Vaccinations in pregnancy and early childhood - what was your experience? Win a £200 VEX voucher

[LibbyMumsnet]

Vaccinations can bring up lots of questions, and it’s completely normal to feel unsure or want reassurance.

We’d love to hear from parents of babies and young children - and from anyone who’s had vaccinations during pregnancy - about your real experiences.

You might want to share:

• What you wish you’d known beforehand
• Anything that surprised you
• What helped after the appointment

There’s no right or wrong answer here - just a space to share experiences and hear from other parents.

Share your thoughts below by 26th February 2026 for a chance to win a £200 VEX voucher (Mumsnet T&Cs).

If you want trusted information alongside the discussion, the NHS has clear guidance on pregnancy and childhood vaccinations.

With my first, I wish I'd known that she'd hate the taste of Calpol. I didn't give any in advance, not even to taste, as everyone loves Calpol right?! How wrong I was....

Thus began a 3 year struggle to get any and all oral medication into my daughter. She even hated the full sugar stuff for a while. We also tried the colour free, and sugar free varieties out of desperation, but to no avail. She especially hated orange flavour and heaven forbid we tried ibuprofen. In the end suppositories worked wonders (I think only available by prescription if over 1, but don't quote me on that), and eventually she grew out of it at ~4 years old.

So yeah. Give little one a small lick of Calpol a day or so before their vaccinations. Just so you know how they're going to react to it.

Otherwise, post rotavirus vaccination nappies are really nasty. Be prepared for blowouts.

Lots of cuddles and milk for the 8, 12, 16 week vaccinations. Chocolate buttons (or other appropriate treat) at 1 year+. There's only a limited amount of vaccines they will have in their life. A little bit of sugar will take the sting (pun entirely intended) away.

As for me, I saw no reason I shouldn't vaccinate myself. I had flu yearly as part of work anyway. I was going to get it anyway, but I didn't know what whooping cough sounded like. Watching a video of a newborn suffering from whooping cough was more than sufficient knowledge for one lifetime. RSV wasn't offered while I was pregnant, but if it had, I would have had that too.

I ebf both dcs and that was invaluable when settling them after vaccinations. Our GP surgery was lovely and they provided stickers, and sometimes a bubble wand, which really helped distract my dc afterwards.

I wish I'd known how well it went - I was wracked with nerves, some guilt, and I was scared. The doctor saw instantly just how emotional I was, and spoke calmly to me, and it was over in an instant, my DS didn't appear to feel anything as he was distracted by the doctors voice.

Mine and my children's vaccinations were all fine really. Sometimes they were a bit cranky/sleepy/ temperature the next day so I'd give some Calpol but no issues really. When they were older babies or toddlers the nurse would get me to hold them in my lap facing me, having a cuddle, and do the jabs like that.

I wish I'd known that my emotional state was catching. Not to get there too early to be in the waiting room getting concerned. Taking a toy and a book helped. But the nurses were great at distracting them.

My husband & I were discussing this the other day! Our 13yo just had the HPV vaccination at school - the first he has had as an injection for quite some time & he was most put out that it couldn't be given via a nasal spray like the flu vaccine!
We talked about how he'd been at the GP when he was a little one & having his vaccines - how guilty you feel trotting in there with them smiling & happy & then the shock & confusion on their face after!
Fortunately it doesn't last long, distractions work a treat & the nurses are absolute pros at making it as quick as possible & of course, lots of snuggles after soon have them smiling & happy again!

I am a mother of older children but I am a bus escort for special needs children and become quite close to the parents. Just a couple of weeks ago a parent told me her child stopped speaking after the MMR vaccine. During my years of doing this she was not the first parent to tell me that. I myself have never been vaccinated against anything and have never taken any childhood illnesses. This is just my view.

I definitely welcomed staff who had handled the situation calmly and took control. I felt quite out of my depth at injections even though I was generally a very competent parent

Once they were old enough for reason I would give a simple explanation and also offer a small tray afterwards like a trip to the play ground

For myself in pregnancy the vaccinations were absolutely fine. The flu jab, which usually makes my arm so sore, was completely fine for the first time!
With my baby, I didn't realise they can get a lump in their leg at the injection site. It worried me at first, but it did go down after a few weeks.

I wish I’d not worked myself up so much. The thought of the needle and my tiny little baby was almost too much to bear. However, on advice from the nurse feeding my baby through it meant that he barely flinched. It was so quick that it was over before I had time to get comfortable in my seat.

As a scientist myself vaccination for both myself and my baby were an absolute requirement. This is so important in protection from disease.

For me it was distractions having them on my knee looking at a book, pointing things out for a distraction.
When DS1 needed a blood test for what school classed as developmental delay, (it wasn't) but that's another story. He had a numbing cream on his arm, and again a where's wally book for distraction, and a treat afterwards and the toy shop. If you feel and act worried - it only reflects on the child.

Honestly, I wish I'd asked for help when it all got a bit overwhelming. A lot of the time I feel like I have to do it all on my own and I don't ask for any help even with the kids fussing or crying and it's hard to break out of that habit.

No problems when they were little. Harder with needle phobic children when they get older but I made it clear it wasn’t optional and we got through it, but rewarded them after.

I wish the pregnancy record had been electronic. It may be different now, but at the time it was all paper, with ticks on about vaccinations received and I was proper paranoid about losing the papers and nobody then knowing the relevant history. Now that I think about it more rationally, I am sure there were records held by the midwife as well, but at the time it felt very haphazard.

I wish I'd known how I would feel emotionally. I was a wreck, baby was fine.

I wish I’d not overthought it- it was fine. I spent a lot of energy stressing over it and it made everything worse

To give my DS calpol before we set off, and walk with the pram so he was asleep - was done whilst he was really relaxed and went fine - stressed out beforehand no end.

Promise a reward, like a lollipop for being brave!

I wish I'd known that I would genuinely want to punch the nurse who vaccinated my 8 week old first baby. All of my sensible normal "of course he needs vaccinating" knowledge flew out of the window and I was distraught and furious that this EVIL WOMAN was hurting my son.

Oh my goodness.

I also wish I'd known that when I took the 2nd baby for the 16 week vaccinations that my then 3 year old would genuinely want to punch the nurse who vaccinated the baby. Poor little soul cried his eyes out and said THAT LADY IS HURTING MY SISTER.

(I didn't want to take him with me, but had no choice, unfortunately. I could have left him in the waiting room and he would have entertained the masses but I think that's generally frowned upon).

Stickers all round.

My mixed heritage child was offered the BCG at 1 month old, I didn't know that it would scab over looking quite nasty and leave a scar. We were warned about it at the appointment itself and I did feel a bit alarmed but my DH was happy for them to go ahead. I also didn't know that the nurse would sit across the room from us holding our baby to administer the jab, which I did find quite upsetting when he cried. I felt reassured about our decision to give our baby the BCG when I spoke to other mums whose children had had it. One was our pharmacist, who said she didn't get it for her son as a baby, then had trouble getting it for him when he was aged 7 and she realised how useful it was for overseas travel. Edit: our baby was offered it because of his heritage, but we do have family that regularly travels to a country on the list of high rates of TB. When my MIL came back to the UK from said country with flu, I was really relieved our baby had the protection from the BCG just in case (as well as waiting until she'd recovered to have physical contact!)

I also didn't realise that I would be able to hold my baby for his 2, 3 and 4 month vaccinations, which was much better.

There is information in the red book about what to do for the vaccinations, which is not obvious especially when you're juggling a newborn! Stock up on Calpol, read the instructions carefully and only give them the Calpol once they've had the vaccination - I EBF mine and fed him right after each jab which settled him immediately, then gave Calpol at the GP surgery.

We planned a couple of duvet days for the 2 month jabs - he did have periods of crying and multiple dirty nappies after his 8 week ones. I can't remember if he was massively affected by the 12 week ones, definitely not as badly, and the 16 week ones were absolutely fine.

Personally I'd encourage anyone to follow the vaccination schedule. My late DM was an anti-vaxxer and it's caused issues for me and my siblings trying to work out what vaccinations we did have at all, and trying to get protection in adulthood.

I read a funny comment on IG, someone who'd promised exactly this to her DS. They then turned up for the vaccination and found there was some reason it had to be rescheduled. Their DS was then distraught crying because they wanted the jab so they could get their ice cream reward. Poster said they ended up taking them for ice cream anyway and had to rebook the jab

Was pleased both I and my DC had the recommended jabs as although stressful they were important for us all. No regrets.

We took their blanket which they have at bedtime as a reassurance and a distraction, for the boosters ,and explained what would happen and the people at the doctors are kind and gentle, and the reasons as to why they need the jabs. They really took it well and the distraction worked well. We had a few tears, they did not last long.

I was surprised how unbothered both my dc were about vaccinations- it was me who was in bits inside!

they did like a breastfeed (when small) or a few chocolate buttons (when older) afterwards to comfort them.

Definitely sitting on my knee with distractions, a calm voice of the doctor, and a calm environment, there is a separate waiting room for patients with babies/small children with a lovely feeing, pictures on the wall, and toys for the toddlers. When they are older, I'll explain what's happening and why.