Whooping cough vaccine during pregnancy?

Knottie64278661

Hi ladies, wondering if any of you have received or been told about getting the Whooping Cough vaccine during your pregnancy? I just found this family doctor I really like for LO and I. She mentioned that I should have received the whooping cough vaccine during my 2nd trimester and that this is now a good thing for pregnant women to have so the baby builds a resistance and is better than baby getting the vaccine after birth. Note that I received this vaccine as a child but she said it is still important to get while pregnant. Has anyone heard anything about this?

I'd love to hear your thoughts or if your OB told you that to get this vaccine during your pregnancy. I've been researching a lot about vaccines and personally want to delay LO's vaccination schedule until she is a little older. It makes sense to me that it would be safer for me to take the vaccine and than vaccinating my baby with it later when it may be too late to prevent the disease.

LondonToSavannah

Yes, it is the TDAP vaccine, you are recommended to get it with every pregnancy after 28 weeks.

It is also recommended for anyone who will be around the baby frequently like your spouse and parents.

gamommyx3

 LondonToSavannah said:

Yes, it is the TDAP vaccine, you are recommended to get it with every pregnancy after 28 weeks.

It is also recommended for anyone who will be around the baby frequently like your spouse and parents.

^^WSS.  My husband and I both got it at 28 weeks.  I'm a little surprised your OB didn't mention it.

Knottie64278661

Okay, that makes a lot of sense. My husband and I plan to get the vaccine with this new family doctor. My OB is very busy and kind of hands off so I'm not surprised he didn't mention it. Thanks for the replies.

lalala2004

It wears off and is recommended every ten years, anyway. Even if it's still in your system, it's thought you can share it with baby while getting it during pregnancy.

sillyfox

LO will still get it but since they can't have it until 2 months, getting it while pregnant helps them get some of mom's resistance. I got it with DD 2 years ago and again with this LO, and I sent an email to all of our immediate family requesting that they get it if they planned on being around DD before she was born. But the new school of thought is that, even if you have had it within the 10 years, it is recommended to get it during pregnancy so your LO gets some of the immunity.

nerdymama15

It is highly recommended that you get the TDAP vaccine everytime you are pregnant.  For other adults that are not pregnant you only need a booster of it as an adult once and that is it.  Read that one some gov't healthcare type website.  Cannot remember if it was the cdc site or another one.  You might have to remind your doctor.  My last doctor appt I had to remind them and they gave it to me that day.

lionstigersbears

You can get it up until 36 weeks. It's highly recommended as previously stated, but particularly in areas where there are a lot of unvaccinated people. There have been whooping cough outbreaks in Chicago in the last handful of years so my midwives really really encourage it!

avidkeo

I got mine last week, and will be getting flu jab next week (winter is coming here). DH and mum got their whooping cough when Jessica was due so they are covered. Its recommended in every pregnancy to pass on some immunity to baby before its born. 

wsgjmw1

Everything PP said, and my arm was also sore for like a week after the TDAP. It felt like I had done heavy weight lifting.

TheThornBird

Do we have any Aussies that can chime in on this? I heard that Australia used to recommend the TDAP vaccine during pregnancy but now doesn't anymore. Curious why that is. 

AmmyBelle

Just got mine today! It's highly recommended here in Southern California - and my SO is going to get his next week

And I second PPs - recommended that you get it with every pregnancy; boosters every ten years, anyone coming into contact with baby in first couple of months should be boostered up too, etc.

Nicbert1214

Yes I got my vaccine around 26 weeks too. I was nervous that it would make myself or my little guy sick, but my doctor scared the crap out of me when he told me that a little baby got sick with whooping cough from a family member. It makes them super sick, and I wouldn't want to take that chance.

I do believe years ago it was administered to the newborn in the hospital, you can choose to do that too- but I feel as though getting it prior to delivery was a better option for me. 

cortney626

I believe the CDC recommends between 27-36 weeks. I got mine Wed at 31w4d. My arm is still sore. I thought I heard the tetanus portion lasts 10 years but the whooping cough part doesn't. I could be wrong but I do know it's recommended during each pregnancy. 

ayeshaohara

TheThornBird said:

Do we have any Aussies that can chime in on this? I heard that Australia used to recommend the TDAP vaccine during pregnancy but now doesn't anymore. Curious why that is. 

Aussie at your service here. Yes they ABSOLUTELY recommend it because of the large amount of outbreaks of pertussis and infant deaths in the last couple of years in Australia. My dad is a GP and I'm a pharmacist. He's made the entire family get their booster shots. I'm getting mine next week (I live in Canada now). Speak to your GP if you haven't yet...I'm presuming you're Aussie too...

durbie92

Yes on the arm pain!!! Move your arm a lot afterwards!

Par13

wsgjmw1 said:

Everything PP said, and my arm was also sore for like a week after the TDAP. It felt like I had done heavy weight lifting.

Yes! I got mine at my appointment on Tuesday and my arm is still sore.

TunieBee

I am going to be the asshole and take this opportunity to point out there is NO scientific basis for a "delayed" or "alternative" vaccine schedule. Even Dr. Sears has stated he essentially made up his alternative schedule. 

Kurrant

I haven't been told to get any Whooping cough shots . . . I think I might ask my OB about it next appointment.

evalynn24

https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/pregnant/mom/get-vaccinated.html 

camillaandcarson

Mine told me to get it - and said it is recommended for every single birth no matter the spacing.  And in the hospital for my last birth they suggested everyone who come in contact with baby have it.

and_peggy

So I asked my doctor about this the other day and said that other people should get it before the baby is born but that they would give me the vaccine while I was in the hospital. Wasn't sure how standard that was.

ayeshaohara

aehogan90 said:

So I asked my doctor about this the other day and said that other people should get it before the baby is born but that they would give me the vaccine while I was in the hospital. Wasn't sure how standard that was.

This doesn't make sense. It's too late for you at that stage. The point is that you pass on some of your immunity to baby..,it usually takes at least 2 weeks for a full response to a vaccine. I would double check to make sure you can't get it earlier. They say between 28-36 weeks is best 

dshannah

nerdymama15 said:

It is highly recommended that you get the TDAP vaccine everytime you are pregnant.  For other adults that are not pregnant you only need a booster of it as an adult once and that is it.  Read that one some gov't healthcare type website.  Cannot remember if it was the cdc site or another one.  You might have to remind your doctor.  My last doctor appt I had to remind them and they gave it to me that day.

This is no longer true! The vaccines and boosters wear off after about 6-10 years (they weakened them to make them safer in 1992). In the US they normally do the first booster when you're 11-12, so anyone in their 20's should get one (if they didn't have to do it before entering college--most colleges actually require it!) and then again every decade (at least).

This is why the outbreaks have been so bad lately:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-whooping-cough-vaccines-are-wearing-off/

And, for some reason, doctors are recommending that even people who got the vaccine prior to 1992 get boosters every decade. Possibly because the risks are now so high? But my mom talked to her doctor, who said it was now strongly recommended for every adult who comes into close contact with an infant to have a booster shot every ten years.

So yeah: not only should you get the TDaP during every pregnancy, but for the first pregnancy you should ask everyone who's going to be in close proximity to baby in the first six months to get their boosters (DTaP). It kind of sucks, but most insurance covers the booster fully as a preventative measure these days (in the US), and it's fairly easy to get (hop over to any CVS minute clinic, e.g.). 

Lusitano8

Tread Jacking a bit... anyone in the medical field have advice? 

When I was younger I had a seizure after the whooping cough vaccination, since then my general practitioner only gave the T and the D of TDAP boosters because they didn't want me to have a reaction. I was a military doc on base so I can't call them up and ask questions any more. 

I told my OB this and she just shrugged and said it was up to me if I want to get it or not. I'm scared there's risk associated with it, but don't want to prevent my baby from getting some immunity.

I have asked everyone in the family to get their boosters. Will this be enough to keep baby safe?

Knottie64278661

TunieBee said:

I am going to be the asshole and take this opportunity to point out there is NO scientific basis for a "delayed" or "alternative" vaccine schedule. Even Dr. Sears has stated he essentially made up his alternative schedule. 

I appreciate your opinion but respectfully disagree. There have been medical cases where babies had adverse reactions to shots or too many shots given at such a young age. Especially when doctors multiple dose on vaccination schedules. I have talked to my family doctor about my concern and she respects my wishes to delay some vaccines until LO is older and been breastfed for months to build up a stronger immune system to balance the toxins in vaccines.

Lusitano8 said:

Tread Jacking a bit... anyone in the medical field have advice? 

When I was younger I had a seizure after the whooping cough vaccination, since then my general practitioner only gave the T and the D of TDAP boosters because they didn't want me to have a reaction. I was a military doc on base so I can't call them up and ask questions any more. 

I told my OB this and she just shrugged and said it was up to me if I want to get it or not. I'm scared there's risk associated with it, but don't want to prevent my baby from getting some immunity.

I have asked everyone in the family to get their boosters. Will this be enough to keep baby safe?

 @Lusitano8 if you are concerned I highly advise you to discuss this further with your doctor or possibly consult with a family doctor who is more supportive of delayed or elective vaccinations. At the very least, spacing out some vaccines can be beneficial if you are worried about adverse reactions. Then it is easier to identify which vaccines your LO is not handling well (if that happens). If you want to learn more I highly suggest a book I'm reading called "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccination"s by Stephanie Cave. Very informative for parents wanting further information about vaccines, ingredients and CDC vaccination schedule.

ayeshaohara

Lusitano8 said:

Tread Jacking a bit... anyone in the medical field have advice? 

When I was younger I had a seizure after the whooping cough vaccination, since then my general practitioner only gave the T and the D of TDAP boosters because they didn't want me to have a reaction. I was a military doc on base so I can't call them up and ask questions any more. 

I told my OB this and she just shrugged and said it was up to me if I want to get it or not. I'm scared there's risk associated with it, but don't want to prevent my baby from getting some immunity.

I have asked everyone in the family to get their boosters. Will this be enough to keep baby safe?

It's definitely a step in the right direction and sounds like the only thing you can do. It's hard to say for sure whether the vaccination was the cause of the seizure and also what exactly in the injection that caused it but with a "causal relationship" like that I wouldn't be getting it either!