To think this is classic PFB?

[SamanthaBrique]

Friend just posted this photo on Facebook, with the caveat that she's got 6 weeks to go and wouldn't be "taking any risks" with her baby girl.

Seems a bit OTT
Pregnant woman are offered whooping cough vaccine to protect baby.

The whole PFB thing is such a loaded insult. Why should this Mum feel bad for wanting to protect her baby? The risks are real, and if her baby does in fact have some health concerns that you don't know about, then letting everyone know via FB & getting people thinking about how vulnerable newborns are, is exactly what social media is good for. I find the meme a bit cringy, but if a friend posted it, I would look to their intention. Her motivation comes from wanting to keep her new baby safe & healthy.

Instead her friend & strangers sneer at her, mock her and say how ridiculous she is. For wanting to protect her baby.

Those judging & sneering, are assuming that her pregnancy booster guarantees her 100% safety (it doesn't) assuming she is being overprotective (you don't know her situation & the health status of her baby) assuming you & your children are not all carriers of this awful & sadly common disease ( you don't know this for sure either) People can be asymptomatic carriers, not everyone will have the stereotypical 'whoop' type cough.

We had to sent a message out to all our friends like this as our son was very premature - we were advised to limit visitors until he reached his term. I didn't stress about it as he was our second (but more premature than first DS) early baby but did feel embarrassed sending message out. But it had to be done as he was so fragile.

Disabrie there's nothing wrong with sending out a message along the lines of 'With BabyD being so premature the Doctors have advised us not to have any visitor. We are really disappointed, but need to protect him as much as possible until he st least reaches term :( We will be in touch once he's up to meeting you all xx'

Then just invite people individually when you & he are ready, letting them know then what precautions are necessary.

It's unnecessary with a healthy term baby, but still up to the parents. There's just simply no need for the twee, patronising, self important meme!

We do know how effective whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy is though. Babies born to women vaccinated at least a week before birth had a 91% reduced risk of becoming ill with whooping cough in their first weeks of life, up to the point of immunisation, compared to babies whose mothers have not been vaccinated. This sounds like a pretty effective approach to me and would certainly stop me stressing about visitors potentially passing it on.

It seems to me that some of you would rather argue about the effectiveness of a vaccine or intention of a fb post than just support a new mum who may have her own story. Be kind ... the baby will hopefully grow quickly and be out and about with a less stressed mum

LittleLion one study did show 90% of babies of women vaccinated in the 3rd trimester are protected, which is great, absolutely a compelling reason to vaccinate pregnant mothers as a priority.

What about the other 10% though?

You have no way of knowing whether your baby is one if the 90% or the 10%.

People put themselves and others to far greater inconvenience than a meme about vaccinations and hand washing creates to avoid risks far smaller...

There is this odd compulsion (I don't know whether it's especially on MN but it exists in my real life experience too) for new mothers to feel they have to prove how relaxed they are at almost any cost... It isn't necessary any more sensible than the urge to be protective of a newborn for the first few months.

There is this odd compulsion (I don't know whether it's especially on MN but it exists in my real life experience too) for new mothers to feel they have to prove how relaxed they are at almost any cost

I remember when my brought my dd back from home and everyone was picking her up how hard it was as I didn't want anyone other than me to touch her. But I wanted her to be part of a community/family and those same people still have her back thirty years on.