Looking for Opinions on Trying for Another Baby Right Now

Everything I have found says that this flu is less dangerous than the common one. I am not at all concerned. We don't get flu shots and rarely get the flue, but when we have we have lived through it. Eat lots of immune boosting foods and go for it!

For what it's worth, I agree w/ Amanda H. You are far more likely to catch the seasonal flu and suffer ill effects from that. I support what the media is doing by covering this so closely, but it's also instilling a lot of fear in people too. I am 36 wks. pregnant, and I would be lying if I said I haven't worried about it a bit since this outbreak has come on. But then I try to snap myself back into reality...and realize these things are always out there...we are just hearing a lot more about this outbreak.

I just wouldn't worry so much...trust me...I know that is SO MUCH EASIER said than done, but put your faith in God. I'm a true believer in prayer.....pray thru this....

Good luck! I wish you the very, very best!! :)

I think you are thinking way too much into this flu thing. This is a new strain of the flu. The flu goes around every year and people get the flu all the time. Flu usually causes problems in people with weak immune systems. The cases in the U.S. and outside of Mexico have been mild. No deaths seen..besides the child in Texas who was a Mexican citizen visiting here. I think you should go for it and let things progress like they are meant to. If we lived each day afraid we would never do anything.

When you had your first child, were you afraid to get pregnant and catching the "human" flu? The truth is more people die (thousands) every year from the "human" flu (not the swine flu) and noone thinks twice about it, not to mention the number of people that have to be hospitalized every year. If you want accurate info on it, go to cdc.gov?

H.,

The media is really hyping this up. Look at it in perspective. The plain old, every year, seasonal flu kills about 35,000 people every year in the US. This H1N1 (swine) flu hasn't killed a single American citizen. (The only US fatality was a boy who came into this country with the virus.) There were 160 cases in the entire country as of yesterday (only two in the entire state of Michigan) and people are recovering from this, not dying.

Tamiflu is an effective medication in treating this strain. Tamiflu is also a pregnancy Category C medicine, meaning that it could potentially harm your unborn child, but isn't banned from taking during pregnancy. If you are pregnant, you should only take Tamiflu if the benefit outweighs the possible risk to your unborn child. Nursing mothers are told not to take it at all.

My opinion is to go ahead with your plans. What are the chances you would even come in contact with the virus, let alone catch it? If you somehow managed to catch it, what are the chances that you wouldn't recover from it or it would cause damage to the baby? Very, very, very slim.

The best advice is the same old sickness precaution advice - wash your hands, stay healthy, etc.

Good luck,
S.

As a medical student right now, I have been hearing so much info about the H1N1 flu. The perspective I have on it at this point is that some of the infectious disease specialists are really excited about an opportunity to tackle a big challenge that they have been predicting for years. However, others in that same speciality think that the media is hyping it up way too much and there is no evidence that it is mutating in a way to make it more virulent. It may simply die out, like bird flu and SARS. The most important thing is practicing proper hygiene, meaning 1) coughing into a tissue and throwing it away immediately, 2) washing hands frequently, and 3) do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth. That last one is really hard.
My housemate had the regular flu last week and my husband and I have been scrupulously following these recommendations. In addition, we have been sleeping enough, eating our veggies, exercising, taking our Vit C, getting Vit D in the sun (finally), and taking echinacea (it works for us), and not drinking much alcohol or eating much sugar. These seem effective so far. Prevention and a strong system are always the best choice. Lastly, the cytokine storm theory, about why young adults are suffering more with this flu, would indicate that pregnancy would be protective, because you are considered immune compromised when pregnant, otherwise your body would never allow a child to be carried since half of its DNA is not yours.
Hope this helps with some factual info.

Very good question. Your best answer is based upon your own situation and discussing it with your OBGyn. Each of you could be exposed in school, at work etc. So hard to say. It has been "healthy" teens to middle aged people in Mexico that have been hardest hit with this recent outbreak. If this one is part avian part swine part human virus just think if it can reside in any one of them and continue for ages. I would wait till there is vaccine for this one in my opinion.
Here is a link to an MP3 and pdf from the CDC specifically for the care of pregnancy and young chilldren:

Emergency Preparedness and Response
May 1 - COCA Maternal and Child Health Issues Call

http://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/confcall_archive.asp

This is designed as Clinician's Resources but you will get the general idea of what is discussed maybe. There is a PDF version and MP3 to download. Or ask your Doctor helping you if they have heard the Clinician Recorded Phone Call or PDF. Could print it out to review with the Doctor if you have special medical concerns.

Try not to fall victim to thr hype behind the swine flu. My friend works for the dept of public health (in cali) and she said the media is giving it way too much attention. This flu has been around for a while, there were even cases a few years ago, an outbreak in the 70's and 80's,the complications that can happen are no different from the complications that can occur with the "regular" flu, as long as u wash your hands and avoid sick people as much as possible (wear an n-95 mask who cares?)And obviously stay away from people who might have it. The only thing u might want to consider iss the fact that people who have compromised immune systems (as well as the very young and old) are more prone to catch ANY flu. Obviously, if u were preggo u would have a weaker immune system than u do now. Preggo or not try to stay as healthy as possible. Check out cdc.org I believe, there is a swine flu area u can click on and read FAQ.
My best piece of advice: if u r truly worried just wait. There's nothing wrong with waiting a little while to have your next baby. Better safe than sorry right? Good luck and hope all goes well.

I would say talk to your doctor. Sometimes you can't rely on what is going around online. Talk to your doctor about what would happen if you were pregnant and got the flu, would you be treatable, etc. Then make your decision from there.

I'm 8 weeks along right now. I mentioned it to my doctor and he told me not to worry about it. He said there isn't good odds I would catch it in the first place. Plus the actual strain that is going around America is alot weaker than the Mexican strain it responds completely to medication.

He said it's all alot of hype and every year people die of the flu. They are usually old and or have compromised immune systems. This isn't anything new. It's just a new strain... and new strains pop up every year anyways, plus alot of hype.

After he told me that I felt better. Pregnant women get the flu every single year and it's no big deal. I wouldn't put my life on hold because I'm afraid of getting a flu. That seems a bit drastic to me. If I was you I would go to my OBGYN and get a check up beings you guys are trying and mention your fears to him/her. I'm sure they would squash your fears and show you that you are making this much too big in your head.

I am pregnant and due in September - just in time for the regular cold and flu season to start. It's something I've thought about, and am praying the baby doesn't get the flu right off the bat, but the fact remains that kids get sick up to ten times in their first year. Whether it's the regular flu or the swine flu, I will just have to do what I can to prevent it and do everything right if it does happen.

Being pregnant now, in the middle of this swine flu thing, doesn't seem to worry me so much. I went to the Brewers game Friday night and we're going to the zoo today where there are lots of people, but I always take hand sanitizer with me and stay away from anyone who's coughing. I think you should start trying if you are ready, and just be sure to get the flu shot as soon as it is available this fall.

Short answer--go for it, if it seems right for your family!

Long answer: Since you asked for opinions, I will give you mine, although it differs with much of what is written. I have been an emergency preparedness specialist for my church for many years and I've been studying these viruses since late 2007 when the bird flu virus was beginning to gain media attention. I am also on an online forum where there are doctors and scientists from around the world who participate.

The swine flu H1N1 virus is very similar to the Spanish Flu virus that occurred in 1918 and was very deadly. This flu comes in waves and the first one is usually very mild. It is the second wave that kills people. Third waves are usual and fourth waves are not uncommon. It is very different from the usual flu strains that are commonly found today.

The problem with the H1N1 virus is that it causes a cytokine storm in the body which is when huge amounts of antibodies are released. Because healthier immune systems are better at releasing the antibodies, there can actually be enough of them that go into the lungs and cause the patient to drown in fluid. Unlike most flu viruses that are more harmful to the weaker young and old populations, this one attacks people whose immune systems are very strong. This is why the median age is 20-40 year-olds. Unfortunately, pregnant women also fall into this category. Their immune systems tend to be stronger to support the baby, not weaker.

The mainstream media are not being honest as to what is going on in the world. One person commented that the media is hyping this, but in fact, they have been told to downplay it. A good example of this is when the "official count" that was at 152, was downgraded the next day to 7. Who actually believes that? A test is either positive or negative--there is no in between. Tests do not become negative overnight. The WHO is worried about creating massive panic. It makes much more sense to tell the truth and give people the information they need. My best friend lives in Nevada and speaks Spanish fluently, so she is able to listen to the Mexican alternative media. They are very upset that their people are being lied to as well, because the flu there has been going on much longer with many more deaths than have been reported. Apparently many doctors and nurses there have died, and many others have quit their jobs. There are those who feel that perhaps Mexico has entered into the second wave already, which is why there are deaths there, but not in the United States.

As for vaccines, they cannot develop an effective vaccine for a virus that continually mutates. By the time the vaccine is ready, the virus has changed forms. There may be limited efficacy, but you can't depend on it.

This may or may not go pandemic, but it is a well-known fact that we are due for a pandemic. In the United States, we are probably good until September or October. At that point, we will have a much better assessment of whether or not to worry. Anyone who downplays the possibility of this becoming truly pandemic is not being wise and is playing with fire. If you prepare ahead of time, you don't have to be afraid. If you wait to prepare until a world-wide pandemic is announced, necessities will fly off the shelves, won't be available, or if they are, will be much more expensive. This year everyone absolutely needs to put in whatever kind of garden they can--even people in apartments can do something.

As far as getting pregnant, I miscarried a year ago yesterday. I have wondered about pregnancy with the flu going around, because my husband really wants to have a baby. I've decided that it would be okay as long as we are properly prepared. I've had four babies at home, so if push came to shove (ha-ha!) and I had to have the baby at home because the hospitals are inundated with flu patients, we would survive with God's help.

I have a page that you may find helpful at: http://ingodwetrustblog.com/pandemic-flu-treatment-and-pr...

By the way, the avian or bird flu has not disappeared. It has achieved human-to-human transmission in many foreign countries, although it is not efficient at mutation yet. Egypt has actually considered closing its borders because there are so many outbreaks there, but none of this is being reported in the mainsteam media.

The hard cold truth is that thousands of people die from the flu every year!!! The swine flu is being spread like any other flu. Your best protection against catching anything is hand washing!!! I'm a nurse and for years I have become a clean freak because of all viruses! I'm not a germ-a-phob either. If I can't wash my hands when out in public then I work hard not to touch my face at all, so the virus won't enter through my nose, eyes, or mouth.

We've had a talk with our children after this recent outbreak of the "swine" flu. They all know we wash our hands the moment we get in the door or before we put anything in our mouths.

There are so many things in this world that can cause a person to panic and alter their lives. I suggest you take a deep breath and follow your heart. :)

Hi H.,
I just had a baby two weeks ago. My doctor said (in regards to swine flu)the best thing people can do right now is practice proper hygiene like washing hands, covering mouths when sneezing or coughing, etc. My mom recently had pnuemonia and I was concerned for myself and the health of my unborn baby. He told me that if I caught it, I would be sick and in bed for awhile, but would recover and the baby would not be harmed in any way. I believe that is what the case would be in regards to the flu. I am also sure there are meds out there that can be taken that would not harm the baby either.

I think you should continue to try to have a baby, but you may want to talk with your doctor first to see what he or she says. Eat right, practice good hygiene and you should be fine. Good luck!
A.

I agree with the other opinions so far, and that you should go for it if the time is right for you and your family. This flu is important for the medical community to watch, study, and learn from - because it is showing us how a disease is spread in this day of global travel. The great thing is that it is providing this opportunity without being a virulent or especially fatal flu. The medical community is concerned that it could mutate and come around again, as previous flus have, but by then it's likely that there will be a vaccine.

Another point is that we never know what we are going to be challenged with in life, and if we put off decisions in our life because "something" might happen, we would never move forward.

Look at it this way...riding or driving in a vehicle can cause harm...you take the proper precautions to minimize the harm...you don't avoid vehicles all together...

Don't not get pregnant because you MIGHT get the flu...take the proper precautions to help minimize your exposure and hopefully avoid contracting the flu.

We WORRY WAY TOO MUCH about things we really don't need to worry about, and we don't worry about things that we really should worry about!

I wouldn't worry any more than I would worry about catching the seasonal flu while pregnant. The seasonal flu kills on average 36,000 people a year, but noone prints that on the front page of the newspaper every winter.
The swine flu is a form of influenza, and right now is behaving much like a seasonal flu. The fear is that because viruses can evolve quickly and change that the swine flu will become a deadlier version of itself.
If you are careful about not being in close contact with sick people, wash your hands frequently, use hand sanitizer when you can't get to a sink, you probably won't catch the flu.
Also, your unborn baby can't catch the flu. The only risk to your fetus is if you get really sick and dehydrated, etc.
You're overthinking this! Wash your hands and relax! :)

H.,

Just another perspective...The last line of your letter was "God Bless to all!!!" That, in and of itself, is the answer to your question. We THINK as humans that we can control what happens to us. The human side of us wants to grab all the problems that daily life hands us and try to handle them all, when in fact, we are in so little control of what happens to us. Trust in Your Maker and if you feel that the time is right for another baby, have another baby! Of course, this does not mean to throw caution to the wind and never wash your hands, etc. These are all steps that we know we can take to stay healthy. Do what you can to help the situation and then leave the rest up to God.

Just remember to trust...that's all He wants us to do.

C.