I am due to have my first Covid vaccine today and am having a last minute panic due to the fact that I have a demised twin.
I lost Twin B at 8 weeks and, at our 16 week scan, it was still there. I am 18 weeks now and have been told that the demised twin will be reabsorbed by both my body and our remaining baby. I wanted to know whether having a vaccine, any vaccine, during this reabsorption process might be detrimental to the remaining baby?
I appreciate it's an obscure question but wondered if anyone else out there had been vaccinated during this process? I have tried calling my midwife, community midwives office, hospital, GP, miscarriage association, and fertility clinic and am either getting no response or being told it's 'not their area of expertise'. I feel like I'm in a constant cycle of people passing the buck and being too afraid to issue medical advice about vaccinations. I just think, surely, someone out there knows the answer to this question, at least from the years of data from the flu vaccine?! Apparently not!
Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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Just updating here in case anyone else is in a similar situation. The midwife called back and said she 'wasn't sure' but 'thinks it will be okay'. Needless to say, I didn't find that very reassuring! I have decided to cancel my vaccine for today and wait until my 20w scan to see if the demised twin has been fully reabsorbed by then. If it has, I can re-book my vaccine for soon after. I also just had a call from my GP who agreed with my decision and said that, if she was in my shoes, she would also wait. Hope this is of help to someone else out there.
Thank you very much 🤍 Was a tough first trimester but all was well afterwards and the baby is due in 5 days now! I’m so sorry to hear that you have also lost a twin. I found that the relief of having a remaining baby numbed the pain of the loss but the upset eventually caught up with me later in the pregnancy. It sounds like you have a strong fighter in there - I hope you have a healthy and happy rest of your pregnancy xxx
Thank you.. yes we heard on Thursday that the second twin was no more but the relief that the bigger twin was strong and healthy was so great that it overshadowed everything else. Days later now and I have moments….But good luck with the coming labour… how exciting! I hope it all goes smoothly and quickly and with the minimum amount of pain😊 xx
Awww bless you lovely, you've been through so much!! I'm so sorry to hear about your lost little one.😪 However I so glad to hear that you have a safe bubba! Sending much love.xxx
Tbh no medical professional I’ve come across is willing to commit to saying anything about the vaccine because it’s so new.
I haven’t had any vaccines and I’m 24 weeks pregnant, I recently had a call with a works OH advisor and said I wasn’t having them until the baby is here, and she said I don’t blame you
My obstetrician recommended I had my second vaccination ( had first vaccination just before I conceived) and her reasoning was that unvaccinated pregnant women can end up in ICU and pre term labour. The royal college of midwives and obstetricians are now advising pregnant women to get vaccinated. It is such a horrible decision to make and people must do whatever feels right for them. I was really struggling to decide what the best option was for my baby and I , after having a few losses including a late loss I was terrified of making the wrong decision. I'm still worried about it now tho and wish Covid wasn't here! All the best with your pregnancy Xx
Yes your right everyone must do what they have to do.
Re woman in iCU -!I look at the proportion of woman who are currently pregnant in the uk those that end up in hospital is such a tiny percent of that, and it hasn’t been reported if any of those ladies have any other underlying health conditions
I saw the royal college of midwives suggesting vaccination but again they are using the US studies which is there for everyone to read for themselves - it was some of these studies that re affirmed my decision not to have it - but even those that have had the jab can end up in ICU so it really is a 50/50 chance 🤷♀️
I’m just rapid testing each week, social distance where I can, masks and sanitise
It's funny you mention the mask wearing social distancing and hand washing, because even after 2 vaccinations my obstetrician recommended doing all 3 as extra precaution! You can still catch Covid even with vaccinations so...? I think if you are careful then chances are you will be ok. We went out for family day out with our 2 year old daughter and were careful neither of us caught Covid. I do feel sorry for those women it must be so scary. I do also wonder if they have underlying health issues ( no one has said either way) I think I would struggle to shield properly and mean I wouldn't be able to do anything with our daughter who took us a long time to have 🥰. I think if it was just us and this had been Francesca I was having I wouldn't have the vaccination ( she took us 7 years to conceive) and just shield and keep myself safe Xx
I’ve shielded for 6 months already, and just started a new position so back in the office managing a team of 80 odd people
I can only be as safe as I can be, as I see it I could catch it in my monthly food shop trip to the supermarket - it’s unrealistic to stay couped up for 9 months, it’s taken us 6 yrs to conceive and as I say it’s not an easy journey but you read of some woman who are unvaccinated caught covid and come out the other side not needing hospital intervention so as I say it really is a 50/50 risk you take xx
Thanks for your replies. I agree...it is such a difficult decision but I do fear we are very much in a 'trial phase'. Interestingly, I see the PM's wife has announced her pregnancy but there is no news on whether she took the vaccine during the pregnancy...I'm guessing, as it hasn't been publicised, that she hasn't...which speaks volumes. I am terrified of catching Covid and may commit to have the vaccine later in my pregnancy to protect me during the third trimester. After 4 miscarriages, something just doesn't sit right with me taking it at the moment. What angers me even more is that you can't find any data/arguments against it. Everything is so finely filtered by the government and the media; it's a constant barrage of telling us to take the vaccine now. All I get told is to 'speak to my midwife' but she doesn't have a clue either! I would like to know, out of those pregnant women in ICU, how many had underlying conditions etc.
Goodness me, as if we all haven't been through enough!! Wishing you all the best for the rest of your pregnancy xx
I can’t help thinking as you say the informations filtered that we keep being told to have the vaccine as we are the trial for the government I think this because after the thelimide drug was found to be unsafe they could no longer use pregnant woman in any trials - but if you have the vaccine off of your own back it’s your choice to be part of that
The medical professionals are too scared to commit to it in case they get sued fir giving the wrong advice they want us to make our own decision xx
Sorry to jump in here but regarding the vaccine. I too had reservations and waited until 20 weeks to get my Pfizer shots hoping for the best. I live in the US, where currently the South is battered by the Delta variant. Just saw on the news one poor girl, 30 year old and healthy got covid, had to get emergency c-section, managed to take 2 photos with the baby and right after was taken into ICU, where she died that day. It broke my heart seeing that and I'm so glad now I'm vaccinated. Nobody thinks it's going to be them ending up dead, yet we still average 500 deaths a day here. 99.9% of which are unvaccinated people.
What a sad story that poor baby without their mum 🥲 I've debated a lot over the vaccination but when my obstetrician told me the fact 1-10 pregnant women end up in intensive care unit with Covid usually unvaccinated is what made my mind up for me. I have my 2 year old daughter to consider. I had my first vaccination literally days before I conceived (!) and I'm waiting to get into my second trimester to get my second vaccination . I'm 12 weeks 2 days and have my dating scan this Monday all being well I will book up then. Tho they say no reason to delay the vaccination I personally think first trimester is a critical point for the development of the embryo. I wouldn't have a flu vaccination in the first trimester! I can also understand the concern that other pregnant women are having as it is such a new vaccination and we really do not know the long term effects of the vaccination on the baby, but I guess what the medics are saying is the vaccination is safer for mum and baby then getting Covid? I had a very late loss at 20 weeks and I'm absolutely terrified about this being the wrong decision if something goes wrong I'll never forgive myself, but I should trust my obstetrician to be right she was also our miscarriage specialist I don't think she'd risk our baby. It is a very scary decision to make. I feel sorry for those people who've struggled for a long time and now faced with this awful decision . All the best to you with your pregnancy Xx
Such an awful story, how very sad. We are all in such a difficult situation. My aim is to get my first vaccine after my 20w scan...I may possibly wait until 25 weeks so that, if anything were to happen, the baby would be in the 'potentially viable' stage. The thought of catching Covid in the third trimester terrifies me. I'm basically in my own lockdown; only leave the house to go for walks in quiet areas or get click and collect groceries. Hope you continue to stay safe and that we all make it to delivery without interference from this awful virus xx
I’m not an anti vaxxer, but I just feel that although it’s being peddled as being safe for pregnant woman then that’s great
But
What are the long term effects on the unborn child?! They don’t know as it hasn’t been around long enough
Every man and woman on this forum will all have had a bumpy IVF journey, we are no different I’ve had a MC and several failed to implant
But now we’ve been successful I’m really reluctant for me or our child to be a guinea pig, as I know if in 5 years time if our child had developmental issues and I’ve had the jab I’d be kicking myself wondering if it was because I had the vaccine - congrats on your 20 weeks good luck with the rest of your pregnancy x
Will have the flu vaccine, and had my whooping cough vaccine this morning actually!
I feel there's plenty of evidence to show they're both safe to have in pregnancy, but as Running79 said, the covid vaccine is so new, how do we really know its safe for us in pregnancy.
I'm sure many disagree, but at the end of the day whatever you decide is ultimately your choice! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy xx
Sorry to hear about your twin and to jump on your post. Every time I have posted on forums about the vaccine my post have been deleted.
I know everyone has their own opinion and have to do what they feel is right for them but I have felt so alone the past few weeks trying to decide what to do. No one can tell you for definite which way to go.
I had my first vaccine in March before my egg collection and it was the astrazeneca one. I then cancelled my second jab due to all the unknowns.
The last few weeks I've found it really hard to decide what to do. I've been given so much information from health professionals and been told that if you are going to have the 2nd vaccine then to have it by 25 weeks to be fully protected from 28 weeks.
I have today booked my second jab for 2 weeks time when I will be 23 weeks. I've read today that it is highly likely that we will enter another spike during the autumn months and I have a 5 year old son who is at school. I have a heart condition and reading the info on if you do end up in hospital with covid has scared me. I have been struggling to decide whether I can take the risk 🙈
I have also read that having the vaccine can pass on antibodies to the baby and give them some protection for when they are born but I honestly don't know what to believe 🙈🙈.
After all the battle and heart ache to get to this stage, I can't believe we are being faced with this decision 💔😢 x x
Hi FoxKinder, thank you for your kind words. We are indeed in an impossible situation where we don't feel confident either way really! I have lost much sleep over the Covid vaccine and hate not having conviction in my decision. Whatever I do, I will feel I've made the wrong choice.
I have decided, because of my twin situation, to see how things are looking at my 20w scan. If the demised twin has been fully reabsorbed then I will book in my first vaccine. If it hasn't, I think it would be best for me to wait it out. It's not ideal but I don't feel comfortable putting a new vaccine in my body whilst that process is still ongoing.
I definitely think you have made the right decision considering your situation. It is much safer to be double vaccinated by the third trimester. That was my initial plan until my fumble yesterday!
As you say, the fact that we can pass on antibodies will be a win as I'm sure we'll be just as worried after our babies are born. Going through IVF during Covid was stressful enough...I had hoped for more peace during pregnancy but, alas, it simply isn't meant to be!
Best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy, take care of yourself xx
P.S. I said to my partner yesterday, after much moaning about the vaccine situation, 'wow...if someone had told me 4 months back that I would be here with this predicament I would have been in disbelief...I suppose, all things considered, it's a 'good problem' to have!'
Hi everyoneReading these a few months later, I have endo and had an operation to remove it in Oct. Due for booster now (despite having had covid in aug) but i probably have Ivf coming up again in the next 2 months.
Dont know what to do...endo is an inflammatory conditon
It's such a difficult decision. If I were in your shoes, I would get the booster. The last thing you want is to contract Covid in the lead up to your operation, or during IVF and any pregnancy that occurs from it. I'm so glad I got double vaccinated whilst pregnant in the end. I'm not eligible for the booster for another couple of months but will definitely be getting it.
Wishing you all the very best with your op and IVF journey xx
As we can catch and pass on Covid with or without the vaccine, one has to weigh up the pros and cons. Vaers keeps track of adverse vaccine effects and outside of the mainstream press it’s worth checking scientific studies and narratives that give a balanced approach so we can make an informed decision. It’s a personal choice xx
Hi everyone, just to say that I did end up having two Covid vaccines and all was fine. Am currently 38+1 and baby is doing well. I made a video about my vaccination journey which I will post below. Hope it is of some help. Stay safe everyone xx
I just watched your video and found it very reassuring and also lovely to see bump growing as the weeks progressed. I guess you must be approaching your due date soon? Best wishes xx
Thank you so much 🤍 Yes, due date is only 5 days away now - can’t believe it! Wishing you all the best for your next transfer. I hope 2022 is your year xxx
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