Whooping cough vaccine during pregnancy?

[Mamabear12]

I went to my 28 week appointment and the midwife asked if I wanted the vaccine, she basically suggested it. I do not like taking vaccines unless absolutley necessary. Please post your opinions and if you plan to get the vaccine or not.

My husband does not think I should get it.

Curious what others are doing!

[ShadowMeltingInTheSun]

My midwife didn't mention the whooping cough vaccine at all at my 28 week or 30 week appointments - thanks to the OP for reminding me about this!

Will have to ask the midwife next week at my 32 week appointment.

[lisbapalea]

Thanks rootypig and Ginformation

[Mayanbob]

Phoned up GP and have now received said vaccine. Hoorah for efficient practice nurses. 38+1 so not as much of a disaster as i'd feared.

Thanks ladies.

[Ginformation]

Lisba, you can have it after 28 weeks, no point having it sooner as it won't give your baby enough protection after birth.

[rootypig]

28 to 38 weeks lisba

[lisbapalea]

When are you recommended to have it? My mw has mentioned it but I haven't booked anything in yet - am 20wks.

My DD (3.6) needs her mmr booster, so am thinking of getting it done at the same time as her, to show injection solidarity!

[PseudoBadger]

I had it last week at 29 weeks. It had been mentioned at my booking appointment so I was expecting it at my 28 week MW appointment. However the MW said that their trust funding for the vaccine had run out so women have to get it at their gp surgery. So I did. So ask if you haven't been reminded!

[Mayanbob]

Thanks Gin will do. We have community midwifery (not through GP) which is possibly where I got missed.

[rootypig]

My MIL is an American nurse and there they recommend DTAP for anyone who will be in regular contact with a baby. She encouraged me to get it, so around 20 weeks (mid 2012) with DD I went to ask the GP - and got a very condescending no, you don't need it. 19 weeks after that, on my due date, in the grip of an outbreak and new guidance from the CMO, they were desperate to vaccinate me

Have it if they're offering. Pertussis is on the rise in many developed countries and can kill a small baby.

[Ginformation]

Mayan, you can still have it now, phone your gp tomorrow. There is no cut off, as long a you still pregnant.

[Mayanbob]

I am currently being freaked by this because I read my little NHS reminder e-mail I signed up to which said I should have had this by now. I haven't had it. Now 38 weeks. Peed off to say the least. It was mentioned at my booking appointment but unsurprisingly I had not remembered since.

Gutted and worried. Little baby better not get whooping cough.

[Ginformation]

Just checked, it is nation wide. So if your MW didn't mention it, she forgot! Definitely chase it up. But it is likely to be your practice nurse who gives it you, rather than the MW.

[Ginformation]

IME not all midwives are clued up about this. At work we have come across several cases of women who have seemingly been discouraged, or simply not told about it by their ill informed MW. At our gp surgery we are sending a letter to every pregnant woman at 28 weeks to invite them in for it. I am fairly sure it is a national campaign, recommended between 28-32 weeks but you can have it later (but potentially not as effective).

As others have said, it is not only in the uk where this is done. whereas it is new here, there have been many years experience of using this vaccine in pregnancy elsewhere. So unless you have a history of allergy to this vaccine, there is no evidence to say don't have it.

[Cheerymum]

It is available up to 38w I believe

[Newmum0113]

I forgot about this! I remember my MW saying about it at booking on but she didn't mention it at my 24 or 28 week appts!

I'm 30 weeks - can I still get it tone do you know?? I don't want to risk not having it if its available to me and will help my baby. I had very bad asthma as a newborn and was hospitalised for over 2 weeks! I wouldn't want that for my baby if avoidable at all.

[mycatlikestwiglets]

I think it varies by area as to whether it's offered/recommended. My midwife brought it up at my 25 week check and suggested I book myself in to have it at 28 weeks (South East commuter belt). I wouldn't have had it otherwise. Maybe incidences of whooping cough have been lower elsewhere and the vaccination programme isn't UK wide.

[islingtongirl]

I only knew as I saw it on the news around Xmas/new year and I think my midwife mentioned it at the booking in appointment but I had to remind my midwife at my 28 week appt! Have a look into it (there is a page on the NHS website, sorry not sure how to link on iPad) - but once I reminded her midwife highly recommended I get it and kept asking me whether I had it in subsequent appointments!

[anastasiakrupnik]

I wouldn't know about it if it wasn't for this thread. I had my 31 week appt yesterday and the midwives have never mentioned it. Is that normal? Is this something I have to be proactive about?

[islingtongirl]

I had it at 31 weeks - also a no brainier for me. Had a sore arm for a couple of days but that's it. As I think a PP has said it isn't a live vaccine either. Understand re individual circumstances though and there may be something to be said for risk vs due date and timing if someone really has concerns about having it.

[Excited85]

Lucybrad Just to elaborate, if it was any other jab I would have it without a doubt, but we have had a death and serious illness in the family both as a reaction to the whooping cough jab. This is why I wasn't vaccinated and when discussing it with the mid wife she said she wouldn't give her baby something that had caused an immediate family member to die, so as I said, for me it is more risky to actively have the jab than the risk of baby potentially catching the illness. Of course I will have all other jabs as will baby and I'll be extra viligant for any signs of illness but I'd never forgive myself if anything happened from me taking the jab in this knowledge. Completely individual circumstances though and if it wasn't for this I wouldn't think twice.

[mycatlikestwiglets]

Had mine yesterday too - it was a no brainer for me, the risk of a sore arm for a day or two against the risk of my new baby contracting a potentially fatal illness.

[Smerlin]

I had it last week- had a sore arm for two days and that's it. Baby is now protected against a nasty virus- what's not to like?!

[snickersnacker]

I had it and didn't think twice about it. Slightly sore arm afterwards but a small price to pay to protect my baby.

If you are still unsure it is worth considering when your due date falls - if your baby's first three months will be during the peak whooping cough season of autumn / winter then that is a strong argument in favour of e vaccine during pregnancy.

[lucybrad]

Its a terrible illness for baby to have. Why would you chance it, by not having the vaccine. Imagine if your baby caught whooping cough and you could have prevented it? Yes vaccines do not 100% mean you wont catch the illness but they lessen the effect of the illness on the body as some immunity has been built already. I can't understand why anyone would not have the vaccine. What ill effects have been seen from it? Are you planning on not vaccinating your baby with its routine 2/3/4 month injections? What's the difference?

[LouiseD29]

I had it. I was working with the Department of Health last year when they started the campaign to get pg women to have the vaccine so learnt a little bit about the reasons behind it. There was a massive increase in cases last year and it can be fatal to babies. I had whooping cough when I was small and the horror stories my mum tells are enough to convince anyone! I strongly recommend it.