Pregnant and Vaccinated (Covid-19)
To be or not to be, VACCINATED?
This is me at 12 weeks pregnant, at the home stretch of my first trimester, right after I got my second covid 19 shot.
Now before you read further, I want to be clear that I am NOT a doctor or medical professional. I am a healthcare interior designer and first time mom-to-be who is trying her best. I will be honest in saying, I had more than one conversation with my OB doctor about this vaccine and made my decision based on those conversations, plus some research. One thing I learned while doing my research was there isn’t much information for expecting moms out there so here I am trying to help fix that. Well, let me clarify, there are tons of conspiracy theories out there but not a lot of real life feedback that helped calm my nerves down the night before my shot. Though no two experiences are the same, like child birth or marriage, it helps to know someone else has been in your place, too. Whether you choose to get your vaccine or not, if I can help one mom-to-be make a decision she is confident about then I’ve done my job.
Now back to the vaccine, I want to provide some insight about me prior to getting my shots. This is my first pregnancy and like most women in their late 20’s, my pregnancy is considered low risk. Thankfully, I don’t have any auto-immune problems or significant health issues and this was a planned pregnancy. We had wanted to start a family the year before but in March of 2020 COVID-19 suddenly sent everyone home from work and this scared me. My husband and I spent the year, like many other families, in our home working remotely, to the best of our ability. We took it upon ourselves to follow CDC guidelines during this time and luckily did not contract the virus. This played a role in my decision to get the vaccine since I did not have antibodies to pass on to my fetus through blood or breast milk after birth (1).
In December of 2020, the US began vaccinating front line workers and in February I found out I was 4 weeks pregnant. At first getting the vaccine wasn’t a choice I had worried about because I didn’t know when I would even be eligible but phase 1B in NY State included pregnant women. I was suddenly faced with a decision that moms-to-be didn’t have to face before.
My conversation with my doctor was detailed and there are many factors that were considered before I got my vaccine. The three biggest driving factors for me were:
I hadn’t had the virus, therefore I did not have antibodies to pass on to my fetus through blood or breast milk after birth. Though it was reassuring that I had been protecting myself properly, this was also a negative as my body did not have the ability to protect itself now that I was pregnant.
Contracting Covid-19 during pregnancy has the ability to cause complications based on how my body responds to the virus as it primarily attacks the lungs. However, it can also cause your body to produce an overactive immune response which can lead to increased inflammation throughout the body. I have had allergies the majority of my life to various foods and seasonal allergens, which is a direct result of overactive immune response. Knowing this made me feel I would be more susceptible to increased inflammation i I ever contracted Covid-19.
Research shows pregnant people are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 when compared to non-pregnant people (3). I am one to question things before blindly believing them but reading the CDC’s research and other articles on the effects of the vaccine made me wonder if this was worth questioning as much. I knew if I caught the virus during my pregnancy and this caused complications, I would only blame myself; this isn’t something I want to live with. Sometimes it’s not about picking what’s right or wrong, but about doing taking the best decision at that time.
Let’s debunk virus myths.
The Covid-19 vaccine causes miscarriages. WRONG!
There are no studies or data definitively showing this. Unfortunately, between 10 and 15 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage (4) and the rate is even higher when unknown pregnancies are counted.
The vaccine will effect my fertility rate. WRONG!
The COVID-19 vaccine will not affect fertility. The truth is that the COVID-19 vaccine encourages the body to create copies of the spike protein found on the coronavirus’s surface. This “teaches” the body’s immune system to fight the virus that has that specific spike protein on it (7).
Women who are breastfeeding should not get the vaccine. WRONG!
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine reports there is no reason to believe the vaccines affect the safety of breast milk. When we have an infection or get a vaccine, our bodies make antibodies to fight the infection. Antibodies formed from vaccines given during pregnancy pass into the breast milk and then to the baby to help prevent infections (8).
The vaccine gives you Covid-19. WRONG!
mRNA vaccines are a new type of vaccine to protect against infections diseases. These vaccines teach our bodies how to make a protein which, triggers an immune response. After our cells make copies of the protein, our bodies recognize that the protein should not be there and build T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes (antibodies) that will remember how to fight the virus if we encounter it again (5).
The vaccine has a microchip in it and is made of questionable materials. WRONG!
There are 10 ingredients in Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine. Contrary to several conspiracy theories circulating online, a tracking microchip planted by the government to surveil the movements of Americans is not among them. Linked here is a list of the ingredients in case you’re interested, one is actually table salt, which I found interesting (6).
How I felt after my shot..
-After my 1st shot, my husband drove me home and I finished my work day remotely as I had been for the past year. I received my shot around lunch time and by the end of the work day my arm was quite sore at the site of injection. This seemed normal to me, as with flu shots and even allergy shots in the past, I had experienced the same discomfort. I went about my evening as usual but skipped the gym in an effort to allow my body to rest. In the evening I noticed the tenderness was quite annoying and sleeping on my left side was not going to be an option that night since it hurt so bad. My doctor had already confirmed I can take 2 Tylenol if I feel the need to so I did that and by morning I was as good as new.
-After my 2nd shot, my husband and I repeated the same routine and again I worked my usual hours until 6pm, but I did not expect the effects that came be within just hours of my 2nd dose. By evening I felt I had run a marathon or two, and my entire body was exhausted. I monitored my temperature and didn’t have a fever but I decided to eat a healthy meal and take 2 Tylenol before calling it an early night. The next morning, I woke thinking I would feel fine and that was my misconception. It felt like I had not slept but continued to run that marathon from yesterday; my legs, calves, and arms all ached. I tried to carry on with my day as usual but by lunch time I was so tired I needed to take a nap. Now being pregnant and tired/sleepy is not unheard of but usually I can get by with a quick power nap but that wasn’t enough this day. I ended up flexing my work hours (my company allows me to do so) so I can rest a bit more during the day and make up the missed work another day that week. My goal was (if possible) to keep a fever away, eat well, stay hydrated and get rest so that is exactly what I did. I also followed up with my doctor who assured me these symptoms were normal. The next day, less than 48 hours after my shot, I woke up feeling like nothing ever happened. I was quite surprised as I went to bed aching all over but my body had the time it needed to recover and I was finally through it.
Pros
Protecting myself from contracting virus.
Avoiding future pregnancy complications from contracting virus.
Baby potentially born with anti-bodies to COVID-19.
Setting a positive example for other moms-to-be.
Peace of mind (this may sound silly but it’s so valuable)
Cons
Unknown side effects based on body’s reaction.
Mental stress/anxiety about unknown side effects.
Discomfort/reactions from vaccine administration.
Questions to ask your doctor.
Do you think I am a good candidate for the COVID-19 vaccine?
What are the benefits of this vaccine?
Is there a benefit to get my vaccine after I give birth? How long should I wait after giving birth to do so?
Do you recommend one company over the others? J&J is one shot, where as Moderna and Pfizer are two.
What should I do if I don’t feel good after my vaccine?
What are the “typical” reactions to this vaccine?
Are there certain medications I can take if I don’t feel well that are pregnancy safe?
Moving forward.
Though I've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, I will keep taking precautions in public places like wearing a mask, keeping a safe distance from others, avoiding large crowds and washing my hands often. The vaccine may protect me but it doesn’t make me invincible.