flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

I know that the flu can be very dangerous if you are pregnant so I guess Im leaning towards getting it but Im just so worried about getting sick or not feeling well from the shot itself. This pregnancy has been extremely rough for me and i have felt horrible for most of it..also seems like any pregnancy sympton comes my way. So I feel like I wont be escaping feeling sick from the shot and its just so hard for me to accept that i am knowingly doing something that is going to make me feel crappy. I cant miss anymore more at all- I took off so much already for being so sick and have no more days at all until materinity leave.

One of my best friends who is only 3 weeks ahead of me and also a pharmacist is getting it and also explained about how the virus is dead. So, I dont get why people feel crappy from the shot often.

What would you do in my situation?

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

i should have gotten it sooner- maybe i wouldnt be as sick as i am right now.

have you ever had it before? i never had a bad reaction to it. it's a risk-benefit analysis. being a little sick from the reaction is way better than taking the chance and being very sick from the flu!

you're going to get a range of opinions on this, you have to do what you and your doctor are comfortable with!

flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

Thank you for bringing this up... i have my level 2 tonight and knew there was a question that i wanted to ask my ob and couldnt remember what it was.

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

no, ive never gotten the flu shot in my life which is making this harder since this would be my first expereince. ive had the flu (when i was very young) but not really as an adult, although i have had extremely bad colds/soar throats and things like that, which are miserable. i dont think the flu shot protects against anything but a few strains of actual flu though...

i guess this would just be easier if i knew that i could take off of work if i get a little sick but knowing i cant scares me but then again of course if i have the flu, that scares me too and the not being able to take off of work things with the flu. i mean, honestly, if i HAD to take off i could, just wouldnt get paid and its super hard right now to not get paid, all while trying to save and already being overwhelmed thinking about not getting paid for more than half of my maternity leave and thinking about bills and mortgage and all the baby stuff we need to buy before and when baby arrives.

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

Dr told me last week to get it soon... like in the next couple weeks. I am confused though.... where do you get the "mercury" free one?

I am not a fan of the flu shot, have never done it and would prefer not to. But i guess i have no choice this year.

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

my doctor strongly recommends getting the flu shot and that you should get the Thimerosal-free
she said in the past pregnant ladies would get the regular flu shot but now that the option exists its the best bet

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

i am going to ask my friend tonight. she is a pharmacist and administers them. like i said shes also pregnant so im sure knows about mercury free and all of that. also read somethng about perservative free- will report back

flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

I've been miserably sick with everything in this pregnancy... got my flu shot a week ago and didn't have any problem with it.

flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

i just had my flu shot earlier today - it was my first time getting it and i, too, am nervous about getting sick from it. So far, i feel fine ::knock on wood::

I'm in a horrible situation financially with this pregnancy (my entire maternity leave will be unpaid) so i totally understand how much it would suck to need extra unpaid time off. but IMO, if you do end up getting sick, a few days unpaid is worth the risk of somehow hurting baby (if you got the flu now). You'll figure out how to financially make it work without that income and you'll be ok (let's face it, a few hundred dollars probably won't make or break the bank)

Obviously, that's just my opinion though - you need to do whatever you're most comfortable with.

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

Just got the flu shot AND whooping cough shot two days ago. I got the thimerisol free flu shot. The only side effect is that both arms are sore at the injection site but that's it. My OB promised me I would not get sick from it :)

flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

I've only gotten the flu shot when I was pregnant with DS (will be getting with this pregnancy too) and didn't have any side effects.

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

I got it last year at CVS. No side effects at all. I had nver gotten it before being pregnant. I will be getting it again this pregnancy.

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

I had it years ago and got a mild fever Ans aches. I got the shit at like 6pm and it started at like 10pm, took advil or Tylenol and was gone the next am. Not sure if it would be different being pregnant or because I haven't had it in so long. I need pertusses too.

Does the ob give these both or do I need to go to my pcp? I know I can get flu at cvs.

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

thank you all again. im almost 100% going to get it after thinking about it more and also speaking wtih my friend, the pharmacist.

the deal with the mercury free and the preservative free is this: if your pharmacy/doctor has stock of a large vile of the vaccine and then fills a shot with it for you, this means it has the preservative since it came from a large vile. if your pharmacy/doctor stocks individual viles of the vaccine already ready to go and give you the shot, then its preservative free.

most places are also mercury free. but be sure to ask.

make sure you trust the pharmacist you are getting the shot from so that you feel comfortable that its from an individual (preservative free) vile.

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

Message edited 9/20/2012 3:19:19 PM.

flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

My OB said i could go wherever as long as i got the preservative free single vial shot. She said most are mercury free anyway its the preservative free that we should be getting and the single vial shot is always preservative free.

She also said to take 2 tylenol before because my arm will probably hurt after.

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

hi just wanted to tell you that I got the flu shot at my 24 week visit. This was my first time ever getting it and i felt totally fine. The only thing it does do is ache for a few days on the shoulder but otherwise nothing else. I am soo happy I got it since it seems like everyone is getting sick around me.

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

I had an appointment with my doctor on 09/10 and he gave it to me then. I didn't feel much different.

Re: flu shot (sorry if there were other recent posts)

I've had the flu shot in the past and never had any issues beyond a sore arm. As said above, the virus in the shot is dead so there is no reason for a reaction (outside of an allergic one, but that's another story). I think what happens is sometimes a person gets it and happens to get sick (a bad cold or even the flu itself since the protection isn't 100%) shortly after then blame it on the shot. Just my theory though.