Did anyone delay their 2nd dose of the vaccine, or not?

[IamnotwhouthinkIam]

I know there are lots of threads about the vaccine in pregnancy, but I can't find anything about significantly delaying 2nd doses...

For background, I'm due to have the 2nd dose of the Pfizer in few days (10 week gap here). But I just found out I'm pregnant (nearly 3 years of trying and multiple rounds of IUI and IVF) - it's my first child and I'm 40 and single so this may well be my only chance. I work from home and can more easily self isolate, so I am tempted to cancel the vaccine appointment and wait till after the first trimester to have my 2nd dose.

I'm concerned about the potential side effect of fever during the most crucial development stage - I read it can be more common to get side effects after your second dose and I am already at high risk for miscarriage. But I'm equally concerned that if I do this, it will mean I'll have nearly 5 months between doses - so perhaps the 2nd jab will not be very effective?

Anybody got any advice?

I didn't delay mine, and just had it at nearly 8 weeks pregnant. For me with everything opening up the risks of getting Covid were higher (and you could also get a fever as well as other more severe side effects if you have Covid), and I could safely take paracetamol to avoid side effects such as a fever. A few days later and my sore arm has basically gone and I'm feeling as normal as you can do when you're in your first trimester.

I didn't delay mine either, had it at 5 weeks pregnant. I had Pfizer, no side effects. I'm 28 weeks now and have had no issues.

Thanks @Welshcake15 and @shivawn. Was it your second dose?

Yes it was. I had Pfizer, which I'd had the first dose of about 3-4 weeks before I had my positive pregnancy test. Apparently with Pfizer the second dose is the one you're more likely to get side effects from, but mine were exactly the same.

@Welshcake15

Yes it was. I had Pfizer, which I'd had the first dose of about 3-4 weeks before I had my positive pregnancy test. Apparently with Pfizer the second dose is the one you're more likely to get side effects from, but mine were exactly the same.

Thanks for the help @Welshcake15 . That's what I've read (that you are more likely to get side effects with the second dose of Pfizer) so I'm really nervous, but it's interesting to know that wasn't the case for you.

My instinct is not to risk it since I can self -isolate - I'd be gutted if I miscarried anyway but always had to wonder if it was the vaccine. From what I understand most people say the benefits definitely out way the risks in the second and third trimesters, it just the risks during the first trimester I'm not clear on , especially since I've had my first dose already so have a small amount of protection.

@IamnotwhouthinkIam

Thanks *@Welshcake15 and @shivawn*. Was it your second dose?

Yep my second dose, my first one was just days before I conceived.

I had my second dose of Pfizer when I was 7 weeks pregnant and the only symptoms I had were a sore arm afterwards. I had booked an early scan the week after where we saw baby’s heartbeat and everything seemed fine which reassured me a bit. It’s a tough decision but for me, given the research available, the risk of catching Covid seemed greater than any potential risk of the vaccine.

I was worried about something happening to the pregnancy and then I'd always have this "what if" hanging over me. However, I didn't want to delay the second dose past the recommended maximum 12 week gap, and I would have had to in order to have the second dose in my second trimester as there is no data which demonstrates the efficacy of the vaccine with a longer than 12 week gap. Once I made the decision to have the second dose in the first trimester it then just seemed sensible to accept the appointment that I'd been sent.

This is a personal choice and I can empathise with how difficult this decision must be.

Thanks @sophi1995, @Posie192 and @Welshcake15 . I'm really glad it worked out for all of you . I only had a sore arm and minor cold symptoms with my first jab - it's only the potential of a fever that scares me. I agree getting Covid would be much worse - most people I know in RL have avoided it so far, but the new variant is scary. I'll definitely self-isolate if I delay.

I am concerned that the gap between jabs will be so large if I leave it till the second trimester, and that there is no data on this (so I may be effectively "starting again" with my second jab). But equally I don't really want the increased anxiety of how the jab might effect things - I'm nervous about miscarriage enough because I'm so high risk (I have PCOS and probable endometriosis as well as being "old" ). I'm in such shock that I finally got my miracle BFP!

I really wish there was more scientific data out there about first trimester use. I think I'm going to give it another day and see how I feel then - thanks again for your stories .

Hi,
I can see why it is a difficult decision for you. I had my second Pfizer today and currently feel fine and am 22w. I had my first at 14 weeks, as i preferred to wait until 1 trimester over. It is not that i think the vaccine is any way likely to cause miscarriage, but im in my mid 40s so higher risk anyway, and if i had a problem after the vaccine I think my mind would still wonder about it. As a biologist who works in finding new drugs and a bit of immunology for the last 20 plus years, i think unlikely your immunity will drop that much by delaying a few months and you will still likely get a good response to the second dose. Id be a bit more careful in the meantime, with levels of infection so high, if you choose not to have it now.
I wish you all the best with your pregnancy.

It is not that i think the vaccine is any way likely to cause miscarriage, but im in my mid 40s so higher risk anyway, and if i had a problem after the vaccine I think my mind would still wonder about it.

Thanks for your help and well wishes @Katy4321. That is exactly how I feel - logic says the vaccine won't effect things but if something happens I will always wonder...

Thankyou also for your advice about immunity - I'm hopeful that if I delay, things will still be okay with the second jab.

I've decided to cancel for now - I'll just have to be very careful in the meantime. Thanks again everybody .

Just an update in case anyone searches for relevant threads in future (as that's what I did trying to decide!). In the end I got my 2nd Pfizer jab today at about 5 weeks gestation . I had changed my mind but then this morning I changed it again after speaking to a GP who advised to have it and when I read that cases are really rising in my area.

I also found out that my family want to visit in a few weeks so I won't be able to isolate so easily (I'd already put them off for a while but it's harder to make excuses now everything's opening up) and I don't want to have to tell anyone about my pregnancy yet because I'm so high risk

The vaccination nurses basically just re-iterated that there is not really definitive information available yet about risks in pregnant women/ long term implications so said it was up to me (they even got the manager to come talk to me, who said the same thing but hinted that I should already have some immunity so it would likely be fine to wait if I wanted to ).

I've only got the usual aching arm so far (but other side effects might not appear for another day or so apparently), but I'm really praying I have done the right thing . Thanks again for everyone's help, it was much appreciated!