Vaccine and breastfeeding

[HepLaurenceLB]

I have been invited to get the CV vaccine. No idea why as I am 43 with no heath issues. I am currently breastfeeding my 18 month olds. The advice I can find suggest they don’t have a reason to think it is bad for Breastfeeding but there is no conclusive proof that it won’t make my babies ill. I am very torn.
Any suggestions/knowledge/advice welcome.

The NHS says it’s fine, personally I would either stop the feeding and get the vaccine or as you are young and healthy delay the vaccine. But that’s just my personal opinion and I’m not a scientist. So probably not very helpful. Sorry!

I am breastfeeding my 18m old (once or twice a day now) and had the vaccine last week. DD suffered no immediate side effects and neither did I (Pfizer).

It’s what you feel comfortable with really - the gov advice says breastfeeding women can have it.

I am bf my 19 month old, although I haven't been invited and won't be for a while (31) I am really keen to be vaccinated.
I think I will stop breastfeeding when I get it.

Why stop? Breastfeeding transfers antibodies to the baby.

That’s amazing that you have been offered it so soon! The vaccine has been approved for use by those who are breastfeeding.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-women-of-childbearing-age-currently-pregnant-planning-a-pregnancy-or-breastfeeding/covid-19-vaccination-a-guide-for-women-of-childbearing-age-pregnant-planning-a-pregnancy-or-breastfeeding

Personally, I’m a healthcare worker so had mine back in January and I’m breastfeeding my baby. My plan is to try to keep breastfeeding until at least a few weeks after I’ve had my second dose. To me, if there’s even the tiniest chance than antibodies are passed on through milk then it’s the best thing I can do for my baby.

I would suggest talking to your health visitor / GP as they might be able to provide you with clearer advice.

Ive had both of my vaccines (pfizer) as im a healthcare worker and bf my 22 month old. Myself or my DS had no adverse reactions apart from my sore arm.

I’m currently breastfeeding a 4 month old. I would get the vaccine tomorrow if I could because I worry more about getting Covid and being too ill to care for my children. The only reason that the vaccines weren’t recommended at first is because they hadn’t been tested on breastfeeding women but many have had the vaccines now and they’re better understood. The breastfeeding network has some useful information and considers the vaccines to be safe www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/coronavirus

I'm still breastfeeding and have no concerns about having the vaccine. I can't see how the vaccine would impact the baby differently to actually having Covid and if antibodies pass to the baby then that may well be beneficial to them.

Vaccines are very different to drugs, it's really only your body's own immune response that could impact on baby.

I've had my vaccine and breastfeed 🤱 my son who is 17 months

We are both fine and I'm hoping he's building up antibodies form it if I'm honest as there has been outbreaks in nurseries

I had a Pfizer vaccine last week and breastfed my 12-month-old son on the same day, and then twice a day in the days following (as usual).

I had a sore arm, but we were otherwise fine.

My worry is not it having an instant effect on my bf baby, it's in the future any conditions it could create. Is anyone else worried about that? Or just me

@soresore I am also worried about this.

@HepLaurenceLB my DS is the same age!

I won’t be having it whilst pregnant or breastfeeding.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9320457/amp/Mammograms-pick-harmless-breast-lumps-Covid-vaccine.html

Had it last week, breastfeeding a 4 month old. The risk to my baby and other children of me getting Covid and having serious troubles outweighs the extremely small risk (in my opinion, obviously, I'm not an expert) that there's some effect that the vaccines have years in the future. I don't know if the antibodies pass through milk but if they do that's a bonus!

I'm BF my 6 mo and I worry about the same @soresore
How do we know it won't affect them developmentally?

But then they are also exposed to other chemicals around the house... From our food etc.
I just don't know what to do!

@CescaNicole 😩 so stressful!

The issue of "long term" side effects is tricky because "long term" is interpreted in different ways. Some use it to describe long lasting conditions and others use it to describe conditions that have delayed presentation.

Vaccines do not generate side effects that have delayed presentation. If you are going to get a side effect from a vaccine you will know about it pretty soon after the vaccine is given.

Vaccines are biological in nature and are broken down by your body. I think the risk of anything harmful passing into breastmilk is so negligible as to be non existent. I'd also think that any risk of the vaccine would also be a risk that was generated by contracting covid.

On balance I would definitely consider the risk/benefit analysis to tip quite strongly in favour of having the vaccine personally.

I’m breastfeeding my 20 month old and was very happy to have my first dose of Pfizer in January. Neither jab is a live vaccine so there’s no plausible biological mechanism for harm to baby.
If it helps, I’m on a Facebook group of breastfeeding doctors with about 5,000 members and the overwhelming consensus now is to take whichever vaccination is offered and not stop feeding.
Highest risk to baby is Mum catching covid and infecting baby (acute covid seems low risk but some of the post covid inflammatory syndromes are a concern) or the breastfeeding relationship being disrupted either through Mum being poorly or Mum reducing contact with baby to reduce infective viral load which could affect supply etc (probably less of an issue with a toddler)

Had my first dose on Friday and am still feeding 9 month old twins. No problems at all and thrilled to have had the vaccine.

@Donotfeedthebears did you link the right article? That one is about women having a mild inflammatory reaction in the arm that was vaccinated which is not surprising or concerning. A lady had glands swell in her armpit after the vaccine and doctor advised to monitor for a few weeks rather than rush to investigate, and not to do routine mammograms soon after the jab which also seems very sensible.

I had the Astra Zeneca one last week and am feeding my 13 month old. I hope he gets some antibodies from it!

Grab the jab with both hands and be grateful - be happy that you will be much less likely to get potentially life threatening covid

If women want to have the vaccine whilst breastfeeding they can. We live in a country without forced vaccinations. Personally, I’ll wait until I finish breastfeeding.

Same here. Absolutely no way I'm having it. Why risk it? I'm not worried about getting Covid so not worth the risk for me.
I've done lots of research and am very comfortable in this decision. The vaccine is still in the trial period, nobody has had it in their system for a year yet people are rushing to have it. No thanks.