Question:
I am a little confused (still!!!) How can you be totally sure your not having an outbreak at the onset of labour I mean some reaccurences are so mild you don't know your having them and sometimes you could just be shedding the virus in the birth canal.

This is what scares me and makes me feel I would prefer to have a c-sec to stop the worry of this transmitting to my baby does any one have any stories or information on shedding at the time of delivery???

I would love to give birth naturally but so many stories I have read say to be on the safe side, why take the risk, etc etc so obviously c sec is on my mind. Also are you within your rights to ask for one given the cirumstances I would have thought your body your baby its up to you but is that the case????

Answer:
I would love to know all that too.

Answer:
There's no way to know without a doubt that you aren't shedding. And you are right that recurrences can be very mild and even asymptomatic. The reason c-sections aren't recommended in the absence of symptoms/outbreaks is that the risks associated with c-sections become greater than the risk of transmission.

For example, if you had a recurrent outbreak during delivery--an obvious lesion--and still delivered vaginally (yes, I know no doctor would allow this!) then the chance of transmission is only 5%. That means there's a 95% chance that your baby will have no complications. If you are prodromal symptoms (in a recurrent infection, primary infections are different), then the risk of transmission is around 1%, so there is a 99% chance your baby will be perfectly fine. If you have an established infection and you have no symptoms (meaning you could be shedding or not) then the risk of transmission is even less than 1%.

I can definately see how a c-section could put your mind at ease regarding transmission, but c-sections are by nature risky as well. Obviously, you won't deliver vaginally with a lesion, so your risk of transmission is around 1% or less! Using suppressive therapy helps reduce the risk even further, as does refusing internal monitors (unless strongly indicated) and delivering within 6 hours of rupturing. You can definately experience a healthy delivery in the absence of symptoms.

With all that said, when I have my next child, I will still choose to deliver vaginally as long as I am symptom-free. My husband and I were devestated by our boys' neonatal herpes, but we know the information and the statistics out there and would still choose another vaginal birth because it would be safest for both me and the baby (all other issues aside, of course).

A woman just posted recently about herself and she has a baby that I believe she delivered vaginally (have read her stories elsewhere) and has two gorgeous girls and another babe on the way. She can probably give you some reassurance!

Good luck!

Answer:
You are such an encouragement. Thanks.