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Covid Vaccines while trying for a baby

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Wooly123

Active Member
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Hello, I was wondering where everyone stands on this. I’m guessing as a type 1 diabetic I will be offered the covid vaccine in the coming months but there doesn’t seem to be much certainty online as to whether women trying to conceive should have the vaccine. Are there any pregnant or ladies trying that know what they will do once offered the jab?
 
As far as I know pregnant women or those trying for a baby who may therefore be pregnant, are not being offered a vaccine not because there's any known problems but simply because it is an unknown. Presumably there were not enough pregnant women in the trials to provide a valid cohort size since anyone who knew they were pregnant would be excluded on ethical grounds from those trials. On the other hand I am sure there have been pregnant women who have had covid with no direct effect on their baby. And yes I know there was a pregnant nurse who died and an actress whose baby caught it but these were the rare ones that hit the headlines.
I suppose it comes down to cost/benefit for you and your baby - would you as a woman of child bearing age benefit from being vaccinated (versus getting Covid 19 even as a diabetic ) balanced against the slight unknown of the vaccine. Given that pregnant women are excluded currently I am guessing the powers that be may think the risks outweigh the benefits of getting the jab as at your age even with diabetes there's little risk from the disease. Incidentally the risks for the aged may also exist given their fragility but the benefits of not getting covid 19 clearly outweigh those risks.
 

Thanks Nicole. Yes, it is all the weighing it up that I find so difficult. My cousin who is not diabetic had covid while she was giving birth earlier this month. She and her baby are both fine now and recovering. I just don’t know of any success stories of women that have had the vaccine then gone on to have a healthy baby. At the moment I’m thinking to skip the vaccine and take the risk with the virus, as nobody knows if it increases the risk of foetal defects. It’s just unlike me to refuse any help from NHS as I always get my flu jab and would definitely get the covid vaccine if there wasn’t another potential life to consider but who would want to risk their baby having something wrong with them potentially for their whole life
 
I wasn't allowed to get pregnant for three months after receiving the Novavax vaccine on the trial.
 
ert said:
I wasn't allowed to get pregnant for three months after receiving the Novavax vaccine on the trial.
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Thanks, that helps. I’m leaning towards doing without it for now, as much as I would have liked to have the vaccine otherwise!
 
Reactions: ert
Wooly123 said:
Thanks, that helps. I’m leaning towards doing without it for now, as much as I would have liked to have the vaccine otherwise!
Click to expand...

I recently had the Astra jab, whilst with the doctor who administered, one of the main questions he asked was would I be trying to conceive in the next three months. So seems as though if you are going to have the jab you will be advised to put the plans on hold for a few months. Hope this looks helps I understand the frustration as there’s so little info on this
 
I had the vaccine at 4 weeks pregnant. I would say it increased my pregnancy symptoms for a few days. For me I felt like the benefits outweighed the risks. Since then they've changed the policy in Scotland to offer the vaccine to all pregnant women, which definitely made me worry less about my decision. Having said that, it needs to be a personal decision and no one should judge you either way imo, as are all just trying to do our best with limited information.

This might help:
https://www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Medicine--pregnancy/COVID-19-Vaccine/
 

Thanks, I did have the jab in the end and it worked out that I had the jab around the time I conceived in February, but I didn’t know I was pregnant as it was too early. I sadly miscarried at 6 weeks and the doctors reassured me that it would not have been due to the vaccine. They said that they are now advising pregnant women in Scotland to have the vaccine. So that may be useful for any mums to be to know.
 
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