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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Feeling extra guilty about vaccines and embarrassed.

173 replies

SexlessBoulderBelly · 29/12/2019 22:47

I’m having a c section on Tuesday, I’ll be 37+4, baby is coming early due to issues with my placenta and growth restrictions.

Up until I was about 30 weeks and started attending the hospital every week, at my usual midwife appointment she reminded me to book my flu and whooping cough vaccine.

I’ve got to be completely honest, I totally put them off as I suffer terrible anxiety and was frightened did have a reaction to them. I never voiced that to the midwife and just kept saying I would book it in. I had every intention to do it as I absolutely want what’s best for DD but I just thought to myself every time I thought about it “I’ll ring tomorrow“

Even now I just think it’s pointless even if I could get a appointment. I know that logically it’s not pointless but the anxiety in me is brushing it off and I’m overcome with guilt.

I’m so pro vaccine for babies too. It’s just me having the vaccine that I can’t bring myself to do

I’m entitled to the flu vaccine for my job anyway and I’ve never had the jab done.

Am I absolutely terrible? Did anyone else not have them? Obviously not having the whooping cough vaccine I’m going to be recovering from the c section for a few weeks and will try to really limit visitors until baby has her first vaccines. Will keep hand sanitizer on the side table and make sure veryone wishes theirs hands before holding her and absolutely no kissing.. which would have been a request anyway. Something about kissing newborns on the face when they don’t belong to you makes me a bit irritated. Common sense (which I’m obviously lacking by jeopardising her health selfishly!)

I don’t really know what my question is, no one can tell me if she will catch whooping cough or flu, and people with hve different opinions on me being an idiot but I suppose I just needed to offload!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Boymummy3 · 29/12/2019 23:03

I've had the whooping cough one but not the flu one.. I was sold on the whooping cough as soon as mw mentioned it to me as she told me about an epidemic in 2016 of loads of babys getting it so straight away I thought it was a no brainer to protect baby while I can... The flu one I just genuinally kept forgetting about getting it done and never had time to 🙈
Honestly after the whooping cough one I didn't feel ill or anything just my arm a bit sore where I had it done but that wa sonly a day or two. You still have time to get it done if you wanted but honestly it's your choice your not an idiot for not getting it done plenty of women don't by choice its your body so it's your choice :) x

turnthebiglightoff · 29/12/2019 23:13

You don't get illnesses from vaccines. If you can have them, do. Your baby needs the whooping cough jab. You may find you need the flu jab. I caught the flu (full on flu) a couple of weeks before my flu jab was due this year. It's fucking horrific with a baby. Try and have them done. Sorry if that sounded preachy - try not to stress just give your MW a call tomorrow. She will have heard it before.

kimadey · 29/12/2019 23:15

You just need to be honest if they ask you if you had them....

TBH if you're having a c section in less than 48 hours there's no point getting them now as immunity takes time to build. First your body needs to create antibodies for them to be passed through to the baby.

Don't worry, just be honest and focus on your impending birth. Good luck x

Ju5tAgirlstandinginfrontofaboy · 29/12/2019 23:19

I wasn't offered either and my baby is now 10 weeks old. Do I need to worry??

PlanDeRaccordement · 29/12/2019 23:20

No point getting them now. Just make sure they have the info in both yours and your DDs medical records.

Elouera · 29/12/2019 23:21

Ask your midwife/GP or buy a cream from pharmacies called EMLA. Its a local anaesthetic cream and used for blood tests on children, tattoos etc to numb any pain. My mum is needle phobic but manages when she uses the cream.

Even though the vaccines wont now provide any immunity to the baby (takes 2-3 weeks to build up antibodies) it will still help prevent you getting ill and passing it on. Be honest but please get them for your babies sake!

KayAR · 30/12/2019 22:46

I am 4 months pregnant and my midwife also is trying to encourage me to get my flu and whooping cough vaccine, I am very much against certain vaccines and I have never had any sort of flu or chickenpox ect even after working in a nursery for 2 year (I am very proud of this haha) , I know not many people agree but I feel I am doing what is best for my baby and I may change my mind but for now I don't think I will be getting any sort of vaccine while carrying the baby, it's all about doing what is best for you and making your own decision ! Do your own research and then decide as it will put you at ease but I generally wouldn't worry too much x

LittleBearPad · 30/12/2019 22:53

but I feel I am doing what is best for my baby and I may change my mind but for now I don't think I will be getting any sort of vaccine while carrying the baby, it's all about doing what is best for you and making your own decision

No it’s about doing what’s best for your baby which you aren’t.

Two days after I had DS I was phoned by the hospital to say one of the midwives who’d delivered him had been diagnosed with WC. I was bloody glad I’d had the WC jab.

OP it’s too late now but you’re going to have to be careful for the next 8 weeks until he can have his own jabs.

KayAR · 30/12/2019 22:56

I feel I am doing what's best for my baby, I have done ALOT of my own research instead of listening to others. I don't ridicule other mothers on what is right for their baby's as it is there own choice so I don't appreciate comments on how I should look after my own.

Dipsydoodle · 30/12/2019 22:58

Why do you feel not get the whooping cough jab is doing the best for your baby? How could you possibly have come to this conclusion? Bizarre.

KayAR · 30/12/2019 23:00

I'm mostly against the flu vaccine as even my doctor said most of the time the case is that the vaccine dosent even cover the type of flu going around at the time, believe it or not there are many negative things about having vaccines and my family have experienced it first hand which is why I make my decisions, after looking more into the whooping cough I may change my mind but for now I don't agree

Dipsydoodle · 30/12/2019 23:00

And presumably you had chicken pox as a child like most people do so that's why you didn't get it in your two years of working in a nursery. You're hardly a medical marvel.

Anyway OP, yes you should have got at least the WC jab but what's done is done and no point fretting over it now. Good luck!

Meshy12 · 30/12/2019 23:04

I don’t want to worry you but flu is actually the deadliest virus type in existence and foetuses and tiny babies have very little immunity. I get really annoyed with people who think flu is just a bad cold and that they have been fine - it 100% is not just a bad cold- it will floor even a healthy adult and we have all heard of the Spanish flu amongst others strains - every year there are different strains which the vaccine protects against and we can’t always know how our body will react to them.

There might not be much point in getting these now but I would mention to your midwife as it might be that you might pass some of the antibodies in breast milk.

A baby can only get the flu vaccine itself from six months (the jab is only licensed from 6 months and the nasal spray from 2 years) and this is why pregnant women are asked to take it.

KayAR · 30/12/2019 23:04

Actually I never had chicken pox as a child and I have been tested for immunity which has come back that I am in fact immune to it, and I'm very lucky to have a good immune system as I said it is just my opinion and it's what I think is best for my baby everyone else is entitled to their own opinions also because it is there child.

Graphista · 30/12/2019 23:10

KayAR What medical qualifications do you have so that you know the "research" you've done has been genuinely effective? What training do you have in medical stats? Think I can guess. You're letting your baby down by not listening to the actual qualified and experienced experts

Op tell your midwife and hcps whooping cough in particular has been having a resurgence in recent years.

I was vaccinated as a child and avoided all those years but unfortunately had a mild case a few years back. Apparently some of us older ones may be suffering from the vaccine wearing off slightly plus a vaccine doesn't mean you never get an illness but that you're far less likely to and if you do it's likely to be a far milder case.

I still felt absolutely rotten and the cough took quite some weeks to go.

At the very least if you tell them they can be sure to keep anyone with obvious flu or cough symptoms or who hasn't been vaccinated away from you and baby.

Though most hcps have their vaccination record thoroughly reviewed and any missing or out of date vaccines are sorted before they start practicing - I remember feeling like a ruddy pin cushion the first few weeks into nurse training with all the blood draws and vaccinations!

The risk is more likely to come from non hcps who you may want to take great care who sees baby until they have their vaccinations first set at least.

kikibo · 30/12/2019 23:12

It's fine, don't worry.

In Germany, all vaccines are off limits for pregnant women. Your baby will get what they need for the first few weeks from you. Even if you don't breastfeed (though obviously this'll last less long).

KayAR · 30/12/2019 23:16

I don't have any medical qualifications but I feel I know what is right for my baby ! There are many vaccines that are not safe for pregnancy and I just do not agree with it for my own personal reasons. Many people also do not agree and it just is not what I think is right for my baby, as I said I do not agree with the flu vaccine but the whooping cough may be an option after speaking to my midwife. People are so quick to judge on here and I appreciate you trying to think about my babies health but only I am required to do that thank you.

meditrina · 30/12/2019 23:28

Reading up a bit on the internet is no substitute for actual medical or epidemiological research.

OP: There's little point in having the whooping cough jab now, as there is insufficient time for anybodies to pass to your baby (takes about 2 weeks). It would still be worth having the flu jab, just to protect yourself.

LittleBearPad · 30/12/2019 23:29

Actually I never had chicken pox as a child and I have been tested for immunity which has come back that I am in fact immune to it

So you had it as a kid then. There don’t have to be visible spots.

nether · 30/12/2019 23:31

"There are many vaccines that are not safe for pregnancy"

Yes, the live attenuated vaccines.

Neither the injectable flu vaccine nor the WC jab (inc the other components) are live vaccines.

As your 'research' didn't even cover that very basic difference, I would urge extreme caution about relying on it.

KayAR · 30/12/2019 23:38

Thank you for all of your opinions but I'm sticking by mine ☺️ I wish you all the best x

annlee3817 · 30/12/2019 23:52

Definitely mention about the whooping cough one, one of the school mums at my dds school has recently had a baby, and he now has whooping cough, he's not had his first jabs yet, better to be able to provide protection in those early weeks if you can. Hope all goes well with the c section

Mustbetimeforachange · 30/12/2019 23:57

There's no arguing with stupid. If you are immune, you've had it. I hope to goodness you will get your baby vaccinated.

turnthebiglightoff · 31/12/2019 00:36

Definitely no arguing with stupid. Especially those who've done research!! My bubs, my rules, hun.

SnoozyLou · 31/12/2019 00:58

No point worrying about it. No point worrying about getting "told off". People do refuse vaccines - think the average NHS worker's attitude would be better late than never. But I would tell them. No point panicking about it, but that's your best bet in terms of getting your baby protected.

My brother had a hacking cough for months on end. He was diagnosed with whooping cough. It is more prevalent than people think. Best bet is talking to an expert who can tell you what steps to take to minimise her chances of getting it.

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