Covid advice please. Your thoughts

[Tinydancer321]

I’m now 29 weeks pregnant decided last week I had no choice but to have the vaccine.
I have 3 kids and over the holidays we are going to stay in our bubble. I’m hoping they will let me have my vaccine a bit earlier. Or I won’t be “covered” until the baby is here.

All restrictions are lifting and it’s estimated that there will be 100000 cases a day by September. I’m due the 22nd September.
I really don’t want to catch Covid just as I’m due.
I’m tempted to keep the kids of until the baby is born (I don’t want to do this at alllll!!!!). This is worse case scenario. But I don’t see how I can stay safe. There is lots of cases here at the moment let alone with no masks etc.
Any one else due September how are you feeling?
Am I being over anxious? Im asthmatic too. Im petrified of catching it at 37 weeks tbh, and not being able to give birth or look after my baby.
I have 3 kids, 2 get a taxi as their school is far (Sen), they have had lots of cases, Sen school so children can’t keep a distance or safe. Youngest at a mainstream.

I'm 34wk, not vaccinated and not worried.
The world has gone mad imo. We have lived alongside thousands of viruses all our lives and now are terrified of 1.

It's such a great feeling to know that you're vaccinated! What do you mean by you won't be covered until the baby is here? Are the UK still leaving a big gap between doses of mrna vaccines? I thought they had shortened it now but I could be wrong as I'm not living in the UK. Even to have the first dose will probably be a relief for you.

@shivawn I actually don’t feel relived to have the first dosage as I know about 5 people my age who have caught Covid and poorly and have the first a few weeks back!! Literally seems to be not doing much for this variant.
So 8-12 weeks in the uk.
So I have it at 37 weeks I won’t be covered until 39! Also the kids go back when I’m 36. (37 weeks Will be 8 weeks).
So I’m feeling very anxious. Esp as it’s only getting worse till that point because of the lack of restriction.

Getting the vaccine is of course a very personal choice at this stage but I think you've made a very sensible decision, especially considering that you're asthmatic and as you rightly say, the projection for case rates is not good. At the very least, getting the jab would offer some degree of protection for you and your family and I think that would go along way to easing the anxiety you're feeling now.

If it's any help, I got my first jab (Moderna) when I was at 18 weeks and personally had no side effects at all other than a sore arm. It's also possible now to get the 2nd jab much earlier than the original 12-week gap (some friends have even gotten their 2nd jab without an appointment, just walk up to a vaccination centre).

All the best!

I actually don’t feel relived to have the first dosage as I know about 5 people my age who have caught Covid and poorly and have the first a few weeks back!! Literally seems to be not doing much for this variant.

In that case they really do need to shorten that gap! I only had a 3 week wait between my Pfizer does

Sorry last message posted too soon!

I actually don’t feel relived to have the first dosage as I know about 5 people my age who have caught Covid and poorly and have the first a few weeks back!! Literally seems to be not doing much for this variant.

In that case they really do need to shorten that gap! I only had a 3 week wait between my Pfizer does which still felt like a long time because cases were so high here at the time. As a previous poster said you might be able to get it soon, I would really push for it if possible!

As for keeping your kids out of school, I would play it by ear and see how the situation is when they're due back after the holidays. If you feel safer with them out then I would probably go for it.

@Chelyanne you're right, there have always been lots of threats in the world and we have learned to live with them but COVID presents a new and real threat to women in their third trimester. Have you read around the subject? Thinking that the world has gone mad etc... well you may think that but catching COVID as a pregnant woman is serious. I'm a paramedic and I work in a specialist critical care team in a hospital and it worries me how flippant you are being about this

I had a gap of 6 weeks between my Pfizer vaccinations and i do feel better for being fully vaccinated, the risks of catching covid in the third trimester swayed me to have the vaccine and i'm glad i did. I'm due in September and feel fine!

I'm sure you can have your doses closer together so you are fully covered.

@thingymaboob thank you. Yes that’s my worry. My kids have been still going to school but now I have hit my third trimester the anxiety has built. The cases are high at the moment but still feel them at school is less risk. However I’m already worrying about September. They all have transitions and I the last thing I want them to do is miss the first few weeks of term. However can’t see it possible cases going down.
I’m going to bug my doctors after 4 weeks in the hopes I can have my second vaccine earlier . The beginning of pregnancy I was told not to have it as it hadn’t been tested, numbers were low. At 20 weeks I spoke to my consultant who wouldn’t get involved. So it’s been a tricky decision.

Thanks for all your support I thought I was going to be eaten alive for worrying so much. I feel really isolated. All my friends are happy and excited for freedom day, no masks, because I have not been meeting up they have all distanced them selves. 😢

I don't think it's advised to have less than 8 weeks between doses. I am 29 weeks too and will be fully vaccinated in 4 weeks. I am planning to isolate as much as possible as I'm terrified ofgetting it. Can you speak to the school about remote learning?

@Rosieposy89 thanks it’s something I feel I may bring up in September if the numbers are sky high.
My grandad older 2 attend a sen school and I know they will agree (but my children may feel differently) however my youngest will be hardest. Esp as we are trying for a ehcp.
I don’t want to feel I’m over the top? I only had my vaccine Saturday so In a few weeks I will try and book another.
I’m really upset by the government tbh and I really feel torn. Open every where up yes, but why get rid of masks and self isolation for adults. Why not make school children parents do lateral flows daily and get rid of bubbles. I feel pretty negative about it.

I don't think it's advised to have less than 8 weeks between doses.

Actually the official CDC guidance for the Pfizer is 21 days gap and the Moderna gap is 28 days - that's what the vaccine efficacy results (of 94% for Moderna and 95% for Pfizer) is based on.

eg. for Pfizer the specific wording is: "All people for whom vaccination is indicated should receive 2 doses 21 days apart."

So when you deviate from that timeline there's no telling what impact it'll have on the efficacy although there're studies on that underway.

Not sure where the "not advisable to have less than 8 weeks" thing you're saying comes from, but if that's the UK guidance I'd take it with a pinch of salt since it's these are American vaccines we're taking and if their efficacy and findings are based on the 21-28 day gap I'd say they have more authority on this particular matter. If anything, the UK govt is probably trying to reach as many people as possible and thus creating a bigger gap than CDC provides but at least more people have 1 dose.

@Tinydancer321 I don't think you mention which vaccine you got but I know that the Pfizer one was developed to be given as a second dose after 3-4 weeks. This is what they are doing in Ireland. Try speaking to your doctor and they should be able to give you a letter allowing you to get your second dose sooner due to your circumstances. I tried going to a walk in clinic for my second dose but they wouldn't let me get it before the 8 week gap. I then read that same centre said to get a letter from GP asking for the second dose. Sounds like you're doing everything within your power to keep safe but agree that being fully vaccinated can only help!

Hi. I'm 28 weeks pregnant. I really dont want to get the covid vaccine but I'm also starting to feel under serious pressure to get it with how rampant the delta variant is. I don't go anywhere, I'm meeting no one and I'm happy to continue doing this. My husband is the problem. He doesn't seem to understand the seriousness of covid and how it can affect me and baby. He got his first Pfizer vaccine last week and now thinks he is invincible. He is meeting others and not social distancing. I now feel I've no other choice but to get vaccine but think I'll resent husband for making me feel like I've no choice.

@pileapetals hi.
Oh it’s not that’s it’s not advised. That’s the waiting time I was told! I was told I will get a call back in between 8-12 weeks. I think they are struggling to stick to any where near 3 weeks!!!
Most have had a 12 week wait.

@pileapetals I've heard this as well, apparently there's new studies saying that a longer gap between the 2 doses offers more protection. In my opinion, it was developed to be given after 3-4 weeks which gives good protection, so this new research might be proving there will be even more protection if the gap is left longer. It frustrates me that they seem to be ignoring the intended way that it was made in the first place.. and yes the 8-12 week gap is something the UK gov have created, not the manufacturers of the vaccines.

Have they not found that a longer gap gives better protection? In scotland they have moved to an 8 week gap, don't know about England

@pileapetals I read the other day that 8 weeks was the 'sweet spot' for gaps between jabs, allows for stronger protection.

OP, you're not overreacting, its a very real threat. I'm angry at the government too. I actually felt safe with social distancing in place, but now feel with everything ending on 19th July I have no choice but to shut myself away. The thing is, I can control my behaviour but I can't do anything about unmasked people who come too close for comfort.

@hoth that is awful! I am so sorry your husband is being selfish. My husband is being as cautious as me and isn't moaning at all about it. Pregnancy is teamwork! Maybe remind him if he tests positive then he may miss the birth of his baby

Thanks. I think he is being very selfish too but he just doesn't see the harm. Are anyone's husbands behaving similarly. I'm thinking I should get the vaccine. I'm in Ireland so there's a four week gap between vaccines so if I got it tomorrow it would be 6 weeks before immunity, that would bring me to 34/35 weeks. It just seems so close to due date that I'm wondering if I could wait till after baby for vaccine.

I'm due on the 20th of September and had my first jab at 28 weeks and my second due when I'm 37 weeks, you should be able to get your first jab now why would you have to wait until 37 weeks?

I’m 22 weeks and am terrified. I had my second Pfizer yesterday. I used a walk in and have a 6.5 week gap.

One dose will protect a bit but you might be able to get your second earlier like me and some others on here.

I’m gutted. We had a summer of days out planned and now we’ll be staying home. It’s just not with the risk x

I also wondered that but spoke to my midwife friend in Ireland and she advised that you really don’t want to have covid around delivery so that has really stuck in my mind. Also the threat of long covid and a new born is very real for me

I was really ill with long covid for much of last year and it’s an experience I’m not keen to repeat! So I took up the offer of a vaccine as soon as it was available. I was told 12 weeks for the 2nd but got invited after 5 weeks. Had to delay because of my whooping cough jab but had the 2nd one at the weekend. No side effects bar a sore arm. I’m hoping that even if I can’t avoid covid again (I have 2 small germpots children) it’ll reduce my chance of getting really ill. I’m 28 weeks and have gone back to full time WFH as there’s a surge in cases round my office and will be keeping my mask/distance/hand washing for a while yet.

I’m so glad I’m due next month and not September so I have less time to worry about all of this. I’m also glad I’m not in England with the lifting of every restriction at the same time 🙈 so unfair on vulnerable people who are just going to end up with a choice of being trapped in their homes or die basically! When all it would take would be for everyone to continue wearing masks to protect them 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’m a teacher, not sure when your schools go back but I probably would be tempted to keep them off. As a pregnant teacher in a class of children (even without restrictions being lifted) I was absolutely terrified of catching it. There are so many children sent in with symptoms that the parent has deemed not to be covid. It’s only going to be worse when bubbles don’t have to isolate so there could be a positive child in your kids class (who stays off) but you won’t even be told about it. If it’s only a matter of a few weeks I’d just keep them off