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Even with genital herpes, you can still have a healthy baby. But you and your healthcare provider need to be aware and careful. If you have genital herpes, it’s possible the baby will get herpes, also called “neonatal herpes.” This condition can cause serious harm to the baby.
If you’re pregnant and uninfected, but your partner has herpes, it’s wise not to have sex during your third trimester. If you get infected late in pregnancy and are shedding virus (with or without symptoms) at delivery, there’s a 30% to 50% chance that the baby will get herpes.
If you plan to get pregnant and know you have genital herpes, be sure to tell your healthcare provider you have herpes. He or she can address any concerns that you may have and properly monitor your pregnancy. If you’re infected early in your pregnancy or before you become pregnant, the risk of passing herpes to your baby is less than 1% (as long as you do not have signs or symptoms of an outbreak at the time of delivery). So, when you go into labor, you should be checked for symptoms. If there are no symptoms, you can usually deliver vaginally. If there are symptoms, you may have to deliver by Cesarean section to reduce the baby’s risk of getting herpes. Only your healthcare provider can determine what is best for you.
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