The flu shot - Page 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[Sonjuanja]

I also will NOT be getting the flu shot, but have an interesting story to share... I'm recovering from pneumonia and after the first few days of the nasty cough, I went into a local internist (DH sees one of the drs in the practice) because it was close and I knew I could get in and was SURE I had bronchitis...I was 5 weeks PG at this point.  The dr. I saw said I had a bronchiospasm sent me home with a script for albuterol and that was all (I knew it was getting to be something more).  She pushed about the flu vaccine since I was pregnant and I just thought she was complete idiot for pushing me at 5 weeks pregnant AND lowered immunity due to sick which a week later I was diagnosed with pneumonia.  I just said to her that I didn't want to get it that day and that was it.  I felt like she was judging me.  

But, for any of you who DO choose to get the shot, I just encourage you if it's at all possible to receive it from an actual doctors office because those facilities are the ones required to report side effects to CDC...the pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, etc) or small clinics aren't necessarily required to report to the CDC...therefore, since that's where A LOT of people get the flu shots, there is an under reporting of side effects.  

BTW, this is all information from my son's doctor who's on the homeopathic end and thinks the flu shot is a crock of crap.  :)  But, please just educate yourselves and make the best decision for you and your families!  

[rebirth]

Originally Posted by AverysMomma 

No one in my house would get it ever. Not at any point. Not for any reason.

To be honest, while I would never ever get a flu shot....I would

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>***_ESPECIALLY_***<

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not get one while I was pregnant. I would, instead, get as much rest as possible, stay well hydrated and fill my diet with as many organic, in season foods as I possibly could. Eat as much raw, fermented/"living" food as possible. Craving pickles?? Try some sauerkraut (actual, living, non-pasteurized), you can get in any whole foods store or even sometimes a regular shopping chain. It has the same tartness and texture as pickles and is absolutely delicious as a side dish. There are a ton of options for trying more living food and the difference in nutrient values, enzymes that are passed, etc is astonishing...because the food is not killed off with heat to cook it. Fermented and raw foods have a place in everyones life, but especially in the lives of people who need to keep their immuno and over all health in tip top shape!

Anyway, that's my plug for natural immuno-health instead of vaccination as a preventative! The flu shot ingredients vary, depending upon which kind you get, but go ahead and look up the ingredients to some of them. It's hard to imagine giving a flu shot containing the kinds of things that are in the vaccine, to an actual embryo or fetus. It's just a goofy imagine to put in your head. But that's what we do when we get the flu vaccine during pregnancy. We're putting all the nasty ingredients listed on the label of the vaccine right into the delicate, still forming (brain, organs, limbs) body of a tiny baby. I just don't think it's safe. It's a hell of a lot more dangerous for mama and baby than just getting the flu.

It;s true that some people sometimes experience complications from the flu....but I can pretty much promise you that if you are getting rest, have a good diet overall and have good overall health...if you get the flu, your body is going to fight it off and you'll suffer for a few days and then recover just fine. If you get the shot, you may STILL get the flu and have to deal with the discomfort anyway. I'd rather get the flu twice than have to wonder about whether it was the right thing, to pump all of that crap into my body while pregnant. Too many unknowns in those syringes.

This is exactly how I feel.

I avoid all vaccinations like the plague. Literally. There is no conclusive evidence that any of them are effective, ad much evidence of the flu shots ineffectiveness.

[wanderinblues]

no way will i or any of the family get it. we are all healthy and can survive the flu just fine, thank you.

[Pirogi]

Considering that Cochrane found that 100 people would have to be vaccinated to prevent one INCIDENCE of flu in adults, no, we don't get the flu shot.  Look into vitamin D supplementation (from natural sources where possible!) as an aid in preventing flu.

[FaithHopeLove29]

So I thought I had made up my mind not to get the flu shot. I don't get the shot usually, maybe once in my life, and I haven't had the flu in years. I'm pretty good with vitamins/diet/avoiding germy contact (I'm not a hug/handshake kind of person anyways, but sanitizer is always nearby).

However.... I'm fighting a chest cold and on week 2 or 3 of it (not sure when it morphed from allergies to cold) and miserable. And I'm anemic, and I'm not sure how that affects my immunity. So my OB is recommending it because I will have decreased immunity from being pregnant, as demonstrated by this cough. (I'd wait till I'm healthier, at least)

I don't know why I'm posting all of this, except maybe some of you have experience with illness/pregnancy and some vitamins/foods/etc that can help boost my immune system? Or have been anemic in pregnancy and know if/how it affected your ability to get healthy or stay healthy? I really don't want the flu shot, but I'm now worried about what getting the flu in this condition would be like...

Any thoughts from those of you not getting the flu shot? (Not looking for a debate on the shot, I've researched that, but rather, alternatives/experiences staying healthy)

[Sharlla]

i never get the flu shot either.  i already had h1n1 last time i was PG (picked it up in Vegas).  it sucked, i cracked a rib and was sick for several weeks but after hearing about all these pg women miscarrying directly after getting the shot i was certainly glad i didnt. 

Edited by Sharlla - 11/7/11 at 8:11am

[Tenk]

My kids and DH (well he is required) DO get the vax, but I make sure they all get the thimerosal free version.  It can be found at CVS/Walgreens or where ever, but you do have to request that particular version.  It is the safest one during pregnancy and childhood.  I do NOT get the flu shot while pregnant again, this is against my OB's advice and my OB was pregnant and due within a week of me last time she DID get it.  I did NOT get the H1N1 vax for my kids when it came out though, and I was pregnant while that was running avidly as well.  One of my children DID get H1N1 and while she was sick, I took great care of her (while pregnant) and she was fine a few days later, I never got it.  So I do not get it while pregnant, my kids DO get it but the thimerosal free version, and I DO get it while nursing but again I get the thimerosal free version.

HTH's mama

[tinams8]

I got one before I got pregnant.  If you get one, call first and say you want the preservative-free flu shot.  In the US, this is a choice at CVS if you get one at the clinic there. My doctor's office only had regular, the ones at work are the regular kind, so I went to CVS.  My kids got the FluMist nasal spray because one of my sons has such a phobia of shots that he literally has to be sedated.

I've gotten flu shots since childhood because I have asthma, and I've gotten the flu on years that I skipped the shot and been very, very, sick. I did not get H1N1 though, nor did my kids because I didn't like what I read about it. Turned out the whole town got H1N1 including me, my dh, and one son but not the other some how. I brought ds to the doctor to get it cultured to make sure that's what it was so we would know if we had natural immunity.

In general, I am cautious about vaccines and I have researched them to death in the past 8 years... but I don't think this is one of the more dangerous vaxes as long as you get the preservative-free version.  It's risk vs. benefit and in my opinion flu shots make sense.

For those considering it now, waiting until after week 12 is a reasonable precaution, IMO.

[alicewyf]

I also got mine before I got pregnant, the first day they were available at our pediatrician's office. My daughter and husband have gotten one too. She started a 2-day PreK program this year, so I wanted her to get one for that reason. My husband works for a school district and is in contact with dozens of people a day, so it made sense for him too. I mainly got mine so that I could get my shot first, show my daughter it wasn't so bad, and then have her get her shot. I'm glad I got it, though, because I REALLY don't want to be pregnant and have the flu. I did get H1N1 while pregnant with DD (and was unvaccinated). Luckily it didn't hit me hard, but I do not want it again. We didn't do the flumist for DD b/c I read it has more side effects...the nurse looked at me like I was a mean mom when I opted for the shot for DD! *shrug*

[2sw33t]

I got the flu shot once, I think when I was pregnant with DD (first pregnancy). I didn't have any side effects, but I don't have any confidence that it did anything for me. I've only had the flu once, as a preteen, and it was just a sickness - nothing scary. Since my family is generally healthy, I don't see any need to expose us to the contents of a vaccine that has only a small chance of helping us.

I do, however, tend to have a cough during my pregnancies - not sure what that is, I just bear with it and try to get my vitamins and water. My iron also tends to dip and towards the end of my pregnancies and I have to take iron supplements (though usually I still only take a half-dose every other day - I don't like taking iron).

[saimeiyu]

Originally Posted by 2sw33t 

I got the flu shot once, I think when I was pregnant with DD (first pregnancy). I didn't have any side effects, but I don't have any confidence that it did anything for me. I've only had the flu once, as a preteen, and it was just a sickness - nothing scary. Since my family is generally healthy, I don't see any need to expose us to the contents of a vaccine that has only a small chance of helping us.

I do, however, tend to have a cough during my pregnancies - not sure what that is, I just bear with it and try to get my vitamins and water. My iron also tends to dip and towards the end of my pregnancies and I have to take iron supplements (though usually I still only take a half-dose every other day - I don't like taking iron).

Do you get heartburn?  Because heartburn causes coughs, funny feelings in your throat, and asthma attacks.  Just FYI if you didn't know.  I didn't know for a long time that my untreated GERD was what was making my asthma so hard to control. 

As for alternatives to staying healthy, I drink orange juice and take extra vitamin C as soon as I start getting sick, or if anyone in the house is sick, and then taper off of it.  It doesn't "prevent" the cold, but it makes it less severe and shorter to get over.  I find that treating as soon as you start feeling down is the best policy.  Don't wait until the symptoms get bad before you start taking the medicine or vitamin C.  As soon as I start feeling more congested than usual, I take a dose of Mucinex D, and sometimes just the one dose is enough to keep me from getting full-blown horrible symptoms.

Get lots of rest, and make sure you stay hydrated and keep frequently-touched surfaces sanitized on a regular basis.  And don't hang around with people who are coughing and sneezing if you can help it.  You might consider getting masks in case a family member catches a cold, they can wear the mask to help prevent droplet transmission.

[2sw33t]

No heartburn, at least not until the third trimester. I have a genotype marker for alpha-1 anti-trypsin A deficiency (a protein that protects lung tissue), so it could be related to that. I've always been susceptible to respiratory inflammation, but not asthma, and it doesn't seem to be a contagious sort of thing.