The ONLY time i've ever gotten the flu was the year I was unable to get my shot till December. I will always get my family vaccinated 100% for anything that is available, and now I will pay out of pocket if I have to. If it decreases our risks even just 30%, I don't care! That 30% decrease in risk of getting some horrible illness or disease is worth it. You're the reason I will fear (and feared with my DD) taking my infant out in public because they're not old enough to have a specific vaccination yet.....*ugh*
In the NICU nurses did not have to get the flu shot neither did visitors. BUT if you didn't get it then you had to wear mask. So most ppl did cuz who wants to wear a ridiculous mask every day. I only saw 1 nurse who didn't get the shot.
How is everyone feeling who got the shot a couple of weeks ago ? I am getting mine today.. very nervous but feeling a lot better after reading this thread
How is everyone feeling who got the shot a couple of weeks ago ? I am getting mine today.. very nervous but feeling a lot better after reading this thread
How is everyone feeling who got the shot a couple of weeks ago ? I am getting mine today.. very nervous but feeling a lot better after reading this thread
You should be fine, your arm might be tender tomorrow but it goes away. Seriously, I'm so glad you ladies are smart and get the flu shot. People like me (who are at a high risk of getting it) thank you because it helps keep me safe and healthy!
Get your flu shots. Vaccinations don't work unless the majority of individuals get them, it's called herd immunity. The flu can be very harmful to your unborn fetus, it's a teratogen, or a harmful environmental agent that can cause birth defects.
It's too early for the anti-vax nonsense. When you don't vaccinate against things you harm other people, and can harm your baby.
I have never bothered to get the flu shot before (never had the flu either) but for this year I will finally suck it up and get it after my doctor and others stressed how important it is to get while pregnant.
Thanks so much for this thread! I didn't know that I could get a flu shot when pregnant, but this thread gave me the idea to ask my doctor and she said it was highly recommended. Now I have my flu shot and I don't have to worry about it
Me: 29, DH: 31 Married: October 2014 Began TTC: April 2015 BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w) BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w) BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17 BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
when I went to Walgreens and was hesitant the pharmacist printed out for me results of studies saying the vaccine is safe for any stage of pregnancy and is recommended. I wonder why your ob said there was no research??
It has never been tested for saftey in pregnancy in a double blind study according to my ob and my research. I will not be getting it.
when I went to Walgreens and was hesitant the pharmacist printed out for me results of studies saying the vaccine is safe for any stage of pregnancy and is recommended. I wonder why your ob said there was no research??
@MrsCaseyK It hasn't been double blind tested because the risk of the flu to a developing fetus is known and well-documented, therefore it would be an unethical scientific practice for some mothers to unknowingly be subjected to the flu unprotected as they would in a double-blind. There have been numerous studies, some of which are cited in this thread, on the safety of the flu vaccine for pregnant mothers and their developing babies.
@kcourtessis Tenderness at the injection site, fatigue and even a runny nose/slightly sore throat are all normal in the two weeks following a flu shot. The vaccine prompts your body to produce antibodies against the flu virus (which is in the form of an innocuous imitation infection in a vaccine) during this time, which will make you sometimes feel as if you're starting to get sick. It's just your body's immune system taking to the vaccine as it should. You should feel better soon! (Though the fatigue could also be a pregnancy symptom.)
I feel torn as well. I've never gotten a flu shot, and I also haven't gotten the flu in at least 10 years. I pretty rarely get sick. But I've read that pregnant women are more vulnerable to getting the flu, and I know that there is a ton of pressure to get it. I just feel unsure. I also read somewhere that getting the flu shot in not recommended while in the first trimester. I plan to discuss it with my midwife when I meet her next week. Not sure where I'm going to land on this one.
I will be sticking to homemade elderberry concentrate (natural flu defense) when exposed to germs and whenever I feel something coming on and am choosing to turn down the flu shot. I work from home so exposure is minimal and I just simply feel that elderberry is much better for myself and my baby at preventing and potentially fighting the flu WHEN needed. I'm not against vaccines in the least, I just don't find the flu shot a necessity for myself and elderberry has worked WONDERS for myself and my family for years during flu season.
I've never gotten the flu. Ever. And I'd never gotten a flu shot, so I figured let's not mess with perfection.
Until I went out to dinner with a new grad student in my program who'd had a career as a nurse but was now going back to school for an MA in the humanities. I asked her why she was leaving nursing (she'd talked about how much she loved it) and she then told me about the 2012-2013 flu that hit our area. She watched perfectly healthy people, 20-50 years old, come into her hospital and die within a week, despite every intervention, leaving behind families... The vast majority of them had not gotten the flu shot. There were so many of them that they had to import the special rotating flu beds from the next state over, and they still ran out. She was the only nurse in her hospital who was not related to someone who died. Between watching her healthy patients deteriorate, their families stunned and grieving, and her coworkers collapsing from exhaustion and despair, she just couldn't do it anymore.
I got my first ever flu shot the very next week.
And when I went to my OB for my 8-week appointment and she offered, I said hell yes.
The thing about the flu is that most strains disproportionately affect the elderly, the young, and the immuno-compromised (including pregnant women). But in any given year, you could be facing the other type, the one that kills healthy people precisely because they have strong immune systems which respond vigorously to the virus and cause pneumonia and other complications. No matter how healthy you are, it can kill you. Even a 60% chance of preventing that is worth a shot (pun intended!).
Thanks for sharing that perspective @dshannah. We had a similar outbreak in 2012-13 in our area. My husband is a paramedic, and despite all of his precautions he brought the flu home. I got it at 12 weeks pregnant, because I hadn't had the vaccine early enough. Even after catching it early and getting tamiflu I was extremely sick. I was so lucky not to loose my son or my life.
Speaking from experience, you never want to be a place where you could harm your baby because you didn't take advantage of a vaccine that would have kept you and them safe. Living with the "what if" isn't something I would want to do.
My work offers it every year. I spoke with one of the nurses who recommended I wait until I was 12 weeks to get the shot. I have my 8 week appointment on the 12th, so I figure I'll check with my OB then. I work in a medical office so I'm always in contact with sick patients. I want to make sure I do everything I can to avoid getting sick.
got a flu shot once, had to be hospitalized for dehydration from throwing up so much i have a close friend who got GBS from the flu shot (while rare ) her life is completely destroyed and she can barely take care of her children now let alone get out of bed.
@kcourtessis Feeling fine. After the shot I crashed for about 8 hours, but I think that was because I got massive amounts of blood drawn and the NP had manhandled my lady bits to check my progress. I was exhausted!
got a flu shot once, had to be hospitalized for dehydration from throwing up so much i have a close friend who got GBS from the flu shot (while rare ) her life is completely destroyed and she can barely take care of her children now let alone get out of bed.
Herd immunity only works if people get shots. You put others at risk when you don't. Side effects like that are so rare.
Still trying to get over a cold... So I have had to wait. Boo. I'm probably getting mine sometime this week, just have to call around and see which places have the one I need.
I'm going to see if I can schedule my shot for my next appointment in 10 days. I hate needles so bad, I've never had the flu shot, but I'll do it for baby.
My hubby doesn't think he needs to do one. But I thought this would help my odds of not getting sick with it. I forgot to ask the doctor while I was there about it. Before we got pregnant he said he'd do it and now he doesn't think it's necessary. I tried to google about it, but didn't come up with much about SO's getting the flu shot.
I'm getting my flu shot at 13 weeks per my OBs instruction not to do it before then. Luckily they give them for free every year at my office. We'll be paying for my husb to get one around the same time.
My PCP and OB both told me to get the pregnancy-safe shot, so I did (and I am not generally pro-flu shots since I have terrible reactions to them) - the noodle's safety is far more important to me than any discomfort on my part
@Sienna516 Yes, my husband is getting his this week. It should help to protect you further if the people around you most get the vaccine too.
I got mine straight from my OB. At my last appointment, they had the single-dose preservative-free in stock for their pregnant patients so I got it then. I was so excited to be able to not have to schedule a separate appointment with my GP for it. I had a bit of muscle tenderness at the injection site for a few hours, but no other side effects.
Eta DH will probably just stop into a Walgreens minute clinic since they're fast and accept out insurance.
My work offers the flu shot. I asked the nurse at the OB office and she said the only thing to ask was whether it was preservative free. If it was, I was good to get it at work. If not, I could get it at my initial appointment.
My grandfather was a pediatrician for over 50 years. He would bring the flu vaccine for all his grandkids to Thanksgiving. I literally have pictures of all us cousins lined up to get our flu shot from Pup-Pup.
I would never dream of not getting the flu shot. Especially while pregnant. Just called and made my son's appointment with his pedi, too.
I never get the flu shot, but I plan to this year. My work is offering on-site flu shots next week. I am scheduled to get one next week, but I think I may be coming down with something (I was sneezing yesterday and I'm coughing and congested today). I'm going to an urgent care clinic on my lunch break today. Hopefully, they'll tell me its just allergies and I can still get the flu shot next week.
Got it a couple of days ago, I even got it for free because I'm pregnant-but maybe that's just an Australian thing. Looking at the risks for my baby when getting the flu I am more than happy to get the shot.
I don't understand the arguments against them. The risks are much higher for your unborn baby if you get the flu (and the high fever that comes with it) than if you get the shot. I understand that if you get the shot it is still possible to get the flu, but you will get a much less severe version and will, again, have less risk for your baby than if you don't get the shot.
Got my shot as I do every year. Midwife just made sure it was mercury and preservative free. I have a 3 year old at home with Asthma so the risk of bringing the flu home to her made my decision easy. Best of luck to all you mamas!
Re: Flu shot anyone?
I'm just happy flu shot is mandatory in preschools in NYC, at least I know DS won't by someone else's irresponsible behavior.
Married to my Soul Mate since 09/06/09
Married Sept '13
TTC Dec '13
BFP 10/8/2014 MMC 11/20/2014 D&C 11/26/14
BFP 9/20/2015 MMC 10/7/2015 D&C 10/15/15
Get your flu shots. Vaccinations don't work unless the majority of individuals get them, it's called herd immunity. The flu can be very harmful to your unborn fetus, it's a teratogen, or a harmful environmental agent that can cause birth defects.
It's too early for the anti-vax nonsense. When you don't vaccinate against things you harm other people, and can harm your baby.
Feel better soon!
Married: October 2014
Began TTC: April 2015
BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w)
BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w)
BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17
BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
Speaking from experience, you never want to be a place where you could harm your baby because you didn't take advantage of a vaccine that would have kept you and them safe. Living with the "what if" isn't something I would want to do.
Married: Oct 20, 2013
BFP 1: Aug 31, 2015
EDD 1: May 12, 2016
DD1 Emma born May 12, 2016
An Honest Account of New Motherhood (with Postpartum Anxiety, Depression, and OCD)
BFP 2: October 07, 2019
EDD 2: June 20, 2020
got a flu shot once, had to be hospitalized for dehydration from throwing up so much
i have a close friend who got GBS from the flu shot (while rare ) her life is completely destroyed and she can barely take care of her children now let alone get out of bed.
Feeling fine. After the shot I crashed for about 8 hours, but I think that was because I got massive amounts of blood drawn and the NP had manhandled my lady bits to check my progress. I was exhausted!
My hubby doesn't think he needs to do one. But I thought this would help my odds of not getting sick with it. I forgot to ask the doctor while I was there about it. Before we got pregnant he said he'd do it and now he doesn't think it's necessary. I tried to google about it, but didn't come up with much about SO's getting the flu shot.
I got mine straight from my OB. At my last appointment, they had the single-dose preservative-free in stock for their pregnant patients so I got it then. I was so excited to be able to not have to schedule a separate appointment with my GP for it. I had a bit of muscle tenderness at the injection site for a few hours, but no other side effects.
Eta DH will probably just stop into a Walgreens minute clinic since they're fast and accept out insurance.
My work offers the flu shot. I asked the nurse at the OB office and she said the only thing to ask was whether it was preservative free. If it was, I was good to get it at work. If not, I could get it at my initial appointment.
Work was preservative free so I got it there.
Make a pregnancy ticker
My grandfather was a pediatrician for over 50 years. He would bring the flu vaccine for all his grandkids to Thanksgiving. I literally have pictures of all us cousins lined up to get our flu shot from Pup-Pup.
I would never dream of not getting the flu shot. Especially while pregnant. Just called and made my son's appointment with his pedi, too.
Get a flu shot. 'Nuff said.
And just for fun...
https://imgur.com/gallery/ybBUJ
BFP 1: 9/15/2013 | DD 5/23/2014
BFP 2: 9/15/2015 | EDD 5/26/2016