flue injection ?

MaxCharlie

Anybody get this ? Im 27 weeks gone and had a bad sinus infection which led to a chest infection requiring antibiotics a few weeks ago and my doctor suggests that i should get the injection.

Quins5

Hi Maxcharlie,
received a letter in the post today recommending it but Im not too sure. We r around the same stage, Im 28wks, starting week 29

Its a really hard decision to make

Supercell

Are the flu injections free for pregnant women like the swine flu ones last year? I noticed a sign in Holles street last week recommending that all pregnant women get the flu jab this year.

ceadaoin.

I had mine a couple of weeks ago at 31 weeks. No side effects at all. This years is the combined swine flu and normal flu jab I think.

I was a bit dubious about it too but realistically I think the potential risks to the baby and yourself if you get infected with flu while pregnant are too great to take the chance

freudiangirl

I got it last week with a bit of persuasion from my nurse n doctor.
They told me it's important to get it as I am pregnant and suffer with asthma.
I never really got it before.

Toots

I had to get it two weeks ago because I had just had my baby and apparently that makes me higher risk while I'm recovering. It wasn't too bad, just a little jab and all over in seconds. Felt a bit rough the next day but then I was grand. I was lucky that I didn't need to get it while I was pregnant because when I found out it was just at the end of the 'flu season'.

Chocolate fiend

My midwife isn't pushing me one way or the other but reading between the lines she isnt a huge fan. Of the 70 pregnant women she is currently seeing only two have had it.

The injection itself is free but you have to pay to have it given to you.

I am leaning towards not getting it. I have only had flu twice in my life and it never required hospitalisation.

Red-B

I've been hearing a lot about it on the radio and i'm very doubtful about taking it. I don't think it would be such a big deal if it was just the flu jab itself, but the fact that it's for swine flu aswell. I just don't think there's been enough research done on it with unborn babies. The mother may not have any side affects but who knows what it would do to the baby long term. I know mothers in the last few years have taken it and have been fine, but I've heard some horror stories of mother's who have taken it, and ended up losing their babies. Fair enough, it's hard to say it was the swine flu jab that caused it, but it couldn't be ruled out either.

I think they should do enough research on it before recommending it to pregnant women. The fact that some midwives aren't too keen on pushing it says enough.

I think we should all just try and stay as healthy as possible to maintain a strong immune system. I'd love to hear from mothers who have taken it while pregnant that have had their babies.

Oh and best of luck to all those pregnant bellies out there

IsItJustMeOr...

Hi All. This is my first time posting on here and my first baby is due at the end of March.

I'm exactly half way there 

Did many of you get this combined flu vaccine?

I've never had it before so I'm really at a loss as to whether or not I should get it. The possible side effects on my baby are freaking me out!! Do the benefits outweigh the risks...

Anyone I've spoken to in the medical profession are advised to tell pregnant women to have it, but it's the safety aspect and lack of statistics and information that really worries me.

Opinions?

Thanks!

Ms2011

ceadaoin. wrote: »

I was a bit dubious about it too but realistically I think the potential risks to the baby and yourself if you get infected with flu while pregnant are too great to take the chance

What are the risks? Are they anymore serious than if you get the normal flu?
My midwife has advised against getting it

Cat Melodeon

I've had a chest infection for the past month and am really struggling with it, but as I'm otherwise pretty healthy I still don't regret not having the flu vaccine. Neither my GP nor my midwife has encouraged me to have it, in fact the GP said to wait until after baby is born if at all. There is so little information out there that even the medical professionals are undecided, so I'd rather battle it out.

Having said that, I think if you are at high risk, it might be best to at least consider getting the jab.

Neither my midwife nor my GP was particularly in favour of the jab when I was pregnant last winter. I've never had the flu and I'm young and healthy. My GP said that the increased risk of flu is to the mother not the baby. The baby won't be affected at all but the mother will get a worse dose if she does catch it. That decided it for me.

crazy cat lady

I had the swine flu jab when I was pregnant with Megan back in 2009. I wasn't really a beliver in the flu jab but my consultant emailled me some research to read and I ended up getting it. It was a very hard decision to make though.

I am a nurse and midwife and had always believed in letting my immune system do what it needed to do without getting the flu jab! Last winter I got the flu, as did my husband. We were both very sick and really struggled to look after our daughter. Luckily my husbands family live close and were a great help.

Pregnancy can be tough enough without getting the flu, as can parenting a small child! So my opinion has changed and I would recommend, both in a personal and professional capacity, getting the flu jab this season.

Red-B

I've recently been to my GP and told her I was doubtful about taking it. Especially the fact that i'm having twins, there's a higher risk of one of them getting side effects. Her opinion on it was that considering i'm normally healthy, that I shouldn't get the vaccine. If I had in fact any underlying health issues, she would have advised me to get it. But she said herself that although GP's are being told to reccommend it to pregnant women, she's not very confident in doing so. The reason for this is because every year, there's a new strain of flu (including swine flu) and so the vaccine is changed to suit that particular strain. Therefore, no proper research can be done as it's not given enough time before the next strain comes along.

I had my mind made up before I went in there but just wanted peace of mind by getting her opinion. Well I felt 100% satisfied when I got home, especially when she told me that if she was in my position, she would make the same choice.

Hope this helps any of you out there who are unsure of what to do. But always make sure to confer with your GP or midwife before making a final decision.

IsItJustMeOr...

Thanks all for your replies. It's good to get the opinions of others in the same position.

I'm with my doctor again on Friday and will have another chat with her again.

Cheers!

silly

We always get it done free at work, when I went to get it done he asked was I pregnant, I said I might be a few weeks as we were trying, but I wouldn't know for another week or so for sure ( found out this morning that I am!)
He said he wouldn't give it to me do early on if I am pregnant. Not in the 1st 3 months he said.
I never get the flu normally do I don't think I'll get it, although the winter will be well and truly over when I'm well into my pregnancy.

saffron77

I got the flu vaccine today. 20 weeks gone. I work as a teacher and always get one bad flu each winter so I decided to have the vaccine. This is my first baby- due April 2nd.:)

MaxCharlie

I got the injection last week - didn't have any reaction to it only minor tenderness in the immediate area. I asked a couple of pharmacists also - just for extra reassurance and all said they would recommend it.

IvyTheTerrible

I have the vaccine in my fridge, just need to get my boyf's grandad to inject me!

Supercell

We got it last week, a lot better than the one last year which left a very sore arm for a week and a really tired feeling for a few days. This time was just a slight pain in the immediate injection site for a couple of days and that's it, great!
We got ours done in the Unicare Pharmacy in Blackrock shopping centre, only 20€ each, no GP fees!