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Pregnancy

Will you be getting the flu jab?

66 replies

sepa · 19/11/2015 10:50

Morning peeps. Looking to see what others have done regarding flu jabs during pregnancy?
I have never had flu (I'm not even sure I have had a bad cold for more than 2 days) so I am undecided about the flu jab. I have heard that people who have it for the first time could get sick after as a result (this is probably a small % though) so I need to weigh up the pros and cons. I want to do what is best for my baby but i think it's a bit of a hard decision to make never having flu in the past. I know that it can make you really sick (having the flu) and lead to further illnesses.

If you could let me know if you will or will not be getting it done and if you don't mind saying your reason behind your choice.

I am 24 weeks now so I should be getting it done soon if I want it done

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Picnic2223 · 19/11/2015 10:55

I'm 35 weeks and had it done about 5 weeks ago, I want sure but to be honest everything negative I had heard was just hear say.

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LucilleLeSueur · 19/11/2015 11:01

I've never had flu either, in fact I never get ill in general, but I always get the flu jab in pregnancy.

Your immune system is lower in pregnancy, and my doctor told me that pregnant woman are more likely to suffer badly from respiratory problems/ complications of colds and flus (something to do with your lungs being compressed?).

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Chchchchangeabout · 19/11/2015 11:04

I have had it along with whooping cough jab, was absolutely fine.

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GastonsChestHair · 19/11/2015 11:04

Have the jab. That is what's best for your baby. OK, you've never had the flu, be thankful, it's wretched and flu comes with risks to you and the baby in pregnancy.

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Chchchchangeabout · 19/11/2015 11:05

Reason was to lower risk of flu and bad complications when pregnant, or with new born who might catch it from me too.

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Skiptonlass · 19/11/2015 11:14

It's not a live vaccine do you can't get flu from it - that's a myth :)

You might get a localised reaction at the injection site, just like any injection (sore warm slightly red arm)

You are more susceptible to flu when pregnant and if you catch it it's generally more serious. If you've never had flu you might not realise how bad it makes even a healthy adult feel .. People say they've got flu but they often just have a bad cold. Real flu floors you.

A disproportionate number of fatalities of flu epidemics are pregnant women and babies get the vaccine - honestly, it's safe, effective and the risk benefit balance is massive in favour of getting it.

Ditto whooping cough etc (team vaccine here!!)

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hufflebottom · 19/11/2015 11:16

Am I the only one who turned it down?

Really don't have a reason as to why. As I'm having the whooping cough jab next week. So I could of had them done together. I think as I don't normally have it I just turned it down out of brain working on I've never had it before. Now wondering if I'm silly not to have it done and maybe pop to docs to change it and have it done.

But maybe not next week as that's pin cushion week with whooping cough and 28 weeks bloods and GTT.

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PeasinPod1 · 19/11/2015 11:21

Also have had it. Apparently the myth that it can you give you flu/flu like symptoms is utter rubbish. I'm 15 wks and was absolutely fine afterwards.

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dizzylemon · 19/11/2015 11:24

I've had it, despite a (seemingly) fairly decent immune system. Did get what Skiptonlass describes (red, round patch that was slightly itchy) but went after a few days.

Feel fine. Not had any big colds, so wahey. (touch wood)

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Icklepickle101 · 19/11/2015 11:26

I had it, didn't hurt at the time or at all afterwards!!

Nurse told it you could t catch flu from the vaccine so I didn't see any reason not to, the chance of catching flu is higher in pregnancy due to low immune system and also higher risk of complications such as pneumonia.

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RedZeppelin · 19/11/2015 11:32

Yep - had it done a couple of weeks ago with no side effects. I'm normally pretty robust but couldn't see any good reason not to get it done.

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CaptainKit · 19/11/2015 11:34

I had it at my 25 week GP appt - slight aching arm when I went to bed that night but otherwise no problems. I'll also have the Whooping Cough when they offer it to me.

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MaisieDotes · 19/11/2015 11:36

I had it about a month ago and had no side effects whatsoever. I was waiting for the sore arm but it never came.

I think the benefits far, far outweigh the potential risks.

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MaisieDotes · 19/11/2015 11:36

I should say I'm 30 weeks atm.

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sepa · 19/11/2015 11:48

I'm not against vaccinations. My Bubs will be getting them when s/he is born. I'm just a worry wort and don't want to be putting something in me if it is deemed unnecessary. I just don't yet have enough knowledge to make an informed decision so I wanted other people's opinions.
As has been said, I haven't had it so I don't know what it is like for someone to get it which I suppose is part of the problem!

Thank you for your opinions on it. It's helpful to get Smile xx

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Runningupthathill82 · 19/11/2015 12:04

I had the flu and whooping cough jabs together. No side effects at all aside from slightly sore arms. Which is obviously far preferable to actually getting flu or whooping cough...

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YouAndMeAreGoingToFallOut · 19/11/2015 12:11

I had it at 6 weeks (I'm 8 weeks now). Didn't really occur to me not to - I've had flu and it's horrendous so no way would I want to risk it whilst pregnant. It took barely any time, and apart from a slightly sore arm there were no effects.

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Autumn2014 · 19/11/2015 12:11

I had it done. I know of babies that had to be born very premature because their mothers became seriously ill with complications from flu. Not worth the risk.

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cth1982 · 19/11/2015 12:19

I have never had the flu jab before but got it at around week 27 (am now 34 weeks) and had zero issues at all with it. When you are pregnant your immune system is repressed as it is without baby squishing your lungs so if you do get the flu you are more likely to suffer badly from it, putting yourself and baby at risk, which for the sake of just a quick jab isn't worth running the risk of not having IMHO.

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GastonsChestHair · 19/11/2015 12:21

One of the biggest problems with flu is the risk of bronchitis that leads to pneumonia. It can happen to someone who is normally well but with the added strain on immunity that pregnancy brings, the risk is higher.

Other complications can include septic shock and meningitis. They're not common but there's a risk.

For your baby, flu could mean a risk of prematurity, low birth weight or still birth.

I'm not a vaccination campaigner or anything but I think if you're offered a way of avoiding any of those things, you'd be silly not to to be honest.

I had swine flu at 17 weeks when I was pregnant with my third baby and it was one of the most painful illnesses I've ever had. I was very poorly. She is 5 yrs old and fine, fortunately, but there was a time when I thought I was losing her.

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brookeberry · 19/11/2015 12:59

This will be my first DC and a flu jab was recommended by my consultant so I went ahead at 18 weeks and had no problems with it. I was recommended by the doctor to get the whooping cough jab after 28 weeks.

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DinoSnores · 19/11/2015 13:16

I've had the flu vaccine almost every winter between work and pregnancies. Sometimes I've had a bit of a sore arm (possibly because I'd previously been exposed to one of the flu viruses covered before) but have never been unwell.

My one for this year is booked for next week (when I'll be 13 weeks with DC5).

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sepa · 19/11/2015 13:25

Thank you Gastons. That's a very helpful overview of it. Particularly interested in the potential affects on the baby for not having it done.

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sepa · 19/11/2015 13:26

I will be getting the whooping cough one after 28 weeks.

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Y0uCann0tBeSer10us · 19/11/2015 13:35

I had the flu one quite early in my pregnancy through just going along with the suggestion of the midwife and not thinking about it too much. I was a bit more active in my care towards the end of the pregnancy and decided against Repevax, but that's a different story.

I had no side effects to flu vaccine at all luckily. (It can't give you flu as it's an inactive vaccine, but it can make you feel rotten and even feverish as you raise an immune response, which is well documented.) I don't have strong feelings on it either way - it doesn't work terribly well and there's always a small risk in pregnancy, plus I haven't had flu since childhood anyway so I think the chances of catching it are small, but it also has a relatively good track record in pregnancy (long, minimal side effects) so if you're worried about flu then why not?

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