Sorry to start a new post about this but I wanted to make sure everyone knows what I now know!
Short back story: I got bit pretty bad by my cat and had my doctor check it out just to be on the save side.
While at the doctor's office, I needed a tetanus booster (needed every 5 years you have cause to get infected). Since it's a combo shot, you are NOT supposed to receive the pertussis part of the vaccince while pregnant. In talking with my sister (a NICU nurse), she said to make sure that the hospital I deliver at knows that I've received part of this vaccince already since some hospitals are now giving it to the mother after the birth. I don't have any information as to why hospitals deem it necessary to give it. My assumption is that since it contains pertussis, used to vaccinate against whooping cough, this is why it is given. Your hospital of choice may also ask that anyone who will be caring for your baby/babies has been vaccinated recently as well. I plan to ask on my hospital tour.
Thank you for all of your well wishes earlier!
Re: This just sucks -Update (everyone please read)...
When I had DD, the hospital offered me a pertussis booster but not the DT Booster. I took the pertussis.
I'm glad you went to your dr about the cat bite.
I found this article:
https://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/lung/whooping_cough.html
Apparently, whooping cough is on the rise in infants. When our DD was born, our neighbor had it. He told us that the vaccince was wearing off and providing no protection to adults if they had not recieved a booster as an adult. As for getting sick at the hospital, it's possible. I guess they just want to cover their bases for when the child goes home.
Baby Turtle - November 2014
my read shelf:
Hi there, I'm a Nov 2010 mommy and I just randomly decided to check out your board and reminisce about where I was this time last year. Anyways I saw this post and I have some experience with this. In July of 2010 I dropped a pyrex dish that cut my leg. I went to the urgent care and ended up having to get stitches. They wanted to give me a tetanus shot to be safe, as we were pretty sure it had been more than 5 years since my last one.
Anyways, I told them "I'm pregnant, is it ok for me to get the shot?". The nurse said she would check. I was then taken in to the sterile room to get my sutures. The doctor mentions the shot again. I again ask if it is ok because I'm pregnant. They say they are pretty sure, but will check before they give it to me. Then they almost forgot to give it to me...I wasn't reminding them.
. Then the nurse remembers...she goes and gets the shot and comes at me with it. I say, "you checked to make sure this is ok since I am pregnant?" The nurse says "oh yeah, I forgot to look". ugh. So, she goes and looks on the CDC's website and comes back and says "it says it is ok to give to a pregnant woman". I say "ok" and she gives me the Tdap shot.
We leave and I hop on the CDC website. The recommendation is that pregnant women only get the tetanus shot, not the Tdap. Well crap! I just got the shot!!! I was pissed! So, the next day I called my OBGYN office looking for some reassurance. I was told that they don't give the Tdap because of the lack of research on the effects of the pertussis part on the baby. The research is conflicting, but the issue is whether or not the baby will have a resistance to the vaccine once they are born if they are subjected to it in utero. Nothing I could do about it, so I tried not to stress.
Fast forward to today, I'm happy to say I have a healthy 6 month old little boy...He has received his pertussis shots (getting more shots tomorrow at his 6 month appt) and so far he seems ok. Also, I did tell my doctor I had the vaccine while pregnant, so I didn't get the shot while in the hospital. My husband has not gotten the shot because he doesn't have a PCP and the hospital wouldn't give it to him since he was not a patient. He tried to go in to the walk-in clinic and they wouldn't give it to him there either, they said he needed to go to his PCP. Argh.
The reason they give the vaccine in the hospital is because Pertussis is highly contagious and can be deadly to infants. They give it then because there isn't enough research regarding the effects of the vaccine on the unborn fetus. More info can be found here . They had a pretty big outbreak in California last year. And, they can give you the regular tetanus shot when you are pregnant. I know my OB's office has them. It wasn't really clear from your post as to whether or not you actually got the shot or not.
One last thing, I hope your cat bite is better. I've been bit a time or two....did you have to get a shot in the arse? The last time I was bit by a cat I did...yowsers! Also, I have a furry family member with chronic pancreatitis...hope your guy is doing better.