpes does not have any known cure. Once you get herpes, you will have it for the rest of your life. The only thing you can do is take medications to reduce the outbreak of the virus so you won’t have to endure its harsh symptoms too much. Doctors typically prescribe pregnant women with herpes a special antiviral medication by the name of “acyclovir.” It also goes by the names acycloguanosine and Zovirax Injection. This medication is given to the woman during her last month of pregnancy, assuming there is no premature birth. That way, the antiviral medicine can help prevent an outbreak of the virus right around the time when the woman is expected to give birth. As a result, it will reduce the chances of the virus transmitting to the baby during delivery, which is the most common way it gets transmitted. Pregnant women should also avoid having any kind of sex during their pregnancy, especially with someone who has herpes. If they do have sex, they must insist that their male partner wears a condom at all times.

Will I need a cesarean delivery if I have herpes?

If the doctor finds that the virus infection is not active when the woman goes into labor, then they’ll deliver the baby through the vagina. But if the virus is active, the woman will have to undergo a C-section. A cesarean birth involves the doctor surgically cutting open the belly and uterus of the pregnant woman and delivering her baby through there. This will prevent the baby from having to pass through the vagina where the herpes virus is most active. C-sections do have their risks to the woman but at least it will prevent the baby from getting the virus.

Other resources:

Babycenter: Herpes during pregnancy

http://www.babycenter.com/0_herpes-during-pregnancy_1360877.bc