To still be taking precautions re covid during pregnancy?

[pearlsandpetals]

Hi all I am currently 20 weeks pregnant with my first. Where I live covid cases are still quite high and I haven't had the vaccines yet (personal choice, would rather wait). I am anxious about getting covid whilst pregnant and have told family and friends I'm going to be avoiding mixing unnecessarily and being as careful as possible. Unfortunately I feel like my partner's family don't really understand this and seem to think I'm being paranoid or over reacting because the rest of society seems to be getting back to normal. MIL said that a big group of family members are visiting next week and she expects us (me and OH) to be there as they will all want to see us, but I don't feel comfortable with me currently being unvaccinated and pregnant. Are my OH's family right in that I'm being paranoid and ridiculous? Please can we keep the vaccine in pregnancy debate out of this as I am aware of all the evidence but would still rather wait a little longer! Thanks all

Like anything, of course it does! But overall, as a general- it’s more dangerous to get covid than get vaccinated. Of course people can ‘make their own minds up’ but that doesn’t make refusing a vaccination any more sensible, or safe

I was exactly the same OP. I have now been vaccinated because I decided that was right for me and am nearly 37 weeks but before pregnant woman were able to have the choice, I had made the decision to isolate and not put myself at risk. I had told my friends, family and Hs family that we would've only seen them outside in small groups. No inside visitors, no one visiting from outside of the area. It is a hard decision but it's ultimately yours. You do what you feel safest doing.

Saying all that, you're mainly at risk from 28 weeks so don't totally isolate yourself right away, it's a long time until you're due.

YANBU. My doctor daughter is very pro-vaccination (as am I) but said if she was pregnant she would not have it as nobody knows if there are long term effects on the baby. Some other countries are being far more cautious.
Look after yourself and do what you need to to keep well.

I’m sorry if my comment made you feel judged, italiandreams. I guess I haven’t read recent anything about it until this thread, and in March when I got my first jag I was worried about fact I was still bf, and they could not give me any evidence it was ok or not - no recommendations were being made. From friends I understood it was the same at that time in pregnancy, and obviously there is so much caution in pregnancy with any intervention. So to me it feels like quite a short time that the tide has turned, hence my surprise. But if you’ve read all about it you will know the developments in the evidence more than I do, I’m glad to hear it is there and feel fortunate not to have had to make decisions like this during the pandemic.

I would say if you are in the position to be able to isolate fair enough, but many people are not in that position and have no choice so for them I think the vaccine is probably a safer choice.

[quote Greenrubber]@Excited101

To be fair I had/have it pretty mild yet another double vaccinated poster had it worse so why can we not make our own minds up about whether or not we take the vaccine?

The statement that getting covid is more dangerous than taking the vaccine really differs from person to person does it not?[/quote]
Not really -
Since we started vaccinating people in the UK, about eight people a day or 1,102 overall have died a short while after getting the vaccine. These are not “vaccine deaths” and the number is in line with how many we would expect from other causes in that time period.

fullfact.org/online/1102-vaccine-adr-death/

How many have died due to Covid?

Millions of People Have Safely Received a COVID-19 Vaccine

Over 342 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in the United States from December 14, 2020, through July 26, 2021.
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/safety-of-vaccines.html

The statement that getting covid is more dangerous than taking the vaccine really differs from person to person does it not?

based on the above, no, not really

I would avoid any social gatherings and your partner also. My husband brought it back into the house and I have been wfh/isolating for months now and caught it (35 weeks) it was horrible.

There is absolutely no wonder why pregnant women are unsure taking this vaccine: at the beginning of my pregnancy it was an absolute no no. Now the advice is to take it but just today the government is now starting a trial for the vaccine in pregnancy www.gov.uk/government/news/new-study-into-covid-19-vaccine-dose-interval-for-pregnant-women and no one knows the long term implications on the baby- the data is not there. There have been so many mixed messages so no wonder there is so much hesitancy/worry/uncertainty.

It has to be down to personal choice/risk and no one should be berated for their own personal choice.

@Greenrubber, in your case all was well. That's brilliant, I'm glad you didn't suffer too badly. However there's no guarantee of that.

In my case, it's the worst thing that ever happened to me. The few weeks of actually having Covid weren't too bad (I pretty much slept constantly). However, since then? Utter misery. I'm exhausted all the time. Used to walk miles and miles every day, last week I walked to the shop up the road, which used to take me 10 minutes there and back. This time it took 30, as I had to stop several times, gasping for breath and feeling weak. I've had recurrent kidney infections, waiting on a referral, but my GP thinks it's possible that I have kidney damage, which is a known effect of Covid. My appetite is completely gone, I have to force myself to eat. My hair has fallen out in huge chunks. I'm pale and drawn looking, I saw a photo of myself the other day from a couple of years ago and cried, I looked so healthy and vibrant and now I look like a walking corpse. I've literally had days where I wished I'd died. I'm not suicidal, but my life is unrecognisable, and on the really bad days feels not worth living. If I had to try and cope with all of that whilst pregnant or with a newborn baby, well, I don't think I could.

Also sorry, but 'you can't argue with nature' is really fucking offensive. Am I a lesser specimen than you because I have suffered more from covid than you? Perhaps I should tell my dead relative that they can't argue with nature, and that their body made inadequate antibodies.

But sorry OP, of course you aren't being unreasonable to still take precautions. In fact I'd say you're very reasonable to do so. I'd encourage you to think about it getting the vax. But otherwise, be as caution as you want, as long as it's not having an adverse effect on your mental health.

Fuck, sorry, that last post was riddled with errors

@Undersnatch

YANBU, to make choices to avoid indoor gathering, and not to get the vaccine. I’m vaccinated but never would during pregnancy, I’m surprised so many are happy with it actually, but respect it’s individual choice of course.

You're 'surprised' that so many would listen to the advice of the EXPERTS and get vaccinated during pregnancy? The RCOG is recommending that pregnant women get vaccinated, it's not about being 'happy to have the vaccine, for many of us it's been a painfully difficult decision either way. In the end the advice of the experts and the statistics in covid in pregnancy were enough for me to get vaccinated and I'm incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity especially as I'm now living in the covid epi centre of the UK and many family and friends are isolating or have covid including unvaccinated friend and her 9 day old baby.

OP YANBU at all to not want to go to social gatherings, especially as you are not vaccinated, quite frankly I'd tell your MIL to mind her own business but I probably wouldn't be that pleasant. I'm heading into the 3rd trimester and even though I'm double vaccinated I will still be very cautious and I certainly won't be going to busy indoor gatherings.
There's a really informative webinar on maternityaction.org.uk on the vaccine and pregnancy and breastfeeding, I'd really recommend to anyone who feels they need more info in this area.

My baby was born in Oct and I was super cautious throughout pregnancy - bordering on ridiculous (am a bit rogue now tho) but I remember they changed us from vulnerable to not vulnerable while I was pregnant which freaked me out so it's pissed me off that now it's acknowledged as very serious to pregnant women. Luckily I was so careful still but the advice around pregnant women was so rubbish then. Sorry that's a totally pointless post, thinking out loud

@NoLeafClover so sorry you're suffering so badly, that's sounds horrific. Hope they can do something for you soon

YANBU to still take precautions (and indeed to live your life however you see fit), but YABU not to take the biggest precaution on offer and get vaccinated, imo. And yes, I’m pregnant and have gone through the same.

OP asked people to keep the vaccine debate out of it yet loads of you are telling her to get vaccinated?!

I don’t think that’s very fair. She isn’t vaccinated and that’s her choice. Her Q was about the gathering and not going.

I don’t think you’re being unreasonable OP. I’m 32 weeks and avoiding any large gatherings, I am fortunate that I can work from home as can my husband and we are minimising shopping etc (not completely shielding as things like getting food and bits for the baby are more essential than socialising I feel at the moment).

However you do have a long way to go yet so I’d maybe think about if you’re confident enough to meet a friend and walk in a park having both done LFTs so that you’re not completely lonely and isolated for the next 5 months

Don’t feel pressure by others though. It’s you who has to deal with covid if one of you picks it up, not them! I completely understand the pressure you feel under but sometimes you have to put yourself first abs set boundaries. You’re not affecting them by quietly declining. If anything it means they can get on and do what they want to do with no concern for getting too close etc

@Bellyrumble

OP asked people to keep the vaccine debate out of it yet loads of you are telling her to get vaccinated?!

I don’t think that’s very fair. She isn’t vaccinated and that’s her choice. Her Q was about the gathering and not going.

Conversations happen like this.

Op is concerned about covid safety and avoiding catching it.

If OP was vaccinated she would be safer.

@NoLeafClover

When I decided against getting the vaccine it was due to the fact I was pregnant and I felt in my age and health group I would not

get it too bad I was right! Of course covid can effect people in different ways and I'm sorry your suffering from long term effects of it but we are like flip sides of a coin here

But the antibodies statement wasn't supposed to be offensive an statement! You don't produce them until you have had covid and unfortunately you got it bad but 1 in 3 are asymptomatic (which is the chance we take when deciding)
I don't know if you were more at risk than some for any other reasons so I can't comment!

@IcedSpice

But we don't the personal background of any of these people health wise age etc it's not one size fits all

Of course you should be cautious.

But please consider getting the vaccine. My ob/gyn consultant friend was in tears a few days ago at the number of pregnant women she has in hospital. Babies born prem, increased risk of pre-eclampsia and blood clots. Otherwise healthy women on ventilators. She hasn’t seen any serious illness in in the pregnant mums who have been vaccinated.

I would defo get vaccinated. Sister works in ICU and she said there’s lots of pregnant women in there, all unvaccinated. Last week they had to preform an emergency c section on someone at 29 weeks and now mum has been moved to a different hospital in a different city and baby isn’t going great either.

FGS! Either get the vaccine or don't expect anybody to pander to you. You do realise that if you do get COVID when you are an unvaccinated pregnant woman you are at much higher risk of being admitted to ICU and your baby being born prematurely. Sorry to put it so bluntly but you are essentially putting your baby at higher risk.
I had my baby on April. I also worked all the way through in the NHS, client facing. The vaccine wasn't an option then but I would have had it if I could.
A lady from my pregnancy group was in ICU when pregnant and she is lucky she has her baby. She also couldn't be vaccinated back then.
YABVVVVVU, ridiculous and very selfishly putting your baby at risk.

They can’t make you go 🤷🏼‍♀️

I was very cautious while pregnant but then got vaccinated straight away when the baby was here.

Rates are really high at the moment, I know more people getting it than at the height of the deaths last year.

It’s your choice and your responsibility to try and keep your baby safe, you do what you have to do and sod their opinions on it! X

@User5827372728 completely agree with you. It's completely ridiculous that people are ignoring the advice to get vaccinated and risking this happening. It makes me so angry.

I do understand and don't think you are being unreasonable. I am in the same position as you - pregnant and unvaccinated. I'm 15 weeks. Currently I am very concerned, as at work 5 people have now tested positive. I don't believe any of them have caught it from each other (1 went to a wedding and shared a car with someone positive, another 2 met up with the same person outside of work who was positive, not so sure about the other 2 colleagues though..). This scares me more than a family gathering we have coming up in September.

Unfortunately, pregnancy is by nature a "pro inflammatory" environment where covid thrives. The good news is that your immune system is hyper aware and will protect baby and you, bad news is, you're just going to have to wait this out until you come to term. I wouldn't go as far as self imprisonment or quarantine but you should take precautions and do not get that vaccine. From my immunologist: take vitamin D, take vitamin D, and take some more vitamin D. Along with zinc and magnesium, and this is the most you can do. good luck to you, stay safe.

@2021mumma exactly. My midwife said she couldn't advise to get it as there just isn't enough data out there, on long term effects. And we're supposed to just feel happy to take it when the one professional we should be taking advice from is saying that?