https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:47:39 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/3#post-1503377 Wed, 19 Mar 2014 07:05:52 +0000 Happygal 1503377@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: people still do that around here today! They'll get lollipops and pass them around for the kids to spread the germs. Someone drove from hours away to bring her kids to the pox party--it made the news. I would never want my kids to go through that though based on my horrible experience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/3#post-1503360 Wed, 19 Mar 2014 06:50:52 +0000 Mamaof2 1503360@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes when I was 2.<br /> I was born in the 70's and if someone had the chicken pox everyone came over to try to get their kid infected too! I guess they wanted to get done and over with it?? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/3#post-1503304 Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:37:22 +0000 loveisstrange 1503304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, when I was less than a year old. I had shingles in college also. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503268 Wed, 19 Mar 2014 04:08:03 +0000 SugarplumsMom 1503268@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I got it in the 3rd grade. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503265 Wed, 19 Mar 2014 04:02:17 +0000 Purpledaisy 1503265@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Never had it! And I really hope that I never do! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503179 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:41:51 +0000 MrsRcCar 1503179@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: I think it is required. To be honest I am not sure. I just feel like it isn't 100% needed right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503168 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:34:56 +0000 cyndistar3 1503168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I got it twice after being vaccinated... just glorious :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503161 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:26:51 +0000 Woolly Mammoth 1503161@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had it when I was 12, about 3 years before the vaccine was available. It was awful, and I have some scarring. </p> <p>We will definitely have our son vaccinated. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503149 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:12:50 +0000 coopsmama 1503149@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you all for your answers in this thread. This has been a fascinating discussion! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503127 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:51:39 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1503127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsRcCar: does your state require that vaccine? It is one of the required ones here. I haven't vaxed J with that one yet, I'm undecided what to do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503126 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:50:50 +0000 MrsRcCar 1503126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have had them 3 times. No joke the last two times I was in college. Talk about embarrassing. N is almost 18 months and I have no plan to vax against it until completely needed (ie school). Same plan with E. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503114 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:30:15 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1503114@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Grace: not a bad idea! I'll ask my doctor at my next physical. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503113 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:29:45 +0000 Beebug 1503113@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Like @swurlygurl:, @MrsStar:, and @cheert16: I had it twice, too! I have never heard of anyone else having it twice, and given how next near impossible it is to get twice (apparently?) it is "nice" to hear I'm not the only one!</p> <p>I got it at 10m severely, everywhere, every nook and cranny. I have a scar on the tip of my nose from that round. Got it again at age 8. The doctor didn't even believe my Mom and had her bring me to emerg, so I'm pretty sure between having it twice, my Grandma enduring 8m of Shingles, I will likely get Shingles down the road too, owwie. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503112 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:28:34 +0000 Grace 1503112@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: You can get your titres measured now. If they are high, you can rest easy. And I would definitely get them measured again when you are pregnant. Just to be sure the vaccine "took". </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503108 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:24:22 +0000 mamimami 1503108@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I got it when I was in 7th grade and it was awful! My parents just figured I was immune or had had an unnoticeable case but they were so wrong. I had them on the bottoms of my feet and inside my mouth. Yuck. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503102 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:16:44 +0000 MrsSCB 1503102@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: it's true that you can still get it after vaccination, but like the flu, it's almost always a very mild case if you've been vaccinated. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503098 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:13:02 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1503098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSCB: I am scared though, because we all know that no vaccine is 100% effective. I'm still scared that I could get chickenpox, even if I've been vaxed for it. I have heard it's so much worse as an adult. And isn't it really bad for a pregnant woman to get it? I guess I would feel more at ease knowing I had it and gained the natural immunity, if that makes sense. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503095 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:10:52 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1503095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Grace: they didn't. They should have, though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503094 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:10:16 +0000 Grace 1503094@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: Did they check you antibody titres before you got your vaccine? Maybe you did catch the chickenpox, but your body fought it off before you got symptoms.</p> <p>@MrsMcD: I'm not 100% sure, but I'm guessing the vaccine is actually to prevent shingles. Shingles is incredibly painful and can come back again and again. When you get the chickenpox, your body fights off the virus, and the virus goes dormant in your nervous system. Later on, it can be reactivated, which causes shingles. If you vaccinate against chickenpox, you won't get shingles. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503092 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:07:06 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 1503092@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was 8-months old when I got it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503081 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 21:59:43 +0000 Happygal 1503081@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsMcD: I had them in my nose. Inside my ears. Everywhere. They popped and some got infected. My genitals--I would cry bc it hurt to pee and my mom stood over me with a cup of water to pour to help with the stinging. I know that's TMI territory, but I want to explain how bad it can be. It was hard to wear clothing. I would never want my child to go through that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503074 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 21:55:09 +0000 MrsSCB 1503074@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsMcD: well, I imagine part of it is because people think even if most kids don't die or suffer from severe complications, why let your kid get sick if they don't have to? But also, if you've had chicken pox, the virus remains dormant in your body and can flare up into shingles later in life. My dad had shingles recently and it was extremely painful. I'm assuming avoiding the chicken pox would help you avoid that experience later, though I'm not positive!</p> <p>Eta: haha my reading skills need work, I see you mentioned shingles. But really I think it all just comes down to why suffer if you don't have to? If there was a vaccine against the common cold I would totally get it! :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1503013 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 21:17:41 +0000 Mrs. Sunshine 1503013@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chopsuey: I got it the day of my 5th birthday....what a present! lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1502990 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 21:03:10 +0000 GreenThumb 1502990@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Never had it as a child, was actually checked to see if I was immune (I wasn't) and then was vaccinated as a young adult. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1502898 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 20:17:59 +0000 birdofafeather 1502898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i had it in elementary school... maybe 1st or 2nd grade? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1502880 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 20:11:31 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1502880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsMcD: I think people just like having a vaccine for as many illnesses as possible - if they can avoid it, why not? I mean it'd be pretty cool if there were vaccines for much worse illnesses. There is a vaccine for a few illnesses that normally aren't fatal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1502861 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:59:48 +0000 mrsbookworm 1502861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had it in 7th grade. My mom and aunt tried to get my sister and cousin to "catch" it from me, but it didn't work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1502854 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:50:11 +0000 yellowbird 1502854@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep! I had it when I was 5! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1502845 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:44:15 +0000 cmomma17 1502845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Me, my sister and my mom all came down with the chicken pox at the same time AND my mom, sister and dad also had the flu. Epic, horrible, family sickness. My mom doesn't like to talk about it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-chicken-pox-growing-up/page/2#post-1502836 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:33:57 +0000 Elderberrygin 1502836@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsMcD: Its rare, but people in at-risk groups die from severe varicella, around 100 per year, plus around 10,000 hospitalizations per year prior to the vaccination being introduced. Similar groups to other viruses - the elderly, pregnant women, , people with compromised immune systems and young infants and just random, otherwise healthy people. Complications can include pneumonia, encephalitis and various infections in the sores themselves. </p> <p>Having grown up with an immune-compromised sibling who was effected (fortunately not long term) by varicella was what motivated me to vaccinate. </p>