If you're pregnant and you haven't had chickenpox, or you're not sure if you have, avoid contact with anyone who has chickenpox or shingles.
If you do come into close contact with someone who has chickenpox or shingles, get medical advice immediately.
A GP can do a blood test to check if you're immune to the chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster virus, or VZV).
If you are not, they may recommend antiviral medicine to reduce the risk of infection, and make the infection milder and not last as long.
What does 'close contact' mean?
Close contact means:
- you have had face-to-face contact, such as a conversation
- you have been in the same room for at least 15 minutes
What's the treatment if I'm not immune?
Treatment can reduce the risk of rare complications that chickenpox can cause during pregnancy.
Antiviral medicine will not necessarily stop chickenpox from developing but will make it milder and not last as long.
The medicine is started 7 days after the first contact with someone with chickenpox, and is taken for 7 days. This may be extended if you get chickenpox.
For more information, see How is chickenpox treated during pregnancy?
Antiviral medicine reduces the risk of a rare condition called foetal varicella syndrome (FVS) affecting the unborn baby, although there is still a small risk of this happening.
Read the answers to more questions about pregnancy.