To ask wether you had the flu jab in pregnancy

[Ilovechocolatetoomuch]

Hi.
More of a what do you do.
I am not anti vaccine, however for some reason the flu jab does not sit right with me. I didn't have it with my first.
What are other people's thoughts on it?

[Cornettoninja]

I think experiencing illness after the flu vaccine is much more likely to be because it's given right at the start of flu/coughs/colds season, probably in a place people congregate.

Personally I would - minimise the chance of flu with a newborn too which would be horrible and worrying.

[ChocolateRaisin]

Yes, i had it on Saturday. My DH is also booked to have it at the end of this week. Firstly because the consequences of catching flu whilst pregnant don't bear thinking about. Secondly, I want to protect my baby from catching flu as much as possible. She's due in December, peak flu season, I want to keep the risks for her as low as possible.

[JassyRadlett]

Yes, both times. The risk of flu to both me and the babies was too high not to.

[timeforbedsleepyhead80]

Yes. And that was even after having a (small) reaction to it a few years earlier. I discussed it at length with my GP and we decided that the risks of catching flu when pregnant were higher than the risk of me having another localised reaction to it. I had the whooping cough one too.

Unless there's a cast iron medical reason why you can't have them, I'd have any vaccination recommended.

But then I'm very pro-vaccines. I even gave my DD the chicken pox one privately because I strongly believe that children should have it (and I think it will become part of be routine childhood immunisations in the future).

[PotteringAlong]

Yes, and whooping cough. The risks of not doing so we're too great for me.

[Pooshweens]

I did, although not v worried about getting flu

I hope you got the hooping cough one tho

[DailyMailReadersAreThick]

Absolutely. Choosing not to protect your baby would be a very strange choice.

[Crunchymum]

Yes. With all 3 of my pregnancies (all winter / early spring babies)

Have had whooping cough jab each time too.

[Kitsandkids]

No, I didn't. Shortly before I got pregnant I read an article that said you were slightly more at risk of having a child with autism if you had the flu jab in the first trimester. Now, I'm not anti vaccination and that study could be rubbish for all I know, but I've never had flu in my life and decided against having the jab. I didn't have the whooping cough one either.

My daughter's now 4 months and has had all her jabs but I just hated the idea of her being exposed to them while in my womb. I know, probably really daft but that's how I felt.

[gamerwidow]

I did and I would again but most people on this forum will not be experts in immunology you would be much better looking up actual scientific research on the risks/benefits than collecting a load of meaningless anecdotes if you are worried.

[Ilovechocolatetoomuch]

I've never had the flu jab but I had the whooping cough one. Thank you for your opinions, certainly food for thought. I work in a school and have the immune system of an ox (touch wood).
I guess I just don't want to put anything in my body unnecessarily. I really like to consider all the facts and wether it is actually beneficial. I have heard a lot of stories of people getting ill after having it but very few of people getting flu. I have read that one year they vaccinated everybody against the wrong strain ( not sure how true this is) it doesn't fill me with confidence.

[KarateKitten]

Getsorted, it was a flu vaccine. You didn't get flu from it, unless you think it gave you a cold? That doesn't really make sense. If you were theoretically honing to get something it would have been flu. Far more likely you just caught stuff because your immune system is low in pregnancy.

I've had it my last 3 pregnancies. No problems.

[Ilovechocolatetoomuch]

Gamer I don't think other peoples opinions are meaningless but thanks.

[AcademicOwl]

Swine flu in pregnancy can be very serious. DH looked after a pregnant lady who ended up on ITU with swine flu in the 2009 season.
This year's jab also includes the nasty variant which has been really bad in Oz and NZ.
Flu kills. Can't see why someone wouldn't want to protect against that?

[Opheliasgoldenwine]

I didn’t but I did have whooping cough and DD has had all of her jabs.

[gamerwidow]

In this context they are though because it’s just opinion not a proper assessment of risks/benefits. It’s not like you’re asking if you should have spam for tea or something.

[ZaphodBeeblerox]

Yes, had it a few weeks ago, in the third trimester now. It isn't a live vaccine so won't give you flu. If you're having anything other than mild soreness at source and a few sniffles it isn't from the vaccine or you're having an allergic reaction.
Vaccine also protects newborn for first month of life.
Flu in pregnant women and newborns is extremely dangerous, can cause death of mother or child.

[HostaFireAndIce]

I work in a school and have the immune system of an ox

The thing is though, whatever you are like normally, not many pregnant women have the immune system of an ox.
I had the flu jab second time around - wasn't offered it first time! I had notsomuch as a cold afterwards. The doctor told me that flu is the number one cause of death in otherwise healthy pregnant women - I presume there's some truth to that!

[Getsorted21]

karate I know it's didn't give me pneumonia but thought it might have given me a cold which coupled with low immunity (due to pregnancy) lead to pneumonia. I didn't appear to benefit from it all the same.

[DailyMailReadersAreThick]

Ilovechocolatetoomuch So you don't eat chocolate, cake, sweets, anything that isn't absolutely necessary? Course you do. And yet you hesitate over something that could literally save your baby's life.

Every year, scientists have to predict which flu strain/s to vaccinate against, because the vaccines have to go into production before we know which strains are going to be killing people that year. It's not an exact science, and sometimes they get it wrong. But being vaccinated against the "wrong" strain doesn't cause you any harm - and there's evidence that it lessens the severity of symptoms if you get another strain.

Unless you've had adverse reactions to a flu jab previously (MUCH rarer than the anti-vaxxers would have you believe) there is just no sensible or logical reason not to get it.

[DailyMailReadersAreThick]

Getsorted21 Without the jab you might have had flu ON TOP of your cold and pneumonia. Doesn't bear thinking about, does it? And there is no possible way the jab gave you either the cold or pneumonia.

We're so lucky to have the luxury of taking vaccines for granted.

[AccrualIntentions]

I had it. Zero side effects. It's not a live virus.

There hasn't been any proven link between having the vaccination and miscarriage (as stated above) whereas it is proven that catching flu in pregnancy can be potentially fatal. Some women may sadly have suffered miscarriages after receiving the flu vaccination. Some women may also sadly have suffered miscarriages after drinking water or eating a bag of crisps.

[Getsorted21]

I thought the reason flu was so dangerous to pregnant woman was because of secondary complications such as bronchitis & pneumonia?

[DailyMailReadersAreThick]

No. there have been cases of spontanious miscarriage after getting the flu shot and no clear evidence as to why

Correlation doesn't equal causation. This is the faulty logic that means the autism/vaccine nonsense still hasn't died - children have the MMR around the time autism symptoms often start to show.

Please educate yourself before scaremongering.