Pregnant and Flu Shot

It's very dangerous for a pregnant woman to get the flu. Not a risk I'm willing to take. I got my shot a few weeks ago.

Why dont you tell us? Lol, Im just kidding.
My OB never pushed for one, so I never got one when I was pregnant.
I would def ask the doc first.

My OB recommended I get one when I was pregnant. It's perfectly safe and very important for both you and baby. Get it!

Hi there. I'm an EMT and an Army combat medic. I give flu shots all the time.

You can the the regular shot. The flu shot is made with inactivated (killed) virus. Pregnant women should not receive the nasal-spray flu vaccine, which is made with live attenuated (weakened) virus.

I strongly recommend that you get the shot. The flu can cause pneumonia and other complications, which can cause preterm labor...and since babies cannot be vaccinated until they are 6 months old, you could potentially pass it along to your newborn.

Go get your shot. :-)

ETA: The CDC wasn't wrong. The H1N1/2009 outbreak was classified as a pandemic in June of 2009. There was a global infection rate of 11%. Nearly 300,000 were killed.

The reason it did not worsen? Vaccines.

I'm sure glad you're getting your flu shot. Those vaccines save lives.

I got my flu shot when I was pregnant. My job was to protect my developing baby.

The CDC actually puts pregnant women on the list of those who should get the flu vaccine. Now, we all know that the CDC has been wrong in some instances (remember the H1N1 epidemic that never came to be?) but this has been stated for years if not decades. I had the H1N1 and flu shot during my 1st pregnancy and wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

Flu shots are safe during pregnancy, and highly recommended for pregnant women, who are much more likely to suffer complications from the flu. Talk to your doctor to confirm this.

I have gotten flu shots with both of my pregnancies.

Strongly recommended. Pregnant women are much more likely to have serious complications if they get the flu. Check the CDC website if you have questions.

I would ask your obgyn. I think there are certain trimesters when its safe.

This is a question for medical personnel. We don't know if it's safe for you.
Call the advice nurse.

FYI vaccinations no longer contain mercury.

Talk to YOUR OB. That's the best plan.

I'm 48--have never had a flu shot.

I vaccinate selectively and I don't always get the flu shot, but I believe that the flu shot during pregnancy is safe and important to get.

Pregnant women are more likely to experience severe complications from the flu and cannot be treated the same way as non-pregnant women if they do develop complications. In addition getting the flu shot during pregnancy will lead your body to produce antibodies, that will cross the placenta and protect your baby once it is born. Babies need to be at least 6 months old before they can be vaccinated against the flu.

Good luck.

Get the flu shot. Its better to get it and not have the risks for you or your unborn child. Forget all the naysayers---do what is best for you and your baby period.

I got my flu shot when I was pregnant with both of my kids. I had no issues.

My OB/GYN offered flu shots.

They used to be more unsafe for the baby - double check what they're using if you're worried:)

RESEARCH know your options. Which is worse for your baby actually contacting the flu or whats in the flu shot. Personally I did what my doctors recomended. We all get shots. IDK if the flu shot contains mercury like the vacciens do. We do have one child in our family with autisum. We give shots to all of our kids. (assuming this is your question about the flu shot). You can find "green" shots that contain the virus but not the preservitaves. These are much more expensive. Sorry I no longer have the link for the green doctors across the nation but do a quick search for them. We all get the flu shot. My husband got the flu when we brought our first born son home. I quarinteened him in the bedroom and wouldnt let him NEAR the baby. Kinda crazy and sprayed the house down if he ventured out. The spray might have been worse.

When I was pregnant a coworker of mine was also pregnant. (we had our babies a couple of weeks apart.) Our job at the time gave free flu shots in October. My doctor said pregnant women absolutely SHOULD get the shot. Her doctor said she should absolutely NOT get the shot. I went ahead and got it and had no problems.

Generally, yes, it is highly recommended for pregnant women. That being said, you should check with you OB/GYN to be sure of their recommendation for YOU, specifically.

I did get mine last year I was 5 months along & did get the flu the one that I wasn't immunized against the last 3 weeks of my pregnancy & I was down till I delivered I was carefully monitored not to get Pnemonia not the correct way to spell it but I had onset of symptoms but it never turned into that.Not going to disagree w/ you to have or not to have your child vacinated they do them @ 6 months

You absolutely should get a flu shot it will give your baby immunity through you since he/she is not able to have a flu shot until 6 months of age. Influenza is very hard on babies they could end up in the hospital from it. Most people have a misconception that the "flu" is a fever and vomiting it is not. It is respiratory, fever, body aches. You feel like you have been hit by a truck and it can be worse that pneumonia on some people. Plus get it now it takes about 3 weeks to build immunity.

Get it. They did give me one without the preservative when I was pregnant. Just make sure they know you're pregnant.

Your OB should be asking you if you would like one and then offer it to you him/herself in their office. Yes, it's safe.

Yes it is safe but just make sure that they know you are pregnant. There is a different shot that they give you if you are pregnant.

I did get the flu shot while pregnant, but I am pretty conservative on stuff like this so I went to the extra effort to make sure I was getting one that was preservative free. My workplace, which gives out free flu shots, didn't have this version, so I paid the co-pay to go to my doctor's office to get it instead. My PCP could order the preservative-free version for me.

FWIW, my understanding is that getting the actual flu can be dangerous for pregnant women. The baby fills up your abdomen so your lungs don't have as much space and it's hard to breathe (every pregnant woman knows that it get harder to breathe as the baby gets bigger). Add the flu on top of that, which can cause fluid to build up in the space your lungs have left, and it can become and emergency for the woman because there is no space in the lungs for air. I am not a doctor, but this is my understanding of the risk, and why it's important for pregnant women to avoid the flu by getting a flu shot.

Last fall when I was pregnant (going into 3rd trimester), my OB pushed for me to have it. Also discussed with my PCP, because the previous times I've received it I've had horrible side effects (high fever -- 103+, fatigue, body aches, etc) that lasted almost 24 hours, then *poof*, gone. Last year I opted against it, just simply due to my personal history of reactions.