H1N1 & pregnancy

[wellyes]

So my doc does have the H1N1 shot and they're allocating it to only certain groups including pregnant women but -- they do not have preservative-free available. I'm not anti-vax or even selective/delayed vax but I am hypersensitive to putting stuff in my body in the 1st trimester. With my first pregnancy I didn't even use hair mousse (ok, yes, I went a little loco.) BUT I have read horror stories about pregnant women getting H1N1 and I don't even want to think about what I'm risking in refusing a shot that a lot of pregnant women don't even have access to.

So my plan is to at the very least wait until the 2nd trimester and to take Tamiflu if I get any flu symptoms before then. Is that reasonable or am I being dumb? Or is it possible a big shipment of preservative-free H1N1 will be coming soon (hope hope hope.....)

[mecawa]

That's a hard one. I think I would wait and as soon as I hit the 2nd trimester have them vaccinate me. With both my children I was already VERY pregnant by flu season so I did get regular flu shots, but I was only like a month or two from delivering. What does your doc say? I would ask him/her about getting it in the first trimester, and what is the possiblitliy of getting a preservative free one (I couldn't find any preservative free with DD2 at all). Good luck!!!

[twobabes]

If you are more comfortable waiting until the 2nd tri, that probably makes sense with the risks involved in H1N1 to pregnant women. As I understand, one of the major risks is when you are bigger and your breathing is compromised due to the pressure on your body from the baby.
Good luck!

[citymama]

How many weeks are you? I got both the seasonal flu shot and H1N1 shot (both thimerasol free) during the 1st trimester. My OBs office has only the regular H1N1 shot (with preservative) and they are advising all pregnant women to get the shot, thimerasol or not. (I'm lucky to have gotten one of the coveted thim. free shots at the public clinic.) I understand your hesitation, but it would help to know how far along you are and how long you would have to wait to get the shot.

[mommymy]

IMHO I would get the vaccination now vs take my chances with Tamiflu and have a fever while pregnant. I don't believe side effects of Tamiflu for pregnant women are really known and if you get a high fever for days that could be serious for the development of the fetus. From what I have heard the thimerisol in the vaccine is no more than a tuna meal. I too would have a difficult time deciding what to do.

[MoJo]

Well, I'm still in my first tri, & I just got my H1N1 vax (the regular shot, not thim. free) this week.

I made that decision because around here, they've already cancelled all the regular seasonal flu clinics and don't plan to have any others, and although they are pretty sure they will have H1N1 vax for another couple of weeks, they may not have any by the time I'm in my second tri (or by the time my DD needs her booster).

My OB-Gyn/midwifes' office was sure they weren't going to get any of the vax in any form (two years ago, I got the regular seasonal flu shot from them).

I have a close friend who had major pregnancy complications after a fever, which ended up in the child being born full term weighing less than three pounds. That child passed away 28 days later. Between that and what H1N1 is doing to some pregnant moms, I decided that the vax scared me less than those possible outcomes.

As far as the thim., I've decided to trust my doctors. My ped. says it's less than a fish dinner, and info the midwife gave me says even as a pregnant woman I should be eating fish twice a week (and it was specifically addressing the mercury).

Anyway, that was my decision, and my reasoning. I support you whatever you decide, and best wishes for a safe and healthy pregnancy!

[wendibird22]

I think you have to weigh the risks for yourself...how likely are you to come in contact with H1N1 (where you work, DH works, kids in school/daycare, etc) and your personal comfort level with thimerosol. I didn't get a perserv. free shot but I was also in my 3rd tri when I got it. But, I would have gotten in the 1st tri as well because for me the risks assoc. w/ H1N1 and my likelihood to come into contact with it (I work at a college, DH at an elem school) IMO outweighed any potential risks involved with mercury. I just think that's such a personal decision and you should do what you are most comfortable with.

[goodnightmoon]

My OB initially gave the thimerisol-free H1N1 vax to 3rd trimester patients only, explaining that they are almost exclusively the women having serious complications. Once they got more shipments in, they moved to 2nd trimester patients. If I were you, I would feel more comfortable waiting until they (or your local health clinic) gets thimerisol-free shots in. Good luck!

[mommylamb]

A close friend of the family was pregnant and got swine flu. She just miscarried. Obviously, we don't know if it was a cause, or if she would have miscarried anyway. She was 9 weeks when it happened. She is convinced it is because of the swine flu.

If I were pregnant, I would get the shot regardless of thimerisol if that were the only shot available.

[KpbS]

If I were pregnant, I would get the shot regardless of thimerisol if that were the only shot available.

This is my take on it too. I am not pregnant but in my last pregnancy I was sick repeatedly from Christmas almost til my due date in March. I had the flu, bronchitis twice, stomach bug, and several colds. The flu was awful and I still had to care for DS1 at the time--DH got it as well.

IMO the benefits outweigh the risks when you fall into a risk category.

[brandonsmom]

H1N1 vaccine during pregnancy, exerpts from other boards:

http://tinyurl.com/yeofg68

[brandonsmom]

From a neurosurgeon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Cm94Udq6M&feature=related

[arivecchi]

I just want to say congrats! I did not know you were expecting! If it were me, I'd get it. My mom's friend had a pregnant daughter die of swine flu in a matter of a couple of days. She was 6 months pregnant. She died and the baby died. She left a 4 year old girl behind. So sad.

[AnnieW625]

I am not normally a flu shot person and this was my first time getting a flu shot ever (got the seasonal preservative free 2+weeks ago), but thought there is no way I am taking a chance on this. No one is saying what the underlying causes of the prego deaths are except for two that I know of (the Florida case, and another case recently from El Monte, CA) both happened to women who were under 30 yrs. old so that made me a little uneasy. I am healthy, not obese, and take good care of myself, but still not knowing the underlying causes made me not want to take any chances either.

I went last Saturday and ended up getting the shot. Our clinic/insurance (Kaiser) said that there were no preservative free vax anywhere. I was just 14 weeks when I got it. I had planned on waiting until the end of the month to get it at my next OB appt., but since I had to take DD to get the first part of hers I figured that I would just get mine too.

[fortato]

I'm about 10 weeks along, and am on the fence about the H1N1. Jack currently has the flu, so it's in the house- and I don't want to get a vax just to end up with the flu a day later... kwim?

I hate the thought of getting such a new vax when I'm this early in my pregnancy, but I also hate the thought of losing a baby I've tried so hard to conceive....

Ugh.