Question
Does vomiting when you’re pregnant make transmission more likely?
9 August 2012. Related: All topics, Children, HIV transmission, Pregnancy.
I just want to find out if there is a chance my baby will be HIV negative if I used to vomit aluvia and lamzid during my pregnancy. I started taking it at 5 months.
I informed my doctor about it and he prescribed vomidon which worked 4 only a week. I would vomit either in the morning or afternoon and sometimes both times. At 35 weeks my viral load was undetectable and CD4 count dropped from 598 to 548. At 37 weeks I stopped taking medication because the baby would kick harder.
My baby’s father is HIV negative. Is there a chance my baby is negative?
I am waiting 4 her results and am very scared to get them. Please reply
Answer
Firstly, I am sorry you went through such a difficult time during your pregnancy. I hope that things have settled down for you in terms of your general health. Can I ask if this is your first baby? How is she doing generally? And have you got family or friends supporting you as you recover from the delivery?
I can appreciate your worry in terms of the uncertainty as you wait for your baby’s test results. This is quite common. I have worked with many positive mothers who say that waiting for the baby’s result to come through can be quite an anxious time.
You mention that you used to throw up in the morning and evening. Would this be immedietley after you had taken the medication or some hours later? It is likely that the medication would have been absorbed in your body by the time you threw up. This is because, on average, Lamzid is absorbed into the body between 30 minutes – 2 hours after you take it.
You mention too that your viral load was undetectable at 35 weeks.Having an undetectable viral load indicates that the medication was working well. Did you deliver shortly after that? It may help you to know that the aim of ARVs is to get your viral load to undetectable levels by the time you deliver. Having an undetectable viral load at this time is the main way of preventing transmission to the baby.
There is therefore, a chance that your baby could be negative. However, and I can appreciate this is not easy for you. The only way you will confirm this for sure is to be strong and go for the results.
Good luck with the results and please let us know if we can help further or again in the future.
Best wishes.
Hi Mandy,
Congratulations on your pregnancy.
Being sick when you’re pregnancy is very common, its called morning sickness. It usually goes after the 12th week of pregnancy.
With regards to will you being sick affect your ARVs, what time of the day are you taking them? If you aren’t taking them in the morning when you’re being sick, then you’ll be OK.
Because you’re pregnant, you may find our HIV and pregnancy guide helpful:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
Hi,
I am 7 weeks pregnant and I’ve been HIV positive since 2005. I started ARVs in November 2016. I throw up most mornings. Is my baby safe? And are my ARVs absorbed in my blood by then?
Thank you
Mandy
Hi Tendai,
Congratulations on your pregnancy.
As long as you aren’t sick as soon as your take your meds, you and your baby will be OK. If you’re in the first trimester, the vomiting should begin to ease after week 12.
Because you’re pregnant you might find our HIV and pregnancy guide helpful:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
I’m pregnant and I’m taking my ARVS at night. My problem is that I vomit sometimes during the day, is my baby safe? Thank you.
Hi Nompendulo,
Congratulations on your pregnancy.
Heartburn is common during pregnancy, more so in the later stages. Therefore, your ARVs are unlikely to be causing this, or the vomiting.
With regards to your baby. As you are on ARVs this is the best way to reduce risks of transmission. The risk is even less if you have an undetectable viral load. For more information on HIV and pregnancy please see:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
Good luck.
Hi
I am 36weeks pregnant and I found out that I am HIV+ about 3months ago. I have been on arvs since then. But lately I vomit a lot and sometimes experience heartburn after taking the pill.I would like to know if are there any chances that my unborn baby could be infected too.
Hi,
It is great that you are on treatment. It will help make sure that your baby does not have HIV.
You will already have absorbed the medication that you have taken the night before. You should talk to your clinic or doctor about getting sick in the morning. It may be a caused by being pregnant rather than by your HIV meds.
Hi i’m HIV positive and pregnant. I started my treatment in my first semester but the problem is that i always throw up in the morning. Is my baby safe and i want o if the medication has worked already if i throw up in the morning. I take my medication 9:30 at night.
Hello Bonisiwe
Thank you for getting back to me.
It’s good to know that your boyfriend and brother are very supportive.
I do appreciate your worry. However, unfortunately, the only way you will confirm for sure, will be to go for the result.
At least that way you will know for sure.
Wishing you lots of luck.
Angelina
Thnx 4 a reply. I delivered at week 40. My boyfriend nd brother r spportve, they r the only ones who knw. I would throw sometyms immediately sometyms after a short period. Don’t u think hiv gets a chance the time i throw and no medication in the blood. Also they ddnt give me NVP during labour nd delivery am worried