[mrsjanowski]

My friend is having a birthday party for her 1 year old this Saturday...and I really want to go, but she found out the other day that she has MRSA. She's having the party anyway and is taking bactrim, an antibiotic to treat it, but I just don't know if I should go.... especially being pregnant. I tried doing a google search about what could happen during pregnancy if I were to catch it from her, and it says that it can cause complications during pregnany but most of all it can be spread to the fetus during birth. It also said that the antibiotic used to treat it could also be harmful to the fetus. I also read something on another site that was contradicting!! Of course!! It says that the MRSA & treatments are not known to cause birth defects or miscarriages and CAN be treated during pregnancy without knowledge of it causing birth defects. Grrrr!

I know she is on bactrim to treat it and she always says that if your on an antibiotic for over a period of time, it's not "catchy" to others, but I can't find much on the information on how true this is or not. Does anyone know a little more about this, also what would you do if you were me??

[brettsbabe]

i am a pediatric nurse, so unfortunately, i deal with MRSA a lot. where is her MRSA infection located? typically it is a boil or rash on her body somewhere, or it can be in the blood or mucus.

[lace7725]

I think if I was in your shoes I would have to miss this one. If your friend might me upset then maybe a little white lie with being sick and can not make it.

"There are two major ways people become infected with MRSA. The first is physical contact with someone who is either infected or is a carrier (people who are not infected but are colonized with the bacteria on their body) of MRSA. The second way is for people to physically contact MRSA on any objects such as door handles, floors, sinks, or towels that have been touched by an MRSA-infected person or carrier."

Best of luck to you!

[mrsjanowski]

brettsbabe, she did say that there were several on her legs and I believe some on her abdomen.

[foxxy]

Kimberely,

I think I would have to miss the party if it were me. I'm such a worry wort, and DH wouldn't let me go either. Better to be safe than sorry!

[Kellileanne]

I would skip it!

[brettsbabe]

yeah, when someone has an active outbreak like that, those "bumps" or "rashes" can leak pus and all that good stuff (yummy, I know...), and that is one of the ways that it is spread. granted, i have no choice in my job but to be around sick kiddos all day, but i am a handwashing freak as well.

to be cautious, i'd prolly skip the shindig until shes done with the antibiotics, just to be safe. besides, you would end up driving yourself bonkers wondering the whole time. kids aren't the cleanest of creatures, and proper handwashing is not exactly their strong point haha.

just tell your friend that you spoke to a nurse and she gave you advice

[mrsjanowski]

Well thank you all, I am skipping the birthday party!! I also called my OBGYN before I came back to read all the posts and my nurse advised me to also steer clear of this!

[annie]

Kimberly - I know you've already made your decision (which I totally agree with) but wanted to share this with you.

My dd contacted a staph infection (2 types of staph) but not MRSA & it was just such a pain in the butt to get rid of. I had to wash her twice a day, use a topical antibiotic that cost $60 for a small tube & had to get two of them & she was on two rounds of antibiotics so for about a month.

Anyway, despite all my precautions (wearing gloves, washing all her stuff immediately in hot water & bleach) Let me tell you I did tons of laundry every day. I still got it on my left breast & it was really painful. I ended up on antibiotics, which I had a bad reaction to.

I was so frustrated with the whole ordeal because this staph just did not want to go away. She is finally clear, thank God.

It is certainly not worth the risk & this wasn't even MRSA staph. I'm glad you decided not to go to the party. I can't even imagine having a party with active MRSA in my house. I don't think anyone would come, knowing the seriousness of it.

Maybe everyone will feel the same way & she can reschedule the party.

[jenedens6102]

Annie, I remember you talking about a red and painful breast - so sorry to hear it was a staph infection you got from your daughter.

Kimberly, I'm glad that you've decided not to attend the party. Between talking to your OB nurse and the ladies on here it sounds like the best decision for all of you. Hopefully your friend understands, it was nice of her to let you know in advance but unfortunately it's not the best place for you to be right now.

[mrsjanowski]

Wow Annie, that is a lot to deal with... it seems as what I have read in your post, through what I have read and by talking with my OB, this can still be spread even through taking antibiotics!! I really don't want to deal with anything like this, especially being pregnant and having a 5 year old!!

I think I'm going to tell her to talk with her doctor to see if they would advise her to have the party until it's resolved, because in my opinion she shouldn't be opening this up to other people.. I'm sure they'll end up telling her that it's not a good idea.. I don't want to just pop out and say, "well you shouldn't have this party...." and her think I am being rude or disgusted by it. She should hear this from someone professional!

[stayingpositive]

I would skip it as well...your pregnancy and health are too important...

[libragirl72]

I'm glad you decided not to go...I would skip it too.
It is not worth the risk to your children. Even if you don't catch anything...there is the possibility of carrying it and passing it on.

[annie]

Originally Posted by mrsjanowski

Wow Annie, that is a lot to deal with... it seems as what I have read in your post, through what I have read and by talking with my OB, this can still be spread even through taking antibiotics!! I really don't want to deal with anything like this, especially being pregnant and having a 5 year old!!

I think I'm going to tell her to talk with her doctor to see if they would advise her to have the party until it's resolved, because in my opinion she shouldn't be opening this up to other people.. I'm sure they'll end up telling her that it's not a good idea.. I don't want to just pop out and say, "well you shouldn't have this party...." and her think I am being rude or disgusted by it. She should hear this from someone professional!

Yeah, I see what you mean. She should hear it from a professional. We went to our dermatologist who really had us take precautions & like I said, it wasn't even MRSA staph. He thought it was at first & of course I went online & read all these horror stories & it just worried me more. Then there was something on tv, like 20/20 or Primetime that talked about it & how hard it is to get rid of. I felt so sorry for my dd (age 6) who had to go through all of this too & didn't really understand why everyday before school she had to shower (at 6:30 AM) before she could get dressed, etc. Let us know what happens.