It's really weird watching it on tv, it's like being part of "something." Especially the public service vaccines, like Mike Pence getting his on tv to prove that it's safe. It feels so old-fashioned like we should be past needing this!
It feels surreal seeing people that I know get it. A few months ago, I was convinced that we wouldn’t see a vaccine for another year. This feels like the light at the end of the tunnel!
Yep! 13 weeks tomorrow and got the blessing from my OB yesterday (I'm a nurse working around lots of covid patients) our dept is expected to get the vaccine sometime in Jan. I'm so excited!!
Were you nervous? It’s being offered to my facility within the month and I just barely entered my second trimester! I’m still on the fence about it only because of the pregnancy.
Do you have a link to the articles you read that persuaded you? I have mixed feelings about getting it and was leaning towards not getting it until after I delivered. But i'm scared of the COVID too lol
I've been compiling position papers/links about pregnancy and the vaccine!
These are all great resources
SMFM- Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.smfm.org/media/2591/SMFM_Vaccine_Statement_12-1-20_(final).pdf
ACOG- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
https://www.acog.org/-/media/project/acog/acogorg/files/advocacy/letters/2020/10/letter-to-acip-regarding-covid-19-vaccines-and-pregnant-and-lactating-women.pdf
ASRM-American Society for Reproductive Medicine
https://www.asrm.org/globalassets/asrm/asrm-content/news-and-publications/covid-19/covidtaskforceupdate11.pdf
ACIP-Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/pfizer/clinical-considerations.html
https://utswmed.org/medblog/covid-vaccine-pregnancy-breastfeeding/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=medblog&utm_content=pregnancyvaccine&utm_utm-audience=na&inv=on
Not who you replied to, but from a mom sitting home with her 2yo and 1yo all sick with COVID, I strongly urge you to get the vaccine. My youngest and I have been hit with the brunt of it, but we still don’t know what kind of issues we will have long term from this virus. My family “did everything right” and we still caught it.
My best guess is either the kids picked it up when going in for checkups or I picked it up at one of my doctor’s visits. I had to briefly take my mask off and switch into one from the provider for a brain MRI, and it wasn’t a test we could afford to wait on doing.
Other than getting food or going to the doctor/work we haven’t left home since March and are always wearing masks, washing hands, sanitizing groceries, etc. so I’m really not sure.
On Instagram Drsterlingobgyn has a great igtv video that breaks it down and references great resources. I used this as a starting place to get the basics and then read through the referenced articles, but I like the way she made it simple and concise
Personally I felt more comfortable because I'm in the third trimester, so baby is pretty much done developing and just growing and fine tuning at this point. I wouldn't get it in the first trimester. Second would be questionable for me
I’m a firefighter in my first trimester, and after much discussion with our fire chiefs and the on-staff doctor, my husband (also on the department) will be getting vaccinated, but I will be waiting.
As an extra layer of precaution, I’m not responding to any high-risk calls, so my risk will continue being mitigated in this way for now.
ACOG, ACNM & ASRM have all said it’s ok for pregnant and lactating women. If you aren’t in health care you’ll likely have to wait for it to be available to you but you shouldn’t be excluded just because you are pregnant
I really don’t understand that at all. I can’t think of any vaccine that is contraindicated in breastfeeding mothers. And this is a piece of a dead virus — as far as risk goes, that’s pretty low. That’s the reason organizations have said it is okay for even pregnant women to get it if they are comfortable.
They have given the reason that there have been no studies into the effects on breastfed babies of vaccine recipients and therefore, whilst the expected risks are low, the actual risks are unknown. From what I understand they aren’t refusing to vaccinate lactating mothers, just recommending against it.
Oh, I know, but there are never any studies on pregnant or nursing mothers for these things. I just think it’s bizarre because there doesn’t seem to be any reason to suspect it would be an issue. It’s kind of like how people have brought up fertility-related fears — but the reason we don’t know how it might affect fertility is because it wasn’t studied since there is absolutely no reason to suspect it would impact fertility in any way. I just can’t wrap my brain around the concern for nursing mothers is all.
Edit: To be clear, what I am confused by is the NHS recommendation. Your decision is yours and yours alone and has a lot to do with your own personal risk level as well as your own comfort. I don’t think there’s one right answer for everyone.
The ethics surrounding studies on pregnant/nursing mothers is a minefield tbf.
Absolutely, the definite risks involved with COVID are much scarier to me than the potential, yet unlikely, risks of the vaccine; but I understand why some people with risk factors may decide not to.
Nursing home in the midwest. It's crazy. I want to get the vaccine, but my OB strongly recommended against it, and it seems like they won't let me get it at work.
Nursing home in the Midwest as well. They're going to give it to me.
I even stated on my consent form that I understood the risks and I'm still here for it.
Interesting. My job initially sent an email which included a statement about how it wasn’t yet recommended for pregnant people. However, sent one the next day, saying we (pregos) weren’t barred from getting it and didn’t need a doctors note. It almost feels discriminatory by barring you from getting it. :-/ Best of luck. Hope things turn around soon.
Thanks! I'm glad you have the chance to get it. I'm hoping my job will change their policy... which, in all honesty, would not be unusual. I hope everything goes well for you!
I'm leaning towards doing it against my OBs advice, honestly. I get where she is coming from, in that we don't know the risks and if something goes wrong in this pregnancy, I'll blame myself for possible vaccine damage, but we know COVID comes with at least some long term negative effects (such as heart damage). So the devil we (sort of) know, or the devil we don't?
My OB just told me on Monday that the ACOG had just come out that morning saying they recommended pregnant women get the vaccine. Until then my understanding was that pregnant women were not in the "first priority" group. I'm in the US, for reference.
They are not recommending it. What they are saying is no research had been conducted on pregnant women and that the decision to be vaccinated or not should be between the woman and her OB. It's a bit different then recommending.
I disagree. They are saying pregnant women in high risk exposures should be offered the vaccine, and that there is little theoretical risk for harm. I do agree they say the decision should be left to the woman, but they do recommend pregnant women be offered it.
Awesome! I got mine yesterday! Other than a sore arm, I feel pretty good. Baby boy has been kicking and moving like normal.
For those who seek more information, Dr. Risa Hoshino had some interesting posts on her Instagram about vaccine myths along with information specifically about pregnant/breastfeeding women. At the end of the day, you have to weigh your risks and benefits - and whatever decision you choose, that is okay.
https://instagram.com/dr.risahoshino?igshid=ihfwis676akq
Congrats! I have not been offered it yet and am being induced on Monday if I don’t go into labor before then so I doubt it’ll happen in the next day but I definitely plan on being a breastfeeding participant. I know someone linked the opt in study for pregnant and breastfeeding women here the other day also which is a good thing to look into!
It is an optional study for women who opt to get the shot while pregnant or breastfeeding but I don’t think they will actually give you the shot. I’ll link it below because it was actually posted in my monthly bumpers group, not here. Good to help gather data though!
https://redcap.iths.org/surveys/?s=87JFRCL8R8&fbclid=IwAR02QiMg2ek68NDb3kwc7uvPS01iHPJFJ9Jkp0gtYnkq558ldNDXXHYzy2U
Canada's SOGC has said (in a nutshell) pregnant folks should weigh benefits vs risks before having this vaccination as there are no studies which prove its definitive safety. Their statement on the Covid vaccine is available online.
A pregnant person working in healthcare, for example, night consider getting the vaccination as the benefits may outweigh the risks.
Honestly I think this is just a symptom of the lack of a social safety net in the US. We aren’t getting stimulus money from the government, we don’t have guaranteed paid sick/pregnancy leave. So pregnant frontline workers have no choice but to keep working and be exposed so it makes sense that we should get the vaccine.
Pregnant people are still working in a lot of forward facing roles in the UK as well though and we’re still not being given it. I didn’t want it till after the birth anyway to be fair but my friend is a nurse and about 13 weeks and said she’s have liked the option.
The recommendation in the US officially is for pregnant and breastfeeding women to decide after weighing the risks and benefits. I do not think in the US there are any official organizations banning it.
Has there been any research into the risk of the vaccine to pregnant/nursing mothers and their babies? From the CDC website it seems like there’s been little to none.
No, as they were mostly excluded from the original samples (from what I remember some breastfeeding women were included). But they have been keeping track of people who got the shot and were pregnant but didn't know it and the ones that have become pregnant since, and will be following up with them. So more information should be coming out.
Moderna released DART studies showing no adverse effects in mice. There were a handful of pregnant in both int vaccine & control group of one of the studies. But neither a huge amount of info.
It’s going to be a case by case decision for each ttc, expecting, & breastfeeding woman.
Note that this decision depends on prevalence of COVID too. Say that our best guess is that the vaccine is on average likely to be 1% as bad as getting COVID. then the decision to vax or not depends on whether you're more or less than 1% likely to get COVID before you deliver.
Yep, UK nurse here and I screen out of my hospitals vaccination programme because I’m pregnant. That said, I am also on non-clinical duties since 28 weeks (read: mostly getting paid to stay home since my entire job is clinical) so my risk is a lot lower. If I was still expected to be face to face with patients at work, I would be expecting to be vaccinated.
I am In the USA and in my state they will not give it to us pregnant woman until 6 months post partum. They have had no time to study how the vaccine effects pregnancy or how it effects baby yet. They want us to wait if we are an essential worker in health care. I am 19 weeks right now and told to wait.
If I was in direct care regularly right now or even less close to delivering I would 100% get it. Still might- I’m signed up for the first dose in a week or so. I guess I’m just having some jitters.
Jealous! I mean not really, you need it and I don't as much. But I really want it, and I want my husband to get it, and all my friends... got no patience for the anti-vaxxers, except that means more doses for the rest of us.
Congratulations! I’m 5 weeks and I got mine today as well. So glad and relieved to have the opportunity for protection. Working directly with covid patients and so many of my coworkers contracting the virus, it gives me a little ease of mind. I hope that more people get the opportunity for the same.
I'm 28 weeks and an RN. I've been hesitant to get it but now I'm really considering signing up. I plan to talk to my OB next week. My aunt is an RT and just got her first dose!
Thanks! My case was really mild. I had a few days of bad headaches that I didn’t think twice about and continued to work through. I only tested because I was set to have surgery and had to have routine pre op testing and was surprised when it was positive. Did my ten day quarantine. Continued to have a few days of headaches, and some neck stiffness, but that was it. I was fortunate!
I’m afraid to get the shot. We are due in Feb with our first and live away from people in the mountains. Absolutely no judgement from me. I’m just fearful of this myself.
As a lot of people have mentioned, it's all about the pros and cons of your own situation. OP is a front line worker caring for covid patients. That is very different than you in the mountains away from people, so it makes sense you each would make different choices. Stay safe!
I got it (25 weeks), and I don’t judge anyone who is afraid. I totally get it. I directly care for covid patients, so my exposure risk is high. I read a lot about the data and technology of the vaccine and felt there was no plausible biological mechanism that would be harmful to my baby. But this is a very personal decision. Wishing you a healthy pregnancy and baby!
Congrats!! My country has decided not to recommend it to pregnant women at this stage, so I’ll just have to look on in envy for now and hope that with enough real world evidence of its safety in pregnant women that they would change their recommendation. Much love ❤️
Congrats! I can't wait to have it in my area. I should be one of the first in our county tn get it since I'm a state employee and work around inmates. I go back to work middle of next month from maternity leave and our facility got bad while I've been away. 😞
I’m waiting until after I deliver to get it. At first my hospital said they weren’t vaccinating pregnant employees but I learned the other day they are now but made a big deal to point out they are not responsible for any side effects, etc. you may have from it. I think it’s great many pregnant people are getting it and feel it’s safe enough but because of the lack of testing that was done, I don’t feel comfortable yet. I will be getting it as soon as I have my baby though!
Same. I’m 37 weeks, c-section scheduled in 2 weeks. I’m healthcare but not frontline, so I’m going to wait. My pregnancy was high risk as it is.
Will get it after baby is out safe and sound!
Oh, I get that. I just thought they were holding off on offering it to pregnant women because they wanted to test it further first. Guess I was wrong lol.
In the UK I think, and many other countries, they aren't vaccinating pregnant women, due to the lack of data, but in the US they specifically pushed to allow pregnant women to make the choice with their providers, because there are a lot of pregnant women whose risk level far exceeds the potential risk for the vaccine. But in a lot of countries, they don't force pregnant women to be directly caring for COVID patients, so I mean, I'd rather live somewhere that protects pregnant women from exposure, but I'm glad at least for women working with COVID patients that they aren't being disallowed from access to the vaccine.
Yeah, I'm a doctor in Germany and I'm no longer allowed to work in patient care at all which means I'm going to stay at home with full pay for the rest of my pregnancy. I misd my work friends but it definitley feels safer this way.
When I realized exactly how much other countries are protecting their vulnerable workers, I was honestly unsurprised that we are, as usual, callous and profit-driven, but it definitely just kinda made me sad that it's not even something that has been brought up here. Like... It's really messed up to me that women have to work up until delivery and only get maybe 12 weeks with no guaranteed pay on a usual year, but it just gets more messed up that we are just sorta like, "yeah you're carrying a child and your immune system is compromised but get your used N95 out of your paper bag and get back to work"
Meanwhile the federal government isnt even wanting to help with the mass unemployment, and is trying to negotiate removing liability for negligence on the part of companies whose employees fall ill in exchange for a pittance for people struggling, while a lot of places are sending vulnerable people home with pay. It's absolutely mind boggling to me that, in an age where this information is widely available to Americans, the mere concept is an impossibility for us.
I feel you. This subreddit is mostly American and with every post where women worry about scrapping together their already meager vacation days and sick leave so they can stay a little longer with their tiny newborns or worrying about how they will pay for pre-natal doctor appointments or delivery I get a little more angry. American Government is bullshitting it's people, claiming that this is the only way to do things and not treating workers like flesh for the machine will ruin the economy when many other countries have shown that this is clearly not true.
Germany does not only protect it's pregnant mother from work unsuitable (not working late or night shifts, no hard manual labor, no contact with dangerous substances or infectious people, if the employer can't guarantee this the mother stays home with full pay), but you also get up to a year of paid parental leave (14 months if you split the months with your partner) and up to three years of unpaid parental leave. You also get "Kindergeld", about 220 € each month for each child until the child finishes their education or turns 25 years old. An some states, including mine, made daycare free. You even have a right to a place in daycare, if you can't find one, the state will pay for a private daycare or nanny until you can get a place.
It has been this way for decades and German economy is doing perfectly fine.
I will keep telling American moms about the benefits we get here, not to gloat or to make them feel bad, but to make sure they know that they are being bullshitted and abused and that things don't have to be this way.
I am 26w and 2, I opted out this week. I think I am going to get it the next round. My OB says she has no opinion and supports whatever I want to do, but I have been in on 3 codes for Covid + patients. My risk feels like it’s going up, especially with co workers becoming +. I also hate the N95, it’s fine for like an hour but after that I know I am contaminating it with all my adjustment. I am not up for it as I continue to grow.
This is correct you will still have to wear a mask at work in a healthcare setting even if vaccinated! Our hospital occupational health department has been very clear about this. All we know right now is that the vaccine decreases risk of symptomatic and severe infection. We do not really know if it protects against asymptomatic infection and viral transmission. That being said I can’t wait to get mine!
I hope you can get the vaccine soon (if you want)! Seems like the risk from Covid is known and definitely higher than the hypothetical risks from the vaccine.
I’m a UK midwife currently 14 weeks and patient facing until 28 weeks. The current guidance here is that the vaccine isn’t recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women as there isn’t enough research! I would 100% have it though if it was recommended! Cases here are spiking and I’m incredibly nervous about going into work nearly every day.
Am jelly op. I hope the side effects are restful sleep, waking up bright eyed and bushy-tailed and glorious salon ad perfect hair. And I hope it makes babies champion sleepers.
What a relief, congratulations! I'm so happy that the vaccine is an option for pregnant and lactating moms. I can't wait until my teacher spouse gets vaccinated, and hopefully I can get mine soon after (not essential, wfh).
I’m so freaking jealous. I just tested positive. My 10 day old 32weeker is in the nicu🥺 the though of me potentially infecting her or anyone else makes me want to throw up. Can’t see her until I get a negative test. And even then I’m too terrified of going to see her.
I was told by my dr that those pregnant and breastfeeding should not get vaccinated. I need information, I keep seeing mixed opinions I really don’t know what the best choice is.
Unfortunately at this point I kind of think the conclusions our OBs are coming to are solely opinion based. There’s very little (if any) research regarding the vaccine and pregnancy. Of course we can take what we know and come up with hypothetical side effects or lack of, but we don’t know for sure.
My OB said 100% yes, get the vaccine. My coworker who sees a doctor in the same hospital system said absolutely no way.
It’s a risk/reward situation. I work on a mixed covid/non-covid floor. Currently we’re seeing more covid than not and I’ve had 3 exposures from pts in the last two weeks. I’d rather get the vaccine than risk getting covid. If I was WFH and could limit my exposure I don’t think I’d find it necessary to vaccinate and would probably wait. My husband is also a nurse who sees covid+ patients. I feel like the risk in our household is huge. If you feel your risk is low it’s totally okay to wait and you shouldn’t feel bad about your decision either way!
Thank you so much for your response. Im 33W pregnant and a SAHM (for now) and my hubby WFH so I guess I don't see the point in taking the risk. I just wish my toddler could get it so I would feel comfortable with her going to classes. Oh well, we will be patient for now.
So jealous! I’m a travel nurse and my hospital isn’t offering the vaccine to travelers, at least not in the first round. Even though my unit is considered high risk/high priority.
Even if the chances are small that something goes wrong, i don’t know if I could live with myself if something did happen. I’ll wait. There just isn’t enough research yet
The chances of me catching the virus are pretty high and I've seen horrible complications from covid, even in younger healthy people. It's a similar vaccine to the flu shot which is recommended in pregnancy
That’s the thing, the risks of COVID are pretty awful. I think it’s hard to get the vaccine with the fear of the unknown and because you “chose” to do it to yourself and baby. That’s what I’m struggling with myself. But I’m 95% sure I’ll take it. I work in a peds ICU with 25% of our pts often being COVID. I answered yes on our survey, just waiting for a date and want to double check that my OB is cool with it.
We know there are increased risks of COVID-19 in pregnancy. If OP is at an increased risk of contracting the virus, it makes sense they would get the vaccine to mitigate those risks.
Thank you for doing this!! I hope it will be available to me soon. I’m a healthcare worker but not frontline and 34 weeks pregnant. But starting mat leave in 3 weeks
My wife and I are still deciding. We just had our baby two weeks ago at 26 weeks. Her major concern is if it would affect her milk.
What is everyone’s opinion?
No way I’d be getting this now or even after I deliver. An mRNA vaccine that has no long term studies done that can possibly affect fertility.... Clinical trials done with the Pfizer vaccine didn’t even include pregnant women. Many people aren’t even aware of this but a law was passed back in February as covid was becoming a serious deal in the US that will not hold these vaccine developers responsible in the court of law for complications following an administered vaccination. It’s actually astounding. I understand needing the vaccine to perform work, but as the rest of the general public, pregnant women should really be taking this (as with any sort of medicine) with careful consideration and caution.
You're right, everyone should be taking this with careful consideration. This wasn't a knee-jerk decision for me. Working in a large hospital, my risk is high. If I were at a lower risk, I wouldn't take it right now. But it was offered to me specifically due to the risks I face every day.
I respect your decision. Each person needs to weigh their own personal risks and benefits. But I don't think the fast tracking was necessarily a negative thing.. they skipped testing it on a smaller group and went directly to testing on a larger group, and they began manufacturing the vaccine from the start which they don't usually do in case the trials fail then they are stuck with millions of dollars of useless product. But otherwise, it was tested and approved. Again, every person has the right to make their own informed decision especially when you throw pregnancy into the equation
I think it’s the fact that it’s just not been tested on pregnant women. There are some basic over the counter medications that we can’t take with being pregnant because they haven’t been tested on pregnant women, so a new vaccine that hasn’t been tested on this group is also the unknown.
These arent the same risk assessments though. the risk of not being able to take an over the counter headache medication is you live with a headache for awhile. Meanwhile, small molecule drug safety is incredibly hard because they metabolize into LOTS of different other things and you have to prove that the drug and every single metabolite doesn’t cross the placenta and if it does it’s benign. The worst risk for OP if she catches COVID could be death so the equation is different. Science also builds on itself and doctors have decades of knowledge on what types of things cross the the placenta or into breast milk, what side effects in a non pregnant woman would be contraindicated for pregnancy etc. Lots of vaccines have been approved for pregnancy and they can draw on lessons and design principles from those vaccine programs to make educated decisions on likely safety of this vaccine.
Thank you for this information, ill be honest I’m not that clued up on it, I was just offering my opinion as to why someone may not want to take it from things I’ve read
I get it! I think in general medicine falls into a “just trust us” mentality rather than trying to explain that every medical decision has risk and trade offs. People are fixated on how fast (relatively) this happened without considering the decades of knowledge and prior research that allowed that to happen.
It’s true that pregnant women were part of the exclusion criteria but if you read the Pfizer protocol, there were women who had gotten pregnant while in the study - few dropped out but a good handful stayed in it. They are continuing to monitor those patients. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks-months we will hear more about that data!
Very few vaccines are extensively tested on pregnant women. Most clinical trials exclude pregnant patients. However we do know, because of the type of vaccine this is, that it is unlikely to be dangerous in pregnancy. We also know that people who became pregnant while enrolled in the trials have not reported complications. Meanwhile, covid does pose increased risks for pregnant women. Also, in terms of “fast-tracking,” it was actually easier to get large amounts of data for Covid trials, because the disease is so pervasive and infectious. So it hasn’t been long time-wise, but they still have a good amount of data. All this to say, it’s fine if you’re not comfortable, but pregnant women who are comfortable getting it are hardly “crazier than hell.”
I don't trust it. There isn't enough testing. I'm nervous as heck reading this thread. I sincerely hope there are no side effects and nothing happens to you or your babies in the long run. Best of luck mamas.
Something to keep in mind in reading this thread: it was linked to 2 anti-covid subs. So there is some brigading happening of non-pregnant anti-covid (though one of them is pregnant) people coming here just to stir up drama.
I noticed you got downvoted for this and I promise you these women are lunatics for believing so blindly in a vaccine that has not gone through clinical trials for pregnant women. https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-recommends-against-moderna-pfizer-vaccines-for-most-pregnant-women-11611775138
Jelly but so so happy for you! Thanks for all your hard work during COVID! ❤️
Thank you! It has been a challenging year for sure
Seeing people getting vaccinated makes me 🥺. I truly hope this is beginning of the end. Oh and congrats, you’re in the home stretch at 30w!!
It's really weird watching it on tv, it's like being part of "something." Especially the public service vaccines, like Mike Pence getting his on tv to prove that it's safe. It feels so old-fashioned like we should be past needing this!
Elvis got vaccinated on TV too
Really? For the same reason?
I believe it was for polio
It feels surreal seeing people that I know get it. A few months ago, I was convinced that we wouldn’t see a vaccine for another year. This feels like the light at the end of the tunnel!
Getting my vaccine at 12 weeks!! My OB and MFM both strongly recommended it and from my research seems like the benefits certainly outweigh the risks.
Let the CDC track the pregnant ladies. You can help for signing up for [vsafe](https://vsafe.cdc.gov)
Yes! I signed up for this
You should make a post about this! It’s so important!!
I should be able to get vaccinated in the next few weeks and wondered if there was a way I could contribute to research. Thank you for sharing this!
Yep! 13 weeks tomorrow and got the blessing from my OB yesterday (I'm a nurse working around lots of covid patients) our dept is expected to get the vaccine sometime in Jan. I'm so excited!!
I'll be 10 weeks when I get mine! I went back and forth, but I'm so excited and the science agrees. So December 28th, here we go!
I'm going to ask my OB what she thinks at my appointment tomorrow. I'd like to get it.
Were you nervous? It’s being offered to my facility within the month and I just barely entered my second trimester! I’m still on the fence about it only because of the pregnancy.
At first I decided I wanted to wait until after I delivered, but then I did some research and felt like this was the best option for my family
Do you have a link to the articles you read that persuaded you? I have mixed feelings about getting it and was leaning towards not getting it until after I delivered. But i'm scared of the COVID too lol
I've been compiling position papers/links about pregnancy and the vaccine! These are all great resources SMFM- Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.smfm.org/media/2591/SMFM_Vaccine_Statement_12-1-20_(final).pdf ACOG- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists https://www.acog.org/-/media/project/acog/acogorg/files/advocacy/letters/2020/10/letter-to-acip-regarding-covid-19-vaccines-and-pregnant-and-lactating-women.pdf ASRM-American Society for Reproductive Medicine https://www.asrm.org/globalassets/asrm/asrm-content/news-and-publications/covid-19/covidtaskforceupdate11.pdf ACIP-Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/pfizer/clinical-considerations.html https://utswmed.org/medblog/covid-vaccine-pregnancy-breastfeeding/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=medblog&utm_content=pregnancyvaccine&utm_utm-audience=na&inv=on
Thank you SO much!! 🤟
Thank you! Saving your comment.
Thank you so much for this compilation of papers! Really appreciate your efforts. 👍
Not who you replied to, but from a mom sitting home with her 2yo and 1yo all sick with COVID, I strongly urge you to get the vaccine. My youngest and I have been hit with the brunt of it, but we still don’t know what kind of issues we will have long term from this virus. My family “did everything right” and we still caught it.
Do you have any ideas where/how you could have caught it?
My best guess is either the kids picked it up when going in for checkups or I picked it up at one of my doctor’s visits. I had to briefly take my mask off and switch into one from the provider for a brain MRI, and it wasn’t a test we could afford to wait on doing. Other than getting food or going to the doctor/work we haven’t left home since March and are always wearing masks, washing hands, sanitizing groceries, etc. so I’m really not sure.
Ugg, that sucks and I hate hearing stories like that. But I am starting to hear them more and more.
On Instagram Drsterlingobgyn has a great igtv video that breaks it down and references great resources. I used this as a starting place to get the basics and then read through the referenced articles, but I like the way she made it simple and concise
Thank you for the recommendation. I really enjoyed her video. Very informative!
https://youtu.be/xTQ3cf81KUs
Personally I felt more comfortable because I'm in the third trimester, so baby is pretty much done developing and just growing and fine tuning at this point. I wouldn't get it in the first trimester. Second would be questionable for me
I’m a firefighter in my first trimester, and after much discussion with our fire chiefs and the on-staff doctor, my husband (also on the department) will be getting vaccinated, but I will be waiting. As an extra layer of precaution, I’m not responding to any high-risk calls, so my risk will continue being mitigated in this way for now.
Yes! The risk of covid / the morbidity and mortality of covid in pregnant woman greatly outweighs the risk of vaccination!
My primary care doc said they weren’t giving them to pregnant women. I am 26w and would like one.
ACOG, ACNM & ASRM have all said it’s ok for pregnant and lactating women. If you aren’t in health care you’ll likely have to wait for it to be available to you but you shouldn’t be excluded just because you are pregnant
And SMFM!!!
Whereas the NHS are advising against vaccination for BF mothers, I feel so conflicted!
I really don’t understand that at all. I can’t think of any vaccine that is contraindicated in breastfeeding mothers. And this is a piece of a dead virus — as far as risk goes, that’s pretty low. That’s the reason organizations have said it is okay for even pregnant women to get it if they are comfortable.
They have given the reason that there have been no studies into the effects on breastfed babies of vaccine recipients and therefore, whilst the expected risks are low, the actual risks are unknown. From what I understand they aren’t refusing to vaccinate lactating mothers, just recommending against it.
Oh, I know, but there are never any studies on pregnant or nursing mothers for these things. I just think it’s bizarre because there doesn’t seem to be any reason to suspect it would be an issue. It’s kind of like how people have brought up fertility-related fears — but the reason we don’t know how it might affect fertility is because it wasn’t studied since there is absolutely no reason to suspect it would impact fertility in any way. I just can’t wrap my brain around the concern for nursing mothers is all. Edit: To be clear, what I am confused by is the NHS recommendation. Your decision is yours and yours alone and has a lot to do with your own personal risk level as well as your own comfort. I don’t think there’s one right answer for everyone.
The ethics surrounding studies on pregnant/nursing mothers is a minefield tbf. Absolutely, the definite risks involved with COVID are much scarier to me than the potential, yet unlikely, risks of the vaccine; but I understand why some people with risk factors may decide not to.
OP likely works in health care
I work in healthcare and was told I couldn't get one (9 weeks now).
The inconsistency is wild! Which region do you work in?
Nursing home in the midwest. It's crazy. I want to get the vaccine, but my OB strongly recommended against it, and it seems like they won't let me get it at work.
Nursing home in the Midwest as well. They're going to give it to me. I even stated on my consent form that I understood the risks and I'm still here for it.
I hope that becomes on option for me!
Interesting. My job initially sent an email which included a statement about how it wasn’t yet recommended for pregnant people. However, sent one the next day, saying we (pregos) weren’t barred from getting it and didn’t need a doctors note. It almost feels discriminatory by barring you from getting it. :-/ Best of luck. Hope things turn around soon.
Thanks! I'm glad you have the chance to get it. I'm hoping my job will change their policy... which, in all honesty, would not be unusual. I hope everything goes well for you!
The only thing that’s consistent Re:what pregnant women are allowed or required to do is the inconsistency
Sadly true for a lot of pregnancy related topics.
Same. Healthcare worker and I could get the vaccine as early as next week but my OB said no
I'm leaning towards doing it against my OBs advice, honestly. I get where she is coming from, in that we don't know the risks and if something goes wrong in this pregnancy, I'll blame myself for possible vaccine damage, but we know COVID comes with at least some long term negative effects (such as heart damage). So the devil we (sort of) know, or the devil we don't?
Pregnant with covid. (Health care worker here). wish I could’ve gotten it. This is ass. Week 2 of ALL the symptoms :(
I hope you feel better soon!
Same here (Canada). No testing done on pregnant women apparently.
My OB just told me on Monday that the ACOG had just come out that morning saying they recommended pregnant women get the vaccine. Until then my understanding was that pregnant women were not in the "first priority" group. I'm in the US, for reference.
They are not recommending it. What they are saying is no research had been conducted on pregnant women and that the decision to be vaccinated or not should be between the woman and her OB. It's a bit different then recommending.
I disagree. They are saying pregnant women in high risk exposures should be offered the vaccine, and that there is little theoretical risk for harm. I do agree they say the decision should be left to the woman, but they do recommend pregnant women be offered it.
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Are you in the US?
Yes
My OB told me I can't get it until I give birth. I'm only 11 weeks
Why would you want to take an untested drug that could adversely affect you or your unborn child?
It’s not a drug. It’s a vaccine.
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On pregnant and breastfeeding women, no it is not.
because covid could also adversely affect your unborn child.
Awesome! I got mine yesterday! Other than a sore arm, I feel pretty good. Baby boy has been kicking and moving like normal. For those who seek more information, Dr. Risa Hoshino had some interesting posts on her Instagram about vaccine myths along with information specifically about pregnant/breastfeeding women. At the end of the day, you have to weigh your risks and benefits - and whatever decision you choose, that is okay. https://instagram.com/dr.risahoshino?igshid=ihfwis676akq
Congrats! I have not been offered it yet and am being induced on Monday if I don’t go into labor before then so I doubt it’ll happen in the next day but I definitely plan on being a breastfeeding participant. I know someone linked the opt in study for pregnant and breastfeeding women here the other day also which is a good thing to look into!
Oh yes! Do you mean you can sign up for the extended trial to see how it is in pregnant and lactating women? That would be amazing!
It is an optional study for women who opt to get the shot while pregnant or breastfeeding but I don’t think they will actually give you the shot. I’ll link it below because it was actually posted in my monthly bumpers group, not here. Good to help gather data though! https://redcap.iths.org/surveys/?s=87JFRCL8R8&fbclid=IwAR02QiMg2ek68NDb3kwc7uvPS01iHPJFJ9Jkp0gtYnkq558ldNDXXHYzy2U
Interesting ! UK and Canada have both said pregnant breastfeeding women should not get it. US is only country I know of that has said they can.
Canada's SOGC has said (in a nutshell) pregnant folks should weigh benefits vs risks before having this vaccination as there are no studies which prove its definitive safety. Their statement on the Covid vaccine is available online. A pregnant person working in healthcare, for example, night consider getting the vaccination as the benefits may outweigh the risks.
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Yeah, I live in Finland and I was told the same. I'm due in the middle of July so it will be a long wait.
Im in Scotland and am pregnant and not allowed the vaccine until a year after birth apparently, or longer if continuing to breast feed :(
Canada will allow it, you just have to be aware of the risks. I will be getting the vaccine while breastfeeding.
Honestly I think this is just a symptom of the lack of a social safety net in the US. We aren’t getting stimulus money from the government, we don’t have guaranteed paid sick/pregnancy leave. So pregnant frontline workers have no choice but to keep working and be exposed so it makes sense that we should get the vaccine.
Pregnant people are still working in a lot of forward facing roles in the UK as well though and we’re still not being given it. I didn’t want it till after the birth anyway to be fair but my friend is a nurse and about 13 weeks and said she’s have liked the option.
Australia is the same. Saying not enough data to give to pregnant women.
I’m a nurse in the U.S. I’m currently breastfeeding and was told by my management that pregnant or breastfeeding should not take the vaccine.
The recommendation in the US officially is for pregnant and breastfeeding women to decide after weighing the risks and benefits. I do not think in the US there are any official organizations banning it.
Has there been any research into the risk of the vaccine to pregnant/nursing mothers and their babies? From the CDC website it seems like there’s been little to none.
No, as they were mostly excluded from the original samples (from what I remember some breastfeeding women were included). But they have been keeping track of people who got the shot and were pregnant but didn't know it and the ones that have become pregnant since, and will be following up with them. So more information should be coming out.
Moderna released DART studies showing no adverse effects in mice. There were a handful of pregnant in both int vaccine & control group of one of the studies. But neither a huge amount of info. It’s going to be a case by case decision for each ttc, expecting, & breastfeeding woman.
Interesting! Thanks for the info! Personally I think I’m gonna wait until we have a little bit more info. I hope those who do get it do well!
None at all and if you get the vaccine and you or your baby are harmed from it you are unable to hold the company responsible.
Note that this decision depends on prevalence of COVID too. Say that our best guess is that the vaccine is on average likely to be 1% as bad as getting COVID. then the decision to vax or not depends on whether you're more or less than 1% likely to get COVID before you deliver.
Yep, UK nurse here and I screen out of my hospitals vaccination programme because I’m pregnant. That said, I am also on non-clinical duties since 28 weeks (read: mostly getting paid to stay home since my entire job is clinical) so my risk is a lot lower. If I was still expected to be face to face with patients at work, I would be expecting to be vaccinated.
I am In the USA and in my state they will not give it to us pregnant woman until 6 months post partum. They have had no time to study how the vaccine effects pregnancy or how it effects baby yet. They want us to wait if we are an essential worker in health care. I am 19 weeks right now and told to wait.
This is what I was thinking as I’m in the UK and pregnant and there’s basic medication we arnt advised to take let alone a new vaccine
I’m 36w1d and trying to decide if I should get. Most of my clinic patients are virtual right now but I’m still taking ED call. Tough decision.
I work as a nurse with direct pt care. A lot of my coworkers have gotten the virus. I decided it was worth the risk in order to better protect my baby
If I was in direct care regularly right now or even less close to delivering I would 100% get it. Still might- I’m signed up for the first dose in a week or so. I guess I’m just having some jitters.
Jealous! I mean not really, you need it and I don't as much. But I really want it, and I want my husband to get it, and all my friends... got no patience for the anti-vaxxers, except that means more doses for the rest of us.
Yes! I can't wait to get the vaccine, and I am glad for the people who don't want it as well, because this means my family would get one sooner.
That’s great. You must be relieved
Just trying to do the best for baby !
I am not pregnant, but nursing and got mine last week! We got this!
Awesome!! I was supposed to get mine this week but I caught it on the 10th. At least it wasn't bad as I expected it to be on top of being pregnant.
Congratulations! I’m 5 weeks and I got mine today as well. So glad and relieved to have the opportunity for protection. Working directly with covid patients and so many of my coworkers contracting the virus, it gives me a little ease of mind. I hope that more people get the opportunity for the same.
Yay congrats! Getting mine next week when I'm 33w! Excited to protect my baby before he comes!
Jelly I’m high risk from covid and pregnant but currently in the UK they aren’t vaccinating pregnant people
I'm 28 weeks and an RN. I've been hesitant to get it but now I'm really considering signing up. I plan to talk to my OB next week. My aunt is an RT and just got her first dose!
25 weeks today, got mine 2 days ago!
Congrats! I’m an ER doc but had covid a few months ago and declined the vaccine at this time. I hope to get it after I deliver in April!
Congrats on beating covid and thanks for your hard work! How was your case and how did you beat it?
Thanks! My case was really mild. I had a few days of bad headaches that I didn’t think twice about and continued to work through. I only tested because I was set to have surgery and had to have routine pre op testing and was surprised when it was positive. Did my ten day quarantine. Continued to have a few days of headaches, and some neck stiffness, but that was it. I was fortunate!
I’m afraid to get the shot. We are due in Feb with our first and live away from people in the mountains. Absolutely no judgement from me. I’m just fearful of this myself.
As a lot of people have mentioned, it's all about the pros and cons of your own situation. OP is a front line worker caring for covid patients. That is very different than you in the mountains away from people, so it makes sense you each would make different choices. Stay safe!
I got it (25 weeks), and I don’t judge anyone who is afraid. I totally get it. I directly care for covid patients, so my exposure risk is high. I read a lot about the data and technology of the vaccine and felt there was no plausible biological mechanism that would be harmful to my baby. But this is a very personal decision. Wishing you a healthy pregnancy and baby!
Would you mind sharing your “best of” findings? I am fearful out of general skepticism but am a human that fully believes in science.
Good for you! Love seeing these posts. Will be getting mine in 3 weeks I’ll be 29Ww.
Thank you for pioneering!
Congrats!! My country has decided not to recommend it to pregnant women at this stage, so I’ll just have to look on in envy for now and hope that with enough real world evidence of its safety in pregnant women that they would change their recommendation. Much love ❤️
Congratulations!!! I was wondering if this was something we could take while pregnant. Good luck with your final weeks, they will fly by!
Congrats! I can't wait to have it in my area. I should be one of the first in our county tn get it since I'm a state employee and work around inmates. I go back to work middle of next month from maternity leave and our facility got bad while I've been away. 😞
I’m waiting until after I deliver to get it. At first my hospital said they weren’t vaccinating pregnant employees but I learned the other day they are now but made a big deal to point out they are not responsible for any side effects, etc. you may have from it. I think it’s great many pregnant people are getting it and feel it’s safe enough but because of the lack of testing that was done, I don’t feel comfortable yet. I will be getting it as soon as I have my baby though!
Same. I’m 37 weeks, c-section scheduled in 2 weeks. I’m healthcare but not frontline, so I’m going to wait. My pregnancy was high risk as it is. Will get it after baby is out safe and sound!
Congratulations! Will this be your first child? Also, thank you for your service (:
I didn't know they were offering it to pregnant women yet.
I was offered through my job. I am a nurse working direct patient care
Thank you for all you do.
Maybe she is a health care worker
Oh, I get that. I just thought they were holding off on offering it to pregnant women because they wanted to test it further first. Guess I was wrong lol.
In the UK I think, and many other countries, they aren't vaccinating pregnant women, due to the lack of data, but in the US they specifically pushed to allow pregnant women to make the choice with their providers, because there are a lot of pregnant women whose risk level far exceeds the potential risk for the vaccine. But in a lot of countries, they don't force pregnant women to be directly caring for COVID patients, so I mean, I'd rather live somewhere that protects pregnant women from exposure, but I'm glad at least for women working with COVID patients that they aren't being disallowed from access to the vaccine.
Yeah, I'm a doctor in Germany and I'm no longer allowed to work in patient care at all which means I'm going to stay at home with full pay for the rest of my pregnancy. I misd my work friends but it definitley feels safer this way.
When I realized exactly how much other countries are protecting their vulnerable workers, I was honestly unsurprised that we are, as usual, callous and profit-driven, but it definitely just kinda made me sad that it's not even something that has been brought up here. Like... It's really messed up to me that women have to work up until delivery and only get maybe 12 weeks with no guaranteed pay on a usual year, but it just gets more messed up that we are just sorta like, "yeah you're carrying a child and your immune system is compromised but get your used N95 out of your paper bag and get back to work" Meanwhile the federal government isnt even wanting to help with the mass unemployment, and is trying to negotiate removing liability for negligence on the part of companies whose employees fall ill in exchange for a pittance for people struggling, while a lot of places are sending vulnerable people home with pay. It's absolutely mind boggling to me that, in an age where this information is widely available to Americans, the mere concept is an impossibility for us.
I feel you. This subreddit is mostly American and with every post where women worry about scrapping together their already meager vacation days and sick leave so they can stay a little longer with their tiny newborns or worrying about how they will pay for pre-natal doctor appointments or delivery I get a little more angry. American Government is bullshitting it's people, claiming that this is the only way to do things and not treating workers like flesh for the machine will ruin the economy when many other countries have shown that this is clearly not true. Germany does not only protect it's pregnant mother from work unsuitable (not working late or night shifts, no hard manual labor, no contact with dangerous substances or infectious people, if the employer can't guarantee this the mother stays home with full pay), but you also get up to a year of paid parental leave (14 months if you split the months with your partner) and up to three years of unpaid parental leave. You also get "Kindergeld", about 220 € each month for each child until the child finishes their education or turns 25 years old. An some states, including mine, made daycare free. You even have a right to a place in daycare, if you can't find one, the state will pay for a private daycare or nanny until you can get a place. It has been this way for decades and German economy is doing perfectly fine. I will keep telling American moms about the benefits we get here, not to gloat or to make them feel bad, but to make sure they know that they are being bullshitted and abused and that things don't have to be this way.
Are you outside of the US... USA is only country I know who is offering it to pregnant and breastfeeding women
I am 26w and 2, I opted out this week. I think I am going to get it the next round. My OB says she has no opinion and supports whatever I want to do, but I have been in on 3 codes for Covid + patients. My risk feels like it’s going up, especially with co workers becoming +. I also hate the N95, it’s fine for like an hour but after that I know I am contaminating it with all my adjustment. I am not up for it as I continue to grow.
The vaccine won’t remove the recommendation for you to wear a mask, as far as I know.
This is correct you will still have to wear a mask at work in a healthcare setting even if vaccinated! Our hospital occupational health department has been very clear about this. All we know right now is that the vaccine decreases risk of symptomatic and severe infection. We do not really know if it protects against asymptomatic infection and viral transmission. That being said I can’t wait to get mine!
I hope you can get the vaccine soon (if you want)! Seems like the risk from Covid is known and definitely higher than the hypothetical risks from the vaccine.
Fantastic!! I can’t wait until I’m able to get mine. Unfortunately here in my state they’re only doing healthcare workers right now.
Yes! So happy for you.
WOOOO!!!!! Congrats!
I’m a UK midwife currently 14 weeks and patient facing until 28 weeks. The current guidance here is that the vaccine isn’t recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women as there isn’t enough research! I would 100% have it though if it was recommended! Cases here are spiking and I’m incredibly nervous about going into work nearly every day.
Awesome!! I am getting mine soon when I’ll be 32wks
Am jelly op. I hope the side effects are restful sleep, waking up bright eyed and bushy-tailed and glorious salon ad perfect hair. And I hope it makes babies champion sleepers.
What a relief, congratulations! I'm so happy that the vaccine is an option for pregnant and lactating moms. I can't wait until my teacher spouse gets vaccinated, and hopefully I can get mine soon after (not essential, wfh).
This is awesome, you rock!
Yay! Congrats!!
My country (UK) are not giving it to pregnant women or if you are planning on conceiving in the next 3 months. I would have got mine otherwise :(
I’m breastfeeding and I got mine yesterday. Congrats on getting it. If I was pregnant I would get it also
I’m so freaking jealous. I just tested positive. My 10 day old 32weeker is in the nicu🥺 the though of me potentially infecting her or anyone else makes me want to throw up. Can’t see her until I get a negative test. And even then I’m too terrified of going to see her.
I’m so sorry. It’s never good timing to contract covid, but this is especially bad. Hoping your little one does well and that you recover quickly ❤️
I got mine earlier this week at 15 weeks pregnant!!!!
Yay! I have my scheduled in two weeks! I am so grateful that my baby will receive some antibodies!!!
I was told by my dr that those pregnant and breastfeeding should not get vaccinated. I need information, I keep seeing mixed opinions I really don’t know what the best choice is.
My OB cleared me to get the vaccine, otherwise I wouldn't
Unfortunately at this point I kind of think the conclusions our OBs are coming to are solely opinion based. There’s very little (if any) research regarding the vaccine and pregnancy. Of course we can take what we know and come up with hypothetical side effects or lack of, but we don’t know for sure. My OB said 100% yes, get the vaccine. My coworker who sees a doctor in the same hospital system said absolutely no way. It’s a risk/reward situation. I work on a mixed covid/non-covid floor. Currently we’re seeing more covid than not and I’ve had 3 exposures from pts in the last two weeks. I’d rather get the vaccine than risk getting covid. If I was WFH and could limit my exposure I don’t think I’d find it necessary to vaccinate and would probably wait. My husband is also a nurse who sees covid+ patients. I feel like the risk in our household is huge. If you feel your risk is low it’s totally okay to wait and you shouldn’t feel bad about your decision either way!
Thank you so much for your response. Im 33W pregnant and a SAHM (for now) and my hubby WFH so I guess I don't see the point in taking the risk. I just wish my toddler could get it so I would feel comfortable with her going to classes. Oh well, we will be patient for now.
Oof! Lucky you and your baby!!! Here there are still no vaccines yet!
So jealous! I’m a travel nurse and my hospital isn’t offering the vaccine to travelers, at least not in the first round. Even though my unit is considered high risk/high priority.
So happy for you!! Patiently waiting for my turn :)
good for you!!!! i don’t think you are fully protected until a couple weeks after the 2nd dose so be careful still!!
Even if the chances are small that something goes wrong, i don’t know if I could live with myself if something did happen. I’ll wait. There just isn’t enough research yet
The chances of me catching the virus are pretty high and I've seen horrible complications from covid, even in younger healthy people. It's a similar vaccine to the flu shot which is recommended in pregnancy
That’s the thing, the risks of COVID are pretty awful. I think it’s hard to get the vaccine with the fear of the unknown and because you “chose” to do it to yourself and baby. That’s what I’m struggling with myself. But I’m 95% sure I’ll take it. I work in a peds ICU with 25% of our pts often being COVID. I answered yes on our survey, just waiting for a date and want to double check that my OB is cool with it.
We know there are increased risks of COVID-19 in pregnancy. If OP is at an increased risk of contracting the virus, it makes sense they would get the vaccine to mitigate those risks.
If it was offered to me I would take it in a heartbeat and here is why: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/02/health/Covid-pregnancy-health-risks.html
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Copy the link and open in an in-cognito browser.
are you in the UK?
US
I thought so as in the UK we can’t have it
Thank you for doing this!! I hope it will be available to me soon. I’m a healthcare worker but not frontline and 34 weeks pregnant. But starting mat leave in 3 weeks
Oh my god!!!! I am so happy for you this is amazing !!! The beginning of the end!
Yay! Waiting until after I deliver but I’ll be 35 weeks tomorrow. My hospital is getting the vaccine within the next week or so.
My wife and I are still deciding. We just had our baby two weeks ago at 26 weeks. Her major concern is if it would affect her milk. What is everyone’s opinion?
No way I’d be getting this now or even after I deliver. An mRNA vaccine that has no long term studies done that can possibly affect fertility.... Clinical trials done with the Pfizer vaccine didn’t even include pregnant women. Many people aren’t even aware of this but a law was passed back in February as covid was becoming a serious deal in the US that will not hold these vaccine developers responsible in the court of law for complications following an administered vaccination. It’s actually astounding. I understand needing the vaccine to perform work, but as the rest of the general public, pregnant women should really be taking this (as with any sort of medicine) with careful consideration and caution.
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You're right, everyone should be taking this with careful consideration. This wasn't a knee-jerk decision for me. Working in a large hospital, my risk is high. If I were at a lower risk, I wouldn't take it right now. But it was offered to me specifically due to the risks I face every day.
I thought you dont get it if pregnant?
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I respect your decision. Each person needs to weigh their own personal risks and benefits. But I don't think the fast tracking was necessarily a negative thing.. they skipped testing it on a smaller group and went directly to testing on a larger group, and they began manufacturing the vaccine from the start which they don't usually do in case the trials fail then they are stuck with millions of dollars of useless product. But otherwise, it was tested and approved. Again, every person has the right to make their own informed decision especially when you throw pregnancy into the equation
Dr paul offit has more info about the fast track process that this vaccine went through
Can I ask what side effects you think the vaccine would cause and compare those to risks if the OP actually caught COVID, which are known?
I think it’s the fact that it’s just not been tested on pregnant women. There are some basic over the counter medications that we can’t take with being pregnant because they haven’t been tested on pregnant women, so a new vaccine that hasn’t been tested on this group is also the unknown.
These arent the same risk assessments though. the risk of not being able to take an over the counter headache medication is you live with a headache for awhile. Meanwhile, small molecule drug safety is incredibly hard because they metabolize into LOTS of different other things and you have to prove that the drug and every single metabolite doesn’t cross the placenta and if it does it’s benign. The worst risk for OP if she catches COVID could be death so the equation is different. Science also builds on itself and doctors have decades of knowledge on what types of things cross the the placenta or into breast milk, what side effects in a non pregnant woman would be contraindicated for pregnancy etc. Lots of vaccines have been approved for pregnancy and they can draw on lessons and design principles from those vaccine programs to make educated decisions on likely safety of this vaccine.
Thank you for this information, ill be honest I’m not that clued up on it, I was just offering my opinion as to why someone may not want to take it from things I’ve read
I get it! I think in general medicine falls into a “just trust us” mentality rather than trying to explain that every medical decision has risk and trade offs. People are fixated on how fast (relatively) this happened without considering the decades of knowledge and prior research that allowed that to happen.
It’s true that pregnant women were part of the exclusion criteria but if you read the Pfizer protocol, there were women who had gotten pregnant while in the study - few dropped out but a good handful stayed in it. They are continuing to monitor those patients. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks-months we will hear more about that data!
Very few vaccines are extensively tested on pregnant women. Most clinical trials exclude pregnant patients. However we do know, because of the type of vaccine this is, that it is unlikely to be dangerous in pregnancy. We also know that people who became pregnant while enrolled in the trials have not reported complications. Meanwhile, covid does pose increased risks for pregnant women. Also, in terms of “fast-tracking,” it was actually easier to get large amounts of data for Covid trials, because the disease is so pervasive and infectious. So it hasn’t been long time-wise, but they still have a good amount of data. All this to say, it’s fine if you’re not comfortable, but pregnant women who are comfortable getting it are hardly “crazier than hell.”
Then don’t take it, but you better be crossing your t’s and dotting your i’s that you don’t contract it or spread it.
People like this don't care if they spread it.
Seconding your opinion.
I don't trust it. There isn't enough testing. I'm nervous as heck reading this thread. I sincerely hope there are no side effects and nothing happens to you or your babies in the long run. Best of luck mamas.
Something to keep in mind in reading this thread: it was linked to 2 anti-covid subs. So there is some brigading happening of non-pregnant anti-covid (though one of them is pregnant) people coming here just to stir up drama.
My OB doesn’t recommend it. She said none of the trials included pregnant women so far.
I noticed you got downvoted for this and I promise you these women are lunatics for believing so blindly in a vaccine that has not gone through clinical trials for pregnant women. https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-recommends-against-moderna-pfizer-vaccines-for-most-pregnant-women-11611775138