Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Battling between bfing and covid vaccine.

56 replies

Lullaby88 · 21/05/2021 18:08

I have a 2 week old baby, I've been bfing. In my area we have been offered to get a covid vaccine.

I want to continue bfing but also think getting the vaccine can protect my family and baby.
The only issue is that if i get the vaccine i would give up on bfing as I feel the research is way to new and new things keep cropping up after things have deemed to be safe. And i would not be comfortable at all not fully knowing the long term effects.
Im really confused. Has anyone been in a similar situation ? What did u decide to do? Im thinking maybe bf for 4 months atleast and then get a vaccine. Or just bf for as long as I can and be at potential risk of getting the virus naturally. It might not effect me that much? Advice me please.

OP posts:
shouldistop · 22/05/2021 09:19

It's perfectly safe to have the vaccine whilst feeding the baby, it is not a live vaccine and cannot harm a baby through breastmilk. Studies show that antibodies go into your milk to the baby which also gives them some immunity.
Getting the vaccine AND continuing to breastfeed is the best way to protect your family.

Currently breastfeeding my almost 6mo and had the vaccine almost a week ago.

shouldistop · 22/05/2021 09:21

Why do people want to pass antibodies for covid to their babies at two weeks? Babies are rarely effected by covid surely

Babies are also rarely badly affected by the common cold but it's still a wonderful thing that we can pass antibodies to them through our milk.

Horehound · 22/05/2021 09:22

Get the vaccine and keep BF.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 22/05/2021 09:24

I wouldn’t take a vaccine for the common cold if I was breastfeeding either.

Original poster
Lullaby88 · 22/05/2021 13:26

Mixed views here. I'm uncertain as the research keeps changing. For example the astra zeneca was deemed safe and promoted and then etc etc...

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 22/05/2021 14:39

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

I wouldn’t take a vaccine for the common cold if I was breastfeeding either.
Why not?
BobinRobin · 22/05/2021 14:44

@Lullaby88 I've got a month old and am BF. I'm having the vaccine next week and will continue to BF. Baby will get a share of the antibodies not the vaccine, only the antibodies get into the milk xx

Gembie · 22/05/2021 14:56

The AZ vaccine has rare problems that only occur in the person who is vaccinated. It’s extremely biologically implausible for the molecule to be transmitted into the milk in any significant quantity - if it’s not in the milk then there is no issue.

Many of my doctor and nurse friends and colleagues have had it in pregnancy or when BF. Why? We have lost friends and colleagues to Covid. The latest was a Dr in his 40's with 4 young children

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 22/05/2021 16:21

MrsTerryPratchett because a common cold is so unlikely to hurt my child. We all would have said months ago “of course take AstraZeneca” and now under 40s are given another option, we don’t know everything about these vaccines- for me you can happily inject me for the greater good but not my child.

MrsTerryPratchett · 22/05/2021 16:25

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

MrsTerryPratchett because a common cold is so unlikely to hurt my child. We all would have said months ago “of course take AstraZeneca” and now under 40s are given another option, we don’t know everything about these vaccines- for me you can happily inject me for the greater good but not my child.
Yes but issues with vaccines have precedent. There are people who suffer side effects. Vaccine damage, although rare is documented and can be serious. The AZ issues, again rare, aren't something that is extraordinary. A vaccine given when BFing harming a baby? How? And I don't think there's a single documented case of it happening. I mean what would the process even be?
Somethingsnappy · 22/05/2021 16:33

@HandforthParishCouncilClerk

There is already research - it’s safe for breastfeeding
The actual official advice is that while it's presumed to be safe, there is currently very limited data. Presumed being the operative word.

Although there is some data emerging from the US now about the Pfizer and Moderna ones.

Fitforforty · 22/05/2021 16:37

I’ve decided I’m definitely not going to wean my toddler until after I’ve had the second vaccine.

LittleRa · 22/05/2021 16:37

I’m breastfeeding my 12 week old and I have my first dose of the vaccine next week. I won’t be stopping breastfeeding.

L1saVanderpumpsRose · 22/05/2021 16:42

I'm breastfeeding my almost 16 month old and couldn't wait to get my vaccine so he would get some antibodies!!

Emmacb82 · 22/05/2021 16:53

I had the vaccine when still breastfeeding, absolutely fine.

AnneLovesGilbert · 22/05/2021 16:58

I’ve had both doses and I’m still breastfeeding. Nothing from the vaccine goes into your milk. This isn’t a new type of vaccine so they know about the mechanisms of it already. Your body makes antibodies in response to the vaccine to protect you from getting covid seriously if you catch it and those might pass into your milk. From you, not the vaccine. That’s a good thing.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 22/05/2021 17:04

MrsTerryPratchett I’m very low risk so see no problem
With waiting until I’ve finished feeding. I don’t drink when breastfeeding either- it’s a personal choice, to me there just isn’t enough data- I also know no one who has died of covid and I know someone who died from stroke following the AstraZeneca- like I said I’m happy to be vaccinated after I’ve finished feeding

FearlessFairy · 22/05/2021 17:05

I am BF my 8mo and had my first dose this week. I was unsure like you, and tbh I took a risk getting it.
I am hopeful that they wouldn't risk saying its safe if there was even the smallest chance something awful would pass on/affect the baby in any way.

Hyppogriff · 22/05/2021 17:06

It is safe. Get the vaccine.

MrsTerryPratchett · 22/05/2021 18:16

I don’t drink when breastfeeding either

Alcohol enters BM, perfectly well documented. Vaccines don't.

And it doesn't matter really. Don't have it. But I don't like the substitution of unqualified people's reckons for actual facts. Someone basing risk assessment on facts is different to basing it on reckons.

Very very sorry to hear about your friend BTW. Thanks

Doveyouknow · 22/05/2021 18:29

My next door neighbour, in their 30s wasn't in the vulnerable category, they still died of covid so I wouldn't rely on being 'low risk'. I honestly struggle to think of a mechanism where a vaccine you have could harm your baby - it won't enter the milk. However if you are worried could you pump and dump the milk for a couple of days?

Original poster
Lullaby88 · 22/05/2021 18:38

Thanks guys for all ur POV's its all good to see how people are handling this. I respect both POV's. Still unsure so I've decided to give it some time. See how the bfing goes. Its quite full on at th moment! And after a couple of months if im still bfing and theres more research il get it. If i stop bfing at any point il get it straight away pretty much. But yeah not going to rush a decision. Also taken in the advice of pumping and dumping which is an option.

OP posts:
Somethingsnappy · 22/05/2021 20:32

@Hyppogriff

It is safe. Get the vaccine.
Do you know something that the NHS doesn't? Again, the advice is presumed safe, but pregnant and breastfeeding women are to be advised that there is very limited data.
OnlyFoolsnMothers · 22/05/2021 21:15

Somethingsnappy thank you! Majority of people should have the vaccines but don’t bully pregnant women, breastfeeding women or indeed children into having something they aren’t comfortable with.

Swipe left for the next trending thread