Breastfeeding and Shingles

[thetnpreacherswife]

Okay, I have the shingles.

I also still BF my 3 year old...though we usually only nurse a few times a day.  DS was out of town for some of last week...I was diagnosed last Sunday and had been feeling some symptoms for 4-5 days prior to that (but no actual rash or anything until Saturday or Sunday).  DS nursed up through Saturday night before going out of town. 

DS has not had the chicken pox vaccine.

The shingles wrap from my back around my chest and I definitely would not nurse from one side.

My question is...what would you do?

My doctor recommended not nursing for 2-3 weeks.

Would nursing put DS more at risk for chicken pox?

Thoughts?

[littlest birds]

Since you haven't, and cannot reasonably quarantine yourself from your child, I would go ahead and nurse.  In the closeness of a family I think it is nearly impossible to shield from this kind of contagious illness anyhow.  Is CP dangerous enough to be worth the discomfort for your family? 

Yes, the shingles can cause CP in your child, but 3yo is a pretty good age to catch them anyway--early enough to tend toward a mild case but probably not too early for good immunity.  Until what age do you wish to actively avoid CP for your child?  I think it is highly desirable for an unimmunized child to catch them somewhere between 2 and 10 years of age. 

It is my understanding that avoiding direct contact with the shingles blisters does reduce the chance of passing on the virus.

Background info FWIW my children have each had CP, one has had CP twice, and one has had shingles as well.  The one who had shingles and the one who caught CP twice had had CP at 4mos old so they had weaker immunity, and two of my children caught CP from the shingles.

[hedgehogs4]

I had shingles when my DD was 2 months old so it was a big deal because it could have been dangerous if she contracted it.  My ped contacted a pediatric infectious disease specialist to consult about it.  Your child can contract it through direct contact with with the rash, so keep the rash covered if you don't want her to contract chix pox.  She is 3, so she might be miserable but if she gets it, it'll be ok.  I personally found that a lidoderm patch helped with my pain a lot, as I did not want to use narcotics...  

Also, shingles usually happens to people who are immunocompromised/stressed - so take care of yourself!  I was tandem nursing with little sleep and I think that was what did me in. 

Good luck and I hope you heal soon.  

- Amanda

[MothertoIsla]

I am nursing my 6 month old and have had shingles twice now, first diagnosed 2 days before she was born and again when she was 4 months.  my rash stretches from my back around to the side of one breast.  Because she was so young we were put in touch with a specialist, we continued to nurse as long as I tried to keep her from direct contact with the rash while the blisters were present.  we have watched her carefully, I don't mind if she does contract CP and our doctor suspects that she may have had them even though she only had half a dozen spots.  the doctor told us that BF is more important than trying to avoid the CP at this age.  He said that under about 8 yrs CP is normally nothing to be concerned about.  

Happy Nursing!

[chiolip]

I breastfed my first while I had the shingles twice. My shingles wrapped from my back around my stomach.  I converted to nursing tanks, and wrapped towels around my body and nursed without issue.  My son never contracted the chicken pox.  We also did laundry very often and washed hands like crazy.  Good luck, Mamas.  Keep up the great work.