Vaccine - should all pregnant woman get it?

[Sunsetswim]

Hi all,

I know theres lots if vaccine threads and ive worked my way through reading most recent.

Up until the latest guidance i was going to hold off getting vaccine. Mainly because lack of information etc.

Are any woman getting it who work from home? Could easily try and restrict mixing with people like we have been doing during lockdown?

Also, for those not getting it what are your biggest concerns.

Mine are that we dont have enough information but ill happily accept flu vaccine /whooping cough.

I'm 39 weeks so if I had it now I wouldn't get any immunity to protect me for the rest of the pregnancy anyway. I'm in a v low rate area, and my local hospital doesn't have any cases currently. So my biggest concern would be feeling unwell from side effects whilst in labour. I have no other risk factors that would make me vulnerable to Covid, and it seems very unlikely that I would catch it now.

If I was 36 weeks or less, I would definitely get it.

My plan is to be vaccinated as soon as I can after the baby is born, and I'm planning on breastfeeding so hopefully baby will get antibodies that way.

@Chelyanne

It's a very individual choice but I feel there is a lot of bad judgement thrown at people choosing to decline it. I'm not getting the vaccine during pregnancy and not rushing to after pregnancy either. Had my whooping cough a couple of weeks ago but declined the flu when I was offered it in winter. Not isolating, restricting visitors etc.

Yes, exactly. I got the first dose against my gut and really regretted it - I've posted about my experience in the other thread. I had to have the anti-d injection afterwards so now I'm not even sure I have any protection at all anyway. Anti-rejection drugs normally do affect vaccine efficiency but Anti-d is a very targeted one that can't be compared to the ones taken post-transplant etc and there's little to no research as to whether it impacts developing immunity.

Do whatever you feel is best and don't let anyone make you feel like you're uneducated, not listening to science etc... for turning the vaccine down if that's what you choose.
There are unknowns both ways. If you feel confident go for it. Sometimes, one just needs to listen to one's instinct.

If it was a question of getting Phizer I would have it without a second thought but I feel like I’m in a completely different scenario from everyone else that has no clear solution.

I got my first dose of AZ the day I conceived, I wasn’t trying for a baby and therefore answered no when they said is there any chance you could be pregnant. Absolutely kicking myself for that now. My second dose is due in a few weeks time and I’m leaning towards cancelling it because of the risks associated with AZ. I’m gutted that I won’t be fully vaccinated during this pregnancy as I know someone personally who was put into a coma straight after delivering their baby and I wouldn’t wish that trauma on anyone.

Hi @Pinkjellies take a look at the YouTube video I posted earlier this morning on this thread - there is a section for women who took the AZ vaccine and then became pregnant, you might find it helpful.

I think the general jist I got from it is that the clotting thing isn’t the same kind of clotting as pregnancy clotting, and therefore you are at no increased risk of clots or pregnancy complications. Their advice was to take it, especially as people who got the AZ clots got them from the first dose. I hope that helps!

I wanted to have it done pregnancy but couldn't
I'm 27 and did ask but have to wait for my age group still I was told as being pregnant without any health conditions doesn't mean I can have before
I'm 37+6 now so it won't really offer me any protection now because I still can't book it due to my age

Luckily my area is 1 per 100,000 for cases atm . So not to worried but I've been very scared about being unprotected in the 3rd trimester.
Have a five year old at school and that does worry me

@InTheNightWeWillWish You summed it up brilliantly, well done! I think you're right - I felt exactly like there were two doors and I didn't know which the right one was! But as you say, there is an element of unknown risk with both, so it is up to individuals to weigh up what they are comfortable with.

@Pinkjellies If it's any reassurance, they did talk about this on the Pregnant then Screwed webinar... they said that as some people have mentioned, the clotting is very different to that seen in pregnant women/after birth. But also, they don't foresee issues with AZ in pregnancy. They are simply not offering it as it has not been studied yet, whereas in the US, over 100,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated with Pfizer and Moderna, which means they have a lot more data on it.
Have you spoken to your GP about it? They should be able to offer some good advice.

Quite jealous of those of you living in places with a rate of 1 per 100,000! My town is 11 which isn’t many still but the town next to us is 44 per 100,000!

@peaplant20 it's 54 in my area, almost double that in a neighbouring town with Indian variant.

Of course it's a personal decision, so yes we shouldn't be criticising those who choose not to, BUT we can't ignore that peoples' decisions not to have it (or any vaccine) are of huge relevance to the wider population too. The decisions on whether further restrictions are eased or lockdowns brought in will very much depend on uptake %s for instance.

All I would say to the people saying they aren’t having it is - please read the below advice before making your final decision to ensure you’re properly informed:

www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/2021-02-24-combined-info-sheet-and-decision-aid.pdf

Oh I'm so happy I found this thread! My head was telling me to have it but all my pregnant friends are refusing to have it until after the birth so when my doctor offered my appointment I told her I'd probably wait, at least until later in my pregnancy anyway.

Just watched the Stella Creasy vid and found that super helpful - so I think I'm going to book my vaccine afterall! Woo hoo!

I had my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine today at just over 23 weeks.

I will be due my second dose by the time I’m 35 weeks which will mean I have the protection in time for my c section at 38/39 weeks. My partner has his first this week too, meaning both of us will be covered by then.

I feel really relieved having had it done after umming and ahhing over the decision for a while.

I’ll be 14 weeks on Friday when I have my first dose. Everything I’ve read has left me comfortable that this is the right choice for me; I have no desire to spend more time isolated than legally required as I know that will be massively detrimental to my mental health (I was extremely low earlier in the year and being able to see people again has hugely helped), the risks from COVID are clearly increased in late pregnancy, and I’m comfortable with the (near zero) risks of the vaccine.

I got mine on Monday and am 20 weeks pregnant.
The risks of having it were heavily outweighed by the risks of not having it.
I can’t afford to get ill with a four year old and a two year old and a business finally being able to open after over a year of not being able to trade.

Had mine today at 17 weeks. Also still WFH.
Agree with everyone else, the risks of covid feel much higher than the potential risks (which don't even make sense and just sound like the usual anti vax parade)

All the experts in the world have come together on these vaccines and they definitely know a lot more than a bunch of hysterical pregnant women on Mumsnet or Facebook

Another vote for the Stella Creasey webinar, the immunologist said she would have the vaccine and baby should get the antibodies, I felt I was given enough information BY EXPERTS to make an informed decision. If you're still unsure, speak to your GP rather than taking advice off friends and here.

Tbh I think pregnant women should have priority before there age group to
I am 38 weeks and can't have one yet as I'm 27.
It's made me very anxious
Partner also to young atm and has to go out to work.

I don't know if my view is just clouded though because of anxiety but I don't like feeling completely unprotected still

I personally won't be getting it. I know I will likely be made out to be paranoid etc but as another poster has said it could potentially come out in some years potentially nasty side effects having this while pregnant so for me, I'm happier not getting it.

I do not want the added anxiety of that. I also haven't been offered it at all anyway.

Also in an area where there are hardly any cases.

I also cannot be ill with any side effects from the injection as I have numerous children to look after also!

Well aware that some can say well how would you if you had Covid... it's all up to the individual at the end of the day what they are comfortable with and what they feel is best for them and their unborn child.

I had my first dose 2 weeks ago at 34+5. I'm on mat leave but have a toddler in nursery and also worried about picking it up in hospital. Also there is an outbreak at my toddler's nursery (and we live in an area with barely any cases) so I'm glad I've had it even though obviously I only have minimal protection at the moment.

I had mine on Sunday at 22+1, I'm currently a stay at home mum & my partner works in retail. I have a toddler who I want to get out & about socialising more & a 10 year old in school. There is a Facebook group for people ttc, pregnant or breastfeeding trying to decide whether to have the jab or not, lots of people on there have had 1 or both jabs & their babies have been born perfectly healthy & have been tested & have antibodies. Im due my 2nd jab around 6 weeks before my baby is due.

I'm in Germany and they are not advising everyone get it here, only people who have higher risk due to underlying conditions or live with vulnerable people.

In the UK jobs with high level of contact would count towards this higher risk too. It doesn't apply here because anyone not WFH and pregnant has been signed off.

I was supposed to have my vaccine on Monday, when the I went to the test centre they asked if it was possible I was pregnant. I said that we were TTC but it was too early to test. They basically refused to give me the vaccine just incase I MIGHT be pregnant.

They said to take a test and return the following week if it was negative but return after the first trimester if it was positive.

I asked if I could have it anyway and the nurse said the only way to get it would be for the oncall GP to write me a script, but they don't advise it. This would have meant waiting to talk to this GP and I really had to get back to work.

I spoke to my own GP when I knew my vaccination was coming up and she had told me that it was fine to have whilst TTC or at any stage of pregnancy, which is why I made the appointment in the first place.

There is no consistency within the NHS on this, it seems that different vaccination centres, as well as GPs, are telling woman completely different things. The nurse told me she had turned away several ladies that day and it was very frustrating that the GPs were giving out "the wrong information".

I really don't know who to believe, but as it turns out, I tested and I am pregnant. So I am going to follow their advice and wait until the second trimester.

I have already had Covid a few months back, so hopefully I already have some immunity to it.

I had mine at 15 weeks, I really had to think hard about having it - I am a healthcare professional and understand vaccines but being pregnant makes things less black and white.
I used the information on www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/coronavirus-covid-19-pregnancy-and-womens-health/covid-19-vaccines-and-pregnancy/

Think another PP mentioned the decision aid. There are risks getting the vaccination and risks catching Covid. I believe I have a higher risk of catching it because of my job so I chose to have the vaccine.

I had mine at 22 and 30 weeks (AZ as before the latest guidance came out). I thought about it a lot and found the RCOG guidance very helpful. I had mine early as I was working with covid positive patients up until 28 weeks and I am still going into the office in hospital until I go on mat leave (soon!).
The new data on thousands of pregnancies in the US is very reassuring and most women have the whooping cough and flu vaccine without a second thought, this vaccine is no different.

@Pinkdohnut what’s the Facebook group called? I’d like to join. Thanks x

@Peaplant20 it's Covid 19 Vaccine-Evidence Based Group: Pregnancy, Lactation, TTC & Families