ob chandler

There are few things that alarm patients more that hearing that they have antibodies to herpes in their blood. What they hear is “I have herpes” even though this isn’t always the case. Many times, tests for herpes antibodies are included in STD panels and in routine blood work for newly pregnant woman. These tests look for evidence of prior exposure to either the Herpes I or Herpes II virus. A positive result can occur if a person has ever been exposed to these viruses. Exposure could happen by coming into contact with the virus through oral or genital contact, even by a kiss from someone with a cold sore.

While Herpes I is usually oral and Herpes II usually genital- either can be found in the other location. Someone who has either herpes virus can be contagious without even having a lesion and pass along the virus unknowingly. Alternatively, a person can have be exposed to the virus and develop antibodies without ever having an outbreak. Just because the antibodies are in the bloodstream does not mean that an outbreak will ever occur. These antibodies can lay dormant for years or even decades. Most of the time, if one partner in an ongoing relationship has antibodies to Herpes, the other person does too. This can be verified with blood work.

In conclusion, the presence of Herpes antibodies on a blood test does not mean that an outbreak of Herpes will ever occur. However, in times of physical or emotional stress, or when the immune system is suppressed (like during pregnancy), there is a higher risk of an outbreak. For this reason, we use preventative antiviral medicines to prevent Herpes outbreaks at the end of pregnancy. More information regarding the Herpes viruses and their diagnosis and treatment can be found at my Mesa Ob/gyn office.

Tamar Gottfried is a Board Certified Obstetrician/ gynecologist practicing general Ob/gyn in Mesa Arizona and affiliated with Banner Desert and Banner Gateway Medical Centers. She can be contacted at 480-545-0059. This is a general interest article only and is not intended to be medical advice. See a medical professional before making medical decisions

Chandler Obgyn Tamar Gottfried discusses why you should deliver your baby in a hospital;

In past centuries, most of the babies in this country were born at home with midwives. Infant and maternal deaths were not an uncommon occurrence. Over the years, more and more births were done in hospitals by physicians, and labor and delivery became a medical event. The availability of safe cesarean delivery, antibiotics, epidurals and advanced neonatal care improved the safety of the labor and delivery process for moms and babies.

In more recent decades, there has been another shift in opinion to a care model that allows moms to have the safety of hospital delivery with some of the comforts of home. Long gone are the routine shaving and enemas and episiotomies of the past. Now, hospital based labor and delivery units can offer bedroom-like rooms, wireless fetal monitors, birthing balls and squat bars and nursing support and encouragement for a natural delivery with the safety of operating rooms and neonatal teams minutes away for the rare emergencies that happen.

While the majority of labors are uneventful and proceed without incident, emergencies can occur without warning. A perfectly normal labor and delivery for an experienced mom can turn scary in minutes if the placenta stops working suddenly, a baby’s shoulder gets stuck, a baby doesn’t breathe at delivery or if bleeding doesn’t stop after the baby is born. While some women are classified as “high risk” during the pregnancies and these types of problems are anticipated, obstetric emergencies can happen to anyone. For this reason, hospital delivery brings a level of comfort and security for expectant parents.

Home birth has been around since the dawn of humanity and, under the care of experienced midwives, continues to be an option for low risk women. As my colleague puts it- if you ride on the freeway at 100 mph on a motorcycle without a helmet, you may make it to your destination, but you are taking a risk. It is the same with home birth- it can be safe, but when unexpected events occur, transfer to a hospital is a necessity and the time it takes to get there can critical for mom and baby.

In the instances when emergencies develop, I am always happy to be practicing in the safety of a hospital like Banner Desert Medical Center, with a a level 3 Neonatal ICU, a full children’s hospital, and 24 hour neonatologist on site , with advanced techniques to stop maternal bleeding available, with 3 operating rooms staffed and ready to go, with high risk pregnancy consultants and ultrasound right there, and with anesthesiologists assigned 24/7 to the maternity ward. My patients who choose to have a more natural, unmedicated delivery can do so in a safe and supportive environment. That is why, as an Ob Gyn in Mesa, I recommend hospital delivery for my patients.

My gyn just told me I have antibodies to Herpes in my blood. What does this mean??

I’m not sick, I’m pregnant! Why should I deliver in a hospital?