Hi everyone,
I'm new here but am looking to see if anyone has had a similar experience? I have a daughter who is 2.5years and who contracted oral herpes (cold sore virus) from her babysitter when she 18 mos old. I was still nursing her at the time and before we had her diagnosed, I managed to contract the virus on my right nipple (I think because I had never been exposed to the virus before?). At the time, I was only nursing from my right side (I know that's strange, just happened over time due to co-sleeping position).
I am now 9 weeks pregnant with #2, and although it's still early, I am VERY stressed out about this as herpes infection in a newborn can be devastating and fatal. I nursed my daughter until this past January and wholeheartedly believe in nursing. LLL and BabyCenter say it's ok to nurse if you don't have an active lesion but I have to say that I think it would be hard to tell the difference between a normal milk, friction blister from nursing and a herpes blister. The herpes lesion I had seemed to be like other blisters initially in terms of pain and appearance but took a week to go away instead of a few days and scabbed over. So I know it had to be that.
Has anyone had this experience and gone on to nurse a subsequent child? I feel rather helpless as I know breastfeeding is so important for a baby but obviously do not want to do anything to endanger his or her health.
I have read some older posts on this subject. Not sure if those moms are still around to comment. I've been talking to all of my doctors here to figure out if my left side is safe.
Any thoughts or recommendations? I have contacted LLL about it and they have said I need to talk directly to a specialist. So am trying to find one here in the UK. Am hoping my daughter's pediatrician might refer me to one next week when I see him.
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