Exposure to Whooping Cough

[UntoldAngel]

So FIL calls me today to let me know he was just diagnosed with whooping cough

I'm 36+4 pregnant, and DS is 16months, and we have fairly regular contact with the ILs, well when they have time for us anyway , but we seen FIL 3 times this past week. Who knows how long he has had it, and generally speaking you're considered infectious for the first 3weeks if not treated early

DS has been cranky the past couple of days and developed a bit of a cough yesterday after waking up with a snotty nose... please we don't get it

[Janie71]

Hoping you don't get.

*hugs*

Janie xxx

[Cranky Kitten]

It's a tough one - a friend of mine had it recently, she had no idea until her cough just wouldn't go away even though Drs kept saying it was just asthma or a chest infection - wasn't until one cluey doc made her get a nasal swab that it was diagnosed.

I'd suggest have a chat with your GP and get your DS tested to be on the safe side, as once antibiotics are started they need to be quarantined for 5 days. Fingers crossed it's just a cold but better to know for sure

[Kazzo]

DD1 and I were exposed to it when I was 38 wks (by my doctor). We both had to be tested just to make sure. I would go and ask to be tested.

[UntoldAngel]

Thanks girls. I see my ob today so will mention it to her as well - given everything else that is going on at the moment, whooping cough is not something I want to add to it!

[belle75]

I would go to the GP asap and ask for antibiotics (erythromycin or clarithromycin are the ones that work) just in case. By the time they diagnose, it's just too late. It's a shame but most gp's are actually quite ignorant when it comes to vaccinations and things like whooping cough. I would NOT take any chances. Since you are at the late stage of preg, chances of infecting bub at birth is high. AB's won't treat whooping cough but make symptoms more bearable and reduces spread of infection. I would get everyone in your family on ab's.
I got whooping cough at 28 weeks and it was SEVERE for 15 weeks! I would not wish that on anyone. Even after going to 2 dr's and 3 visits later (after recommendations from the drug info centre at major hosp), the dr's failed to do anything and only gave me ab's after 5 wks - needless to say it was ineffective at this stage. I got it off a colleague at work. He got ab's asap and the difference in our symptoms were collosal! I suffered for weeks and he just had a mild/moderate cough for a few weeks.
Not trying to scare you or anything - sorry! but there is so little info out there. Good luck, hun