Coxsackie virus. . .please help me understand what to do!

[lellian]

Ladies,

DD, 17 months, has been diagnosed with HFMD and a double ear infection. This is our first time dealing with HFMD, and frankly, nothing could have prepared us. This is day four of 102 degree temp.  I've never seen this kind of behavior: rolling on the floor, screaming, hand in her mouth kind of pain, doesn't want to be held or touched most of the time, and then only by me. And the snot. OMG, the snot is unbelievable. (Is that HFMD or the ear infection?) We've tried everything over the counter to manager her fever and pain, and have a good handle on that now. She has seen her doctor. She will not eat or suck on ANYTHING.  I have to come up with some insanely creative ways to get her to sip water. She'll take about one sippy cup in the morning, and then we try to get another one in her throughout the day. She hasn't nursed in four days. Swallowing isn't an option at this time, apparently. This really sucks. Anyway, I have a grasp on this situation, but what I can't find is information on is how contagious this virus is, and for how long, after her fever breaks.

I'm pregnant. I was due last Tuesday. We are concerned about the baby. What the hell do we do? I believe we probably have 7 days before the baby arrives. If I'm lucky, maybe 10 days. DD was 2.5 weeks late. I hope the same for this LO.

Anyone been in this kind of situation? Anyone have any advice? The pedi said not to worry that DH and I won't get it, and LO won't be affected. . .although she didn't explain the reasoning behind this except that we are  most likely immune, and LO will have my antibodies. I did a search on this board and saw that plenty of mamas and dadas have indeed gotten this from their child so. . .???

Help, please.

TIA.

[Pynki]

Lidocaine.  I was given lidocaine by my doctor to put in my mouth before I ate when I had it as an adult.  (It sucks SERIOUS! @ss!)  It's really painful.  Ibuprofen for the pain, and some sort of topical 'caine to get rid of the pain enough to swallow are pretty much the only things.  You could try some chloraseptic type sore throat spray. 

I know none of that is particularly natural, but coxsackie is REALLY painful, and I'm willing to throw anything chemically engineering and concocted I could find at it to get the pain to GO! AWAY!

[Peony]

I'm sorry.  The girls had it a couple years ago, DD2 refused to walk for over a week because her feet hurt so bad. Just take it one day at a time. HFMD is most contagious the first week, but you can spread it for weeks, that is exactly how we got it. A playdate mentioned they they had it 1.5-2 weeks ago and yep, sure enough, a few days later we got it. 

I'm not always a fan of the CDC but here is a decent link about it from them. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/hfhf.htm

[pbjmama]

My ds got hfm when dd was about 6 weeks old and I was really upset about it. I was tandem nursing and DD never had any symptoms and is now 3 yo and has never had hfm although I know she has been exposed many times since birth. If you don't have any symptoms at this point you are probably clear - were you exposed at the same time as your dd? As far as treating the symptoms I agree with pp, it is very painful. I did a rotation of ibuprofen and tylenol for my ds.