not immune to rubella virus

I am new to this forum, I am now 13th week and we are expecting twins. This is my first posting.
EDD: 11/20/2009

I am little worried about rubella virus now. My Dr told that i am not immune to rubella virus, she told that i should avoid anyone who has rubella. But we have gone out for parties, board walks and meet lot of people. I really don't know how to find whether others having such viral infection.

Can somebody guide me how can i take precautions, should i stop going into crowed and work? do i have to take complete rest staying back home?

How many chances that i get infected by this virus? i know i am so dumb asking these questions, but now a days i am thinking too much once after i came to know that i am carrying twins.

Thanks for any sort of information/suggestions

-Jyothi

 

HI Jyothi & :welcome: to Twinstuff!!

Congratulations on your twin pregnancy! How exciting :yahoo:

I don't know much about the Rubella virus, I just know that before I started trying to get pregnant my Dr. made me get my MMR shot as I wasn't immunized previously for it?!

I have never heard of anyone I know getting Rubella, but I would call your Dr. office & have them clarify what type of precautions you should be taking just to be safe.

Good luck!

 

Congrats on the pregnancy and Welcome

I'm not sure what the precations are, but I also am not immune to it. I have had the vacine about 4 times but everytime they draw a titer to check my immunizations I test negative to rebella.

My advise mainly is to wash your hands all the time and keep some purel on you. I worked at a hospital up until last week when my OB took me out of work for a shortening cervix, and I made sure I washed my hands all the time and used alcohol cleaners like 100 times a day (my hands fealt like sand paper all winter long but definatly worth it)

 

Thanks for all your greetings, yah i am soooooo exited too. I can not express my feelings, there two little babies inside me Wow!
Cleaning hands is good idea. I will do it now on.

Tomorrow i have Dr appointment. Do we have to ask for Blood test of Viral infection?

I am not too obsessive compulsive on this issue but i can stop thinking of it, I have lot of questions to my Dr for tomorrows appointment.

I'll update you guys soon. Thanks for all your suggestions.

 

Congrats on the twins! As far as rubella goes, thank heavens its not something you see very often anymore, so the chance of you being exposed to it isn't as high as it was. I dunno whereabouts you live, but the thing i would be most cautious about is people that have traveled out of the country, as most cases nowadays are brought in from elsewhere. Be careful but i wouldn't be paranoid either. I'm sure you'll do just fine!

 

Thanks for the information. I am feeling better now. This forum is so good and i am feeling that i have support.
BTW i live in Alexandria, VA. Last time i traveled to India is Aug 2008. But i never traveled out of country after i get pregnancy.

 

I also have the same issue. I've been vaccinated (normal childhood series) and boostered several times because of negative titers. I still had a negative titer after my last booster. From what I understand either we do not respond to the vaccine and therefore don't make antibodies OR we may have great immunity (called cellular immunity not measured by titers) and our body respondes so quickly to the vaccine that our immune systems do not have time to make antibodies. My strange twist is that my mother had rubella when she was pregnant with me. It could be that my body does not recognize the germ as foreign and therefore doesn't react tot he vaccine or I have one heck of a good cellular response.

Is any of my rambling making sense? I guess I'd say that from titers they really can not tell whether or not you have good immunity only that you do not have high antibody levels. So, while it is a good idea to be careful - not travel to areas wherre it is prevalent, not to be around sick people, etc, you will probably be just fine. The way I looked at it was, ok, I've been around for 36 yrs and not had an issue. Why would I get exposed during my 9 months of being pregnant? Of course, there is Murphy's law!

Good luck.
Merijo

 

Good thing that all my lab reports are normal no danger signs of Rubella, and my doctor suggested Perinatal Consult "Twins Gestation" as an indication. I think it is common for all twin pregnancy.

 

The thing with rubella is that people are contagious a week before they show any rash. So, they would likely be continuing their everyday activities and exposing others not knowing what they have. That said, it is very rare in this country. I'd just use normal germ avoidance practices like frequent hand washing and avoid anyone who is obviously ill since they are the most contagious when the rash appears.

 

Over my lifetime ive been immunized to MMR ( measles, mumps, rubella ) 4 times because it just doesnt seem to take. i got another shot a week before i had my c section and they will check it every few years. Yeah, it would suck f i ended up with one of them, but there isnt a whole lot i can do if my body is rejecting the immunization.


Kenneth and Ian are 24 days old