Vaccine whilst pregnant

[BlueBlossomCotton]

I'm 6 months pregnant and wondered if anyone waited until this stage for the vaccine?

There's many reasons I didn't have the vaccine earlier, then I caught covid before falling pregnant and held onto the hope I would have herd immunity but then along came another variant!

No midwife had discussed it with me until I went to my 25 week appointment where she put the fear of god into me and told me about two pregnant ladies currently in hospital with it.

It feels as though the NHS website and news papers don't mention the risks enough though so hoping for some reassurance from other ladies in similar situation.

I would personally be rushing to have it. As you come in to your third trimester the risks seem to increase significantly. I have seen so many stories in the media of pregnant women who have died without even seeing their babies in the third trimester.

I know it's hard to think about but you have to do what is best for you and your baby. And getting the vaccine is the best thing. There is plenty of safety data out there for the vaccine in pregnancy now.

I had both my jabs whilst pregnant. Currently feeding my healthy 16 week old baby boy

It feels as though the NHS website and news papers don't mention the risks enough though

We don’t know the long term effects of the vaccine in pregnancy but we also don’t know the long term effects of catching covid in pregnancy either. What we do know is that in the short term pregnant women are vulnerable due to their reduced lung capacity and that they can be seriously unwell with covid. Pregnant women with covid have a higher risk of stillbirth, preterm delivery (and the known life long risks that can come with that) and maternal death. The vaccine does not cause any of those.

I had my first vaccine at 12 weeks and second at 21 weeks. I have a wonderful 8 week old who is currently snoozing on DH’s chest.

We don’t know the long term effects of the vaccine in pregnancy but we also don’t know the long term effects of catching covid in pregnancy either

I just wanted add to this to say that we do have a good idea of the longterm effects of the flu and whooping cough vaccines, which are very similar non-live vaccines & have been safely used in pregnancy for many years.
There is nothing to suggest the covid vaccine will act differently, & vaccines are broken down and leave the body v quickly - they aren't hanging around to cause an effect years later.

From the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology:
"as COVID-19 vaccines are not ‘live’ vaccines they cannot cause infection, and other non-live vaccines have been given to women in pregnancy for many years without any safety concerns.

The mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) are also quickly broken down once they have been injected – within a few days of vaccination there will be no vaccine mRNA left"

Hope that helps - I'd really suggest getting it (I had my booster at 16 weeks with no issues).

Just to add, I lost three pregnancies before this one so was anxious too, but reading the latest research in the risks of covid in later pregnancy made me sure of my decision.

Also from RCOG:
"Research from 13 studies in five countries, involving more than 100,000 people vaccinated in pregnancy, shows having the vaccine does not increase the risk of miscarriage, preterm birth or stillbirth. Nor does it increase the risk of a small-for-gestational age baby, or the risk of congenital anomalies."
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/

The risks of covid especially in later pregnancy are significant if you are not vaccinated. The attached infographic gives an outline of those risks.

It's a personal decision and I won't judge either way.

Every mother wants to do what they THINK is best for their unborn child. Vax vs nonvax both think it's the right decision.

Personally I had my booster when pregnant.

I had my first dose nearly 2 weeks ago, at 22 weeks pregnant. I agonised over the decision but what made my mind up was I had never ever caught covid or the vaccine, I have a crap immune system during pregnancy, even a cold knocks me out for a week, so I worried I'd have very poor defense if I caught covid now and cases were going up so high I thought catching it would be inevitable. So the risks of covid during pregnancy outweighed the potential side effects to be found with the vaccine.

Me and baby have been completely fine, I'm 24 weeks now.

Hello! So couldn't leave this without my experience. I reluctantly had both my jabs pregnant. 1st at 12 weeks pregnant (I waited until 12 weeks) then second whenever we were meant to after.

The night after the first I woke up in the night to a feeling I had wet myself and went to the loo to find I was bleeding. I was convinced it was the vaccine but was told (quite abruptly) by anyone who would listen that I was wrong.

Anyway, I had a scan two days later and I had a subchorionic haematoma so I was wrong, it was absolutely nothing to do with the vaccine it was just scary timing. I then had my second jab when scheduled and all was fine.

I haven't had my booster coz I'm just over the 3 month mark and she's due this Friday.

It's a personal choice and not an easy one. Anyone who tells you it is is being unfair. All I knew is that in later stages of pregnant Covid causes a lot of problems and we know that as fact. So I went on that fact.

I hope that helps OP XX

Hi OP, I had both vaccines in pregnancy (and a booster whilst I am breastfeeding my 6 month old) Absolutely no problems. Funnily enough, I was really poorly during my pregnancy. Sickness, had food poisoning, asthma really played up. The only thing that didn't cause me any effect was the vaccine, no side effects or anything.

If you attend a vaccine clinic there is a vaccine Dr there and you can ask for a private consultation before you make up your mind (this is what I did) and they are very knowledgeable. It might help you decide for sure?

DD1 was pregnant when the vaccines first started and decided to wait until there was more evidence and guidance, she had hers very shortly after her baby arrived
DD2 had her first dose around 12 weeks at the time it became available for her age group and the second and booster as soon as available. DGD is perfect and healthy

I had it around 30 weeks. Absolutely fine. No issue. Baby born now and again no issue.

How have you not seen it in the news over the last few months about how many pregnant unvaccinated women have been in hospital and in particular the icu due to COVID? And the advice to get vaccinated ASAP

Do you have other children you could leave without a mother? If you got covid badly you are sufficiently far along that this baby might survive if it came early/ you had to be induced to go on a ventilator. Do you want to leave this baby without a mother?

You've had covid once so I guess you are not ready to stay away from anyone who could give you covid for the next 3 months until the baby is born. And then maybe stay away a bit longer as your newborn wont have the antibodies to covid they can get from you.

All those risks are known and known to be bigger than any possible vaccination risk.

@toomuchlaundry

How have you not seen it in the news over the last few months about how many pregnant unvaccinated women have been in hospital and in particular the icu due to COVID? And the advice to get vaccinated ASAP

Yes I have seen the news about these woman but I've also first heard of woman who were significantly unwell after having it plus previous midwives were not encouraging it. But then again the news do not report on the cases where the woman suffered after the vaccine. It's very difficult when midwives have conflicting ideas about the vaccine, if it had been strongly encouraged from day one I would of had it as I had planned to after having covid.

You claim you have heard of women "significantly unwell" after having the vaccine - not dead though and not having premature babies. www.thelancet.com/journals/lanam/article/PIIS2667-193X(21)00019-3/fulltext

and you'll pass antibodies onto your baby 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/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20protective%20antibodies%20developed%20from%20vaccination%20can,and%20more%20research%20is%20needed.

Funnily enough I havent heard of pregnant women being seriously ill post vaccine (and I have contacts in hospitals so would have done so, I heard of problems with pregnant women with covid). I guess you have got that from some misinformation anti-vaxer website.

@alreadytaken

You claim you have heard of women "significantly unwell" after having the vaccine - not dead though and not having premature babies. www.thelancet.com/journals/lanam/article/PIIS2667-193X(21)00019-3/fulltext

and you'll pass antibodies onto your baby 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/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20protective%20antibodies%20developed%20from%20vaccination%20can,and%20more%20research%20is%20needed.

Funnily enough I havent heard of pregnant women being seriously ill post vaccine (and I have contacts in hospitals so would have done so, I heard of problems with pregnant women with covid). I guess you have got that from some misinformation anti-vaxer website.

Okay thanks for your opinion. I asked for advice from woman in a similar position yet your two posts have just been very opinionated and a bash against Anti-vaxers which I'm not one of. The advice from the people above was what I was looking for.

I had my second at seven weeks pregnant and my booster at 28 weeks pregnant. Now 31 weeks and pregnancy is progressing well. I will say I was sick as a dog with my second vaccine but fine with my booster