First pregnancy, flu vaccine

[Rainbow123456789]

Hi, this is my first time on here….
I’ve recently found out I’m pregnant about 5 weeks now. I’ve been doing a lot of research about anything and everything honestly because I don’t know anything! One of the things that has come up on NHS website but I havnt seen it anywhere else is that pregnant women should have the flu vaccine…
I’ve never once in my life ever been seriously ill, never had the flu. I’ve probably been quite lucky! I get the odd sniffly nose or sore throat…nothing more honestly.
And so I’ve never needed or wanted the flu vaccine. Oh and before you say no I’m definitely not anti vax, I’m just curious if there’s anyone who’s not had it before who then still didn’t get it after they became pregnant and how did they go on.
Please bear in mind, i dont have anyone to ask these things about, it’s my first pregnancy, I’m genuinely looking for both sides of it….kind of what are all of your experiences so it can help me decide what’s best for me going forward
Thank you in advance

I have had flu before and it was horrid so I had the flu vaccine for the first time, in this pregnancy. I haven't had the covid vaccine (have had covid though so should be immune for a while)

@Rainbow123456789 You're right, it changes and different strains of the flu circulate on different years, so they have to make a new vaccine every year too based on their best predictions. So it's not completely foolproof. Only a few years ago, maybe 2016 or something, they got it wrong and we had one of the worst winter flu epidemics for years.

But trust me, even the smallest chance of being protected is absolutely worth it. I'm a fit and healthy person, I do intense exercise 3-4 times a week and have a physically active job, I eat very healthily, drink moderately, don't smoke, don't have any underlying conditions, and the flu floored me. Absolutely floored me. I was bed bound for four days with a really high fever, unable to stay standing, and no medicine would bring it down. When I started recovering it took well over a month to get back to my usual fitness, for weeks after just a gentle walk got me out of breath and I had to stop frequently to rest. It's not just a "bad cold", it's so much worse than that.

Another thing with the flu is that certain strains hit younger people worse than older people. When I had the flu the second time, my mother in law had it too, and whilst she was ill, she wasn't as bad as I was and recovered much quicker. So in some ways the flu is more dangerous for those who are young and fit than covid is, according to the pharmacist who gave me my flu shot. Of course pregnancy then means both can be devastating for us.

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I know it’s information overload when you get pregnant, so much advice/guidance from all sides. I won’t comment on the vaccine specifically as there are other really helpful posts already but if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the advice/guidance for pregnancy in general, and having to learn it all from scratch, it’s a good idea to stick to the NHS website for UK-specific advice. Other countries, like the US, recommend different “foods to avoid” for example that are safe to eat in this country because they have different food standards (as in, less strict health and safety laws which lead to higher chances of contamination etc), but that can make it confusing and make you worry unnecessarily if you end up on a US site. If you want more detailed, research based discussion of it all the advice and guidelines, I really recommend “Expecting Better” by Emily Ostler. She’s from the US but the version in the UK has UK-specific references.

I'v never had flu but got the jab when pregnant and had a small baby to protect them. You'll pass the antibodies on.

I had the flu when I was heavily pregnant and I just want to go to sleep and never wake up again, I’ve never felt so unwell in my life. And I’ve never had it again since.
I absolutely would have the vaccine, for you and your baby.

Hi, Currently pregnant and looking to get glass baby bottles. Can anyone recommend a brand they have used as im seeing a few mixed reviews online. I did want the glass Dr Browns but can not seem to find them in stock anywhere.
Thankyou!

Im nearly 31 weeks and had my flu jab for the first time a couple of weeks ago. No side effects at all. Very bad flu season at the moment with lots in hospitals due to lockdown effecting immune systems i didnt want to get flu or my baby when we go into hospital.

Also ive had flu once in my life as a teenager. Sickest ive ever been and ended up with post viral syndrome that lasted years and really made my teens very difficult.

Gah just seen this is an old thread in active