Hi ladies - i have a hospital appt tomorrow with the midwife and i know she is going to discuss the whooping cough jab

[heegy]

I'm really undecided and swaying towards saying i don't want it. i've looked at the figures on the NHS leflet and to be honest 800 cases in tha last 10 years doesn't seem like an epidemic to me. I'm very wary about having so many chemicals uneccesarily pumped into my baby just because we are told it's for the best. Also, if my baby can cope with it through my body now then why can't she as a newborn, and why does she have to wait 2 months? I would really appreciate your views, obviously i do not want to put my daughter at any risk but also do not want to to do so by having this injection too early. I am also not having the flu vacc.

[Hidden]

I had the whooping cough jab as I wanted to not only protect my baby where possible, but also other peoples babies when attending clinics, baby groups and the like. My boy is 16 and a half weeks and had no health issues prompted by whooping cough vaccine and the flu jab. He also had no bad reaction to it in the womb. My opinion is that if I can protect him and others from a potential danger I will. The small amount of cases previously will also be related to the increase of people having the vaccination x

[Hidden]

It really is your choice, but imo, refusing whooping cough vaccine would be like refusing all the other vaccines a child needs.

A little girl my mum childminds, got whooping cough when she was 1. She suffered for months and now her lungs are damaged and very weak.

I've not come across anyone having adverse effects to it, biggest "complaint" is a sore arm for a few days.

Like fattyboom says, it's about doing what's best to protect you. Your baby and others around you. But if you don't think it's safe then of course you have the right to say you don't want it!!

Xx

[Hidden]

I had it at 30 weeks..u can hav it from 28 right up too 37..my friend had it late and they say its not a prob. I had a slight sore arm but was fine. hav u seen a baby with whooping cough.. it is horrible..my cousin had it and she was so ill and it was quite distressing watching a baby in so much discomfort. as fattyboom said if u attend baby groups etc its a gd idea..i wud much rather get a dead arm than watch my baby potentially suffer. thts the only thing till 8 weeks.. I personally think its a no brainer.

[scoffcat]

I agree, I had it (and the flu jab) without hesitation. Although numbers are low, they are on the rise at the moment, and I feel it's worth it to protect my baby from a potentially fatal illness. At the end of the day of course it is your choice.

[cheekymonkey3791]

I had it without a second thought and would have had the flu jab too if it was the season for it. No regrets. Their initial vaccination course contains the whooping cough but the 1st one is not given until 8 weeks so I wanted to pass my immunity to him in the interim period x

[dons88]

I'll second the other ladies - all parenting is a choice but my research made my decision really easy. Whooping cough is horrendous and life altering for a healthy baby, but (heaven forbid) I found myself with a baby with health issues who then contracted whooping cough it could really spell trouble. I had the flu jab with my eldest and the WC jab with my youngest - both are totally healthy.

Do what's right for you - nobody can make the decision for you, this is just my findings. X

[casskan]

You'd really be mad not too! They're not chemicals, they provide immunity for your unborn child. I think a lot of women in this world would walk a hundred miles to be give a free chance to protect their family. I know you don't think it's many cases but that's because most people are sensible enough to do the right thing thankfully and protect their family and those around them.

[Mummy_Pandaa]

The reason why the vaccine is not given until 8 weeks is because your baby's immune system would not cope with it, but having the jab yourself does not 'pump your baby with chemicals'. It gets your body to add it's own antibodies against the illness to your baby. A tiny one with whooping cough is heartbreaking and scary.

The reason for it being offered is because of those 800, most of them are from the past few years as sufferers have increased,and those who are not vaccinated also have the chance for the illness to mutate in their body and then infect those around them, even if they have been vaccinated.

It is still up to you if you want it or not. Just know that there have been no signs of adverse affects to babies when there mum has had the jab.

[Hidden]

Think u really need to research it yes it's on increase and it's a nasty disease... they did change the vaccine that they give to our little ones. . I'm more concerned about the immunisations they give our lo at such a young age I know it's to protect our children but don't think the government go into detail enough with the information ur the only one that can make the decision for ur child.. it's hard not to worry about side effects but then the disease is awful too x

[Hidden]

It's up to you to make the decision, but someone with authority must have done a cost benefit analysis because it costs money to vaccinate and this government has been cutting costs wherever possible, so the benefits must outweigh the risks by a fair amount as they wouldn't want to increase the costs to the NHS if they didn't think it was worth it. In the US they offer a vaccine for chicken pox, but not here!

[Coeny-em]

I would imagine that the reason the number of cases is low is due to something called herd immunity i.e. Most people vaccinate so the risk of infection is greatly reduced. Immunising yourself/child is a form of social solidarity i.e. We all take a small amount of risk for the greater good of everyone. Some people decide not to contribute to herd immunity but hope to benefit from it all the same. However the more people who decide not to vaccinate, the greater the risk of infection becoming more widespread - as with the recent surge in cases of measles.

[cheekymonkey3791 in reply to Coeny-em]

I would agree with this, I am Veterinary and very pro vaccination, by vaccinating we keep disease case numbers down, by not vaccinating disease would spread like wire fire

At the end of the day it is a personal choice and I would like to hear whether you have it or not

[Coeny-em in reply to cheekymonkey3791]

I am always a bit surprised by how many people are frightened of vaccination. If it wasn't for vaccines we would all be still at risk of the likes of small pox and polio! Andrew Wakefield and his fraudulent and completely discredited article on the link between vaccination and autism has a lot to answer for!!

[dons88 in reply to Coeny-em]

Agreed! You'd think that 10 years after he'd published it we would've forgotten about it by now, sadly it seems to have caused lasting damage x

[Hidden]

I was a bit wary tbh like you but went ahead with it; and now looking back I feel that I made the right decision. The decider for me was knowing that Whooping cough can kill; why even risk that? I also had the flu vaccine. It came to the point that I realised that it's not about me, it's about my baby. If I wasn't pregnant I probably wouldn't bother getting the flu vaccine -only ever had proper flu once in my 35yrs- but the potential damage to my baby of me having a high temp/fever was again my motivation.

[Hidden]

As everyone's pro il answer , I didn't have it or my flu jab & I did have flu at 5mts pregnant and was just the same as having flu any other time apart from u can only take plain paracetamol . I also went 2 Egypt at 15 wks pregnant and didn't have any jabs 4 that either ( my partner and son did ) I was told although it's not unsafe they couldn't tell me it was , simply bcos pregnant women's arnt researched on and only reference was when women's had it without knowing they were pregnant & baby was fine ( the same could b said 4 eating and drinking alcohol without knowing & baby being fine but we know it's not a good safe thing ) I didn't have either when pregnant with 4 yo either , although whooping cough wasn't on offer then then & he was fine , my baby is now 4 mts and she had her 8 week jabs and 2nd lot at 17 ( should b 12 but she was ill in hospital with bronkhiolitus ) we didn't take the new rotary virus liquid as post symptoms include getting the runs ! Kind of defeats the object plus I felt it's not in the same catagory 4 seriousness as the other diseases ur jabed 4 & as it's liquid no guarantee how much they were getting ( as my lo spits out calpol , I thought it would b pointless and cause unnessercey stress 2 her )

Midwife won't pressure u she will just give the option , it's up 2 u 2 take it or not , the same as any care offered 2 u .

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I'd rather deal with a couple of days of runny poos than a baby with Rota Virus!!!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Definitely. .theres so many things that can give the runs..my mates baby got it from calpol..my son has been doing some pretty yucky nappies due too teething but hes happy and healthy so thts all tht matters.

[heegy]

Thank you all for your views, I saw my midwife at the hospital yesterday and she told me to speak to my GP for more info so I will later in the week. TBH I think we are probably swaying towards having it done now, purely 'just in case' but I have to say i'm not convinced as to whether or not there are any longer lasting effects of this as there are no studies-but what can you do.

[Hidden in reply to heegy]

How far along are you now? x