2nd Trimester

What should I do?

So my sister just called me to tell me that her kids have lice. They are being treated for it today. My husband and I are suppose to go to her house for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. I am freaking out because I obviously don't want to get lice. And I read that if a pregnant woman gets lice-doctors do not reccommend the medicated lice treatments-its harmful to the baby. So my question is....Should I just stay home??? My husband doesnt think we should risk it. This really sucks because it is Christmas and I was really looking forward to seeing them.

Re: What should I do?

  • I would go bc I'm sure she's treating and cleaning like crazy.

    Keep your hair in a bun while you're there and let it go. Google some alternative treatments to be on the safe side but don't skip Christmas over it.
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  • I would stay home. hopefully she will understand.
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  • Didn't you just ask this?

    ETA: Nevermind, I see it was over on our BMB. I thought you got a lot of good answers there. https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/70791039.aspx

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  • Wow, deja vu. :)

    I stand by my answer from yesterday, but hopefully posting here will get you a little bit more variety in opinions. 

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  • May be don't wash you hair on christmas and christmas eve if you decide to go. Lice actually like clean people and i know it sounds weird but i remember learning that in one of my nursing classes. Good luck!
  • put your hair up and put a hat or bandana on. i'm sure you'll be fine. 
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  • Put your hair in the twist that you need to take your panties out of.
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  • I'm not sure if there's a right answer. With my life and how busy it is right now I don't know if I could take the chance of getting lice and the extra work that it would entail. You know your life better than any of us. There's obviously a chance that you would get lice so you need to weigh out the pros and cons. 
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  • I don't believe for a second that the lice treatment shampoo is harmful for pregnant women

    If you're worried, put your hair up in a bun and don't touch the kids heads.
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  • Thanks for all the advice...Sorry if I repeated myself to others. Just wanted to see if I could get more replies:) So I decided to go....I bought Paul Mitchell Tea tree shampoo and conditioner. I read that it repels the lice-they don't like the smell. I don't know if that is true but can't hurt to try. I am going to wear my hair in a high bun and pray for the best!! And of course I will watch that I am not too close to the kiddos.. The thought of staying home makes me sad so I am going. I am not spending the night-just a few hours on Christmas Eve night and then I will go back for a bit on Christmas morning. My sister said that her ex-husband has treated them and even cut their hair. He says he hasn't seen anymore since....Still freaked out but I will take precautions. Thanks for answering my question. I am a bit of a worrier:)
  • I'm sure both of you are aware, but if all they've done is treated the kids hair, they are far from done. The entire house, car, any clothes that were out at all, towels, etc all need to be cleaned in super not water, frozen, vacuumed or stored in an airtight bag for the required time. If she hasn't done all that, no way would I go.
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  • My kids' hairstylist recommended we load them up with hairspray and gel when lice was running rampant through their schools!  My son kept talking about his "fake" hair...there was so much gel in it, it was crunchy and shiny!  haha.  I'd load yourself up with product and put your hair in a tight bun, like the others have suggested.  Good luck!
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  • imagebrighteyedbride:
    My kids' hairstylist recommended we load them up with hairspray and gel when lice was running rampant through their schools!  My son kept talking about his "fake" hair...there was so much gel in it, it was crunchy and shiny!  haha.  I'd load yourself up with product and put your hair in a tight bun, like the others have suggested.  Good luck!

    This is exactly what the nurse tells us to do at my school.  Sad they had their hair cut.....was that necessary?

     

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  • I would not risk it. It really does suck, but you have to put the baby first.

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  • imageyeliza h:

    I would not risk it. It really does suck, but you have to put the baby first.

    IT'S FINE

     AND OP -- that's sad that the girls had to get their hair cut. I used to be a stylist and cutting their hair shorter does not get rid of lice because they stay at the SCALP. SO anything short of shaving their heads does nothing. 

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  • I would go.  I don't think it is very common for adults to catch lice for some reason (ie,  I have never heard of an adult with lice, just kids).  Wash your hair with tea tree oil shampoo before you go if you are worried.  Cost Cutters sells it.
  • I just want to second the idea of having dirty hair too. I have naturally greasy hair (yay for me!) and growing up I would play hair with the neighbors all of the time. They always got lice and I've still never had it. I thank my greasy genes for that every time I think about it. 
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  • The kids are with their father this weekend. My sister gets them tomorrow...He buzzed cut Colby and Charlotte had long hair and he cut it into a bob...I guess. My sister threw out their pillows and bought new ones and washed all bedding in hot water...

  • Another good trick is to coat your hair in Olive Oil and wrap it in a towel tonight. Use the tea tree oil in the shower tomorrow and then soak your head overnight again in Olive Oil. The nits do not like how greasy it is and is a great natural conditioner for your hair.  

     

    Being a teacher if I hear that lice is going around I will do this a couple times a week.  Knock on wood no live for me.

     

    Good luck and Merry Christmas! 

  • I agree with the other ladies. GO! I mean, really, if you got it there are other ways if treating it. To the ladies telling her to stay home, I guess maybe I should take off work every time one of my students gets lice?
  • imageboodapug77:
    The kids are with their father this weekend. My sister gets them tomorrow...He buzzed cut Colby and Charlotte had long hair and he cut it into a bob...I guess. My sister threw out their pillows and bought new ones and washed all bedding in hot water...


    That really sucks he cut their hair. Just because he cut it doesn't mean it stops it.
  • imagetmsgrl:
    I would go.  I don't think it is very common for adults to catch lice for some reason (ie,  I have never heard of an adult with lice, just kids).  Wash your hair with tea tree oil shampoo before you go if you are worried.  Cost Cutters sells it.

    uh.... Adults are just as likely to get lice as kids... I used to teach Sunday School and got lice twice within three months from kids not being properly treated.

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  • Same as everyone else's suggestions, tea tree shampoo/conditioner (Sally has an inexpensive knock off brand), lots of mouse and hairspray etc, hair up, don't rest your head of furniture, don't touch your head, wash your hands, shower and wash your clothes when you get home.  I work at a group home and only 1 family got lice and none of the other parents, kids, or staff got it.  It was treated with natural products, washing pillows, bedding, stuffed animals and combing the hair.  Because the kids are so young that is what we had to do (kids were 1 month-3 years old).  The mom was bf'ing so that is another reason natural products were used.
  • I'm glad that you've decided to go. If the kids have been treated like you said they have been, it is more than likely that the lice are dead and there is no chance that you will get it.

    Almost every.single.time we picked up my stepkids from their mom's house over the 5 years they lived with her (before moving in with us this past summer), they had lice. We checked for it immediately every time we picked them up and treated them as soon as we got home. In all of those years, we never got lice.

    Even last Christmas, we picked up my stepkids on Christmas Eve. Their mom did not tell us that they had lice and we didn't notice that they had it until Christmas morning. We were staying with friends for the holidays and, when my bff's SO found out that the kids had lice, he freaked out (as so many people do...as you can see by the above replies). I held my 6 year old stepdaughter as this grown man ranted and raved about how he couldn't believe they had lice and were in HIS house with it...that his dog would get it...that he had to clean the whole house from top to bottom now etc. My poor stepkids were mortified and very upset. Even though I was holding my stepdaughter quite close to me as he made a scene, so much so that our heads were very close, I never got lice (and I wash my hair daily...it's always very clean). Because of his reaction, and it being the only place we had to stay for the next few days, we had to take my stepkids back to their mother's house for the next couple of days. It was a very upsetting situation. In the end, no one got lice from the kids.

    My stepkids haven't had lice in the last 5 months they've been living with us. However, they are staying with their mom for the next 4 days. I've been concerned that they will come back to us with lice so we're prepared to treat them ASAP (in fact, we may treat them regardless).

    I've also been teaching for the last 7 years and have been around countless children with lice. I've never, ever gotten lice. If you take certain precautions, you should be fine. Keep your hair up. Limit close contact with the children. It's not that big of a deal.

    I hope you enjoy your holidays and can keep your mind on the reason you will be together with your family and not the fact that the kids HAD lice.

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  • imageboodapug77:
    So my sister just called me to tell me that her kids have lice. They are being treated for it today. My husband and I are suppose to go to her house for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. I am freaking out because I obviously don't want to get lice. And I read that if a pregnant woman gets lice-doctors do not reccommend the medicated lice treatments-its harmful to the baby. So my question is....Should I just stay home??? My husband doesnt think we should risk it. This really sucks because it is Christmas and I was really looking forward to seeing them.

     

    QuitNits is supposed to be a safe treatment for lice in pregnant and breastfeeding women. But, I see their website is down so I don't know if they've gone out of business or what is wrong with it.

  • I personally wouldn't go. Lice creeps me out

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  • Dude, I wouldn't go even if I wasn't pregnant.  Shudder.  You could invite them to your house instead, and then at least you wouldn't be exposed to all their stuff (towels, pillows, etc), but it would not be worth it to me to expose myself to that.

    I had lice when I was a kid and the memory traumatizes me.

     

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  • I agree with PP and would go. If you do happen to get it and are worried about using the chemicals Mayonnaise works great. Just coat your hair in it and cover with a shower cap and sleep with it overnight and wash out in the morning. It smothers the lice and also gets the eggs out. The best part is it makes your hair silky smooth and shiny. I do it just for the pretty hair about every six months. 
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