TTC and the Covid Vaccine: April

[Magnoliamoment]

Hi everyone, my partner and I are currently TTC. I have the opportunity to get my first dose of the covid vaccine as I am a secondary teacher. I have been going mad this week talking to health care providers trying to get a clear answer as to the safety of this vaccine and TTC. Here in Canada the official statements suggest the vaccine should be available to woman TTC but it is "unknown if pregnancy should be delayed after the vaccine." Medical Scientist feel there is no foreseeable risk, but at the end of the day there is just limited data and research so no one can say its 100% safe.

When I talked to 2 gynos they both suggested waiting a few months to ttc after the vaccine, even though that is not the official advice anymore... That has left me feeling even more confuse that they still feel strongly about that.

Currently I am trying to weigh which situation I would have less anxiety in... getting pregnant unvaccinated and feeling nervous about covid.. or getting the vaccine with limited data and research on fetal development.

Just curious what others are dong/ feeling at this point and looking for some support on this, what feels like, painful decision.

I totally get where you're coming from! I'm also a secondary school teacher and again mixed advice here in England. The NHS advice from March suggests to either leave the jab until after TTC (and then after pregnancy/breastfeeding) or have the jab when it's offered and wait a few months before TTC. Unfortunately, even though I work in a secondary school, I'm under the current age group for the vaccine rollout here so I'm going to continue to TTC (on cycle 4 now) as I currently have no idea when my age group will be up for vaccination. I'm particularly worried about not being able to have the vaccine due to TTC but then still having to mix with hundreds of students each day but I suppose that's something that I will have to deal with unfortunately, I'm not in a position now to stop TTC to wait months (unsure how many months) before I'm even offered the jab. Also, the jab that they'll be offering to my age group according to the news isn't one of the ones that have been around for months so again more uncertainty around the potential effects! Sorry for the complete ramble!!

It would really help if people who got the vaccine and got pregnant posted their stories. It would put many of our minds at ease... I’m in the same boat and I just suffered a pregnancy loss... didn’t get the vaccine yet waiting for more studies/data... 🤷🏼‍♀️

I'm in a similar position. I am probably likely to get my first vaccine offer around June time looking at the current timings. We haven't started trying yet but are thinking about doing so in early/mid May (came off pill Feb and tracking ovulation so I know where I am in my cycle). Some people would probably say I might as well wait a month or 2 then but for us, we have already put it off for a year (as we were planning to TTC last May, before Covid hit, then delayed it!), and then, as you say, don't know whether I should wait for a while after having it, and whether to wait for the second one as well..
I think we are more leaning to trying, vaccine or not. I haven't stopped working throughout this pandemic (in a job where I only mix with colleagues, rather than public) and have avoided it so far, and if I get pregnant, I would continue to be very careful. In the US they are vaccinating pregnant women, and over here in the UK they are giving them to vulnerable pregnant women (and those who just want it).

I am a midwife and TTC. Had my first covid vaccine last week and feel it is safe to do so. Research and recommendation now says no need to wait if TTC. I would go for it - better to get it now and have a ‘normal’ summer than delay it for months and not have it in pregnancy. I also realized after 7 months TTC I have no idea how long it will take to become pregnant and I don’t want to delay my vaccine.

@Bee44 no need to be sorry I am feeling the same way! it is nice to connect with others who have the same questions and concerns xx sounds like we are in a similar boat! Working in schools can feel scary. My school has only had a couple cases in the last year and they have been individual cases with no spread connections. I feel safe at school for the time being with all of the precautions I take and while TTC I will take on even more just to be super careful!

@Sub12 I totally agree, I spent countless hours looking for concrete data and evidence that it is safe but really only got " we think," or "we have reason to believe its safe." I understand the science behind it seems to be sound proof, I want to trust that, but I would feel much better with more data/results to make a better informed decision. Especially towards fetal development and autoimmune development. I also recently had a loss and feel the same as you xx

@Trinacham I totally understand where you are coming from. We had a pregnancy loss late 2020 and have been delaying it for some healing time. We are now very eager to start trying. I understand it can take time to get pregnant but having to wait months to start can feel very upsetting when you are ready. I also believe we will start trying, and as more data comes out I can make a better informed decision on the vaccine and stay safe in the meantime, as I have been doing, with extra precautions.
That also makes me hesitant that not all countries are approaching pregnancy and the vaccine the same way when it is the same vaccine everyone is getting. Thanks for sharing xx

Thank you all for responding. I know this is an easy decision for some but it is not for all and I appreciate the chance to connect with others who feel the same XX

@Magnoliamoment I actually scheduled my vaccine on Sunday yesterday after consulting 3 gynecologists. I will also TTC after a month or two because my pregnancy loss was so recent I need time to heal emotionally. I’m following a thread on “What to expect”. There are many women sharing their ttc stories and conceiving between vaccine doses or after vaccination.

@Sub12 that is great you made a decision! sometimes I think that is the hardest part. Just curious, what did the 3 gynos say in terms of waiting or not to TTC after getting the vaccine? I know mine both said wait a month or 2 but I am curious what others are saying. Thanks for sharing

I had my vaccine (Phizer, if that's relevant) 8 weeks ago. My husband has a lung condition so I was bumped up the list as his 'carer'. We have been TTC for 6 months and if I'm offered my second before we're successful I will take that too. We are advancing in years in terms of fertility, so won't put off TTC for fear of missing the boat altogether. I am reassured by the guidance that says there is no need to delay TTC after the vaccine, and that the first dose offers good levels of protection if that's the only one I manage to get before pregnancy.

@Magnoliamoment one said to not put off TTC, the other two said to wait two months because I recently had a pregnancy loss and had a D&C not because of the vaccine. However, I’m still thinking if I back off or not... I mean I feel I need more statistics or maybe I’m just in a vulnerable state of mind making me think of the worst case scenario. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Thanks for sharing @midwifeandttc and @TTCat39. Hearing from others who are confident gives me reassurance. I guess one of my biggest questions is why have the guidelines changes from "delay a few months" to "no need to delay" and yet obviously many practitioners feel strongly enough to still advise waiting.. I have been searching to understand if research and data came out that informed this switch? As far as I understand they are just acknowledging that there have not been any alarming issues yet and therefore they feel safe advising people not to delay. If anyone has any other info on that I would love to know more!

@Sub12 I understand your feelings and thoughts. I think having a loss makes this more emotional as we are really thinking about the success of our next pregnancy in all ways. I would love to hear what you decided if you are willing to share xx

A bit of an update, OP - I got a BFP yesterday (that smiley doesn't really cut it, I am cautiously ecstatic!) All being well, my second dose would be due when I'm around 6.5weeks. However, as I'm older and slightly more susceptible to MC in the first trimester, I've decided to delay my second vaccine until I'm 12 weeks. This is primarily because if I get side effects from the jab, I don't want my poor health to impact the baby. That may sound over cautious, but I would only be delaying by 6 weeks, and I'm prepared to accept that.

Hi OP I have had both my pfiezer vaccines and just got my bfp, I did a lot of soul searching and talking to professionals about whether to go ahead. I had Covid back in February which wasn’t pleasant and my overall feeling was I wouldn’t want to be pregnant and catch it again as I had a high temp, bad cough etc. It’s a real tough one but I feel really reassured after talking to the dr at the vaccine centre and feel happy with my decision
Good luck x

@Magnoliamoment I did take the vaccine on Sunday. I consulted my Gyno in NY, another gyno and my Dr friends who all said to go for it. Hopefully you can decide what to do soon. ❤️