swine flu

[2CheekyMonkeys]

my friend is due in a few days and she has just been confirmed with swine flu. we thought she would be induced for sure but no, they are doing nothing because they dont want her in the hospital infecting everyone! i think that is absolutely terrible! isnt there a procedure or something involved to take care of her and others in this situation?

[feeb]

I am shocked they are not inducing here after all the publicity re the other VERY sick woman pregnant.

There was a lady in QLD i think it was who was induced a few weeks ago now and she ended up in ICU VERY VERY ill post birth.

If I was your friend I would be asking again.

Sorry hope i didnt freak you out

[koru]

Hollo from what i've heard the swine flu is similar to normal seasonal flu in virulence (strength/level of danger) - even despite the recent tragic case in the news.
Your friends baby is probably safer inside her womb for now than outside and being exposed directly to the virus. Your friend may actually be over the worst symptoms and far less contagious by the time bub decides to make an entrance to the world (maybe a week or so away?) than right now plus there's all the usual downsides to both mother and baby to being induced before your due-date.
So it's probably for the best that the baby remains in the womb and your friend monitored closely for now - though giving the reason that they don't want her spreading the virus in the hospital is pretty off in my opinion - I'd be complaining about that!

[pucci]

I had my baby last Thursday and there was a pregnant lady on our ward with swine flu, she wasn't isolated either, they just made her wear a mask.

[Zoo]

Hi, I am a nurse in the ICU in TVL and the pregnant woman who sadly lost her baby had pre existing conditions and situations. She is very ill in the ICU due to inadequate housing, heating, nutrition etc. and her darling little baby was in the same boat, unfortunately.

Your friends baby is DEFINATELY safer in then out! Although she has tested positive to swine flu the risk to the baby is minimal as, if she were to go into labour the baby is term. The warning is mainly for those that could go into premature labour due to swine flu thus placing their babies at risk due to the implications of early birth.

As for spreading it through the hospital that is correct, but probably something the staff should have explained abit more in depth. The hospitals are already full of swine flu patients but are trying to filter them out so that those who are immunosuppressed ie. cancer, are less at risk of contracting the virus. Swine flu is something a brand new mum and bub can do without so that is why they are trying to keep it out of maternity.

Hope that helps and just relax, as someone who has swine flu and has an 8 month old breast fed baby - it feels like a bad cold! And she is fine : )

[Tobily]

my friend is due in a few days and she has just been confirmed with swine flu. we thought she would be induced for sure but no, they are doing nothing because they dont want her in the hospital infecting everyone! i think that is absolutely terrible! isnt there a procedure or something involved to take care of her and others in this situation?

Inducing her is a bad idea for quite a few reasons, the biggest of all being that the ability of her body to cope with labour while she is down with a flu will be really compromised. Usually when women get sick at term their body will hold off labour until they are on the mend again - this is a basic biological function designed to ensure that she is physically able to birth her baby.

While the baby is in utero it is getting antibodies and as long as she isn't running a screaming temperature the baby will be fine.

RE the scary news reports about pregnant women and swine flu. A percentage of pregnant women will end up very, very sick every single year with ANY strain of flu. This is because pregnancy temporarily suppresses the immune system so they are more susceptible and get sicker because their ability to fight it off is compromised. If they have an underlying medical condition their risk is increased. The babies are generally affected by prematurity related to the mother's condition, rather than flu itself. This has been the case with the swine flu ones in the news as well.

And that is leaving out the risks associated with induction of labour generally...which are not insignificant.

[2CheekyMonkeys]

yeah that all makes sense actually.. i guess we just freaked out a bit. your right, bub is probably safer in than out, hopefully she will be over the flu by time bub arrives... i just hope her family dont get sick cause i'm sure she wont want bub near em!