Covid Vaccine at 27 Weeks - what to do?!

[MintGreenLife]

I was called by my GP today to say they have been instructed to offer the jab to all pregnant patients. I'm 27+3 today, so just about to enter the third trimester when it's suggested that you can suffer more serious illness with Covid. I'm due on the 1st of August.

I am completely torn about what to do. On the one hand knowing I have some protection against covid and that maybe the baby would have some protection too would be a real weight off my mind, but at the same time, how on earth can I be sure that having the jab might not have long term implications for baby, surely there is no way of knowing?!

I work from home, get click and collect for food shop, order most things online. Have been meeting up with family outdoors since it's been allowed, in laws are jabbed. Only main concern at the moment is my SIL is expecting and due in 2 weeks, and so main possible risk would be from DH holding his new niece/nephew, who may very well be held by lots of other people! I myself have no underlying health conditions, normal BMI etc. This is my first baby.

Would love to know what everyone else is thinking/will be doing?!

@MintGreenLife congratulations. I know this was a really hard decision for you, and you are very brave to confront it head on! I'm so glad the staff were helpful and reassuring, and that they had a GP on hand to talk things through with you. And good luck with the second jab, I reckon you'll have a good chance bringing it forward, because they're trying to do second jabs at 8 week intervals now rather than 12 (not sure if that's only for the over-50s or for everyone).

Well done @MintGreenLife! I really think you've done the right thing and your body will get to work mounting your antibodies. It is such an emotional decision and I felt emotional too, but am now so pleased that I went ahead with it. Xxx

@kingfisher657 thank you :) really appreciate your support and advice. This thread and having all of you to talk to has been a massive help! Hope others find the same too. Oh that's great about the second jab, fingers crossed x

@MyBabyBoyBlue thank you :) I really didn't expect the emotions to hit me that hard, I was a blubbering mess ha. I feel the same, and think I will continue to feel positive about it now xxx

Well done @MintGreenLife 😘

@Cafeaulait27 thank you :) xx

Thank you @MintGreenLife and everyone else for sharing your experiences - this thread has really helped me. It's such a hard and emotional decision.

My pregnancy is the result of many years of TTC, tears and turmoil - I just hate the thought of taking this sort of risk. But on balance I think having the vaccine is the best thing to do for me and my baby.

Does anyone know if there are any stats on the number of pregnant women taking up the vaccine - either here or in the US? Do you think most are taking it up? For some reason it would make me feel better if most were having it up - it would make me feel like I'm not in the minority and making a stupid decision!

xxxx

@Bluebell5569 hi, I'm not sure of the exact proportions of pregnant women taking up the vaccine in the US, but I've read it is high in both Ireland and Israel, and also doctors in India are campaigning really hard for pregnant women to be vaccinated with the AZ.
For what it's worth, I had my jab last week and the volunteer I spoke with said they've they've seen a big increase in pregnant women coming forward in the last couple of weeks. I saw a few while I was there myself (and I was in the centre for less than half an hour) and the woman being jabbed in the clinic next to me was also heavily pregnant.

Cubicle next to me, not clinic!

@MintGreenLife well done on making your decision and going ahead with it. Pleased to hear the staff were so helpful at the vaccination centre especially the GP and hope it alleviates some of your anxiety about covid. Hearing your story is making me think I should just brave it. Woukd you mind letting us know if you have any side effects please? (Although I appreciate everyone reacts differently)

I had the midwife this morning and she said she couldn’t give me any advice and it was my purely my decision.

I have no statistics on this, but the pregnant women where I live seem to be very keen on getting the jab. Almost everyone at antenatal yoga and NCT has either had it, or is desperately trying to find a way to get it!

and @Barbs19, the only side effect I had from Pfizer was a sore arm for a day or so. Felt very similar to a flu jab. No change in the baby's movements or anything like that - I had a midwife appointment yesterday and everything looks "textbook"!

@MintGreenLife I'm glad everything went well for you today! It's a really emotionally draining decision to make but it's nice to have it out of the way!

@Barbs19 I think a lot of midwives are saying the same thing. So many aren't giving advice. What I thought it my mind was that if my midwife did think it was an absolutely terrible, unsafe decision, I'm sure she would've told me then.

I had the Moderna jab on Sunday eve and about 24 hours after having it I started to feel fluey. Yesterday was really rough and I had to take a sick day from work, I had an awful headache, couldn't move my arm, aching head to toe, just felt like i was coming down with something nasty. This morning I literally woke up feeling absolutely fine, like nothing had happened! My DH had Pfizer and was fine apart from a sore arm. I would just prep to have a couple of delicate days just in case but always hope for the best :)

@Barbs19 of course ☺️ I’ll keep you all updated as to how I feel over the next few days, and also what happens with my second jab. At the mo I just have a sore arm - 6 hours since the jab. Feel tired, but am confident that’s from the emotional trauma of this morning 😅

@mariebaby3 thank you. Yes totally! Feel like I need a few days to recover just from all the stress of making the decision 😂 x

@mariebaby3 just read the rest of your post. Sorry to hear you felt rubbish after yours! Glad to hear you’re on the mend now. Lucky for me I’m self employed and have planned to either work tomorrow or Friday, depending on whether/when I feel rubbish! X

@mariebaby3 sorry to hear you felt rubbish but glad you feel better today. Yes I think you are right the midwives. She did say none of her other pregnant ladies have had it yet, but I couldn’t help but feel she was rushing me out (well she got up, opened the door and started ushering me into the corridor 😂) and I had only asked one question!

@kingfisher657 thank you for saying about the baby’s movements. Good news everything looks textbook too.

@MintGreenLife I’m sure the stress of the morning has added to tiredness. Feet up tonight!

I’m not worried about feeling a little off for a day or 2 as of the opinion that one day is better than covid. I’m more concerned about the bad experiences some people seem to have experienced. I’m 34+4 so am far along now but the midwife has said I will probably need a growth scan as it’s dropping down on the scale so I don’t want to do anything that may add to this!

@Barbs19 it’s a really hard decision to make, and I totally get you not wanting to rock the boat if you have something else going on in your pregnancy. I was measuring big at my 28 week appointment and midwife said if I’m still measuring big at my 31 week measurements she would refer me for a growth scan. I can’t see how the jab would impact growth in anyway, but totally get why you’d be worried about doing anything to influence growth when baby may already be a little on the small side. For what it’s worth, I’ve seen loads of women having to go for growth scans because of fundal height being big or small, and it seems like 9 times out of 10 the scan showed baby at a good size and nothing to worry about ☺️

@MintGreenLife yes I’m sure the baby is fine and won’t be affected, like you say just another worry to add to the mix of doubts. My OH is 6ft 6 so everyone keeps telling me I should be bigger...which is not very helpful 😂

@Barbs19 oh wow, 6ft6! I’ve been told the mother and father’s size doesn’t really play much of a role in the babies size, as I’ve wondered if I’ll have a big baby as DH was 9 pounds 10 whereas I was only 5 pounds 3! Although at the mo baby is looking on the large side from fundal height 😅 I’m sure you’re baby is the perfect size, and at least if you do have to have a growth scan you’ll be double checked ☺️

@MintGreenLife 9 pounds 10 😳 i hope the baby doesn’t take after your DH for your sake!! As long as the babies are healthy is all that matters at the end of the day isn’t it

@Barbs19 haha me too! I’m still only tiny too, so that would not be fun 😅 yes totally, that’s the most important thing 💕

Just wanted to post a bit of an update - spotting has continued but always coincides with bowel movements.

Since baby appears ok - thank God - it seems likely that the extreme bowel movements have disrupted some blood vessels which are causing the spotting now. The more significant bleeding was just the first day. Diarrhea is a listed side effect of the vaccine so it seems plausible.

@Iris2020 sorry to hear your still spotting, but agree with you that bowel movements are most likely the reason. Hope that baby being ok has helped put your mind at rest a bit?

Hope you feel better soon and the spotting clears up, thanks for updating xxx

@Iris2020 Have you got piles? Could that be where the blood is coming from?

@Iris2020 sorry to hear you're still suffering. Not sure if it'll help put your mind at rest, but I had spotting from around 26 weeks lasting a couple of weeks, mostly after a bowel movement. I had the same thing happen at 10 weeks, but that was always after exercise. For me it's because I have a polyp on my cervix that was getting irritated or bleeding. Not saying that's what you have, but I've been told a few times that the cervix is generally more vascular and easily irritated in pregnancy, which can cause some bleeding after something like a bowel movement. Hopefully once your tummy is better it will stop :)

Just wanted to update everyone - 28 hours since the vaccine and just have a bit of a sore arm. Arm was much sorer after whooping cough jab though, can sleep on it and lift it up and down without too much pain :) no other side effects so far x

I had my first one on Wednesday at 38+4 weeks, Pfizer, no side effects other than a dead arm which is was back to normal within a day.

I’m hoping to breastfeed so decided he’d get it passed through anyway and whilst there’s not a huge amount out there I hope it’ll work similarly to other vaccines and give him some protection too. ☺️