So this is a very personal question I'm going to be asking and I hope nobody's going to judge me. A couple years ago I…
So this is a very personal question I'm going to be asking and I hope nobody's going to judge me. A couple years ago I had a drug problem, and I used a needle for the first and only time one night, I had my friend do it for me and I asked him if it was a clean needle and he said yes and then after he gave me the injection he said "oh shit I just used this one actually" and he said "I hope you don't get sick" and I said "what do you have AIDS or something" and you said "no I have Hep C" so I went to the doctors and got tested and it was positive for hep C, I had a couple blood test done and my doctor told me that I no longer had hep C but I do still have antibodies to it, and that I am still contagious and still will have some liver damage, but it's very very mild, the levels of the virus in my blood is pretty much close to zero, but it is still there. I was told that I am a hep C carrier. Is any of you ladies experience this being pregnant while having hep C and breastfeeding while having it?
Mimi·
I’m assuming your doctors know so they may take measures for baby idk how it’s passed but it can be passed to baby I don’t think it could be passed breastfeeding unless your nipples were cracked and you bled but all in all ask your doctors to see what they say what are the chances for baby in the future especially if you want to bf you know
Deleted·
No girl I'm a herpes carrier though.
L.G.·
No experience or judgment here. But you are brave to tell your story, good luck with everything
Amy ·
Мама двоих (7 лет, 11 лет), ждёт третьего
Thanks guys. Yes, my OB knows and she said it's very rare to pass it to the baby during pregnancy, but yes if I breastfeed and my nipple cracks that could be a problem.. I'm so nervous to pass it to him.. I feel awful..
Buddhist Mama·
Lots of people are carriers. From what I have read you might have an increased risk of you getting gallstones and the baby having jaundice because having hep c makes your gallbladder slow down the rate at which it empties.
This article says "The risk of a pregnant woman passing the hepatitis C virus to her unborn child has been related to the levels of quantitative RNA levels in her blood, and also whether she is also HIV positive. The risk of transmission to the infant is less (0 to 18%) if the mother is HIV negative and if she has no history of i.v. drug use or of blood transfusions. Transmission of the virus to the fetus is highest in women with hepatitis C RNA titer greater than 1 million copies/mL. Mothers without hepatitis C RNA levels detected did not transmit hepatitis C infection to their infants."
More information can be found here:
http://www.hepatitiscentral.com/hcv/hepatitis/pregnancy/
Buddhist Mama·
I would use a nipple shield while breastfeeding. That will reduce risk of bleeding. 💜
Buddhist Mama·
Dont let anyone discourage you from breastfeeding. You don't have to have him latch. You can pump and feed him and he won't have a chance of being exposed to your blood. And like I said nipple shields prevent bleeding too because they protect you completely from biting and nipples getting dried and cracking from feeding repetitively.
Amy ·
Мама двоих (7 лет, 11 лет), ждёт третьего
@rach.robinson yeah I know, I'd never be able to live with myself..
Amy ·
Мама двоих (7 лет, 11 лет), ждёт третьего
@believeinbuddha yeah my ob said the virus is inactive right now the levels are extremely low, but I guess that can change, but it's rare. Don't have hiv, thank God. I'm seeing a GI specialist about it soon so I'll be asking lot's of questions. Thanks guy's!