Cold and Flu Season Worries (H1N1)!?

I too am very interested in this issue, as I am 33 weeks pregnant with #2. I just went to an appointment for my son with his Naturopathic pediatrician, who also does womens care. We spent almost the whole time talking about me (being pregnant) and H1N1. We have only done one series of vaccines for my son, after MUCH research and discussion with his ped, who is extremely vaccine-conservative. So, I'm with you - very anti-vaccine and more concerned about the neurotoxins used as preservatives and the side effects from many of the vaccines.

I had absolutely NO intention of getting the H1N1 vaccine. That said, the ped did recommend the vaccine for me, which honestly, I was shocked to hear her say. Now, I am at a bit of a higher risk having a child in day care, I take public transit to and from work, I work in an office of 75 people in downtown Seattle, am prone to asthma/bronchitis during respiratory illness, and I am pregnant in my last trimester. We discussed this and she felt if I was a SAHM then we would be having a different conversation. She has told me after her extensive and daily research that there is NO thimerosol, no formaldehyde, no squalene in the vaccine that she is getting - this may not be so for all distributors. But, since she is a naturopath, she hand selects the 'brands' she receives and I do trust and value her opinion very much. I plan on reading the insert for further consideration. The whole thing though does make sick to my stomach to think about. Either way, there is a risk for me - if I get it, or if I don't.

I am also going for a VBAC and don't want anything to interfere with that, such as coming down with H1N1 right before labor. Additionally, she mentioned that the baby will be getting antibodies from me too which will be important. So, anyways, I am not sure what I will decide, but wanted to share (with you and other readers) the info that SOME of the H1N1 vaccines will NOT have the nasty preservatives. [Note: the nasal mist is NOT recommended for pregnant women.]

So, here's what my naturo-ped said about prevention, for me and my 2.5 year old son:
* 10 billion organisms probiotic daily
* Vitamin D supplements daily (2000 I.U.)
* Vitamin C (I think she recommended 500 mg 3x/day or maybe even 1000 mg 3x/day)
* Handwashing and good hygiene

I'm not too worried about it but do have lots of things to consider. It's a tough situation for us pregnant gals right now...

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hey jennifer,

i am an anti vaccine mother too, some people think im crazy for not vaccinating my children, but i think they are crazy for vaccinating theirs, well, i did my research so i don't care what they think.

Avoid any type of vaccines. Especially the new N1H1 swine, and of course the flu vaccine. I heard that you are more likely to get the swine flu if you got the flu vaccine. When i was pregnant, i ate healthy foods like vitamins, homemade chicken soup, veggies and lots of fruits. Your immune system is the best defense system that you have.

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Dear Jennifer,

It sounds as if you already know what to do to reduce your risk - washing hands, limiting contact with possibly sick people, etc. One thing, since you are pregnant and presumably getting prenatal care, is to try and avoid showing up to any doctor's visits early so you aren't hanging out in places where typically sick people go. Also, make sure you are washing your fruits and vegetables, particularly those with rinds/skins that you eat. And lastly, try to reduce your stress. Stress can have a negative impact on your body and if you can relax a bit and try not to worry (I know this can be hard, particularly when you're busy growing a human!), then your body will be in a better position to fight off illnesses.

Best of luck! Here's hoping we can all stay healthy during this coming cold season.

C.

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Boiron makes a homeopathic called Occilliumcum (I am not spelling it correctly but it does work). Last March I got a killer flu and used it and was better in 2 days. I very rarely get the flu the last time was 1987. But, the night before I got sick I ate at a Mexican restuarant owned and run by a group of illegals. Since I speak Spanish fluently it was not a problem ordering food.
I am a person who avoids vaccinations and did not vaccinate my children. I understand how you feel.

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The Swine flu has just made a huge deal and it sucks because it is no worse than other flu out there. The only difference between the swine flu and any other flu is that it comes on very fast. You will have symptoms within 24 to 36 hours after exposure. (Most viruses have a 48 hour incubation time so you don't get symptoms so fast.) Other than that it is a flu virus, and like any flu virus if you have symptoms you need to see the doc asap while pregnant so that any treatment that can be given can be started right away and hopefully save you some misery from being sick and pregnant. Also, while your pregnant your immune is in overdrive anyway, so chances of you actually getting sick are less than anyone else in your family because your immune system is already on high alert.

I got exposed to swine flu at 12 weeks pregnant but never got sick. (Believe me we were freaking out that we would expose other people and all as well, but the CDC was helpful if you need to call someone.) The swine flu virus is airborne so ask people who are around you a lot to cover their mouth when they sneeze or cough if you can. Wipe down the handle on the shopping cart if you want to and otherwise stop stressing about it. Stress will decrease your immune systems efficiency, so breathe and relax.

S.

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Look into essential oils on www.youngliving.com . They have oils for antibacterial purposes as well as fighting off colds (Three Theives is their special blend...in fact its exactly the formula used by thieves during the plague. Ironically the thieves wouldnt the plague even though they were stealing off corpses who died from the plague because they were using this combo of essential oils!). Getting a nebulizer may work well for you too.

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if you are anti vaccine (and I am not sure where I stand on the H1N1, but have chosen to have my kids receive others), then you just need to get over it - avoid croweded places, use lots of soap and water, and don't be paranoid- you still have to live (otherwise, what's the point of having kids?!)

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Honestly is worse to get the H1N1 flu than to get the vaccine, just something to think about.

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So besides staying in your house - wear a mask when you go out - make sure you don't touch your face. I've also heard good things about Vitamin D.

I would defiantly not wait in a waiting room for any kind of doctor's appointment.

Is your son in daycare or preschool? Major germs at those locations - avoid at all cost playrooms - like at community center.

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Good for you! The vaccine can have awful side effects and is not healthy for the baby or you.

The best you can do is keep your immune system up and healthy. If you do feel like you MIGHT be getting a cold you might try echinacea.

You could go to the store and buy some but you don't know what contaminants are in the echineacea, how it is made, what amounts are really in the bottle vs the label unless you know the company and you have checked out the company by asking the company these questions.

Shaklee is the #1 natural nutrition company in the US and they test every single ingredient and the COMPLETE manufacturing process to make sure no comtaminants are there. It is the ONLY company I know of that does this. If you are interested you may go to http://nontoxiccleaners.myshaklee.com and go to shopping and check out what they have. If you are interested you may check out the Immunity I, the Defend and Resist and the Nutriferon. Those are the three that help build up and sustain the immune system.

N.
SAH Mom, Nana, Wellness Coach

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If you won't get a flu shot, then washing/sanitizing hands or staying home are pretty much your only defenses. The good thing is that the H1N1 flu doesn't usually make people any sicker than the regular flu, but that's still not fun. Good luck!

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I am 27 weeks pregnant and have a 4 yr old in preschool. I would suggest that you have a thorough discussion with your doctor and discuss your concerns before making a final decision about the vaccine. For a pregnant woman, this is an important one and should be based on medical fact, not fear, myth or perceived peer-pressure.

While I generally am not excited about getting the flu vaccine (and do not do it annually), it is pretty clear to me after reading as much as I can about the H1n1 virus, it's risks for pregnant women/fetus as well as the vaccine (how it is made, ingredients), that the best course of action is to get vaccinated. In fact, as a pregnant mother, technically your whole family should get vaccinated. Personally, I'd rather get the vaccine than take antivirals (which you take after you contract the virus and also directly impact the fetus) and risk any complications or hospitalization in general. On top of that, I cannot afford to be sick and to expose my family (especially young child who is high risk as well) nor take care of a little one when I am so sick.

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I support your decision to avoid the vaccine. The high levels of mercury can effect your fetus, plus who wants to inject formaldehyde, ether, detergent and who knows what else injected into their bodies!

The besst advice you've seen. Get lots of Vitamin D. Also, when sick, high doses of Vitamin C will help, not good to take high doses regularly as it can deplete your copper, but if you do it when sick it will knock a cold out along with the Vitamin D. We also use colloidal silver as a hand sanitizer, spray it on our faces as a preventative barrier and take it as a supplement everyday and never get sick! It's safe for pregnant women, nursing women, babies, elderly etc. My favorite is Silver Springs Colloidal Silver as it is affordable, high quality and locally made.

The rest is common sense. Wash hands frequently, don't go out when sick to avoid spreading your cold and to avoid picking up a stronger virus when your immune system is weakened. Don't touch your face without washing hands first. And since you are pregnant, avoid large crowds over the holidays where your risk of getting exposed to various illnesses is higher.

And last, remember, over 80% of the people who get or have had the H1N1 flu have no idea they had it as it is very mild in the majority of cases. More people will get seriously ill from the regular flu than H1N1. And you don't die from the flu, but typically from pneumonia, drug interactions from treatment at hospitals or from other illnesses picked up in the hospital when their immune system is compromised. So if you get sick and breathing becomes and issue, get checked out, but otherwise, avoiding hospitals which are breeding grounds for every nasty thing when pregnant is prudent.

A.

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All the normal things, like the hand washing, etc. and keeping hydrated are all important. Also just a note, people tend to get ill more easily and often in the winter because of the lack of vitamin D. You get this from the sun, which we all no is almost non-existant in the winter!. Ask your OB-GYN if you can take a Vitiman D suppliment (which you should be able to since there are no side effects!). Pharmacutical manufactures don't want people to know this or they would start loosing $$$ on cold remedies! Relax, you'll be fine. And congratulations!

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Nasal douching can help. Get yourself a neti pot and learn to use it--it takes some getting used to. Hand washing only goes so far: it doesn't stop the idiots who don't cover their mouths when they sneeze and cough from sending up a plume of germs to the rest of us. That's where nasal douching comes in: it keeps your nasal passages clear and balanced, allowing you to flush them out.

FYI: I had the flu when pregnant with my first baby, and while it wasn't fun, I got through it as I A. in good health. It was three days of fever with Tylenol as the only option, but again, it wasn't as horrendous as the media made it out to be.

Good luck. I'm an OCD germaphobe too.

AMD

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Hi Jennifer,

I know vaccinations are an endless controversial subject, and most people (though not all) on BOTH sides feel that they're right and the other side is just uneducated. Personally, I'm with you with not trusting vaccines (and not just putting all my trust in doctors, and more so the pharmaceutical companies who make them, who say to take it). I also understand your worries about the H1N1 flu this year and being pregnant (I'm 32 weeks pregnant with #3).

You're doing all the right things right now already. Being aware, washing hands, drinking lots of fluids, getting rest whenever you can, etc. I also agree with the other poster about taking the homeopathic medicine called "Oscillococcinum" by Boiron. It really helps! I'm also big on taking Airborne (every 3 hours). You may want to double check with your OB/midwife, or just do your own research to make sure that you won't be getting too much of any vitamins with that though.

Obviously, even if you're doing all the right things, there's never any guarantee that you won't get it, and differentiating the symptoms of the "swine flu" and the regular flu are challenging. I'm not saying this to make you more worried, but the only thing you can do at this point is just be aware of it and take care of your body as best you can. Any stress beyond that is a waste of energy and not healthy for either of your little ones, and likely make your body more susceptible to getting sick. (I realize that controlling your natural stress level about something is challenging, but I'm just saying that to keep in mind.) It is scary that flu's of both sorts are getting worse and worse each year, so really, they're both about as dangerous as the other. Specifically meaning that if you do happen to get the "swine flu", that it's not necessarily any more dangerous than the typical flu, and both should be taken as seriously as the other. The big scare last year with the "swine flu" was primarily because it was new and we didn't know much about it. Yes, there were some serious cases, but we have lots of serious cases with the typical flu every year too unfortunately, they're just not highlighted. This is not a reason not to be worried - I'm just trying to (hopefully) allow yourself a little more peace about it. You can stay in touch with your doctor about it though if that makes you feel better, or call the H1N1 information healthline at Evergreen at ###-###-####. You can also always call the general Evergreen healthline and talk to a nurse about any medical issues that you or your family are having if you have any concerns. It's free, and the nurses are really nice and really helpful. ###-###-#### x2.

Best of luck to you, and try not not worry too much. It will be ok! :o)

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One big tell tale sign of the H1N1 virus is a high fever with no other symptoms. A very high fever, like 103-104 - then the runny nose starts later. Usually when you have the runny nose first then it's just a cold. I know firsthand - I actually have the swine flu right now, along with all of my kids. It's actually not as bad as I thought it would be. Some tylenol brings down the fever and it's tolerable. My kids are almost over it now with no serious complications. You probably don't have to stay in your house, but I wouldn't go to OMSI or Mcdonalds. Also when you're baby is born I would recommend being very careful about the well visits to your doctor since the offices are probably flooded with the swine flu. I took my kids to the doctor the other day and I was really stressed out about a couple of newborn babies that were there that day. I strapped my kids into the stroller and kept sanitizer on their hands (they didn't touch anything) and kept them far away from everyone but probably not everyone does that. Hope this helps ..

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I would check with your ob/gyn first but my Dr told me that there is a study that vitamin D helps prevent the flu...he told me to give it to my kids to help heep the, healthy.
Good Luck
A.

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A great way to build up your natural immunity is eating a food or supplement with pro-biotics ie: yogurt or keifer and also introducing lacto-fermented foods ie: sauerkraut and kombucha. Also, bone broths, made at home provide good fats. Hand washing is great, but your nutrition is vital... you can fight it off better when your body is healthy. Maybe the season changing is why you have symptoms? Good luck!

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Ask your doctor about Tamiflu - not a vaccine, it's a prescription drug you take within the first 24 hrs after you get the flu to prevent it from becoming severe. Note if you don't take the drug right away, it may not be effective -- you HAVE TO get it early for it to work. Doctors and nurses are regularly taking half-doses to prevent getting flu from their patients (or they'd not show up to work for fear of getting sick).

So don't live in fear because you don't want the vaccine -- be reassured to know there's something you can do if you do find you come down with either H1N1 or seasonal flu to keep it from becoming severe.

Also they say the effectiveness of face masks is not so you don't breathe in germs, but so you don't transfer germs from your hands to your mouth.

It is your choice not to get the vaccine but you should talk to your doctor anyway about this. It does NOT contain murcury and is nearly identical to a regular flu shot and ther are differnt types these days then in the past, etc. Plus you pass on some of it to your baby who can't get vaccinated for a while anyway.... just something to think about - My OB is on a board at a hospital and has seen pg women with it who are just fine and others who did not fair so well...but don't take my advice talk with doctors!

So I think all the other advice is good even if you choose to get the vaccine (ther are still lots of other types of flu going around). And if you seem OCD for one winter so be it... chances are this won't the last year we deal with this so I say these everyday "OCD" things are just something we are all going to start doing if we don't already.

And you don't want to get the vaccine..that's what most people will recommend but I know you and know you don't want to! So please include other advice not just "get the vaccine"! :)

Oh,and no one can say for sure yet that the illness is worse than the vaccine, because they haven't even been giving the vaccine yet. Make sure you're getting adjusted at least once a week, you already know that will help your immune system function!

This is something I found at the midwife blogging site: http://acnm-midwives.blogspot.com/2009/10/to-take-or-not-...