Covid jab - to have or not to have?!

[K821]

I'm 27 weeks and so far have held off getting the covid jab purely out of worry for the baby. I fully intend to get it after baby is here, I'm no conspiracy theorist or "non believer" so don't need lectures as to why it's needed etc.
In my mind I don't want to do anything that's not 100000% necessary whilst pregnant, whether it's believed there is a risk or not (I just wonder how we be entirely sure of long term effects yet)

Just looking of opinions of those who have had it while pregnant, the affects etc, and those who haven't and have been unwell (please no horror stories!)
Still trying to weigh up my options as to which route poses less risk.

TIA! 😘 x

Thank you for your kind comments. It honestly nearly broke me seeing so much tragedy at a time that should be so exciting for families. Having a mum who first met her baby when they were a few months old as she has been sedated and ventilated for months was hard. The tragedy of the mum who woke up to hear that her baby hadn’t survived will never leave me as will calling that woman’s husband to say she was going to die.

I am so pleased to see so many sharing their experiences of being vaccinated and thank you so much for doing so. There are clearly some posters who pop up on all of these threads to spout nonsense about vaccines and it makes me so angry when the evidence is so clearly supporting the vaccination of pregnant women!

People can objectively state "the risks of the vaccine outweigh the benefits" if they like, but it makes them look very uninformed at best and purposefully ignorant at worst.

If you feel too scared to get it while pregnant, I completely understand - I still would encourage you get it, but I do understand the fear and by all means express that.

However to objectively state "the risks of the vaccine outweigh the benefits" is simply a lie. The data shows something completely different.

Anyway... OP, I was very nervous to get mine at first because I couldn't understand how they could be sure there will be no long term effects on the baby. But then I looked to experts in the field - I even got in touch with experts and academics on Twitter and via email. I asked them to explain how they can be so confident that it can't hurt the baby, and they explained the mechanisms of vaccines in general as well as MRNA vaccines, and how there is no scientifically plausible mechanism by which they could harm a developing fetus.

I ended up getting mine at about 21 or 22 weeks pregnant, and then my second at 29 weeks (can't remember the specific weeks tbh but it was roughly that). Everything is going amazingly so far and I'm so pleased I decided to get it.

I do completely understand the fear of getting it whilst pregnant - I absolutely sobbed with anxiety about it before my first vaccine! But I just encourage you to look to the trusted experts and medical bodies, such as RCOG. I also found it helpful to look for advice from other countries where they've been really encouraging pregnant women to get it, such as Ireland.

@SweetBabyCheeses99

You’ll only really get the vast majority of people on here saying you should get it. The reality is that according to PHE, of the 606,500 women currently pregnant in the UK, just 51,724 have had one jab and only 20,648 have gone on to have both.

Do you think that over 90% of expectant mothers are anti-vaxxers? That they don’t somehow don’t care about theirs and their babies health? They’ve looked at the risks and benefits and made the right decision for them rather than giving in to peer pressure and hysteria.

No they haven’t. If your numbers are correct, many women have made a bad decision based on fear, and are now at risk of ending up in ICU whilst pregnant

OP, I’m pregnant and I’ve had both jabs with absolutely no side effects.

I had both jabs while pregnant. My baby is now 5 weeks and perfect.
You say you don’t want to hear the horror stories but I’m sorry that’s the exact reason you should get it, sadly the horror stories for unvaccinated pregnant women hugely outweigh that for vaccinated women

Doubled jabbed and all fine. First at 13wks and 2nd 18/19wks. All recommendations are to have the vaccine. x

Just look at how many times you see/hear people say "I wish I'd had the vaccine" after contracting Covid and suffering horrible effects.

I've yet to see one person that says "I wish I'd never got the vaccine".

Yes of course get it. Didn’t you read anything about the premature babies or the mum and baby who died in NI? Unless so many poor countries we have vaccine available which is a true privilege.

I am double vaccinated and 38 weeks. My DC had covid 2 months ago and I didn’t get it. I am convinced it was because if the vaccines. I don’t even want to imagine what it would have been like to get covid 7m pregnant.

@countbackfromten thank you for sharing your experiences. Truly heartbreaking to read. In times like these it’s health care workers like you that our true heroes. Thank you for all you do.

I had it while pregnant. I had both doses and then went on to have a perfect baby in August.

In addition to that my 2 year old caught Covid at nursery a couple of weeks after I came home from hospital. None of us, both fully vaccinated, or the newborn caught it from him but my eldest did. And as you can imagine we could not distance from a toddler at all so I feel very grateful I had it and gave my baby some immunity.

I had my first vaccination at 21 weeks and am booked for my second. I live in an area with quite high levels of Covid-19 and am due my baby in mid December when I expect rates will be higher. I have a 4 year old and while I obviously wouldn't do anything to hurt my unborn baby I want to be healthy for her too. It wasn't an easy decision to make but I read the guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and that helped

@ApplePie86

Just look at how many times you see/hear people say "I wish I'd had the vaccine" after contracting Covid and suffering horrible effects.

I've yet to see one person that says "I wish I'd never got the vaccine".

I met someone yesterday who works in a care home, caught Covid at the height of the epidemic, recovered and has now been told she loses her job on 16 September if she doesn’t take the jab. She works in healthcare. She needs a job to survive, but she doesn’t want the jab and has had Covid.

@Derbee
No they haven’t. If your numbers are correct, many women have made a bad decision based on fear, and are now at risk of ending up in ICU whilst pregnant

You can equally say those women who’ve had the jab made the decision out of fear. Who are we to say it’s a bad decision? Puss and dawgs don’t have the same luck. What’s good for the goose is not always good for the gander.

@K821 Do what is right for you. No one here can tell you it’s safe or unsafe. Short term effects are the desired outcome. We do not know what the long term affects are. Everyone can convince themselves they know, but right now the government are strong-arming medical “advisers” to recommend something for children they’ve already said is not worth the risk and why? Because of the economy.

Look at the motives for the recommendations and make your decision on whether it’s good for you.

Personally I’m double-jabbed, I wouldn’t be if I was pregnant, my sister had a preemie in June (nothing to do with Covid) both she and bub are fine. But as I said earlier puss and dawg don’t have the same luck. You do you.

I’m 28 weeks. I’m due early December, we saw what happened last December (and last winter) with case numbers. I don’t just think it’s the risk of catching Covid in your third trimester but also the risk of catching covid while you have a newborn/your newborn catching it. Scientists are also saying that this year flu (which is bad for newborns) will be much worse those year and so I’ve taken the decision to not have my covid jab, the whooping cough vaccine but also the flu jab. I figure it’s the best way I can try to provide some antibodies to my newborn.

I had my first jab at 12 weeks and just after my 12 week scan. I had my second at 21 weeks and just after my 20 week scan. I’ve since had a growth scan (not related to the vaccine) and baby is still fine. None of my scans have highlighted any causes for concern, other than the fact baby was big which is why I attended the growth scan. Baby is very active.

I get the fear that we don’t know the long term risks of the vaccine. I had the same fears. I researched it heavily but the fact is we still don’t know what will happen in 5, 10, 15 years. However, we also don’t know the long term effects of covid either. We do know the short term effects can be devastating for women and their babies in the third trimester. Even those who aren’t experiencing a horror story, that do catch covid in third trimester and don’t require ICU - we don’t know the effects that virus is having on their body or their baby and how they will be affected long term. Either way, you’re still taking a risk.

I work in the NHS and we are definitely seeing worse outcomes for pregnant women with COVID.

And we are also seeing increasing numbers of pregnant women with Covid in intensive care.

You want to be the best you can be healthwise in order to care for your newborn.

www.itv.com/news/2021-08-23/covid-35-unvaccinated-and-in-a-coffin-mother-dies-hours-after-giving-birth

I was exactly like you op - I was terrified of getting the vaccine and thought about it for weeks on end. I decided to get it at just under 13 weeks in the end. I got the Pfizer one and wouldn't consider any other one in pregnancy. I had a very slightly sore arm for a few hours and was a bit tired in the evening and that was literally it.

Things that changed my mind:

• dh is medical and was ok with me having it
• risk of complications in third trimester even in women with straightforward pregnancies (this was the main one)
• at the vaccine centre I spoke to 2 doctors who gave me some info and reassured me. To be honest I'd do this instead of asking mn.

Had Pfizer at 20 and 28 weeks with no side effects. Caught covid at 31 weeks and it was very, very mild. So grateful that I was double jabbed for both my sake and baby’s.

Like @Ednadidit I had Pfizer at 17 and 26 weeks. At 30 weeks, my toddler caught covid from an unvaccinated worker at his nursery who came to work with symptoms. Midwives advised staying away from him (impossible!) and I caught it. 6 hours after getting my positive PCR result through I was on the phone to triage making decisions about whether or not to bring me in with heart palpitations and breathing difficulties. If I hadn’t had the vaccine I think I’d be in an ITU unit with a poorly baby in a NICU. Please get the vaccine.

I am 30 weeks and had mine at about 14 and 23 weeks. I just had a sore arm both times - no other reactions.

For me, the potential side effects for me outweighed danger of developing covid later in pregnancy and being much poorlier.

However, I am married to a medic and we are very supportive of vaccines. DH took part in the Oxford vaccine trial Spring 2020 and was able to point me in the direction of helpful research (mentioned by PPs) once pregnant women were offered jabs.

@firstimemamma

I was exactly like you op - I was terrified of getting the vaccine and thought about it for weeks on end. I decided to get it at just under 13 weeks in the end. I got the Pfizer one and wouldn't consider any other one in pregnancy. I had a very slightly sore arm for a few hours and was a bit tired in the evening and that was literally it.

Things that changed my mind:

• dh is medical and was ok with me having it
• risk of complications in third trimester even in women with straightforward pregnancies (this was the main one)
• at the vaccine centre I spoke to 2 doctors who gave me some info and reassured me. To be honest I'd do this instead of asking mn.

Sounds like we have had an almost identical experience

Gee, on one side you've got people who understand medicine saying to have it and explaining the horrible things they've witnessed when women don't get vaccinated in pregnancy.

On the other side you've got a load of random mumsnetters saying they don't like the thought of it.

Tricky one...

@CheekyAFAIK

Gee, on one side you've got people who understand medicine saying to have it and explaining the horrible things they've witnessed when women don't get vaccinated in pregnancy.

On the other side you've got a load of random mumsnetters saying they don't like the thought of it.

Tricky one...

Yep, it's frustrating to read those comments.

I'd love for then to explain what risks are involved from getting the vaccine, how they think the vaccines work and how it's more risky as opposed to getting covid whilst pregnant or whilst in hospital giving birth...

not sure u need any more comments, but just to say had both pfizer jabs in 2nd and 3rd trimester, only side effects were sore arm. got a week old baby whos absolutely perfect- and hope will have some protection against covid. given case numbers are shooting up again, i was so relieved to have it - esp with a stint in hospital with the baby - i'd have felt even more vulnerable had not been jabbed.

The OP asked for opinions and, true to form (just like a**holes), we all seem to have one ;)

She also asked for "no horror stories" incidentally... anyway...!

As I have said (and been vilified for), I have chosen not to take the vaccination at this time. I have had coronavirus twice, once while pregnant and once beforehand. When I had it earlier this year, it was like a moderate cold with a mild fever for about 15 days. I am not an antivaxxer (had the whooping cough one last week, in fact) but (no lie!), the risks of the vaccine outweigh its benefits FOR ME. This is my informed choice and, at the moment at least, we all have the right to exercise that.

@FrancesFlute it's nice to know I'm not alone! How far along are you now?