Vaccine after first trimester

[Foxtree]

Hello,

I'm sure this has been done to death so apologies in advance if so - I've been looking for a thread with opinions on this but haven't found one that specifically covers what I'm looking for!

I'm currently 7 weeks pregnant (this isn't a 'should I / shouldn't I' - I'm definitely going to get the vaccine, done all my reading and happy with my decision vs the risk of Covid). But I found out I was pregnant just before my age group were called (early 30s), and when I rang my hospital maternity unit helpline for some advice, the midwife on the line told me that they are advising women to wait if possible to the second trimester, just because the first 12 weeks are so important to the baby's development.

Just wondering if anyone else had similar advice? It sounded sensible to me, and a GP friend who is currently expecting also told me she'd do the same. But with cases rising and things opening up, I'm just sort of weighing up the risk of waiting 6 more weeks. I'm happy to be as careful as poss but know people who were extremely serious about isolating and still contracted Covid!

Any thoughts?

I'm in the same boat as you, a couple of weeks ahead, and waiting until after the first scan. I suppose it depends on individual circumstances and the rates in your area.

Mine is a slightly different situation as I'm CV and had already had my first jab before I was pregnant, but I had my second jab when I was 4 weeks pregnant.

I already had the appointment booked and found out I was pregnant literally the day before. I spoke to a midwife, a nurse, my GP surgery (although the receptionist wouldn't actually let me speak to a doctor, she just said "it's fine in pregnancy" which I was a bit worried about as the nurse and midwife had both told me to double check with my GP). I also told the doctor doing the jab I was 4 weeks and everyone was happy for me to have it.

I guess if I wasn't CV and was having my first jab I might have waited til 2nd trimester. I suppose it's a personal decision, but as far as medical advice goes, no one told me I should avoid it.

I’m not able to get the vaccine yet, due to age but have done a lot of research and read that some women preferred to wait until the second trimester. I asked my midwife if this was just preference or advice and she suggested the sooner you get the vaccine the better really - bearing in mind you will have to wait 12 weeks between doses (assuming you are in the UK) and you will be most at risk during the third trimester. There’s no evidence to suggest that having the vaccine at any stage would harm the baby but I can understand why people would want to wait!

@Pantheon Yeah on balance seems like a no brainer to give it the benefit of the doubt and wait a few weeks, doesn't it

@cheesychips15 that's really good to know, thank you. I think if I were CV and it was my second jab, I'd def make the same decision.

I know no one can give me an answer in my own situation - this is my first and it's so useful to hear other experiences. Seems like such a long time to wait before you really get to speak to anyone in an official medical capacity! Thanks for your perspectives

I'm also 7 weeks and cautiously booked in for the vaccine tomorrow. It's such a hard decision and I'm going to try and speak with a doctor or nurse at the centre where I am getting it. The recent study about the effectiveness of Pfizer against the delta variant suggestions protection is minimal from the 1st jab alone and it just seems so difficult to keep myself safe with other people so excited to de-mask as the cases rise.

In the end for me it is about a real risk of infection from COVID against a hypothetical risk of harm from the vaccine in the first trimester. I've found looking at American message boards has helped as they have been vaccinating pregnant women longer. Their doctors are saying the only risk is fever, which is unlikely with the Pfizer jab anyway and manageable with paracetamol/acetaminophen. So if the medical professionals at the centre tomorrow can give me no other reason to delay other than risk of fever I'm probably going to go for it.

My midwife has advised it is totally up to me. I was literally ovulating when I had my 1st one. I've delayed my second one to after my 1st trimester. I'm getting the Pfizer one.

I haven’t had the first dose yet. I’m seven weeks and planning to wait till 12 weeks to get the first dose. Mainly because I feel so rough I can’t face side effects from the jab as well. Then hopefully I’ll get the second dose around 24 weeks, and be protected by the third trimester.

Something I do think is relevant is your risk profile. I work from home as does my husband (and he is vaccinated due to an underlying medical condition), and it’s summer, so I feel happy waiting until the end of my first trimester. But if for example I were a teacher or a nurse or another role where I had daily contact with lots of people, I think I’d be looking to get the jab ASAP regardless of where I was in my pregnancy.

I'm in 2nd trimester and had first dose but I find it so weird how much the information you're given by medical staff vary. I was told to get it as soon as offered, as was another friend (in first trimester) another friend was told to wait until after the baby is born, another told to wait until 2nd. No one seems to be on the same page which is quite worrying.

Same boat @Foxtree . Got my text 10 mins before my positive test! Took the shine off a bit sadly. After a lot of debating, DH and I have decided I should wait until after the first scan. I'm 5 weeks at the mo. I work from home and don't go out that much. I'm overweight but young. Really willing the next 7 weeks to hurry up now though

I had mine at 12+6, I’d already had my 12 week scan which showed everything was OK. Mine wasn’t a deliberate decision, it’s just when I was called up. However, women in the first trimester in the US were counted as vulnerable and bumped up the priority list. So women in the US have been having the vaccine in their first trimester since December and the studies available for pregnant women will include a significant amount of those in their first trimester.

Where I am pregnant women get the vaccine after 14 weeks

I’m in Ireland and they are only vaccinating pregnant women between 14-36 weeks. It has been explained by our health professionals that it is down to the fact that some people get a fever after the vaccine and that in the first trimester and the last few weeks of pregnancy fevers can cause issues.
I had mine at 22 and 26 weeks, I did not get a fever but I would have gotten it anytime after 14 weeks, just I didn’t get the option until 22 weeks

Yes @BabyC21 I'm in Ireland too, got Pfizer one at 16 weeks, very impressed with the service where I am anyway, 3 days from initial phone call asking if I wanted it to getting it done.

I'm currently 8 weeks and am going to wait until the second trimester. I have a history of miscarriage and have been sick with anxiety about losing this baby too; I weighed up the odds and decided that, if I had the vaccine and then miscarried, I would always blame myself for it.

But I suspect if there were any actual evidence of ill effects in the first trimester, we'd know about it by now. As long as you've had it by the third, I think it's all good

Best of luck with your pregnancy 😊

I'm 9w4d and am waiting until after 12wk scan before booking first vaccine. After MC last pregnancy I'm too worried to have vaccine done now even though my age was called a few weeks back. Like you though I am concerned about waiting because of the new variants emerging- but will just have to do my best on social distancing and hand sanitising etc and hope for best. It's definitely a nerve wracking time!

I’ve been invited but was waiting for 2nd trimester. I’m almost 13 weeks but might wait until my 16 week appointment to discuss with midwife - I’m more than happy to have it just want some clarity on when!

I went as soon as I was called as I’m a teacher so the real risk from COVID is more pressing than possible risk from the vaccine. As it happened I was 13 weeks by then anyway, but I would have had it sooner if I could.

I'm in the same position, had my first jab almost 8 weeks ago. Now I'm 4 weeks pregnant and due my second jab Friday. GP has told me to cancel it and will get the midwife to call me about when I should get it. If I wait until second trimester it'll be 14 weeks between jabs I don't know what to do...

Make that 16 weeks between jabs**

I was just told that they recommend getting the vaccine. They didn't say they recommend waiting until after first trimester but did say many people are choosing to and that that's fine. I'm 9+3 and will be booking for when I pass 12 weeks 👍

@HereIfYouNeedMe I got my first vaccine day before I got a positive pregnancy test and am trying to get my second dose asap. Currently almost 7 weeks pregnant and so far so good. I've got no concerns about getting the vaccine in my first trimester apart from a fever of course but would hope that doesn't happen. I felt slightly unwell after my first but nothing extreme. Its strange that your doctor advised you against it, they obviously have their own reasons. Can you get a second opinion?

In my experiences doctors seem to advise based on their own opinions so when speaking to different ones they differ so the message isn't consistent. I recommend watching this video as it answers a lot of questions about the vaccine and I've got no concerns about getting the second dose even if it falls within my first trimester.

@choccrumpet thank you so much for your reply, to be fair to the doctor she said she wasn't sure so wanted me to cancel it for now. I'll watch this video and speak to the midwife/another GP

I believe the advice to wait til after the 1st trimester is precautionary rather than due to any detected ill effects.

We won’t know the full effects of either the vaccine or mother catching covid until the babies become adults in like 20 years time. So there isn’t loads of evidence either way. Many people are cautious in pregnancy (understandably) and take a ‘just in case’ approach - which seems to be where the advice about the after 1st trimester comes from.

The rcog website has useful advice and updates. They seem to say that much of the risk from contracting covid tends to happen in the 3rd trimester, so if you wanted to delay it for precautionary reasons (due to baby developing a lot in 1st trimester), you may choose to (because you would still likely get most of the benefit of the vaccinations as long as they happen before 3rd trimester):
www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/coronavirus-covid-19-pregnancy-and-womens-health/covid-19-vaccines-and-pregnancy/covid-19-vaccines-pregnancy-and-breastfeeding/

Things you might want to consider in making your decision:

1. what is your exposure to coronavirus? (Do you wfh, do your kids go to school, does your partner or you work in a public-facing role)?
2. do you have medical issues like diabetes, high bmi, asthma, which make it more risky if you did catch covid?

Personally, me and DH work from home and kids are not in school and I don’t have significant med problems, so I am choosing to wait til after 20wk scan. If I was in a public-facing job or had to regularly take public transport or if kids went to school with several cases, I’d consider getting it earlier - like maybe 13wks. If I had medical issues in addition, I’d consider getting it before 13wks (but may want to chat to doc about it). Hope you can make a decision you are comfortable with.

I would wait until after 12 weeks. The first trimester is where all the building blocks of your baby is put together. After that it's mainly fully formed. I had mine at 26 weeks and 36 weeks. I have numerous growth scans and nothing appears unnormal.

The only thing I'm concerned about is the 16 week gap between jabs if I wait until the second trimester. I think if I hadn't had my first I would be happy to wait as my risk of exposure is low...