Hi everyone, been awhile! I was dx with type 1 genital herpes about a year ago, and became pregnant in early September. This just happened to be a couple weeks after one of the worst ob's I've ever had! Funny how your body can tell you things huh? It just so happened that at the onset of that ob, was actually when I was first becoming fertilized, and 2 weeks later I was pregnant! Needless to say I have been so ecstatic ever since. I even stopped having ob's, even though I had only had 2 prior accompanied by some nerve pain (which as some of you know is absolutely unbearable, ob or not!) Anyway, after I got pregnant- NO MORE NERVE PAIN, NO SIGNS OF ANY OB NOTHING FOR 5 MONTHS!... until about a week ago. I got some burning tingling and pain in my left side of my butt, which went away. Then I noticed what had been a small bump erupt into a blister. I know I'm having an ob now, and I've been crying and terrified, because I thought that I could be done with the symptomatic herpes that was so rotten b4 my pregnancy. I've never been on suppressive therapy or any meds. I used all natural therapies.I stopped using all of those therapies since I got pregnant, and the ob's became nonexistant for months until this now. What can I do?! I do not want my baby to be sick, thats the last thing I want. If I had a recurrent ob shortly b4 I became pregnant, are my chances of infecting my baby higher or lower? How and when should I go about using medications? Should i take them starting now, since I just had an ob? What are my chances of having a normal, vaginal birth? If my water breaks and I'm in labor for 24 hours, does that mean I have to get a c-section because the membranes are ruptured too long? There are so many things I'm just not getting because I'm so scared about this! Can any of you hsv moms out there help me? Give me some reaasurance? Some support? I feel like I'm going crazy...

First......breathe! It's all okay. Really.

As for your first question:
If I had a recurrent ob shortly b4 I became pregnant, are my chances of infecting my baby higher or lower?
The timing of an outbreak and/or the frequency of your outbreaks will not lower or raise the risk of transmitting hsv to your baby. What really makes a difference is when you were infected. If you acquired hsv prior to your pregnancy or even during the first two trimesters, your risk of transmitting the virus is very very low! In mothers with recurrent herpes who deliver vaginally with no symptoms, the risk of transmission is just under 1%. By taking suppressive doses of antivirals during the last several weeks of pregnancy, you can reduce the risk even further. Even in the worst case scenario, where a woman's lesion is overlooked at delivery and a baby is born vaginally, the risk of transmission for a mother with recurrent hsv is only around 5%.

How and when should I go about using medications?
You should really discuss this with your doctor or midwife. Most doctors will prescribe suppressive doses of acyclovir or valtrex beginning around 34-36wks of pregnancy. If you feel your outbreak is severe enough to treat, you should talk to your doctor about how s/he feels about episodic treatment during pregnancy.

Should i take them starting now, since I just had an ob?
You should really ask your doctor this question.

What are my chances of having a normal, vaginal birth?
As long as you are symptom free at the time of delivery, herpes will not prevent you from having a healthy vaginal delivery. Be sure to be very candid with your doctor or midwife regarding herpes. S/he will need to examine you with a very bright light and should ask you about any prodromal symptoms. If you are symptomatic, your doctor or midwife will probably recommend a surgical delivery.

If my water breaks and I'm in labor for 24 hours, does that mean I have to get a c-section because the membranes are ruptured too long?
Six hours is generally considered the longest time a woman with hsv should labor with ruptured membranes. After six hours, the risk of transmission begins to increase. Don't let this panic you, though! You could be in labor for 24 hours with your membranes completely intact or you could rupture and deliver within only a few hours. This is something about pregnancy that you won't be able to predict. Talk with your doctor or midwife about how s/he will manage your labor after your membranes have ruptured.

Try to relax about it. It is really wise to stay well informed and educate yourself, but because you had a history of herpes prior to your pregnancy, you don't need to worry about it. Neonatal herpes is not common and only about 2000 babies are infected in the US each year.

Best wishes!

To HsvMOm ,
This is a little unrelated, but I remember you had twins with HSV, I was wondering for when they reach school age, will you have to report to the school as virus and if I remember correctly you said one of the babies had sores on head or face, if so could the virus shed and infect other children in school, I only ask because I feel I may have passed on to my kids and wondered if they should restrict contact with other children? Thanks I know you are very well knowledge on the neonatal variety of HSV and thought you mught have info on this also do the kids take Valtrex or other suppressive therapy.

I do not have to report their hsv to anybody if I choose not to. Herpes is considered a childhood disease because so many of us are exposed as children. Some studies report that the majority of people with cold sores acquired the virus as children (I don't know how they determined that, though). Many of their classmates will already have been exposed to the virus. It's really not going to be a big deal. There is absolutely no reason to restrict contact with other children. Are you concerned you passed on herpes from an oral infection or from a genital infection? I'm not sure I understood.

And no, they are not on suppressive therapy. One was for a while, but he developed nutropenia and had to be taken off. Now they are only treated episodically. And they are treated with acyclovir, not valtrex.

I may be off topic here, but why does it seem so many women show the first signs of herpes when they get pregnant? Does pregnancy trigger the virus to become active? Just curious. Don't worry GraceandMercy, your Obgyn will do what is best for you and the baby regarding your delivery.

Don't worry - I have been in your shoes. I have had herpes for 10 years and no longer take any kind of meds. My ob's are maybe once or twice a year - mostly triggered by stress. I have had two vaginal births with absolutely no complications. My doctor told me that I could deliver vaginally as long as I was not experiencing any symptoms. I had several witnesses at both of my children's births - my mom, mother-in-law, husband, sister and my best friend. My husband was the only one (besides my Dr.) that knew I had herpes. As I knew it was in medical chart and that I would be asked if I was having at ob at the time of delivery at the hospital, I had to tell those who planned to witness at each birth event. I did it well in advance so that I would not get "stressed" close to the births and cause an ob. Keep that in mind but don't worry about your vaginal delivery. I did have one ob during my second pregnancy in the 2nd trimester. As I said before, I no longer take any meds and did not consider doing so just because I was pregnant. Please stop worrying and just enjoy the miracle growing inside of you! I'll be thinking of you!

Thanks for your reply Hsv mom I am glad your children are doing well and don't need suppressive therapy.
I tested positive for HSV2 but I have had breakouts on the mouth and other areas like the mouth and face(looked like it to me.)
After I had my son I became suspisious because of odd looking bumps and rashes he had that loooked like zosters ( pictures on the interenet resembling small white headed bump with tiny bumps around it in almost a perfect circular pattern) and then following in the last year both of my daughters started to have bumps on their face that almost looked like pimples and they are both under 8 so that was unusual then my 6 year old daughter got a white head in her lower lip and her older sister got one a month or so after and then I found out last year a tiny bump that always was on her outer lip flares up into a full blown blister occassionally in unison with a small bump inside her elbow area that also blisters. Anyway I just felt guilty about my situation because I wasn't sure if my children would be considered contagious and should avoid certain physical contact with other children. My concern also stems from the fact that I did not contract herpes from sex, because I was never sexually active when I contracted it. I can't explain why my children have such symptoms, other than the fact that maybe I transfered the virus to my son in some way from breast feeding or from possible sore on face or mouth, but then that doesn't make since becuase my dauhters never had problems until he was born ( with the exception of my firstborn child who passed away from cerebral palsy complications and possibly herpes virus) I don't know it's all so complicatedI would love it if I could find a doctor or a researcher who could study ny complicated situation and give me some answers. hopefully I am just paranoid since everytime I have asked their pediatrician she always says it doesn't appear to be hsv2 she always says their skin problems are ezcema .

Thank you everyone so much for all of your support and responses. I was actually afraid to tell my mother... I know she and my fiance will be my witnesses at birth, and I would like only he and my dr. to know. My mother just has a very big mouth sometimes lol, but I love her... I don't want her to think of me any differently either, and that makes me feel bad to tell the truth. She shouldn't should she? But she is old school...

Anyway, I really appreciate all of your responses. I have been praying and trying to keep faithful and confident that I can get through this and have a healthy baby... That is my only hope. And you guys have helped tremendously. Well, now I'm off to the doctor and will be having this discussion with her as well. Wish em luck! And please keep me in your prayers!