Possible Parasite - Okay to be in Delivery Room?

by S
(Toronto)

My sister is about to go into labor at any moment. I am supposed to be one of her helpers in the Delivery Room. I am concerned that with the possibility of an intestinal parasite I will not be allowed in.

About a month ago my boyfriend starting having severe abdominal pains after eating (but not every time).


Then about 2 weeks ago I also started having severe abdominal pains after eating (again, not every time). There doesn't seem to be any pattern to the pain (ie. no specific foods/drinks makes it worse or better).


The last time I experienced this pain was this past Saturday. My boyfriend's pain has seemed to subside over the last week.


We have both been to different doctors and submitted blood and stool samples but have not received any results yet.

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Hi S,

First let me say congratulations on the birth of your new niece or nephew. I hope your sister has an easy delivery and a very healthy new baby. How wonderful for all of you.


My personal thought is that it is safe for you to be in the delivery room even if you have an intestinal parasite. It's quite likely that most of the other people in the room have one too, whether they realize it or not at the moment. :)


The precautions I would take are to thoroughly wash your hands before going, scrubbing/brushing your fingernails with a nail brush, just to be on the safe side. The hands are one of the usual ways of transferring the most common intestinal parasites.


So, if your hands are clean, you are cutting down your risk of transfer to the greatest extent.


Intimate contact is also one of the usual ways of transferring parasites, so that may be how you ended up with them if your boyfriend was the first to have them.


Meanwhile, you BOTH should give yourselves an intestinal cleanse so that you don't keep passing it back and forth. Try Herbal Fiberblend as it's the best safe and natural cleanse I know of on the market.


To your good health - and to your sister and baby, too!
Angie