Flu Shot for Pregnant Mommy?

My personal choice when I was pregnant was to not get any flu shot. H1N1 was just out with not enough testing in my opinion and I didn't want to be the guinea pig. Turns out there were many cases of pregnant women up to 12 wks who miscarried within two days of receiving the H1N1. I'm not saying thousands but enough to make me glad of my decision. Make sure you do some research and not just on the CDC website, be sure to check out nvic.org as well. Talk with your doctors and make the best decision for yourself.

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Hi Lillian,

I do not get flu shots and haven't gotten the flu in years until I was at the ER with a friend of my daughters during an H1N1 outbreak. Inevitably I came down with it. It was not anywhere near as bad as I had heard. My kids and husband don't get the shots either and none of them caught it even while nursing me back to health. I'm not pro vaccine but even in the medical community many doctors recommend against vaccines while pregnant. I have also read, like Margaret, that there were cases of miscarriages after the H1N1 vaccine. My thoughts would be even if 1/2 of 1 percent were susceptible, I would dodge it.

There are really too many synthetic chemicals within the vaccines to know what kind of reaction anyone would have. The body can naturally fight off many things if there are no foreign substances that it has to deal with. The people I know that got the H1N1 vaccine are the only other people that I know got the flu.

Hope this helps.

M.

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I didn't get the flu shot with either one of my pregnancies and I have two very healthy boys. A 4yo and 6mo, and neither one of them have ever been sick.

My Dr. really encouraged me to get both shots but I declined. I also had quit my job and stayed home most of the time too.

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Lillian,
PLEASE read Dr. Sears , The Vaccine Book or Stephanie Cave;s vaccine book to read about a safe schedule. www.mercola.com can explain flu shots also. The CDC said themselves they took out the thimerosal from childhood vaccines because it was a neurotoxin. BTW there is still traces in them....But the point is they did that because it is harmful to our children and then put thimerosal in the flu shot and target PREGNANT women and kids. Does that tell you something??? My son was vaccine injured. I AM NOT ANT-VACCINE!! I am PRO safer schedule. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that over 40 shots for our kids is beyond safe! I have researched, traveled, marched, read for the last 8 years and what I now know is so disturbing. But to tell the "typical" person out there is the hardest thing because they believe their doctors or what they read or see on tv. I explain it like this......If you knew a soldier who was in the trenches and asked him/her about the war and what they see, and then you turn around and ask a politician the same questions, you will get a totally different answer....Who would you believe?? The solldier in the trenches who is there everyday!!!! I have been in the trenches for 8 years and the only good to come out of it is MAYBE I can help ONE person not have to go through what I have. If just one person listens......I wish I would have listened to my gut back then. If you have any questions you can email me .
I wish you luck and health with your sweet baby.
L.

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I would never get a vaccination while pregnant. The vaccines have not been tested and there is no data to indicate whether or not it is safe for a forming baby. Every flu brand states in their package insert that it should only be given to pregnant women when "clearly needed." None are recommended for nursing mothers. This is from the actual drug companies who make the vaccine. Go here for more info:
http://adventuresinautism.blogspot.com/2008/03/can-i-get-...

I just read further on the site I shared above.
http://adventuresinautism.blogspot.com/2006/01/did-you-ge...
This is one quote:
UPDATE: This is a popular with people asking the question, "Can I get the flu shot while pregnant". If you are one of those, after reading this post check here.

An interesting question arose out of the discussion of the California Autism numbers, specifically what the CDC recommendation this year that pregnant women get the flu shot will do to the autism rates. I noted that apparently only 13% of moms are paying heed to this recommendation.

I received an email from a woman who has started asking other mom's if they got the flu vaccine while they were pregnant, and if so, is the child they were carrying at the time healthy into their third or fourth year.

She found 20 women that had gotten the flu shot, and only one has a healthy child. All of the others have severe health problems including allergies, asthma and respiratory infections that required multiple hospitalizations or ER visits, ADD, full blown Autism, blindness, vision problems that required a patch over one eye to be worn, peanut allergies and cerebral palsy.

There no way that this can be a representative sample, but it makes me want to see a real study. If you know of one, pass it on.

So in the interest of curiosity, are there any mom's out there who got the flu shot while pregnant and have a child that is still healthy by age 3 or 4? If so email me, this mom wants to talk to you

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In my experience as a women's health nurse, your OB will probably insist that you get a flu shot. Your immune system is compromised to a degree when you are prego, plus, if you were to contract the flu and have high temps it could affect the development of your baby. I have been a nurse for 10 years and don't usually get a flu shot, but I did this last year since I have a daughter in day care and take care of a patient that is immune compromised. Good Luck and congratulations

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I was pregnant this past year when all the hype about H1N1 was around. My husband and I were really hesitant about me getting the regular flu shot and/or the H1N1 shot (last year H1N1 shot was not included in the normal flu shot). Both of the OBs that I see in the practice urged me to get both of the shots. I was in my third trimester when the worst of the flu season was in peak. And apparently that is when the effects of the flu/H1N1 are the worst for preggos. After much deliberation, I got both of the shots. I have a perfectly healthy boy and I never had any side effects at all.

Best of luck to you in your decision. This was literally the most stressful decision I made in years. "What if I get the shot and something terrible happens to baby....I would blame myself." "What if I don't get the shot, and I get the flu and something terrible happens to me or baby....I would blame myself". Grrrrrrr, it was such a hard decision!

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I don't usually get a flu shot, but I would consider it seriously if you are pregnant. Although I am concerned about the chemicals in it, a high fever is proven to be very dangerous to a fetus, whereas the dangers of the shot are speculative. If you are around children and at high risk for the flu, it may be worth the risk of reactions to the vaccine to make sure you don't get the flu. Talk to your doctor, especially about the risk of getting the flu (since many doctors have their own opinions about the vaccine and may not give you unbiased answers) and what that would do to your baby. Good luck with your decision.

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I got one in my first tri--i did not now i was pregnant yet. No problems from it. PRegnant women are strongly encouraged to get both shots. If i turned up preg tomorrow i would get them myself. I would wait till 2nd tri as recommended.

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I personally would get the shot. My son is just over 2 now so I didn't have to worry about the new H1N1 vaccine with him, but I did get the regular seasonal flu shot (which I have done every year for the past 10 years). My son is fine, in fact, knock of wood, has never had anything more serious than a little virus here and there, so I don't think it has hurt him.

I am pregnant again with a little girl due September 29th. My OB said I should get the flu shot shortly after I deliver, only because that is when the season should hit, however, my pediatrician recommends I get it in September if I can a few weeks before I deliver. His is a strong believer in the flu vaccine for little ones and since the they can't get a flu vaccine until they are 6 months are older, he feels that if I get it, she'll get some of the antibodies from the vaccine through me. So, if I can get it early September, I am planning on it.

Also, not to scare anyone, but it does look like the dangers to pregnant women are indeed higher than the general population. When the epidemic hit last year, I know I was reading all the CDC's numbers because I was worried about my young son at the time. I have tried to attach a link to a Bloomberg report that also gave these numbers. (I don't know if it attached correctly). Between April 15th and June 16th of last year, 13% of the 45 fatalities reported were of pregnant women. Unlike others in their age group, they had no known underlying health problems. They also explain there is no dispute that our immune systems are weakened by pregnancy as a natural way of protecting our fetus, plus our breathing/lung capacity is reduced, especially later in pregnancy when our baby pushed up against our lungs.

I would just keep reading the reports from Doctors and the CDC on the subject. I know it can be a scary choice, that is why I did so much reading on it. But for me, it does seem the the benefits outweight the risks. Good Luck!

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&si...

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I got the flu shot when I was pregnant *and* breastfeeding. Better to get you (and in turn, your baby) immunized than end up with the flu and possible complications!!

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i got one and nothing bad happened. I was pregnant at the same time as one of my coworkers, my doctor said to get it and hers said not to. I thought that was weird.

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I had the flu shot with both of my pregnancies and I have 2 healthy happy kiddos. I would definitely get it especially since you are around children all day long.

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I had a flu shot with both of my pregnancies. With that being said, I think it's important to talk with your OBGYN and to find out what he/she thinks. If you trust your doctor, it would be wise to do what they suggest.

I was once told that to choose not to get the flu shot means that you are putting not just yourself at risk of the flu, but those around you. You can be a carrier of it. Just a thought...

Good luck on your decision.

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Absolutely - I got both shots last year when I was pregnant. You'll get the shot and it'll take a few weeks to build antibodies which will also help to protect your unborn child. I was fine and my baby was fine.

Oh and by the way...got a flu shot with my first pregnancy too and my son (just over 3 1/2) is perfectly healthy!

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I already had the flu shot before I got pregnant but not the H1N1, when I went to the OB for my first appointment at 8 weeks the first thing they asked was did I have the H1N1. They highly recommended getting it, especially since I had a daughter in preschool. I got it, my son is now 10 days old and he is perfectly healthy.

I would recommend getting both especially since you are around so many kiddos =) Congrads on the pregnancy!

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I had to get a flu shot while pregnant. Got the THERMASOL FREE FLU SHOT at the recommendation of my obgyn and midwife. Its the best option for you and the baby. No harsh reactions just swollen at injection site.

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There is mercury in the flu shot. We are told not to eat too much fish when we're pregnant because of the mercury, but there's way more mercury in the flu shot than you would get from eating fish occasionally. I got the flu shot when I was in my 2nd trimester, and my son was later diagnosed with autism at a year old. If I were going to have any more pregnancies, I wouldn't get the flu shot next time, because of the risk of the mercury. There is a reason that 1% of babies born today are going to have autism, and no one can yet say what this reason is. It MAY be toxicity we are exposed to when we are pregnant. I would be cautious and really do some research before deciding either way.
Good Luck!

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To my knowledge I have never had a flu shot and have had two kids (16 & 13).

If I were to get one while pregnant (or actually at any time) I would ask to read the package insert to make sure there was no thimerosal. I would at least want to ask my doctor if that option was available, and I wouldn't let him/her pooh-pooh that concern.

Good luck!

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I got the flu shot when I was pregnant because my OB recommended it. I wish I could take it back. I have 3 1/2 year old twin boys on the autism spectrum. At 3 1/2 they are both still completely nonverbal, have heavy metal toxicity (mercury from the flu shot) and the therapy and bio medical treatments to try to reverse the damage cost my family between $3K-5K per month. According to our pediatrician the flu vaccine has had the wrong strains in it to really help anyone 9 out of the past 11 years. Practice good hygiene, wash your hands, get plenty of rest. The flu is mild compared to having children that at 3 1/2 have still never said Mommy.

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Please go to www.909shot.com to get current, up-to-date information on the subject of vaccines. They pour through the CDC documents, the latest medical studies and other valid information out there so parents (and soon to be parents) can get the latest information without having to deal with pressure from the media or their doctors. I would never get the vaccine personally, but this is a decision you have to make for yourself and your unborn child. I never would want anyone to judge me for deciding not to vaccinate my children and therefore I would never judge anyone for making a decision they felt was good for their family.
Another great resource that you can get is a DVD from Dr. Sherry Tenpenny. Her website is: http://drtenpenny.com/default.aspx
She has gone through all the CDC documents to determine the effectiveness and efficacy of ALL the vaccines out there.
Just do your homework. Obviously you are having some reservations since you are asking this question.
God Bless

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I got the regular and the H1N1 last year, no problems. I didn't get sick either!

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I didn't get the shot, but I don't believe in the flu shot (my family gets pretty sick from them actually). If you have gotten them in the past, like you said, and had no problems, then it shouldn't be a problem getting it now! Good luck with your pregnancy!

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The only time in my life I got the flu shot was when I was pregnant, but I am not sure I would get the H1N1, simply because its effects on the unborn are not yet known, and I would never let my kid be the test subject.

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I had no reservations and in fact that's when I started getting them. I would get the shot. They generally recommend you do get it when pregnant because your risk is greater for complications from the flu and especially the H1N1.

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i did not get it while i was preggers, but got it after - just the regular shot though. they didnt have the h1n1 then. i got it because i was breast feeding and since the baby cant have it, they can get some immunity through the breast milk. she was born during the beginning of the flu season. i asked for the preservative free one, which is a one time dose shot. it doesn not come from a bottle that they use over and over. the same was true for my daughter this year, she got the flu shot but not the h1n1. i asked again for the preservative free one. i am not sure you yet how i feel about the h1n1...guess i will have to decide this year. good luck

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I got the flu shot when I was pregnant & the H1N1 shot. This year the shots will be combined. My pediatrician and my midwife both told me the flu shot was a great idea and to get it as soon as it was available - the vaccination helps Baby's immune system too. ;) Make everyone in your house get the flu shot and your babysitter too!

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From what I understand it's much more risky NOT to get the shot, than to get the flu.

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GET THE SHOT! I got both shots last year and as my OB explained to me you will be protecting both you and your baby. Once you have the baby, breastfeeding will supply your baby with the immunity she needs! I had no side effects and my daughter is perfectly healthy. Don't listed to all the hoopla... protect yourself and your baby.

Congratulations and good luck!!