Question:
I am so misinformed. I just recently had a baby and since this herpes ordeal I am very much afraid. I read the 1 out of 4 people carry the herpes virus therefore i am afraid to let anyone watch my infant. I dont want others kissing my children even relatives. I am constantly watching my friends and family when they hold him to ensure no to expose him. Its beginning to make me a nervous reck. I know i am being paranoid. I just dont want him to get sick as people dont know what i have been reading being misinformed about how contagious this thing is. I ask my docter about how to handle my own hsv ob with him he stated that if im having an ob dont kiss him. Then i read that you can be shedding therefore you risk them anyway. I can tell you since i been diagnosed i have not kiss any of my children other them on there forehead..........

Answer:
Brenda,
There are mothers here who have been afraid for their children. Perhaps they will respond. We were all once babies upon whom lots of grown folks with cooties were kissing and we mostly came out ok. I would think (I have no scientific information to share at all on this) babies' drooling around the mouth has a protective quality and likely keeps some bugs away from them because there's this "flow" away from the mouth of whatever comes near the mouth and the skin is soft and not cracked and wide open to infection. That's my 2 cents of quasi scientific intuition. But you seem normal as a new mother to worry. That's why mothers do such a good job of rearing us---they worry and analyze. When I think back it's a wonder to me how babies ever make it to adulthood---all the ways I nearly lost an eye, my front teeth, being hit by a car, CHILD MOLESTERS...lord...and I had an attentive mother...

MY POINT IS if I had a baby I'd be worried to death lord knows....but there is some comfort to be taken in the fact that so many do ok...

Answer:
brenda,

here's my 2c...

I thought you had genital herpes... do you have oral herpes too? If you are not sure, you might want to get blood work done to put your mind at rest. Not all sores in the mouth are herpes... some really are canker sores, and if you worried yourself sick over something you don't even have that would be really sad... Passing on genital herpes to a baby is much much harder to do... the last time my baby was in contact with my girly bits was during labor, and I plan to keep it that way! Just wash your hands after going to the bathroom and use common sense, and that really should be enough... no crazy precautions needed.

If you do turn out to be positive for hsv1 (and assume you have it orally), one idea is maybe you can kiss your baby's cheek if you are really worried... it's the lip area that is most likely to pick up the virus. Intact skin elsewhere on the body is usually too tough to let the virus in, so unless there are any cuts or abrasions you are fairly safe. You definitely don't want to miss out on loving all over your baby!

Also, remember most of the time even people who get cold sores aren't contagious... they say it's about 5% of the time that there is asymptomatic shedding - that means that 95% of the time you (and others) are ok. Yeah you might not want every stranger kissing all over your baby but if you go too far with worry neither you or your baby will enjoy life.

Also, if you have nursed your baby at all, they do pick up some protective antibodies from you and they last ~~6 months or so. Then the babies own immune system picks up a bit and can handle it better if they are inadvertently exposed to whatever you are carrying.

Answer:
I was pregnant when i found out about the herpes through a blood test. The test showed antibodies for hsv type 1. I was put on suppressive just in case it was gential ive never had a bad ob so im unsure were the infection lies dormant in my body. So i treat myself as if i have it in both places as i was told i could have gotten it through oral sex. I also was told i could have gotten it in both places at the same time. Thats why i am so paranoid because i dont know where i am infected. I guess i am asymtomatic..