Work mate has Shingles

Hi girls, one of the girls i work with has just been diagnosed with shingles. She was off all last week(annual leave) and came back yesterday and mentioned she had a bit of a rash on her neck but no one thought anything of it, she went to the doctor this afternoon just to be sure and rang work saying she had shingles. I don't know if i should be worried or not, i had chicken pox as a child and some people are saying that anyone that had chickenpox could get shingles. Plus they said its highly contagious. Can anyone tell me of i should be worried or not, im just shy of 10 weeks. Thanks

id ring your Dr maybe to put your mind at ease but i wouldnt worry too much. i had shingles a few years ago and i was concerned as i had been around my pregnant friend and another friend with an autoimmune disease. Dr said it is not contagious unless skin to skin contact or sharing towels etc so as long as you havent had any physical contact with her rash you should be ok.

Pretty sure shingles wouldn't be harmful to baby anyway, just uncomfortable for you to get. I heard the same as queen, that it would have to be skin to skin contact too, but as always if you are worried ring your gp, they are there to reassure you.

A girl in work had them a few weeks back. Apparantly, if you're immune to chickenpox (my consultant could tell me whether I was or not from the bloods taken back at my first appointment) then you're baby will be grand. You can get shingles even if you've had chickenpox but your babs would be fine. If in doubt and to put your mind at ease, check with your doc!

My Mam had the Shingles when I was 10 weeks, she had it for over a week before she went to the GP, he said not to worry that I and baby would be fine and we were.

A friend of mine had shingles when she was pregnant (rash was all over her bump and it was actually myself who told her it looked like shingles as I had had it before). Anyway she and babs were absolutely fine.

I had shingles at 29 weeks, almost didn't realise it at all as it was a small patch on my back and DH just kept telling me not to touch it. Anyhow it was the chickenpox virus re-activating itself, was given tablets and cleared up within a week although have been totally wrecked since. It's not contagious although the doctor suggested avoiding very sick people (ie cancer patients) or very elderly. Also the baby is totally protected by virtue of me having had chickenpox as a child.

Defintely check with your doctor. On my first pregnancy I alomst came into contact with someone at work who had shingles (they had phoned me to warn me in advance of a meeting). I did a little web research (a bad thing) and thought it was nothing to worry about as I had chickenpox late in life. I then rang my GP to double check and he advised me to avoid contact if possible as your immune system in suppressed during pregnancy. Do check with your own doctor.