Vaccine in pregnancy

[Yorkymidge]

Hello,
I am currently 10 weeks pregnant - a high risk pregnancy for multiple reasons so miscarriage risk is high. I have both my vaccinations early in the year and have been invited like everyone else for my booster.
Without wanting to open a can of worms, what is your opinion on taking the booster in pregnancy? I’m fully for vaccinations, as previously having the first 2 but i’m scared of the risks and complications that it may cause since there is little to no research on pregnant women. I feel like medical professionals only push for it without explaining the risks too and i would like to know both sides.

Thank you.

Look at the risks of not having the vaccination, we know the risks of covid on pregnancy

I had my first one before i even knew i was pregnant and had the second at 11 weeks. Baby is absolutley fine.
Went for my booster yesterday at 28 weeks and feel fine, baby still moving around like normal. My midwife & doctor at the clinic i went to say its highly recommended to have the booster.

You can't really say we are a guinea pig generation when tens or thousands of women have now given birth to babies having had covid vaccines in pregnancy.
Remember the vaccine itself doesn't leave your arm, it just equips your immune system to fight covid once you encounter it.
The omicron variant is so very infectious that it's going to seek out anyone left unvaccinated over the next few weeks. It has already ripped through London and hospitalizations and deaths will sadly surely follow.

I had my booster a few days ago at 13 weeks, with the flu jab on the same day. Felt like total garbage for about 24 hours afterwards from the vaccine side effects, but I'm glad I got them both - really don't want to risk getting proper flu or Covid when I'm pregnant.

@twinkletoesbluesky I'm so sorry for your loss and stressful screening results. I had three miscarriages before this pregnancy so didn't take my decision lightly.

There was wariness around the vaccine at the beginning - it wasn't really justified and its something which regrettably has caused a lot of people to still be wary of it unfortunately. There is a lot of research now to say it is safe.

I understand your reservations - after my MCs I avoided a lot of things for fear of losing another.

With the rocketing rates, it may be worth reconsidering? A vaccine at 38 weeks will not cause pregnancy loss or change your baby's chromosomes and cause Down syndrome. But it could pass on antibodies to your baby giving them some protection, and may make your delivery safer.
I mean the above with kindness and won't say any more on it. I wish you and your baby the best x

Medical experts including gynaecologists believe pregnant women should have their boosters as a priority.
No can of worms.

@InvisibleDragon

I had my booster a few days ago at 13 weeks, with the flu jab on the same day. Felt like total garbage for about 24 hours afterwards from the vaccine side effects, but I'm glad I got them both - really don't want to risk getting proper flu or Covid when I'm pregnant.

You trooper! I spaced mine out a bit (mostly cos I wasn't allowed the covid booster yet). Different arms? I'm a side sleeper and it's bad enough having one sore arm I had mine on Friday, I'm wondering if I'll get my whopping cough vacc at my midwife appointment on Wednesday or if they'll want to space them a bit.

@AwkwardPaws27 I think they’ll let you have both. I had my whooping cough and flu at the same time, one in each arm. Then covid booster a couple of weeks after

Have it OP
Plenty of evidence that it's safe in pregnancy. There are far worse outcomes with covid and the 3rd trimester is the worst time to get covid.
@InvisibleDragon wow, impressive!!!!
Sorry for your loss and your stress @twinkletoesbluesky and all the best xx

@AwkwardPaws27 same arm! Was really sore but only for a day (nearly got stuck in my bra that night ).

I think the flu and covid combo might be an NHS worker special. They would have spaced them out if I'd preferred, but I really wanted them both done in time for Christmas.

[quote Derbee]@AwkwardPaws27 I think they’ll let you have both. I had my whooping cough and flu at the same time, one in each arm. Then covid booster a couple of weeks after[/quote]
Thanks! I hope I can get it at my 16 week appt on Wednesday then 😁

@AwkwardPaws27 I was expecting them at my 16 week appointment, but they did them after the 20 week scan. Hopefully you’ll get them at 16 weeks due to the time of year

I am still undecided. Had an allergy reaction to 1st, and has very unwell for months after the 2nd with an unexplained illness.

I got my jabs in the very first week (Dec 2020 then March 2020) they were released so not an anti-vaxxer. I was very unsure about the second but thought well my first reaction didn't kill me and was mainly external (ie. facial swelling, eye twitching and all body rash for 6 weeks).

My second jab was nothing external and just very unwell in myself. Tired, dizzy, pale, couldnt do my manual job, couldnt feel my legs sometimes and felt like I was floating around, delayed reactions and I nearly crashed my car multiple times at roundabouts, heart palpatations and chest pains when sitting on the sofa doing nothing.

I thought it was anemia at the time as colleagues suggested it (didnt occur to me to be anything to do with the vaccine at the time). Had bloods checked and perfect iron/ b12.

So I dont know. I even nearly walked into a centre the other day but walked away just before I got to the door. I am conflicted but my gut is leaning towards no - hopefully its not a decision I come to bitterly regret.

I had my booster yesterday (Moderna) at 28 weeks. Had my second jab at 8 weeks (Pfizer). Never had any side effects from the vaccines. I'm relieved to have additional protection going into the 3rd trimester. I had my first baby last year at the height of the first lockdown, before vaccines had been developed and that was scary.

Loads of threads on this! I had my booster at 23 weeks and my second jab in my 2WW. All good at 20 week scan! The vaccine is a messenger vaccine, it just tells your own body what to do if it comes across the virus. All good!

[quote twinkletoesbluesky]@AwkwardPaws27 - I'm sure it probably is safe but I had the first jab back in March, they asked me at the time if I was pregnant and I was but I didn't know it at the time ( they were weary of giving the vaccine to pregnant women at that point) 7 days later I ended up having an early miscarriage ( probably a coincidence but don't know for sure) I was then offered the 2nd dose so decided to do a pregnancy test before getting it, just in case and turned out I was indeed pregnant again so decided not to have the 2nd jab just in case. I then at my 12 week scan & testing had abnormally high blood results ( 5 times what it should be) for Downs ( which I never had with 1st baby) and went through the CVS and luckily everything came back ok. I just felt that the miscarriage then DS screening blood results were too much of a coincidence for me and at that point decided that I wouldn't have any further vaccines until after baby was born. I am by no means an anti vaxxa but it all felt a little too coincidental for me. I am fit and healthy and don't have any underlying conditions so it seems silly now to have a vaccine at this late stage of the pregnancy. [/quote]
I had 3 xMC
1 x DD
1 x MC
Next pregnancy very very high Downs indicators = CVS = DD2 - no issues.

This was before covid. Don’t kill yourself because you had pregnancy related events.

Had my first jab at 13wks, second jab 8 weeks later or whatever the gap is supposed to be and had my booster done a few days ago at 38+1. For me the risk of what could happen if I catch covid - especially with new variant circulating- was too great. I understand your hesitancy-
I too felt hesitant over the booster but I’m glad I’ve had it. I have felt very tired and a bit headachey with sore arm in the 48h since jab, but I already had a cold coming on and I’m heavily pregnant so basically I’m always tired! This infograph helped me make my decision over the booster- I don’t want to be a statistic on one of these. Good luck whatever you decide.

Hi,

Thoughts are my own:

In my 7th pregnancy - through fertility treatment with no current living children earth side. Current fetus doing well at 18 weeks but I’m high risk on aspirin and blood thinning injections, only just stopped progesterone. Had both my 1st and 2nd AZ vaccines pre pregnancy and have booked my booster. If you get covid in an already high risk pregnancy the outlook will be even worse - look at the RCOG and WHO guidelines re this - there’s loads of research. Everything in life has risks - just need to weigh up what’s best for you.

Best of luck considering

@RainbowTime I just wanted to wish you the very best of luck with your pregnancy.
I'm 16w with what we hope is our 4th time lucky & I think you are amazing as I don't think I'd have had the resilience to keep trying if this one hadn't stuck.

Thanks for all your opinions, i’m going to have to carefully consider them all. I don’t have a gut feeling either way - just stressed and confused. I don’t want to not have it, then catch Covid and be really ill but likewise, i don’t want to have it and then there be complications for me or baby that we have longed for for so long. I’m so torn, it’s such a big decision that i feel i’d regret no matter which choice i made. I’m glad i didn’t have to go through all of this with my first born!

It's not a bad thing that you don't have a gut feeling, OP. Going with your gut is a terrible way to approach a decision like this. It's impossible to distinguish your 'gut' from completely understandable worries and anxieties. You need to review the evidence available and make as dispassionate a decision as you can, in discussion with your partner if you wish (but not if you don't - you have autonomy over your body).

I wish you the very best

@Yorkymidge

Thanks for all your opinions, i’m going to have to carefully consider them all. I don’t have a gut feeling either way - just stressed and confused. I don’t want to not have it, then catch Covid and be really ill but likewise, i don’t want to have it and then there be complications for me or baby that we have longed for for so long. I’m so torn, it’s such a big decision that i feel i’d regret no matter which choice i made. I’m glad i didn’t have to go through all of this with my first born!

Can you please link the evidence about the vaccine causes complications for mother and baby? I'm really interested to read them as I keep seeing it mentioned on threads but I just can't seem to find any studies.

Completely agree with @BarkminsterBlue

And if you're still struggling to come to a decision then talk things through with your midwife.

@AwkwardPaws27 thanks so much, what a lovely comment!!! We’re not out of the woods yet - 20 week scan this week but this is the best it has gone so far in any of them (touch wood!). I think it’s a little bit of madness, deep sadness and drive that’s bought us to this point. I never in a million thought we’d have such a journey but hopefully one day it’ll be worth it (and we’re aiming for May!!!). Wishing you the very of luck in your pregnancy, it’s all really hard isn’t it and 3 losses is far too many too!!!

@Yorkymidge best of luck, never heard of any evidence based complications for pregnant women from it, just quite a few morbid outcomes for pregnant women who get the illness. Perhaps speak with your midwife about the latest evidence available to help you. Just remember there’s risks with any medication or vaccine in life but there is with any chemical you put in your body - be it in the food you eat or products you use… I had the flu jab the other day - wouldn’t even know I had it - not a single side effect what so ever. I want my baby to be strong and to be able to fight illness both in utero and when it finally arrives which is another reason why I’m having anything I’m offered by the NHS.

I think best idea is to speak to your midwife about up to date evidence because it doesn’t sound much like this is helping you in your decision making.