35wks - hospitalised after second vaccine

[Newmummyinlockdown]

Hi. I don’t mean to scaremonger as I am completely pro-vaccine, but I just wondered if anyone else had had a similar experience.

I had my first jab in April and second one last week. After the first vaccine, I was fine. However, after the second I became very ill. I started feeling dreadful after about an hour. I was in bed, with the most horrendous back/body pain (almost like when you have the flu and everything aches) but I was up on all fours trying to ease my back. I had a dreadful headache and nausea. Then I started vomiting terribly and couldn’t move from my bed. I can’t really describe the feeling but it was definitely the worst I’ve ever felt.

I rang the MAC and they told me to come in. They were concerned as my heart rate was 200bpm (usually 90), and I was dehydrated due to the vomiting. I was admitted, given antibiotics and fluids, and several tests and bloods. It took about six hours for my heart rate to come down, and I started feeling better after about eight hours. Heart trace ECG, blood pressure and CTG all normal. My covid test was negative and chest x-ray was clear.

I’m now paranoid that this will have affected the baby as they aren’t really sure what caused it. A few doctors said it might have been the vaccine, and a few thought I might have already had a viral/bacterial infection of unknown origin before I had the vaccine. The doctors all said the baby will be fine, but I feel terribly guilty for having the vaccine. And surely if some thought it might have been the vaccine, shouldn’t this be reported?

Has anyone had a similar response? It was the Pfeizer vaccine.

Thanks in advance x

You can report it on the yellow card scheme

Yes, please report using the Yellow Card website! It’s really important they collect data on vaccine side effects and outcomes in pregnancy. For what it’s worth, I didn’t have side effects that badly. I had the AZ vaccine and with both doses I had a mild temperature, headache, chills and felt very fatigued the next day. After the first dose I had an elevated pulse rate for almost 48 hours (not 200! More like 100). I think those are all very common and normal though. I have heard the Pfizer vaccine tends to cause worse side effects with the second dose, so it may just be you had a particularly bad reaction. I’m sure the baby is just fine, like the doctors said - and s/he will have antibodies when they’re born as a nice bonus

poor u sounds awful :(glad u r feeling better. seems everyone has had v diff experiences, i was lucky and felt fine after both 1st and 2nd dose, had 2nd this week.
dont feel guilty about having it - sensible move when so pregnant given cases of covid right now, and has PP says,by time baba born hopefully theyll have antibodies too!

My husband had a similar reaction (not as fast as 200 bpm heart rate though!) to the second AZ vaccine, all passed within 24 hours. Do report it though it’s worth them having a record of how many of pregnant women have reacted badly. I had both of my AZ vaccines whilst pregnant and baby is healthy and fine as far as we can tell from scans, etc.