Flu 27 weeks and worried

[Vella56]

I was meant to get the flu jab this week and turns out I caught flu in the meantime. It was pretty bad for 3/4 days but on day 7 and recovering now and my dry cough has turned into a wet cough. I’m just really worried about the impact it’s had on the baby and I’m angry for not getting the jab sooner. I’ve got a growth scan booked in at 28 weeks this week which will hopefully help but has anyone else had flu 2nd trimester and been okay. Can I still get the flu jab once I recover? I did go into hospital this week and they checked the heart beat and movements which they said was all normal. Thank you

If you're on the mend and baby is ok then please don't worry. We have been getting sick while pregnant since the dawn of time and will continue to do so. The risks are very small to baby.

And if it's any consolation the flu jab is notoriously ineffective so you might have gotten ill anyway - I think it averages out at about 45% effective, but some years have been as low as 19%. They don't know until they can analyse post flu season. Lucky for you you've had this year's strain now!

All of that to say don't beat yourself up about not having the jab and I hope you feel better x

Yes don’t beat yourself up. I was due to get the jab and caught the flu in December a few days before. I was 22ish weeks pregnant. I was similarly really mad at myself. I was very unwell and in hospital twice with strong antibiotics, tamiflu and nebulisers, but baby is fine as far as we can tell from the 28 week scan, and it hasn’t affected his growth. I asked about getting the flu jab once I had recovered but my midwife said there wasn’t much point now! Hope you are feeling better - try not to worry. Easier said than done x