Worried about toxoplasmosis

I have four cats and my DH changes their litter tray everyday BUT they are always on my lap and generally around the house.

I haven't had cats all my life as my parents are allergic, I had one cat when I was pregnant with DS3 but the other three I got six months after. So I doubt before that point I had ever been exposed to toxoplasmosis.

What if that is why i miscarried DS4 because I developed it?? And if that was the case, surely I haven't left it enough time for it to be out of my system for this pregnancy??

I have got myself really worried about it. Will the NHS test me if I go to them with concerns or Wil they just think I'm crazy?

I've got myself so worried. If that is why I miscarried in December then it's all my fault and it will probably happen all over again or worse he/she will have birth defects etc.

If your cats are indoor they are unlikely to carry it...

Most of the time people get toxoplasmosis, it ISN'T from cats. It's from undercooked meat and veg from gardens. Many people have had it who have never been around cats in their lives.

The only way to catch toxo from a cat is if IT catches it while you are pregnant and then YOU have to catch it. Cats only shed the eggs for 1-2 weeks in their lives. If your husband changes the litter every day, it takes a full day up to 5 days, for the eggs to become capable of infecting you anyway.

Aside from that, the only way you could even infect a child is if you've had it recently. 6 months is the outside limit (and most people think that is being very conservative, you are almost certainly safe within only a few weeks)

So a lot of very unlikely things would have had to happen all at the same time:

1)Your cat would have had to be exposed to toxoplasmosis to begin with (and if they're indoor cats and don't eat raw meat, this would not be possible) Many cats have already gotten it from their mothers as kittens anyway and right when you were pregnant.

2)You would have had to have never contracted it before (remember, most people catch it from meat or garden veg), and then catch it during the week or two they are capable of infecting you, in litter that was left longer than a day and it's typically more like 5 days, and it's not easy to catch BTW - you actually have to ingest the eggs and have it survive your stomach acid, which is not likely unless you literally ate a poo!

3)Only 3 out of 10 babies are even affected even if you did catch it during pregnancy. And even the ones who are affected, most of the time it's mild.

4)all those unlikely things would have had to have happened and then on top of it all, you'd have to still be able to infect a baby and it has been almost 6 months. Even in the unlikely event that your first loss was caused by toxo, you should be clear by now (remember, that 6 month thing is just a very conservative number and most people think it's fine to TTC after only a few weeks anyway.)

If it gives you peace of mind to be tested, then by all means you can request a test BUT if it comes back positive, you are not going to know when you were infected - the tests can only detect active vs. dormant infection. you could have been infected as a child or years and years ago and still your test would be positive. i'm just not sure that will give you peace of mind, KWIM??

I did get exposed to toxoplasmosis when I was pg (my cat actually died from it which is very unusual, it was such a severe case that she was sent to Washington State University and preserved for study at the veterinary college) but I never contracted it and my son is now 18 and relatively normal. It's really really hard to catch.

Huge hugs, I hope this helps a little.

Hi 3 boys,
Sorry to hear of your loss. Because of the nature of my work I know all too about toxo. Funnily enough I have no immunity to it after all these yrs. When pregnant they do three tests at different weeks to make sure. It would have presented in your bloods after your m/c. Good hygiene & sence around them then you should be ok

Thanks girls, to be honest I'm think I'm just driving myself mad thinking what if this?... What if that? All because I'm terrified of a third loss in a row.

It's causing me to go a bit crazy. Thank you so much for bringing me back to reality xxx

I've been around cats since I was born. When I got pregnant with DS1 I got tested to see if I was immune to it, I'm not. Which is pretty scary since I still have cats and I change the litter box. But our cat we have now is strictly indoor and I wear gloves when I change the litter box. I know I've never caught it before because I donate blood and I have a rare type of blood that can go to premie babies, but not if I've ever had toxoplasmosis. So my bloods always tested, and I've never had it. So I understand your concern:( it's just a simple blood test to see if your immune or not. You could put your mind at ease.

Anybody would be looking for the what ifs and something to blame in your situation .... So it's totally understandable

Fingers crossed this ones super sticky

I was tested for toxo and listeria after my second loss as well as having our well water tested for nitrates. I wanted there to be an easy explanation that we could do something about, but there wasn't and I went on to have a perfectly healthy pregnancy and baby anyway.

Big hugs and super-sticky baby vibes to you, 3boys! Pregnancy after consecutive losses is just so freakin' hard.