Getting the jab when TTC

[latebloomr]

I've just been offered a Covid vaccination - don't know if it's the AZ or Pfizer - and I'm hesitating bc we're TTC.

It's scary reading about women experiencing missed or delayed periods after having The Jab.

Had one BFP and a MC last year. I'm 40 & focussing on natural fertility so don't want to mess with my cycles.

I know the risk of clots is low and the risks outweigh the benefits of being protected from
Covid. But there's no research I can find about missed or messed up cycles.

Any advice is hugely appreciated. TIA!!!

23 women in the Pfizer trial went on to get pregnant. I’ve also seen lots of posts from women saying they’ve had their 1st dose and got pregnant, so should they have their 2nd or wait until after baby. The fertility thing is a complete conspiracy theory.

Whilst it’s true that many women are reporting a change to their period, this can happen after covid or any infection. If the vaccines were causing fertility issues then Covid would be causing fertility issues too. It’s not.

I can completely understand why you’re worried and I would be too. Realistically though, you’ve got nothing to worry about.

Plus, pregnancy makes you high risk with Covid so I wouldn’t want to get pregnant and risk that.

Also, for whqt it’s worth. I’ve had 3 periods since my Pfizer, all bang on clockwork 30/31 days. Prior to this they were 30-36 days. So, who knows, you could say it regulated mine?

Thanks @Canyouexplainhowthatis. All reassuring stuff. At there is some data. I don't know if I'll be given the option but if I am, I'll go for Pfizer. Thanks again

I'm 50 and still got my period after AZ and my periods are getting a bit dodgy as approaching menopause

It’s all personal opinion but I just wouldn’t get the vaccine yet. Too little is known about long term effects. Maybe (and hopefully) there won’t be any but why take the risk when at the age most women are ttc, they have a 99.6% chance of surviving covid and will actually more likely suffer only a mild illness if any at all. In addition, there is virtually no coronavirus around at the moment so the chances of even coming into contact with it over the coming non respiratory illness season are tiny.

Finally, there is some thought that data showing risks to pregnant women being hospitalised with covid are slightly inflated by the fact EVERY single pregnant woman admitted into hospital was tested for SARS-cov2. Even if asymptotic or only mildly ill, they were counted in the hospital and demographic figures.

I don’t wish to put you off if you’re anxious but it is not for me.

Just saw this. Might reassure you some more.

www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/coronavirus-covid-19-pregnancy-and-womens-health/covid-19-vaccines-and-pregnancy/covid-19-vaccines-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding/

Q. How can you say the COVID-19 vaccines won’t affect pregnancy when there isn’t any data?
In the absence of data, we cannot be 100% sure that vaccines will not cause adverse events in pregnancy. However, this uncertainty needs to be weighed against the risk of COVID-19 in pregnancy.

COVID-19 vaccines do not contain ingredients that are known to be harmful to pregnant women or to a developing baby. Studies of the vaccines in animals to look at the effects on pregnancy have shown no evidence that the vaccine causes harm to the pregnancy or to fertility.

The COVID-19 vaccines that we are using in the UK are not ‘live’ vaccines and so cannot cause COVID-19 infection in you or your baby. Vaccines based on live viruses are avoided in pregnancy in case they infect the developing baby and cause harm. However, non-live vaccines have previously been shown to be safe in pregnancy (for example, flu and whooping cough). Pregnant women are offered other non-live vaccines, such as those against flu.

There is limited UK data on COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy. However, robust real-world data from the United States – where around 90,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated mainly with mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna – have not raised any safety concerns.

Therefore, the JCVI advises that it is preferable for the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccines to be offered to pregnant women in the UK, where available.

I think there was something saying that pregnant women should have Pfizer or moderna, rather than AZ? So, if I were you, I’d want to know if that applied to ttc, because you could be pregnant and not yet realise.

@Canyouexplainhowthatis you're a star for digging all this research up. Thank you. This is my concern though - there's a few snippets on the very limited research on pregnant women, but nothing that I can see on future fertility itself. Especially for those who are TTC. Whilst 23 women went on to conceive in the study you mentioned, it doesn't say if that figure was above/below average for the number of total women in the study who were also TTC.

@Lostinacloud you make such a good point about the likelihood being low of getting Covid now. And of the unknown side effects.
I know any health practitioner will just say 'get the jab, it's better than Covid' but I don't feel women are getting the full picture. Nor do I think women's fertility or issues was properly considered when the vaccine was developed. Which is typical of medical trials.

Still quite confused now about what to do, other than to avoid AZ.

Yeah, I understand.

The experts have said there’s zero biological reason for how or why the vaccines could cause any fertility issues. The concern started as a conspiracy theory because the government, when asked, responded with “it’s unknown if it impacts fertility”, in the same way they’d have answered “it’s unknown” if they were asked if the vaccine could make your nose fall off in 10 years time. Not because they think it could potentially be an issue, but because it hasn’t been tested for these things specifically.

I empathise though, and I’m glad I had my first a few weeks before shit hit the fan in Feb 2020. I’d like another and I’m already concerned about the way the world is looking. I know for certain I wouldn’t get pregnant without having the protection of the vaccine though, because pregnancy + covid is a high risk situation to both mother and baby.

I’ve been vaccinated now (Pfizer) - if this is still going on when we TTC I shall report back... (if I can forget the sleepless nights.. )