Outbreak during pregnancy

Can I have a normal delivery? Should I plan to have a cesarean
(c-section) to deliver my baby?

Here is a good response to many of those questions about
pregnancy and herpes.

Betsy said:

First of all since you've had herpes prior to becoming
pregnant your only risk is during delivery. Herpes only affects
the baby in utero if it's newly acquired during pregnancy. Even
then it's only a 5% chance which is fairly low ( your risk of
having a baby with a birth defect in general is around 3% to help
you put it in perspective ).

Your baby is protected by the amniotic sac and the thick mucous
plug. No worries when you have an ob during pregnancy.

Ask your doctor to start suppressive therapy now. For pregnancy
the suppressive therapy doses are a little higher - valtrex 500mg
twice a day or acyclovir 400mg 3 times a day. Being pregnant your
body is slighty immunosuppressed so you need the higher doses to
adequately suppress the virus. Also be sure to drink a lot of
water - we tend to drink less when we have ob's and you don't want
to get dehydrated. Dehydration can cause premature labor so even
if it hurts to pee keep drinking tons! You can soak in the tubby
with aveeno bath. Ice packs and cold compresses are also useful.
You can also take tylenol while pregnant too.

Since you've had herpes prior to becoming pregnant as long as you
don't have an active ob present at the time of delivery, your
risk of transmitting the virus to your baby is less than 1%.
Should you have an active ob a c section is warranted but
otherwise it's pretty safe to have a vaginal delivery. Avoid
a fetal scalp monitor on your baby though during labor - it
provides a direct portal into the baby should you be shedding
the virus at all. You transmitted protective antibodies
against your herpes to your fetus around 28 weeks of
gestation to help protect her against acquiring herpes during
labor should you be asymptomatically shedding. Taking
suppressive therapy decreases your chances of having a
lesion at the time of delivery and also reduces the chances
of shedding the virus in general. It might not seem worth
it for a 1% risk but to me the peace of mind is invaluable
knowing that you are doing all you can do.

The vast majority of women with herpes deliver perfectly
normal babies from a herpes standpoint :) I know it's very
hard not to obsess about complications at this point but
relax! You can control your herpes even during pregnancy :)

Betsy is an active participant on many of the same Herpes Support
boards which I also belong to. You can read her H-pal story here: