Did you know that most moms-to-be here in the United States get flu shots? (Well, last year it was 52%. But that’s still most!) Over the years we’ve fielded lots of questions about pregnancy, babies and flu shots in The Birthing Center. Here’s our top three questions with the answers we are happy to give.
Is the flu shot safe to get during pregnancy?
It’s not just safe – it will help you be safer. Even though you might think pregnancy would be a time when your body would have super defenses against illness, that’s not the way it works. A mom’s immune system is actually depressed while she is pregnant, so you are less able to fight things off. Because your cardiovascular system is working harder than usual, if you do get the flu, you are likely to get a worse case of the flu(symptom-wise) than you would have had when you weren’t pregnant. After all – your baby needs oxygen, and if your lungs aren’t working well, that’s not good.
Because the pregnant body can be so stressed in a bout with flu, it is safe to say (as the CDC does) “If you’re pregnant, a flu shot can help protect against premature labor and delivery.”
You know, if you have asthma flu shots are a very good thing as well. And most especially when you are pregnant.
How will getting the flu shot affect my unborn baby?
It can feel scary to put an unknown like a flu shot into your body while you are pregnant. But flu shots have changed a lot over the years.
Medical experts have taken the questions about flu shots very seriously, and there’s actually many different ways that the vaccine can be made. For a fascinating look at the many “flavors” of flu shots, click here.
Most flu vaccines are grown in hen’s egg-based medium. It’s been made this way for seventy years! If you have an allergy to eggs, talk to your doctor or midwife. They can get other kinds of vaccine for you. In fact, there’s a new vaccine that uses just the proteins for protection. It will be interesting to see how its use grows as the years go by – since we are not likely to see influenza viruses wiped from the face of the earth!
Because we can break viruses down into very small pieces (like right down to the proteins they are made of!) and our bodies will still recognize those foreign proteins, your baby’s system will recognize those proteins, and the antibodies you make will be circulating in your baby’s body as well. They are not infectious, and they are so small that they will actually circulate in your baby’s systems and help keep her safe even after she is born (up to around six months of age, when she will be eligible for her own flu shot).
As a lovely insurance policy, the breast milk you feed your baby will also be full of the antibodies you make when you get your flu shot. As flu season begins, and as it goes on, be smart.
There are people out there that will want to rub your belly, or touch your baby. These are people that don’t even know you, sometimes! So have a quick word ready – because, really? “Sorry, $50 per rub!” “Please do not touch my stomach.” “Please do not touch my baby.” (Consider wearing your baby in public instead of using the car seat in stores, etc. Most people won’t get right in your face to touch your baby. A hidden benefit of baby wearing.)
If everybody in town seems to be sick – don’t go out if you don’t have to. If you don’t feel so hot, stay home. (I know, I know – I had a sister whose philosophy was “Why would I waste a sick day staying home sick?” But don’t share the wealth when it’s sickness.)
Become a hand washing fanatic – and start noticing how often you rub your eyes or your nose or put your fingers in your mouth. If you can’t wash your hands with soap and water, become a hand sanitizer fanatic. I’m not talking about forever – after all, it’s good for our immune systems to fight off the little things. But influenza is no joke, and most especially when you are pregnant or when you are just new.
All the things you are doing to stay healthy during pregnancy and to grow a healthy baby – eating right, quitting smoking, keeping away from alcohol and drugs – will help you fight off whatever bug is going around. Getting your flu shot will help too. And not only will it help you and your baby – it will help our community to stay healthy as well.
For previous seasons’ rants about flu shots, click here.
You’ll notice they’re all from right around this time of year. That’s because I just got my flu shot along with all my co-workers here at The Birthing Center at BMH!