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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Whooping cough jab

322 replies

blonderthanred · 28/09/2012 07:43

Anyone got any views on this?

I just read on the BBC website that due to the recent cases, pg women are all to be offered a whooping cough jab between 28-38 weeks, to take place at a routine antenatal appt.

I'm 34+3 so I guess they may offer it next week when I go in - it doesn't say whether there will be any notification or info sent, or if I will just be told/offered it on the day. What do people think about this issue, it seems a sudden decision which makes me nervous but I guess there will have been a longer thought process. Plenty of people have the flu jab when pg although I believe that only offers the mother protection, not the baby (?) so I don't know if there are any risks or even if it crosses the placenta.

I was born in '76 when there was a scare about the baby wh cough jab (recently proven false) so I didn't have it and then caught wh cough. I don't know if that will make any difference.

OP posts:
ShellyBobbs · 02/10/2012 11:44

Hehehe, I'll take someone with me and tape it Grin

ValiumQueen · 02/10/2012 11:48

Appointment for whooping cough 2.10pm this very day Grin. The lovely practice manager just called me to say Grin

Good luck everyone!

ShellyBobbs · 02/10/2012 11:58

Hmmmmm, funny that VQ

whatsonyourplate · 02/10/2012 12:17

After a little bit of mithering (and the receptionist telling me you had to have the vaccine before 27 weeks, err I don't think so!) I've just been given an appointment for 4pm today for whooping cough and flu vaccines. I'm 38 weeks today. It's a small semi-rural practice so if they can manage it I'm sure other practices should be able to.

ValiumQueen · 02/10/2012 12:21

Good news whatsonyourplate hopefully junior will stay put until due date.

Original poster
blonderthanred · 02/10/2012 12:24

Good for you VQ! Well done.

That's useful info Shelly about having the flu vaccine at the same time.

On a slight tangent does anyone know if it's inadvisable to have a jab if you've come down with a stupid stinking cold (on the first day of my maternity leave, grr)?

OP posts:
ValiumQueen · 02/10/2012 12:26

blonder usually they recommend waiting a bit, but it depends on what the jab is and the urgency. I would discuss it with the nurse who is going to give it. Hope you soon feel better x

Original poster
blonderthanred · 02/10/2012 12:32

Thanks VQ. It's just annoying more than anything else, I wanted to be getting on with fun baby stuff not curled up drinking tea - nice though that would be normally.

I'll ring the GP once I stop sounding like a 13-yr-old boy mid-voice break!

OP posts:
Goldrill · 02/10/2012 12:34

Crikey - north cumbria has caught up with the rest of the world for once! Just called my doctors and am booked in for Thursday - will be 39 weeks but as DD was 2 weeks late I'm not overly worried!

Thanks for the thread, ladies - after being told last week it wasn't going to happen, I would almost certainly have forgotton about it, or not got around to being pushy if it hadn't been on here.

ValiumQueen · 02/10/2012 12:50

blonder I broke my leg just after starting mat leave! At least a germ will be gone quicker! Smile

Good news gold and good luck with the birth!

steben · 02/10/2012 13:10

I am getting angrier by the minute - spoke to doctor this morning who knew nothing about it! Asked me "where I had heard about it" I was quoting the DoH information back at him! Anyway he said not to worry and he would read up on it - have not heard so after speaking to a friend of mine who had it yesterday I rang back and spoke to receptionists who had heard about it and said it would be in imminently but could tell me no more - FFs!!!

hufflepuffle · 02/10/2012 13:31

Just had mine at 38+2. Hoping timing just about ok as first baby and suppose likely late!! If early, not quite sure what story will be but assume more will be known by then. I did call yesterday, they were unsure what happening. Called again today and booked me right in.I Did not ask too many questions, just happy to get. Did flu jab at same time.

I am Northern Ireland btw, and the stats are just too frightening to hesitate. 15 cases last yr vs 192 in same period this yr.

MoonHare · 02/10/2012 13:32

Email your MP steben it's amazing how quickly things get sorted out if you make a fuss!!

I have never been one for putting myself forward or complaining but having decided to be proactive on behalf of my baby I was astonished at how easy it was and how nice everyone was to me (to my face anyway...!).

If we all complain and contact our MPs they might learn lessons for the next time something like this happens, or perhaps not....

elizaregina · 02/10/2012 13:44

anyone know if men can get it?

surely if Dh can be done too - it provides even more help to baby?

lots of people on here said their DP/DH had WC

Original poster
blonderthanred · 02/10/2012 14:00

Well the GP receptionist knew nothing about the jab when I first called but has just called me back and booked me in for Thursday at 12.45pm for both wh cough and flu jabs. My consultant appt at the hospital will be straight after so it will be a medical day for me!

OP posts:
sittinginthesun · 02/10/2012 14:21

Hi. A relative of mine is expecting her first baby. She was 38 weeks yesterday - phone the surgery this morning and was told the doctors hadn't made a decision yet, and would know by the end of the week.

Sounds like waffle to me - is there any decision to be made? She's a very gentle, non confrontational kind of person, but I'd hate her to miss out.

OctoberOctober · 02/10/2012 15:09

Just spoke to doctors and they're supposedly not getting stocks in until end of the week and have told me that I will be able to get it next mon at my MW appt. however, I will be 39 +3 by that point so even if I haven't popped by then there is not much chance of building immunity to pass on. Don't know what else to do though if they're claiming not to actually have the vaccine though?

milli2512 · 02/10/2012 15:20

Feeling really pissed off with my surgery. I was 38wks on Sunday so rang the surgery yesterday morning to try and find out if the doctors thought it would still be worth me having it. The receptionist said she'd check and come back to me. By mid afternoon I hadn't heard anything so called back and she was really off with me - 'I said I'd come back to you didn't I'! Yes you did, but is that today, tomorrow, next week?? Still haven't heard anything. Just spoken to MW who thinks surgeries in my area haven't yet got the vaccine. A phone call just to update me either way surely isn't too much to ask. I don't think after all the stuff in the media about the increase in whooping cough and seeing footage of that poor baby with it that I am being unreasonable in wanting some advice from my doctor!! Grrrrrr Angry

Cuntzilla · 02/10/2012 15:22

My DS caught wh cough when he was 4 weeks old (we think from DH) GP?s didn?t think it was anything serious as between coughs he was ok (wish I?d trusted my instincts that something was really wrong but was first time mum). At 6 weeks he had a particularly bad coughing episode and briefly stopped breathing, we got an ambulance in to hospital & spent the next week there with strong IV antibiotics & additional oxygen after each cough. I spent the next 8 months watching him like a hawk as I had to make sure he sat upright so he didn?t choke with the cough. It was a really terrifying time, I couldn?t do the hoovering because I was scared I wouldn?t hear him cough and the worst would happen Sad I was up every 10 minutes at night to sit him up in his crib after a cough, don't know how I did it.
He is a happy healthy 22 month old now but I feel like I didn?t get to enjoy most of the first year of his life.
If I was pregnant again now I?d have this immunisation in a heartbeat, I?m getting upset with the thought of anyone having to go through this with their children, please have the immunisation if it is available to you.

Cuntzilla · 02/10/2012 15:24

Forgot to say that we also couldn?t start the normal first lot of baby jabs you normally get at 8 weeks until 9 months when the cough was gone.

milli2512 · 02/10/2012 15:45

Just phoned surgery again and they are F'ing bloody useless. Basically said they don't know, and I could probably find out more on the internet. I said I had looked on the net and knew other women past 38wks were being offered the jab. She said 'I'm a not a doctor just a receptionist', good god give me strength. The whole point of my call yesterday and her supposedly 'coming back to me' was to find out from a bloody doctor. So, now she's booked me in for a phone call from the doctor tomorrow. Why the fuck she couldn't have done that yesterday I don't know. Sorry, not a helpful post but needed to rant!!

ValiumQueen · 02/10/2012 16:01

Thank you cuntzilla for sharing. That must have been dreadful for you all. So glad he is ok now.

The surgeries will already have supplies, and have been authorised to give it now to mums if they are at the tail end of their pregnancy. The jab is the same as they give to pre-school kids. I would urge you not to be patient and wait. Every day you have to process it will improve the chances of you passing antibodies to your baby. A pre-school kid can wait a few weeks, you cannot.

Ask to discuss with an actual doctor. You may need to speak to the practice manager or nurse first, and if no luck, speak to a doctor.

You can ask to speak to someone from the Public Health department.

You can ask your GP to act on your behalf.

I have asked MN if they can put pressure on in some way. Perhaps if others asked MNHQ it might help? I have not heard back yet.

You can call the local or national press.

It was the doctor who gave me the jab today. It does not have to be a nurse, or health visitor or midwife. The GPs have all been contacted to be told they can give it opportunistically on maternal request. They do not need to wait for official paperwork.

Dads will hopefully be offered it if the baby is born without adequate protection, so new mums and dads should IMO be asking for it now.

Please do not be fobbed off. If I can get it in rural Scotland, you can get it too.

DebussyHead · 02/10/2012 16:07

You are not going to believe this. Am F*ing raging. So eventually got an appotinement for WC vaccine for this Friday as they said vaccines should be in on Thursday. I was reading this thread to see how everyone else was getting on esp Valium who is also in Scotland and was delighted to see Valium that your MP visit resulted in a vaccine today. It made me think I should book my flu vaccine for the same appointment. So I called my surgery this afternoon to say 'i have WC jag appointment on fri can i arrange to get the flu jag in the same session' . Arsy receptionist demands to know who booked me in for WC vaccine on Friday, they should never have done this and that there was no guarantee it would be in on Thurs, that they received a letter today to say it would not be issued till 15th. Blatant lie as they told me yesterday it would be in on Thurs.

I told her i'd hear they could do them opporunisitically for women close to 38 weeks as it is same as the pre schooler vaccine.. she shouted (yes) at me 'we have no vaccine on the premises' and then said it 'wasn't their problem' that the media broke news too early. She told me I couldnt have flu jab at same time as WC anyway as the WC vaccine contained the flu vaccine which is bullshit. Clearly doesnt know what she is talking about.

So I said I was coming on Friday anyway and she said I would be wasting my time. Unf*ing believable. Am so upset and angry I am in tears.

MoonHare is there any way you could share the email you wrote to your MP so I could copy bits of it. Feel so upset and all over the place dont think i can write cohesively with the right facts! Why would a GP receptionist speak to a clearly distraught heavily pregnant woman so harshly and with no empathy or help or understanding. She clearly only cares about their workload. Oh and she actually said 'Just get it post natally'...er well it wont work then will it !!. Angry

Sorry for mega long rant.

so please for those of you who have something arranged at least some practices have their act together and their patients unborn needs at heart.

DebussyHead · 02/10/2012 16:21

Valium you say 'GPs have all been contacted to be told they can give it opportunistically on maternal request. They do not need to wait for official paperwork.' which is what I thought but then they are telling me they have no vaccines on the premises not even for preschoolers and I know they are probably lying but dont know how to respond to that. I'm going to go armed with all the helpful facts you and others have sourced on Friday.

Im off to research who my local MP is...

ValiumQueen · 02/10/2012 16:28

On debussy I am so sorry you have had this. She has no right to speak to you like that. She has no right to comment on things she clearly knows fuck all about. She has no right, and I would encourage you to consider putting a complaint down in writing if it would help get it off your chest.

I was given a leaflet that is hot off the press from NHS Scotland. I will ask my husband to scan it and I could email it to you if you want, so you could take it with you. My doctor said it came through today. I have yet to read it fully.

I am sure doctor receptionists go to special classes to learn how to be mean to people.