The midwife should culture all suspicious lesions in pregnancy and have the client contact their health care provider for consultation if primary outbreak.

If herpes is diagnosed, the midwife should discuss with the client the risks of herpes in pregnancy and the preventative measures for eliminating and/or reducing genital herpes outbreaks in pregnancy.

The midwife must check the client carefully for any genital herpes lesions that are likely to come in contact with the baby during birth. Any area that may come in contact must be free of active herpes lesions at the time of the birth.

The midwife should refer the client to the client's health care provider and a prepare the client for a hospital birth if neonatal exposure to active disease cannot be prevented.