Conflicting advice about TTC following a MMC and MMR vaccine - HELP!!!!!

[Den26]

I had a MMC at the beginning of this month which left me devastated as i had seen the heartbeat at 7 weeks but was told at my 12 week scan that the baby died at 8 weeks 5 days. It was such a shock as there were no signs of miscarriage so i thought everything was fine.

Following the MC i found out that my rubela status was low so was advised to have the MMR vaccine, which i have now had. But i am now so confused because all i can think about is getting pregnant again but my GP advises not to get pregnant for 3 months after the vaccine but all other info sources say 1 month.

I feel so stressed out and can't think of uch else at the moment which is driving my partner crazy. I just wish i had a proper answer so i would know either way. I want to start TTC asap but dont want to put any future pregnancy at risk.

I emailed the nurse i seen at the EPU who advised me to start trying again after my first period. I'm not satisfied with this response!

Ive become obsessed with researching it on the internet and have been collecting a folder of all the sources which say 1 month - am i going mad??!!! Has anyone else been in this situation or know the answer?

Any comment would be appreciated!

Is there another GP you can see?

My own GP is on maternity leave and the other GPs all seem to follow the same advice - 3 months. Feels like im 'making a mountain out of a mole hill' but dont want to wait 3 months if i dont have to.

given the NHS immunisation website says you only need to wait a month I would ignore your GP

Or go back and ask them to justify their 3 mth stance

Leave it. Really rubella and pregnancy do not mix. The vaccine is a live virus, and early exposure to rubella can lead to autism, never mind the deaf/blind rubella baby conditions.

It's not worth it for the sake of 3 months.

If you search the autism literature you will find some suspicion surrounding MMR during breastfeeding etc.

US gov stuff also says 1 mth

Thanks for your comments. There is so much information out there it all gets abit overwhelming. Need to find the confidence to speak to the GP again, find it difficult speaking to a young male doc though as i don't think he really understands how i'm feeling.

Thanks again for your help!

I had to wait 6 mths after a molar preg, every month felt like a lifetime, but when I got preg after the 6mth I was glad that I had waited and not taken the risk. I know it will feel awful to wait, but think in a few years time will it make any diff that you waited 3 mths - if you have a healthy child?

I wonder if the advice is to wait longer because of the MMC
while the general advice is to wait just a month.
I would also guess that being asked outright, a doctor would err on the side of caution.

Think it might be possible i'm searching for the answers i want to hear!! I'm sure its all just a combination of coping with what has just happened and things going back to 'normal'. Nothing to look forward to right now and its all thats occupying my mind. Lilacpink i'm glad things worked out for you in the end and you're right i definately want a healthy baby - that should come first not my selfish reasons right now.

mmc advice is you don't need to wait

go see your GP and ask him his reasons

Thanks EldonAve, i think i'll phone the surgery tomorrow and ask to speak to a female GP as i will feel more confident and see what her opinion is. I have also emailed NHS 24 health advisor to see if thats any help, waiting on their reply. Would feel much less stressed if i had a definate answer either way. It sounds like you have read all of the information i have.

If you are given a second opinion to wait, it may be useful for you to chart your cycles to ensure after 3 months you try at the right time, also you could use the 3 months to get fitter and eat healthily (& take pregnacare or similar vits). That's what I did and at least I felt like I was using the time to prepare for the next preg. Waiting is awful, particularly passing fertile days, I really hope for you that you pass the EDD pregnant again (I did but only by a few weeks, but it did help). Hang on in there, it is very likely to happen again fairly soon.

Thanks for the advice lilacpink, atleast i would feel like its not wasted months if i'm getting myself in better condition. Thanks for your encouraging words.

Hi Den, sorry you've having such a frustrating time - an extra 2 months can seem like an eternity when you are TTC even when you know rationally that it is not.

The reason for the conflicting advice is that there are two MMR vaccines in the UK (I don't know about different countries I'm afraid) and one gives a more cautious waiting period than the other. It used to be 3 months for all but more recent research suggests that with either - one month is probably sufficient. However the manufacturer of one (the first one I've linked to below) still recommends 3 months.

Pregnancy is a time when anxiety is at an all time high for the mum to be, doctors and drug manufacturers and it is likely they are being over cautious and in a few years it will all change to one month.

But for the sake of two months (which I know feel like an eternity) and for peace of mind during your pregnancy you might prefer to go for the more cautious approach.

If not then ask your GP which vaccine they stock and if it is the priorix (which I think is less common) then you could remind them that the waiting period for that one is now less).

Hope all goes well and this helps a bit.

MMRVAXPRO (made by sanofi-pasteur)

emc.medicines.org.uk/medicine/20968/SPC/MMRVAXPRO/#CLINICAL_PRECAUTIONS

Priorix (made by GSK)

emc.medicines.org.uk/medicine/2054/SPC/Priorix/#CLINICAL_PRECAUTIONS

Difficultdecision - thank you for your message. Its made me feel a little better knowing the reason for the difference in time scales. You're right i know what my rational mind is telling me but its hard when everything is so raw at the moment. I know the right thing to do is err on the side of caution for future babys sake.

Thanks

Glad it helped - All the very best and wishing you a happy and healthy nine months when the time is right

I found it hard to be calm and rational most of the time I wasn't preg and wanted to be, and I know from the MC section on here that I wasn't alone. As well as looking forward, I'd encourage you to grieve what could have been too. A few people 'bounce' back quickly, but from your first post on I would suspect that like I was last Oct you are now feeling v. low and that you may be better off expressing this sooner (as well as later as you need to). Personally my baby could never have grown into a baby, but I still decided he was a 'he' and chose a name. I felt a bit better, and slightly less stressed to get pregnant again urgently, by getting through some of the pain. I hope you can find ways to get through the loss, that the vaccine all goes well and that in a few monthes you'll be looking forward with a healthy pregnancy.

Thanks lilacpink, it really helps to hear that others are going through similar experiences doesn't it? I wanted to do something in memory of my 'baby' too, so i planted a rose in the garden. Made it feel more definate to me but also made me happier to mark it in some way.

Having good days and bad days, rational and unrational days (more of the later - evident by my first post on here!) also makes it hard working in a hospital where every second person seems to have a bump!

One of my close friends has just announced she is pregnant and that is very difficult, haven't brought myself to meet up with her yet. I know it will take time and maybe by the end of these 2 1/2 months my head will be in a better place too - fingers crossed.

I hope all has gone well with you since your miscarriage last year

I had MMR last year and we wanted to TTC, I can't remember what the answer was but the nurse gave me the info leaflet that came with the vaccine vial and it said very clearly on there how long you had to avoid getting preg. Its because the measles virus will be active in your body and can cause birth defects, so I would try and get a definitive answer.
Also you'll need a booster MMR to get full immunity, that might be where 3 months comes from because there is a gap between 1st and 2nd jab, then a wait after.
So frustrating when you just want to get pg but I just thought if I wasn't immunised and got measles when pg I would never forgive myself.

I was in the same situation two years ago. I had an mmc and got the mmr jab within the next week or two. I got pregnant 6 weeks after the mmc.

I had researched the jab and ttc and was happy with 1 month wait. Also, I discussed it with the consultant who handled the miscarriage and she agreed that a month was fine. But it's your risk, and so you need to do what makes you comfortable.

I was told to wait 6 weeks after the mmc before ttc again. Basically, one period.

Thanks for all your messages. I emailed one of the gyne consultants yesterday and they got back to me today stating that 1 month is what is recommended now.
I also spoke to my hospitals medicine information advisor who also stated that they always go with the latest government advice which is 1 month.
I emailed the eMC regarding different types of MMR vaccine, their reply was they put specific dates on the patient information leaflets as a guideline but this should always be consulted with medical advice for a medical professional's opinion. They also recommended consulting what the latest government advice is.

With all this new information along with your experience Practicalcat i feel much happier today. Think i just needed to hear either way for definate.

Glad that helped