Third trimester social distancing still in place?

[Bennetgirl]

If you’ve been double vaccinated do you still need to be careful in the third trimester or is it ok to carry on as normal now?

I’ll be in my third trimester as the weather starts changing (due in November). Just wondering about people coming in the house etc and whether or not I need to worry.

They only seem to be updating guidance for working pregnant women and not much about day to day life.

I think you just have to use your common sense. I’m 30 weeks and have chose not to have the vaccine until after birth, so I’m being careful to a point (still wearing my mask, avoiding crowded places) but I’ve still had friends / family round and doing normal social things.

There was an article in The Guardian the other day (I can’t link sorry) talking about risks for pregnant women. But of 700 odd ish hospital admissions for Covid since May for pregnant women, none had been for double vaccinated women. I think, like pp said, you just need to make your own decisions based on your own medical situation, personal level of risk comfort, need for social interaction, behaviour of friends and family etc.

Vaccine doesn't stop you catching it. Up to you if you want to be socially distanced forever or not. Each person has to decide what they are comfortable with, nobody should judge you either way.

I'm unvaccinated, baby will be delivered next week. Not socially distanced from family or friends (hugs etc) but if people we speak to like neighbours keep the distance we do too.

Agree with previous posts, you just need to decide what's best for you. I've had 1 vaccine (had as soon as I could at 30 weeks but holding off until after birth for second one) and I have been meeting friends and family outdoors and indoors (when allowed) and hugging people as normal. In shops / cinema I wear a mask, but otherwise go about my days as normal and take regular lateral flow tests for my own peace of mind.

Most of the government advice now for the general public is to use your own common sense to protect yourself and others, and they've not been great at providing advice for pregnant people so I doubt they'll start now!!

Just keep an open mind, it may be you're more comfortable meeting some people indoors (eg family) but with others you're not sure so would rather meet outside. You don't need to treat everyone equally, and you can always change your mind / stop meeting people indoors altogether if you decide to later on! I just personally think life is too short to limit contact with people who I consider low risk, especially as once baby arrives, it'll be more difficult to get the social interaction in for a while.

Thanks all. We’ve been really strict but I think I’ll loosen it now I’m double jabbed.

I'm double jabbed, still being careful. Pregnant women have only been offered the jab very recently. Of those who have been offered it many haven't taken it up. Obviously most women who have been hospitalised haven't been double jabbed -- there hasn't been much chance for COVID to try to infect double jabbed women!

We know that you can still get COVID even once you are jabbed. There isn't enough evidence yet to to be sure of how well it will actual protect pregnant women and babies from severe outcomes. Unfortunately, this is one of the problems that we have because of a lack of clinical trials.

@Whatshouldicallme I’m still being very cautious, masks, only garden visits etc but I feel like no one else is. I’m due in November and am not how I’ll feel about people coming in the house to meet the baby.

It’s really hard because I want to be careful but also know I can’t keep people in the garden I’m bad weather!!

I’m due early December, so just behind you! We’re both still wearing our masks but we were wearing masks before they were brought in as mandatory last year and I imagine even if I wasn’t pregnant, we’d still be continuing with masks.

We are still being slightly cautious. So DH caught the train the other day, wore his mask and washed his hands after getting of the train. We are going into restaurants and socialising with other people but we don’t tend to likely overly crowded restaurants anyway and tend to sit outside when we can (we have dogs so used to it). However, we’re not likely to be at massive indoor events any time soon. Outdoor events we are considering carefully because testing positive and having to self isolate could interfere with appointments and scans. We have a wedding a few days before my due date and I’ll be watching closely what the restrictions are/case numbers are then because I don’t want to DH to be in isolation as I go into labour (they obviously might have lifted that by then).

People coming into the house to meet the baby, I’ll just have to deal with when we get there and see what’s happening. It could change so much between now and then. We don’t live near family though, so they will have to travel and stay in hotels so that obviously increases the risk slightly. All our family have been vaccinated though and will get their boosters, so that helps me feel more comfortable. I’m hoping there are more studies by then about how much immunity (if any) is passed to newborns whose mothers were double jabbed. I will also be getting the flu vaccine though and hoping to pass on some immunity for that too.