Question
Will my CD4 count drop after I give birth?
22 March 2012. Related: Pregnancy.
My CD4 count is 1120 and I am pregnant. Will it drop after I give birth?
Answer
Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy. Are you in touch with other positive pregnant women? I ask because because many women like yourself find it helpful to share experiences and ways of coping with being positive and pregnant.
In response to your question, being pregnant may cause a drop in your CD4 count. This is not uncommon. This drop is usually about 50 cells, but it can vary a lot. This drop is only temporary. Your CD4 count will generally return to your pre-pregnancy levels soon after the baby is born. Therefore, generally, giving birth should not cause a drop in your CD4 count.
You did not specify whether you have started treatment. The WHO (World Health Organisation) treatment guidelines recommend treatment for all HIV positive pregnant women. This is even if they do not need it for their health. What has your doctor advised?
Your CD4 count is very good at 1120 copies. However, it is important that you take ARVs (antiretroviral treatment for HIV) during pregnancy. ARVs will not only maintain your good CD4 count, they will also reduce your viral load to an undetectable level. Viral load refers to the amount of virus in your body. An undetectable viral load means there is very little virus present. Having an undetectable viral load by the time of delivery, is the main way of preventing transmission of HIV to your baby.
You may find it useful to read our guide to HIV pregnancy and women’s health. The guide answers a lot of general questions you may have around HIV and pregnancy.
Good luck for the rest of your pregnancy.
Hi Kess,
Has your viral load ever been less than 50 copies ml?
Iam taking my ART medication for two years now, before I got pregnant ( 3 months now), and my viral load is 127, is my baby safe during delivery? And am still on the ART medication.
Hi Anami,
What is your viral load result? Taking ART can reduce your viral load to undetectable, which means it’s below 50 copies/mL. Being undetectable can protect your baby from HIV.
A CD4 count of 516 is strong. So you can talk to the doctor about your viral load result and having a baby.
Here are the most asked questions about having a baby.
Hii.
My cd4 516… N my hubby cd4 263… Can i go to pregnenchy….. We take ART from 5month
If someone is otherwise in good health, HIV status or CD4 count should not be related to any higher risk for the women during pregnancy. It should be the same as for an HIV negative women with similar medical history.
if the CD4 is below 200 what are the chances of a woman surviving at giving birth
Hi Gloria,
AZT monotherapy (where only one drug is used) is a good way to prevent passing HIV to your baby. In the UK some women will have AZT to prevent mother to child transmission. In the UK this is only recommended for women with a high CD4 count and a low viral load. This is different in different countries though. Do you know what your CD4 and viral loads are?
Im on AZT (zidovudine) hiv and pregnant is AZT good for me and my baby?