Baby coming next week, Doc wants me to get flu vax now

[jazcat]

The seasonal flu vaccine that is. She wants me to get it to protect me. If I do get it, I would get it to protect the baby. I never get the vaccine and I never get sick. Of course that doesn't mean it couldn't happen this year. My question is, would the baby get better protected if I get it now, while I"m pregnant? Or via breastmilk after she's born? Also, anyone heard of a vaccination causing labor? I definitely do not want to go into labor before next Friday. Thanks.

[Lilcrunchie]

Have you seen this? Amongst other concerns I have w/ the flu vax (seasonal and H1N1 alike), this raises some interesting questions:

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/...-seasonal.html

Some preliminary data are suggesting receiving a seasonal flu vax may make one more succeptible to H1N1. I'm sure it will be a while before they have a more definitive answer, but something to consider IMO.

[mamadelbosque]

I wouldn't get either the seasonal or the H1N1 - I have an infant (7wks tommorrow night), and its not even a consideration for me. At best it'll protect you from, what, 20 or 30% of the strains of the flu. So, for me at least, its totally completely utterly not worth it.

[Gitti]

For the sake of your unborn child, don't inject yourself with poisons. Vaccines are nothing more than a cocktail of cancer causing ingredients. Have you seen what's in there?

Who knows what will happen to your breast milk or to you for that matter. Why not leave well enough alone. You say you are generally a healthy person, so trust your own constitution and rely on your healthy immune system.

I wish you the best for a speedy but relaxed delivery and a healthy baby.

[Ritske]

So...I got sick while I was pregnant. I really don't know if it was the cold or flu. I'm used to getting sick once every couple years generally, so I thought I would be over it by the end of the day, but it lingered for days. I don't remember exactly how long. But the only thing I take while sick is vitamin C--lots of it. I was fine, my DD is in perfect health. If I were you, I would get a bottle of sodium ascorbate and not worry about it.

[ema-adama]

I hope this does not come across as snippy, but what makes you think that the vaccine can offer your baby any protection whether you are vaccinated now or after you give birth? (I don't expect an answer, but it is a question worth asking before having the vaccine administered)

[MyBoysBlue]

I had the flu and didn't vax for it when My youngest was 3 months old. It was the first time I had the flu in years. I stayed in bed for a week and my LO with me. He had a slight fever one evening and that was it. I was pretty amazed how the breastmilk kept the flu from developing into symptoms.

[BeckyBird]

Right on, Gitti!!
I agree with everybody else too--please don't get the flu vaccine. You are healthier without it

[Juvysen]

Dh has an acquaintance who just got the flu shot while pregnant and is now horribly sick with a reaction to it. for what that's worth.

[Bokonon]

My son, husband and I all had the flu (probably H1N1) when DD was fresh out of the NICU, 5 pounds, 35.5 weeks gestational age. She was breastfed the whole time and didn't develop a single symptom!

[TanyaS]

Vaccines do not confer any protection via breastmilk. As for the flu shot, the protection they are supposed to provide is sketchy at best. The bigger question is this: Do you want a flu shot at all?

If so, I would suggest you wait until your baby is born so as not to pass on any of the toxicity to your unborn child. Do not get the live virus (flumist) with a newborn in the house. Select a mercury-free flu shot. I have no idea if mercury passes through breastmilk, but I wouldn't take the chance. Plus, it's just better not to have mercury injected at all, imo.

[cdmommie]

Most of the time I am anti-Vax, but in this instance I have to tell you my story. I had never had the flu, had never had the flu shot but when I was in my last trimester with dd2 I got the flu. I got so sick I had to be hospitalized for a week. Then, after returning home and *feeling* better my water started to leak. It was around 36 weeks. I truly felt something was off. I went to the hospital (not my birth center) because I knew the baby was breech and I also KNEW something was not right. I did not go into labor on my own so 24 hours after my water breaking I was induced. The baby came out very stuffy and kept getting very cold. She started sneezing green snot and wouldn't nurse. She got to a point where she couldn't hardly breath and was taken to the NICU. There, they did a flu test among a ton of other tests to see what was up. They did NOT expect it to come back positive, but it did. In fact the flu virus was not completely out of my system and therefore was not out of the baby either. She was VERY sick and I really felt that I would loose her. All I could think was "if I had just had the stupid shot we may not have been here". Everything happens for a reason, but seriously, if I had lost my baby due to the flu, I would not have been able to stop wondering "what if". The Neonatologist said this is a very very rare thing that happens and he had read about it, but never experienced it until now. I know it sounds crazy and I can't believe I am saying this, but I do indeed reccomend getting the flu shot if you are due in flu season. Watching my little girl suffer with all the tubes and IVs was heartbreaking. She is well now thankfully and she is a 6 month old chunk-a-lunk, but she did start out very sick.

[13Sandals]

the track record for the vaccine matching circulating strains has been extremely poor in past years. the flu shot will never protect against every case of flu and the protection (according to the Cochrane review) is pretty sketchy even in years when the vaccine is well matched to circulating strains. I guess I'm just pointing out the obvious; that there is no guarantee against getting the flu, or any disease for that matter.

cdmommie, I think you are awesome for following your instinct and forgoing the birthing center (which couldn't have been easy) when you KNEW there was something 'off'. This kind of intelligence is so often lost or brushed under the rug these days. way to go, mama!

[cdmommie]

Originally Posted by 13Sandals

cdmommie, I think you are awesome for following your instinct and forgoing the birthing center (which couldn't have been easy) when you KNEW there was something 'off'. This kind of intelligence is so often lost or brushed under the rug these days. way to go, mama!

Thank you!!! It was incredibly difficult to do and I got a lot of flack for it at first from the extream natural minded people in my life but I truly knew in my heart that something was wrong and I felt like I WOULD loose my baby if I went to the birth center. I'm pretty in tune with my body, thankfully

[belltree]

And I thought I takes 2-6 weeks, for the vaccine to actually work, that means, you won't protect yourself anyways at this point before the baby is here.

[Emmeline II]

I did not get it with either of my pregnancies (even the one in Alaska where I worked in a 9x18 underground room all winter).

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by cdmommie

Thank you!!! It was incredibly difficult to do and I got a lot of flack for it at first from the extream natural minded people in my life but I truly knew in my heart that something was wrong and I felt like I WOULD loose my baby if I went to the birth center. I'm pretty in tune with my body, thankfully

I would have done that too. I knew a mom through my mw's mommy group, that went into a hospital while in labor because the baby wasn't descending; she knew something wasn't right. Turns out her child had (I think) "transversal of the great arteries" and it was fortunate she listened to her instincts.

If vaccination were harmless little forcefields that protected one from harm, then it would be great. But they are drugs that can potentially harm a fetus (I believe it is the LIVE vax recommended for pregnant women); and you can still get sick. My dh had a flu shot every year while in the AF and still got the flu every year. I was utd on the Pertussis vax (also AF), and still caught it while 5.5 months pregnant, preceded by strep and the Norovirus.

[jazcat]

Thank you so much for all your replies. I've been thinking about this a lot and now I'm strongly leaning toward not getting the vaccine. Last time I had the flu was probably 20 years ago. And as far as seasonal flu, I'm not even sure there is one now, and if there is, the vaccine, if it were effective (which I'm not sure about), it probably doesn't match the current virus anyway.

Now the main issue is with my husband who is extremely pro-vaccine. I'm not even sure I want to have this baby vaccinated w/the regulars at this point. That would be a bit of a battle w/DH.

[Ritske]

It was a battle with mine too, but I would have given him hell for as long as it took. Luckily, when the ped turned into Mr. Hyde, my DH must have had an epiphany because he stopped arguing with me about it.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by jazcat

Now the main issue is with my husband who is extremely pro-vaccine. I'm not even sure I want to have this baby vaccinated w/the regulars at this point. That would be a bit of a battle w/DH.

Vaccines-The Risks, the Benefits, the Choices DVD, By Sherri J. TENPENNY
YOUTUBE: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7018835240451107552

Here are some questions to answer for yourself in deciding about vax.

1. Name of the disease
2. Description of the disease
3. Length of time from initial infection to end of all symptoms
4. Infectious period
5. Normal symptoms of the disease
6. Known serious consequences of the disease
7. Proportion of persons infected developing serious consequences
8. Transmission route of the disease
9. Prevalence of the disease
10. Treatments of the disease and efficacy of those treatments
11. Relevant research about the disease
12. Name of the vaccine
13. Company that makes the vaccine
14. Contents of the vaccine
14A. The significance of whether or not the vaccine is live
15. History of development of the vaccine
16. Known side-effects of the vaccine and rate of incidence of those side-effects
17. Possible side-effects not yet acknowledged by the vaccine maker
18. Relevant research into the vaccine
19. How effective is the vaccine at preventing the disease?
20.What is the vaccine meant to do? (Many vaccines are not meant to prevent infection or transmission).
21.Number of cases reported each year.
22.Number of deaths reported each year from the vaccine and natural disease.

Here are some sources to help you out:


http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_wk.html (download the current issue)
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pin...k-chapters.htm
http://vaers.hhs.gov/pdf/PackageInserts.pdf
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...40451107552&q=
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...87981735&hl=en
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pin...ses&deaths.pdf

Beyond Conformity Resources Page
Do you have a quick-fire summary?

Inside Vaccines