Whooping cough vaccination

Kumpiga · September 2013

Hi ladies, just wondering if any of you will be getting the TDap vaccination in your 3rd trimester?My doctor told me last visit that I should get it when I reach 3rd trimester,which is today.But then talked to a friend thats pregnant and she said she won't be doing it because its new and not enough research on side affects when getting it while pregnant.Anyone heard the same thing??or have any advice?

Aycul18 · September 2013

There have already been a couple of posts on this.mi will not be doing it for your friends reason, and also I asked another doctor in the family about it, and he too advised against it. He just thought it was overkill, and unless you will be dropping the baby off at daycare with other children and strangers when they are a month old, he just doesn't think it's necessary.

MissyC979 · September 2013

My doctor hasn't brought this up. I had whooping cough a few years ago, so I'm not sure whether I'm already covered? I am planning to get the flu shot.

caseybeth1213 · September 2013

Personally my husband and I will both be getting it if my doctor allows it. I have done my research and the pros out way the cons. LO will be going to daycare

at 6 weeks and also being born in the winter makes me worry and I want to be prepared.

notkateanymore · September 2013

Yes I'm getting it, but there are none in my area right now. There is apparently a shortage, or at least the nurse at my OB thinks there is. I've researched it a bit and there does seem to be a shortage and a problem with making them, but it's supposed to be fixed by end of Oct if I'm reading it right. I'll get the flu shot when it comes in and tdap when I can find one!

KFED103 · September 2013

If they didn't already have research and know the affects of the vaccine on pregnant women, the recommendation would not have been changed to getting it while pregnant. A whole nation of medical experts don't just change things for funsies without knowing the consequences.

Fwiw, I got mine last Friday.

KateVA · September 2013

Daycare isn't really the issue, babies get it from unvaccinated adults for the most part. So even though I stay home, my baby will be exposed to many many other people during the course of our normal life (school, grocery store, etc). I had whooping cough 3-4 years ago when my youngest was still breast feeding. Thank god he was current on his vaccines, if he caught it from me he could have died

notkateanymore · September 2013

I didn't read the part where you said your "friend" said not to do it. If your only research is this board and your friend, I suggest you keep looking. Talk to your doctor and ask questions. They have answers.

katiewvb · September 2013

This is the same debate as the vaccination debate. If you are smart enough to know to get your children vaccinated, you should get tdap.

jy725 · September 2013

I got mine at my last appt.

74dragonfly · September 2013

I got mine a few years ago. I am asking my parents to get theirs since they will be here for the first few weeks when baby is born.

BootsOrHearts · September 2013

KFED103 said:

If they didn't already have research and know the affects of the vaccine on pregnant women, the recommendation would not have been changed to getting it while pregnant. A whole nation of medical experts don't just change things for funsies without knowing the consequences. Fwiw, I got mine last Friday.

It's very rare that drugs of any kind are actually tested on pregnant women - think of the consequences of doing that! So most test are done on animals or non-pregnant people and those may or may not be applicable.

Mac2588 · September 2013

I don't know how new it is since I had it in 2008.

BootsOrHearts · September 2013

BootsOrHearts said:

KFED103 said:

If they didn't already have research and know the affects of the vaccine on pregnant women, the recommendation would not have been changed to getting it while pregnant. A whole nation of medical experts don't just change things for funsies without knowing the consequences. Fwiw, I got mine last Friday.

It's very rare that drugs of any kind are actually tested on pregnant women - think of the consequences of doing that! So most test are done on animals or non-pregnant people and those may or may not be applicable.

More - this is a quote from an article from Slate about drugs and pregnant women:

Many of these risks remain unknown because pregnant women are a tricky cohort in which to test drugs. They are described as “therapeutic orphans” when it comes to clinical drug trials. Pharmaceutical companies are not willing to navigate the legal and ethical minefield of testing drugs on pregnant women, especially because pregnancy lasts only nine months, a short window in which the tests could pay off in additional sales. As a result, drugs are often prescribed to this population off-label, meaning that they haven’t been specifically approved for pregnant women.

BootsOrHearts · September 2013

MissyC979 said:

My doctor hasn't brought this up. I had whooping cough a few years ago, so I'm not sure whether I'm already covered? I am planning to get the flu shot.

I wondered this too - I had whooping cough as a kid, I'm wondering if that immunity translates to baby?

I am having my husband and his parents get the vaccine for sure, still up in the air whether I will get it or not. Need to talk to my MW about it.

mplesset23 · September 2013

Kumpiga said:

Hi ladies, just wondering if any of you will be getting the TDap vaccination in your 3rd trimester?My doctor told me last visit that I should get it when I reach 3rd trimester,which is today.But then talked to a friend thats pregnant and she said she won't be doing it because its new and not enough research on side affects when getting it while pregnant.Anyone heard the same thing??or have any advice?

I'm getting it. If you leave your LO at daycare there is a greater chance they can get it. I'm happy my doctor is offering it this time around, they didn't with my first pregnancy, but the Pediatrician advised DH and I to get it and we never did. Also, this is my second pregnancy and the difference in all the shots and blood taking is huge. I've barely had any blood drawn this time around since they did it all with the first baby so it's not too big of a deal.

MEP923 · September 2013

MissyC979 said:

My doctor hasn't brought this up. I had whooping cough a few years ago, so I'm not sure whether I'm already covered? I am planning to get the flu shot.

I had whooping cough 7 years ago and I have it right now. I will say it's not a huge deal. I feel crappy but I can still function pretty normally. It's actually when I lay down that it gets really bad. During the day, it's not quite as bad. The doctor said they would usually give steroids and a heavy antibiotic but he doesn't want to give me either. So I am doing 2 rounds of Z-Pack. I am on my last day of the first dose and I am starting to feel so much better already.

notkateanymore · September 2013

MEP923 said:

MissyC979 said:

My doctor hasn't brought this up. I had whooping cough a few years ago, so I'm not sure whether I'm already covered? I am planning to get the flu shot.

I had whooping cough 7 years ago and I have it right now. I will say it's not a huge deal. I feel crappy but I can still function pretty normally. It's actually when I lay down that it gets really bad. During the day, it's not quite as bad. The doctor said they would usually give steroids and a heavy antibiotic but he doesn't want to give me either. So I am doing 2 rounds of Z-Pack. I am on my last day of the first dose and I am starting to feel so much better already.

It's a much bigger deal for babies than adults.

BootsOrHearts · September 2013

KateMW said:

MEP923 said:

MissyC979 said:

My doctor hasn't brought this up. I had whooping cough a few years ago, so I'm not sure whether I'm already covered? I am planning to get the flu shot.

I had whooping cough 7 years ago and I have it right now. I will say it's not a huge deal. I feel crappy but I can still function pretty normally. It's actually when I lay down that it gets really bad. During the day, it's not quite as bad. The doctor said they would usually give steroids and a heavy antibiotic but he doesn't want to give me either. So I am doing 2 rounds of Z-Pack. I am on my last day of the first dose and I am starting to feel so much better already.

It's a much bigger deal for babies than adults.

This. It can be deadly for a small infant.

kyrsties · September 2013

I waited to get it after I gave birth. They can give it to you right there in the hospital before you go home. I see no need to get it during pregnancy, you're not holding LO yet.

caseybeth1213 · September 2013

kyrsties said:

I waited to get it after I gave birth. They can give it to you right there in the hospital before you go home. I see no need to get it during pregnancy, you're not holding LO yet.

The reason some doctors suggest getting before delivery, is it can pass immunity to the infant. (since they can not get the vaccine themselves until they are 2 months)

MommyEllenSue · September 2013

My midwife hasn't mentioned it yet but I plan on talking to her about it today. When I was in high school one of my Moms co-workers 4 week old baby died from whooping cough. She got it from the Grandmother who didn't even realize she had it. I'm not willing to take that risk.

Tndilday07 · September 2013

My dr said that the hospital will do it for me before I leave

nofcksgiven · September 2013

Whooping cough sucks in adults. I had it right before I found out I was pregnant. I was miserable for weeks and nothing would help. As unpleasant as it was for me, it could kill my child. I was told that even though I had it, I needed to get the shot again as I wasn't fully immune. In addition, getting the shot while you're pregnant boosts your LO's immunity against it. I happily took the shot.

lilybeth12 · September 2013

I got mine today, and 'won' a second rhogam shot to boot. I'm a vaccine research scientist, and can tell you without exception that if it's recommended for pg women it's safe. I cant tell you the amount of testing and hoops we have to go through to get to a phase 1 clinical trial. Which FYI is a trial in healthy, uninfected adults.

Anyone who claims that 'big pharma' and the CDC are in cahoots to poison us all is nuts.

lilybeth12 · September 2013

oh and PS, my friend's infant spent 3 weeks in the icu near death this summer due to catching WC from an un-vaccinated neighbor child.

mh89 · September 2013

DH and I both got it in 2010 right after DD was born. Do I need to get it again or is it a once-in-your-life kind of vaccine?

notkateanymore · September 2013

I believe the point of getting a new one while you are pregnant is that it gets passed along to your baby.

caseybeth1213 · September 2013

mh89 said:

DH and I both got it in 2010 right after DD was born. Do I need to get it again or is it a once-in-your-life kind of vaccine?

They recommend it for every pregnancy but I would ask your dr about it

lilybeth12 · September 2013

my NP said if it's been within a year they dont need to boost you, but mine was 6 yrs ago.

mh89 · September 2013

Thanks. I'll ask my OB about it at our next appointment. For some reason I assumed it was like the chicken pox vaccine where you only needed to get it once. Glad I read this post.

MEP923 · September 2013

KateMW said:

MEP923 said:

MissyC979 said:

My doctor hasn't brought this up. I had whooping cough a few years ago, so I'm not sure whether I'm already covered? I am planning to get the flu shot.

I had whooping cough 7 years ago and I have it right now. I will say it's not a huge deal. I feel crappy but I can still function pretty normally. It's actually when I lay down that it gets really bad. During the day, it's not quite as bad. The doctor said they would usually give steroids and a heavy antibiotic but he doesn't want to give me either. So I am doing 2 rounds of Z-Pack. I am on my last day of the first dose and I am starting to feel so much better already.

It's a much bigger deal for babies than adults.

I meant for me being pregnant with it doesn't feel much different than when I had it years ago. Just meaning how it is affecting me having it while I'm pregnant. That is obviously just me. I caught it really early so I actually feel better than I did last time when I caught it weeks into it. I would get the vaccination at the end of your pregnancy to protect the baby. My comment was solely about MY health with it being pregnant if anyone was worried about getting it themselves while pregnant. I should have clarified that. At my next appointment in a week I will talk to my doctor and see if I can still get vaccination. If I can then I am 100 percent am.

bcvolleymom · September 2013

My youngest was also born in 2010 and I had the shot while still in the hospital after giving birth. At my last appointment (26 weeks) I got another one. They said that I should still be protected from the shot in 2010, but the one while pregnant would protect the baby in its first 2 months until baby can be vaccinated.

abbief584 · September 2013

The hospital offered me the vaccination for it whenever I had DS2 and he still got whooping cough at 10 months old. So even if you get the vaccination it isn't a guarantee that your LO won't get it.

tyedyeme12 · September 2013

Yep, I asked my doctor at my last appointment, because I haven't had a TDap since '06, so I figured I would need at least a booster. He didn't even bat an eye when he said I'd get one at 28 weeks. It seems very routine, and I don't believe he would have said it so quickly and so easily if it was hurting anyone. Plus, I know I at least need a booster to keep LO healthy. I'm not sure DH does though, he works in a hospital so he got one last year. Since his isn't for LO immunity's sake, he should be covered to not pass it along.

notkateanymore · September 2013

MEP923 said:

KateMW said:

MEP923 said:

MissyC979 said:

My doctor hasn't brought this up. I had whooping cough a few years ago, so I'm not sure whether I'm already covered? I am planning to get the flu shot.

I had whooping cough 7 years ago and I have it right now. I will say it's not a huge deal. I feel crappy but I can still function pretty normally. It's actually when I lay down that it gets really bad. During the day, it's not quite as bad. The doctor said they would usually give steroids and a heavy antibiotic but he doesn't want to give me either. So I am doing 2 rounds of Z-Pack. I am on my last day of the first dose and I am starting to feel so much better already.

It's a much bigger deal for babies than adults.

I meant for me being pregnant with it doesn't feel much different than when I had it years ago. Just meaning how it is affecting me having it while I'm pregnant. That is obviously just me. I caught it really early so I actually feel better than I did last time when I caught it weeks into it. I would get the vaccination at the end of your pregnancy to protect the baby. My comment was solely about MY health with it being pregnant if anyone was worried about getting it themselves while pregnant. I should have clarified that. At my next appointment in a week I will talk to my doctor and see if I can still get vaccination. If I can then I am 100 percent am.

Ah! BTW, hope you're feeling better soon.

hjweber · September 2013

Yes, I will be getting it. I didn't with DD because no one told me I should. She was born 5 weeks early and I got the vaccine in the hospital before I went home. Needless to say, because I didn't get it during pregnancy, she didn't receive the immunity to it. She never got pertussis, but I was very vigilant in making sure she wasn't around anyone with a cough and she didn't go to daycare and we didn't have any other children at the time. I will be getting it this time. I could have this baby early, too. Knowing that I can give her some extra protection against pertussis is enough for me. My OB highly recommends it and I trust her. We now have a 2 year old that may attend daycare occasionally while new baby is home. She could bring it home to LO and pertussis is very dangerous in infants.

RanFan28 · September 2013

I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but I had the vaccine less than a year ago because I'm a nanny and my doctor still wants me to get it while pregnant and during each subsequent pregnancy. It has nothing to do with you getting pertussis. It's about the immunities being passed to baby through you. If you get it in the hospital after birth, it can't pass to baby. I'm in Texas, and don't know the situation in the rest of the nation, but pertussis is near outbreak status here and I can't imagine not protecting baby from that, especially being due in December.

ellenrunyon · September 2013

My midwife said the research is inconclusive and she doesn't recommend it until after I deliver. I will do it before we leave the hospital, and my hubby & all 4 grandparents will do it before the birth. I have never had a flu shot and she said that the first time doesnt need to be when I'm preggars. Hubs & I both work from home,so weare pretty isolated. Dd WILL get her dtap at 2m though, even though I'm following dr sears selective vaccine schedule. He feels dtap is very important and not one to skip

ScarlettV · September 2013

MEP923 said:

MissyC979 said:

My doctor hasn't brought this up. I had whooping cough a few years ago, so I'm not sure whether I'm already covered? I am planning to get the flu shot.

I had whooping cough 7 years ago and I have it right now. I will say it's not a huge deal. I feel crappy but I can still function pretty normally. It's actually when I lay down that it gets really bad. During the day, it's not quite as bad. The doctor said they would usually give steroids and a heavy antibiotic but he doesn't want to give me either. So I am doing 2 rounds of Z-Pack. I am on my last day of the first dose and I am starting to feel so much better already.

I wouldn't play down the effects of whooping cough. Having it as an adult is much different than having it as a child.

My father caught it when he was 3 and almost died. And he was not a frail child.

SoMoNY · September 2013

Before we get any new shots we are going to have blood tested to see what we are still immune to.

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