Treated for Hep C, Now pregnant Please Help Lots of Questions

[Jazmin23]

Hello,
This is for Mommies or anyone who might know.

I got Hep C at 19 years old from my boyfriend. I was treated shortly after (within a year) with interferon and ribavirin. and suppossable I was cured. I am now 32 years old and married.  I'm now pregnant due in October with a baby Girl!!  My OB/GYN doesn't seem to know anything about HepC and pregnancy.
Here's my question, Even though I'm "cured", Don't I still carry the HepC Antiboties? Can't I still give that to someone else (Husband\Child)?
If so will I give this to my child at birth? Which is safest (less blood) csection or Vaginal? What about breastfeeding? Will my blood be in the milk? Only if my nipple bleeed? So I should always pump?
Are there any other women out there who have been treated and then had a baby?

Any Info would be great. I'm trying to post on the expert doctor form but there is not a post a question button, how do I do that?
Please Help! Thanks

[Diane12855]

"But do you guys think, my not healing well is because I've had my first baby at 32 and I'm old, or maybe my liver is failing? so my body is going down hill?"

I had my first baby at 33 and my last one at 44. My last pregnancy was the easies of all of them. YOU ARE YOUNG, MY DEAR!!! Don't think of yourself as old or you will start feeling old long before you need to, and believe me, once you really are old and can't do anything about it, you will wish you had enjoyed your young days much more than you did.

[Jazmin23]

Went to the doc, I may not have a liver problem but a gall bladder problem. Waiting for test results, I'll update with more info as I get it.
Thanks Everyone!!!

[JennyPenny2009]

Actually Jazmin, if you are truly nervous about it, your baby can have the HCV/RNA test now. That will show if she has virus in her blood, which I am sure she does not since you are clear. But that should put your mind totally at ease. Her antibodies will go away on their own. Having the viral load test now will let you relax now rather than later.

[Bill1954]

Hi again, Jazmin—

There’s really no reason for your baby to have been exposed to the Hep C virus, assuming you cleared it originally like you said. If your HCV RNA test is negative, or your doctor can otherwise offer proof you’re not infected, an antibody test at 18 months should be all that’s indicated for your child; and perhaps not even that. The doc will advise you when you reach that point.

If you like, you can read through Janis and Friends; it has all sorts of HCV info. I’ll link you to their page for newly diagnosed, but you can also read through the section ‘other HCV information’, located in the right-hand margin:

http://janis7hepc.com/have_you_been_just_diagnosed.htm

Best of luck to you and your family—

Bill

[Jazmin23]

Found it!!!!
"Common Hepatitis C Acronyms"
I have a lot to learn

[Jazmin23]

Thanks!!
No, I doubt I have been reinfected from a new source because I'm a super paranoid freak about everything, which leads to my stress and anxiety.

Can or Should my baby have an HCV RNA by PCR at 18 months? Is that a blood test? I just want to make sure she doesn't have Hep C.

And Is there a list of abbreviations and terminology somewhere? Becuase I'm reading through other posts but I don't know what any of this means, sorry for my ignorance

[JennyPenny2009]

Conratulations on the birth of your little one. The imformation already given is good. And as Bill said, the antibodies remain with the newborn until somewhere between 12-18 months. The one thing that might have been confusing is the protection aspect of antibodies. Antibodies from Hepatitis C are not protective. So even though you, and the baby, have the antibodies, they do not protect from getting hep C if you engage in behavior that can transmit the disease.

[Bill1954]

Hi Jasmine,

Welcome back, and congratulations with your new baby! Reading back through our original conversation, I can’t imagine why your liver would be failing, unless you’ve somehow managed to become reinfected from a new source, or have otherwise done something to injure it. As we discussed previously, if in doubt, request an ‘HCV RNA by PCR’ test to determine whether active virus is present.

I really can’t respond to your questions regarding childbirth… wrong plumbing and all :o)… you’re OBS/GYN should be able to respond to your questions about episiotomy etc…

Nice to know all worked out in the long run. Oh, and yes; they don’t generally check babies for HCV antibodies until eighteen months; maternal antibodies will remain in her from you until then, so that test wouldn’t be accurate.

Best to you—

Bill

[Jazmin23]

Hi
Just thought I'd come back and update this. So I had my sweet baby girl! She's just perfect!! The pedi said we could not test her for hepC until 18months, so I'm hoping she is OK.
Anyway during my pregancy I never went back to my HepC doc, I "thought" I was to busy and drained of energy to make an appt. Well, now that I have a 5 month old baby and work full time. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT BUSY WAS!!!! Now I think that pregancy was easy and I should have gotton my **** together!!!
Anyway the labor went OK, but I did not heal very well. I had to go back and get recut and stiched agian and I didn't heal well the 2nd time. (sorry TMI) but also I think I have been feeling my liver hurt. I drank some wine Sat. night, becuase I wanted it to help me sleep, having a baby and all, I have super anxiety!! about everything, and I can't sleep, otherwise I hardly drink. And that's when I felt my liver hurting

But do you guys think, my not healing well is because I've had my first baby at 32 and I'm old, or maybe my liver is failing? so my body is going down hill?

Anyway I have an appt. on the 13th this month and I will ask about HCV RNA negative. What else should I ask about? I'm way out of the loop on all this terminology, since my original treatment was so long ago.
Wish me luck
Is Bill still here?

sorry for the typos I wish this had spell check!!!

[newleaf09]

It would not be such a bad thing to give the antibodies to most viruses to our babies.  That's why we breast feed and our babies are not going to get measles, chicken pox or any other virus we have ever had.  Little babies gain our immunity and we don't have to be so worried that they'll get something serious when they are tiny.  Antibodies are a good thing and usually last long into our lives.

You no longer have the virus.  Transmission to the unborn is not especially common and would be impossible for you to pass on because it simply is not there.  It's not like needing to get a c-section if you have active herpes (don't know if they still do that, but they used to) or the practice of putting silver nitrate or antibiotics in babies' eyes to guard against gonnorhea.  Those things are absolutely unnecessary in your case and I want you to stop worrying about infecting that little darling right now.

[Bill1954]

If you no longer have Hep C (HCV), you are not infectious and can’t give anything to anyone. The antibodies are produced by our own bodies on response to the virus; you have them, the same as you’d have antibodies for chickenpox or measles, if you had them or were vaccinated against them.

However, it’s possible to catch HCV again if we’re exposed to it; even if we’ve had it before.

You should probably have a follow up appointment with your doctor to make sure everything is in good order. Your question to the doctor should be “am I HCV RNA negative”. HCV RNA is the active virus; you should not have this anymore, but will always test positive for antibodies, and will never be able to donate blood; it’s too expensive to run HCV RNA testing for periodic blood donation.

Just for future knowledge, there is less than 5% chance of transmitting HCV from mother to child with active virus; and HCV does not travel through breast milk :o).

Good luck with your pregnancy and new child,

Bill

[Jazmin23]

I should have metioned that I haven't seen my HepC doctor in about 8 years. Should I go look him up and get a check up? I really haven't even thought about this before now.


Everyone,
Life does go on after HepC, a great Life!! Good luck to all of you.

[Jazmin23]

Really? Wow! I thought my blood would always be tainted!
So my blood is no harm to anyone?? I can never give it to anyone is that correct?
I thought that if they don't have the antibodies, then it would give them the disease.
When I have had regular Hep C test over the years, it always comes back postitve, when I asked my HepC doctor about this he said that was the normal and it will always do that because of the antibodies.
I've never donated blood, and freak out if someone is around me if I have a cut or something, fearing I would get my blood on them.

[Bill1954]

Hi Jazmin, you’re fine! Don’t worry about anything :o). The antibodies are produced by your own body, and won’t hurt either you or the baby. They are not something that is even remotely contagious; relax.

Glad to hear you beat the disease; my initial concern was that you were currently undergoing treatment, and became pregnant during that time. The treatment drugs themselves can harm the fetus, but nothing to worry about if it’s been more than six months since HCV treatment. Take care,

Bill