What You Need to Know About Pregnancy & the Flu Shot

on November 14, 2011 at 6:00 AM

At my second doctor's appointment, when I was only about eight weeks pregnant, my midwife told me that I should get a flu shot -- that day. I quietly mumble-asked her if it was safe, not wanting to insult her expertise, and she chirped, "Oh, yeah," as she pricked me in the arm with a needle.

Being the semi-neurotic person that I am, that day I spoke with a million people and Googled for hours on end, and it turns out, my midwife (obviously) was right. Flu shots are perfectly fine for pregnant women, actually recommended.

Here are five things you should know about the flu shot and pregnancy.

Why should pregnant women get a flu shot? According to the Mayo Clinic, the reason flu shots are recommended for women who are with-child is because pregnancy puts extra stress on the heart and lungs -- and it also affects the immune system. Because of this, the risk not only of getting the flu while pregnant increases, but the odds of developing serious complications, such as pneumonia and respiratory distress, does as well. These factors increase the risk of premature labor, preterm birth, and other pregnancy complications.

Flu shots can also help baby. In addition to being beneficial to expectant moms, flu shots can help protect baby after birth. Infants have a high risk of complications from the flu, but flu vaccines can't begin until 6 months. If you get a flu shot during your pregnancy, the antibodies you develop will pass through to the placenta. In turn, your baby will help to be protected from the flu.

Don't ditch other preventative actions. Your odds of catching the flu are drastically decreased if you get a flu shot, but doesn't mean you should go hugging people who already have it. Be sure to wash your hands often, drink lots of fluid, keep antibacterial gel handy, and clean often-touched surfaces frequently.

Let your doctor know if you have an egg allergy. Sometimes flu vaccinations can contain a very small amount of egg protein, which, obviously, isn't good for people with egg allergies. For the most part, it's perfectly fine to still get the shot, but the best bet is letting your health care provider know.

Request the flu shot, not the flu spray. Needles are never fun, but the nasal spray vaccine shouldn't be used on pregnant women. The shot is made from an inactivated virus, so it's okay for both mother and unborn baby at any point in pregnancy. The spray is made from a live virus, which makes it less safe during pregnancy or when you're trying to conceive.

So, all it takes is asking a few questions and taking a few precautions, but the flu shot is perfectly safe -- and advisable -- while pregnant.

Are you getting a flu shot this season?

Image via lu_lu/Flickr

About the author Nicole Fabian-Weber

has the world's most gorgeous dog. It's a fact.

ChicHippie

on Nov 14, 2011 at 6:17 AM

My obgyn said he doesn't recommended them during pregnancy... This coming from a man that would give you a pill if your toe hurt. Food for thought.

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tyrelsmom

on Nov 14, 2011 at 6:49 AM

Flu shots are listed as a Class C drug for pregnancy. I don't take any other Class C's, and wouldn't unless for extreme circumstances. The flu shot is no different.
Oh, and 4th full term pregnancy without a flu shot and never had the flu during pregnancy once.

Nonmember comment from D

on Nov 14, 2011 at 6:57 AM

This is the most ignorant article I have ever read! I'm so glad you got your information from google because everything you read on the internet "must be true". You're not even supposed to take Advil when you're pregnant or dye your hair or even eat deli meat but you'll let a doctor stick you with a needle full of poison and chemicals and claim it's "helpful" for your baby? I would NEVER!

whitebreads

on Nov 14, 2011 at 7:23 AM

Here we go. In come the neohippie anti vaccination movement. I got my flu shot late in my second trimester. I dont regret it. In fact I get one every year and have had no issues. Unfortunately this system oversimplifies the issues relevant to prescribing a medication to a pregnant patient. The FDA doesn't really address the risk of not treating a disease versus the risks of the medication,don't assume that a class B drug is safer for human use than a class C drug when there may be no human studies available to support the assumption. The bottom line is that if you don't want one don't get one. Acting holier than thou about abstaining when there is conflicting research across the board just makes you look like an ass.

Krsnavywife09

on Nov 14, 2011 at 7:27 AM

I didnt get a flu shot with either pregnancies and my first they suggested it with my second at a military ob they wouldnt leave me alone about it even tryed to say my baby could die if i didnt and i said id take the risk ive never had a flu shot in my life and dont plan on having it i gave one to my first born when he was a year old cuz his grandparents pressured me well he had a serious reaction coughing 103 fever vomiting and diarrhea i felt horrid and will never ever do that again!

on Nov 14, 2011 at 8:03 AM

Nonmember D- maybe it wouldn't kill YOU to do some research.

While it is true that you should not take ibuprofen while pregnant, hair dye and deli meats are completely up to the individual. There is NO conclusive evidence that supports the theory that dying your hair will harm your pregnancy.

Don't even get me started on deli meats. The *fresh (not prepackaged) kind are perfectly safe to eat at a smoking temperature. Don't believe me? Take it up with the CDC unless you doubt their information on listeria.

on Nov 14, 2011 at 8:23 AM

Whitebreads. I am neither a hippie nor anti-vaccine but common sense tells me it's probably not a good idea to allow myself to be injected with multiple toxins while growing a delicate life in my body.
You know what makes someone look like an "a**" as you put it? Writing a one sided article giving other pregnant women medical advice based on "facts" from google and then claiming at the end of the article that getting a flu shot while pregnant is perfectly safe when the writer didn't have enough forethought to do their research before they got one. My point is that the writer probably doesn't have a medical degree and shouldn't be giving out such irresponsible medical opinions without at least including the risks. And as eye rolling as the neo hippie/anti-vaccine people may seem...the "vaccine or die" attitude is as equally annoying.

jagamama0710

on Nov 14, 2011 at 8:35 AM

Acting holier than thou about abstaining when there is conflicting research across the board just makes you look like an ass.

And what are you doing by calling anyone who doesn't get a flu shot a neo-hippie?

I am hardly anti-vax. I vax my children based on each vaccination and on a different schedule, but most vaccines they do get. However, we don't do the flu shot because I feel it's not worth it for our family.

mom2monsterboys

on Nov 14, 2011 at 8:46 AM

I've never had the flu shot and neither has my children. We will prob never get one, I just don't feel as though its a neccesary shot to have. Not a big deal though, to each their own! Get it or don't get it, that's your descision and you've made it for a reason :)

on Nov 14, 2011 at 9:16 AM

Whitebreads. I'm well aware that heated deli meats are safe to eat and should have been more specific in my first post. I also think that this is common knowledge among most pregnant women. The vaccine issue however is not...it is a HUGE gray area. I have no reason not to "believe you" and have no interest in having a debate with the CDC about deli meats.