How to protect baby from infections?

[butterfly92]

Hi ladies... I know you are all probably going to find me odd and weird but this is genuinely how I am feeling and I am sure not many of you will agree but just after some friendly advice!!

I am not getting the whooping cough vaccination simply because I believe there are too many risks of having it. I am not anti vax though, I am getting baby vaccinated but I am not doing it now because I am worried about what can happen.

I am due in October so it will be winter and planning on keeping baby indoors for the first two months until he gets his vaccines. My partner and I are getting the whooping cough vaccine after he is born! I have notified my family that nobody can visit until he has had them :/

Just wondering if I HAD to go out, would a rain cover protect him from germs or breathing in bacteria, Even if it isn't raining? Thank you .. I am an Anxious mum to be!!

Please get the vaccination done. I was hospitalised and severely ill with WC when I was a baby. Exposure to germs etc is good for children as it helps to build their immune systems.

Butterfly I had my DD in Oct 2012, and just before she was born it was all over the news that they would be introducing the whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women. I was hassling my GP surgery every day asking if I could have the vaccine, and managed to get it at 38 weeks. Probably too late but i wanted to make sure I had it.

You do sound very anxious; I was (and maybe am to some extent) very anxious about my DC getting sick. Get some help if you can, it's very hard living with anxiety and trying to look after DC at the same time x

For what I know you get the vaccine during pregnancy so you can pass some protection to the baby for when is born, they are not fully protected but is something. I didn't know I had to keep my baby away from people so she had visitors at the hospital and we went out for a meal first day we were discharged at home, she was 3 days old as my in law was in town for the day, it was a Monday though and wasn't busy. As long you don't go in big crowds and plases with a lot of sick people it will be fine. Just have a sanitizer in your changing bag if you bump into acquaintances and politely ask then to use it, same with family. Asking family not to visit and meet baby for 2 month is cruel

Hi Butterfly, I am very, very sorry for your loss. May I ask what happened to your other children? I know this is a very sensitive topic and none of my business but it may help to address the insecurities you have about your new baby. You are a mother and no matter what anybody else says to you, you are responsible for your babies' health and, within reason you should do what you feel is best for your baby. IMHO breastfeeding is all a newborn baby needs for protection.

mammyCway2B
Thanks hun that means a lot! I had two ectopic pregnancies and a miscarriage. This little one inside me is my rainbow baby and I honestly never felt so much love!

I am still deciding whether to breastfeed but I know breast is best so most likely I may well do that :)

The very, very best to you and your little baby.

You're bonkers

Sorry posted too soon! Sounds horribly rude and wasn't my intention!!

Should have said you're bonkers if you think you cab keep everyone away for two months. Health professionsals for a start and why would you want to keep your family away? You will regret that massively.

There is risk with everything in life. Everything. The risk with vax is low and the risk of contracting hideous disease and then death /huge problems is much much higher. No brainier

Why are you not having the whooping cough vaccine now but intend to get it when baby is born? I don't understand the difference.

With the greatest will in the world, you can't protect your baby from everything. What you can do is take sensible steps (like making sure baby gets all the right vaccinations) to hopefully prevent the worst.

I honestly don't think staying indoors for that long is realistic. And no, a rain cover won't offer much help.

Butterfly92. You will enjoy being a mother. It is the best job in the world. By the sounds of it you'll be a great one at that! I love everyday of it. My LO is thriving and has been around all 30 odd members of the family including a cousin who had measles and she was fine! Breastfeeding is the best thing for you and baby. Follow mother nature, eat well, sleep well and stay happy. Most importantly ignore all the crap you hear. You will enjoy it and all the immunity you have built up over the years will pass through to your baby in the milk. I won't say much about vaccines but as a responsible parent steering away from popular belief and media propaganda I have done some significant research into it. I urge you to do the same before you decide what vaccines (if any) you should give your baby. Your baby is YOUR responsibility not any doctor or midwife's or friend's. Follow your instincts. You are not responsible for other people or their children either.

I would get the vaccine. I spend every week at the GP's for one reason or another after DS was born. Staying indoors just wasn't an option. It's a germ fest in those waiting rooms so the more immunity you can give them the better. I know of at least two adult that currently have whooping cough so the risks are there.

Please speak urgently to your MW (or GP) about your anxiety. I can understand why you feel anxiety but your fear is completely out of proportion to the risk. You need to seek help before this baby arrives.

Breastfeeding will give your baby your antibodies, to protect it from infection and illness. Even if you just do the first few days, it will make a difference to the baby's immune system.

I'm assuming you're only having 1 child?! If you end up having another, it will catch a cold (like my ds did from dd sticking her nose in his mouth at 7 days old!) or chicken pox or something else grim, it's part & parcel I'm afraid.

You really need to consider getting your baby vaccinated, as pp have said, it's herd immunity. Also, exposure to the world will help your baby in the long run. I had an ex boyfriend who's mother was totally germ phobic and he had terrible allergies because his house was so ridiculously clean. A bit of grubbiness is good for children you'd be horrified at the state of my dd!

The best help you can give yourself is relax with your partner, have a cup of tea and rid yourself of all worries. The world you live in is not riddled with disease. All 7 billion people on this planet are not carrying infectious illnesses. People blow this stuff out of proportion. Your breastmilk will help your baby immune system to thrive naturally and fight off dis-ease if needs be.

No point putting life on hold because of all the scaremongering you've been lumbered with. Your rainbow child will only thrive if you are happy and stress free too.

Let family members come after you've settled (a few days, week or two). It's a very enjoyable experience when you see family members cooing over your newborn. And the new clothes. I love new baby clothes. And taking pics of baby in them and sending them onto the person who got them the outfit. Awwwwhhh I'm gonna have to have another baby soon! I'm going to be like the woman in the shoe house.

Thumbs up to Bobbinpop

butterfly, I lost 4 babies before my dc1 was born- and hence I had similar feelings as I said last night. But I did think how women managed 100 years ago- I know it's very different now but nature will take it's course. Allow the simple germs for your baby's natural immunity to build.

What alarms me is that you have the issues over the vaccine but haven't yet decided re breastfeeding which means bottle feeding is an option you have considered/are considering? I am not going to bang on about bfing (even though I would love to ) For me it was the first and foremost important- an absolute must. If I can only succeed at one thing it will be this, and if I fail I will be seriously distraught. It was so important- it is the basics of immunity. Therefore I think if you are prioritising in this way then it is for the wrong reasons, but this is of course MHO. Please give this some thought, why exactly are you thinking this yet considering formula feeding? (i reiterate I am not beginning a bf/ff argument)

Good spot there Bramblina. Hope your family is well and healthy. You're right, above all else, Butterfly92 if you can, You should breastfeed. Not only is it great for baby but it helps your body repair much quicker after birth. And you trim down quickly too. Annnnd noo period, bottle cleaning etc. Etc. Less stressful too.

My God. I seriously cannot sleep...

Please get the vaccine.
Whooping cough is awful - it really is. If you catch it, as an adult, you will feel beyond shit. If your baby catches it they could die. It's not uncommon to break ribs coughing with whooping cough. It's an awful, awful disease and the vaccine can protect you. I nearly died of it as a baby
I am a scientist and I work in drug development. the vaccine is safe. When a vaccine is tested and put into use, any and all reactions must be passed on and notified. This happens for many years after the vaccine is approved for use. If there's a problem, it gets picked up. There's no problem with the whooping cough vaccine. It's very safe indeed. Can you outline exactly why you're wary of having it? Perhaps I can put your mind at ease - there is a LOT of bad information on the web!

A rain cover will be no protection at all.

Whooping cough is on the rise and comes in waves - we are having a spike in infections so please, don't take the risk.

The best way to protect your baby is this:

Make sure you have the vaccinations offered. Flu included, before baby is born.
Make sure you keep yourself healthy - eat well
Good hand hygiene is very important. Wash hands after every nappy, toilet, before food prep and when you come in from being out.
Make sure anyone who holds the baby in the first few weeks gives their hands a good wash
Decline visitors with coughs and colds
Breast feed if you can. Lots of antibodies in breast milk which is great but these are not sufficient protection that you can decline vaccines . They help, but it's not 100% protection.

TheHubbles is right. I had whooping cough as an adult. It was beyond horrible and I was ill for months. Little ones can die from it. Please have the vaccination.

Sorry to hear you caught whooping cough Dodobookends and Thehubbles. How long did it last? Weren't you vaccinated from it?

Correction. My little one was around a cousin who had mumps not measles. Changed my name too.... Incase you're wondering where mammyCway2B, It is I.

You already know you aren't being rational so see your GP And ask for a referral to mental health services - you can't deprive your baby, or you, of stimulation and fresh air for 2 months! I am very sorry for your previous losses but you can't punish your new baby because you are afraid. Get vaccinated and go outside!

I understand your anxieties and I'm sorry you've lost your babies. I know this one must be incredibly precious.

However your plan to "protect" it is unrealistic and irrational. Babies need safe, controlled exposure to bacteria and viruses to build up their immune systems. The best way to reduce infection in a very young baby is:

Have the whooping cough vaccine. It is safe and benefits the baby in utero. You and your partner are very unlikely to be allowed to have the vaccine after delivery - well you could have it immediately post delivery but it's not licensed for non pregnant adults and the father wouldn't be eligible for it.

Wash hands thoroughly.

Avoid people who are unwell.

Breastfeed. This is an incredibly effective way of protecting your baby as it transfers antibodies and also reduces the risk of gastrointestinal infection.

I'm a health care professional (practice nurse) and whilst I understand your anxieties I think you need to speak to someone about them. If your midwife isn't taking you seriously speak to your GP.

Enjoy your new baby 😊

Hi

Just wanted to say we didn't have the whooping cough vaccine. But also I didn't keep baby inside for 2 months. And as lots of PP have said- breastfeeding is an amazing way of helping baby's immune system.