Should I Get the COVID vaccine while Pregnant or Postpartum?
I don't know. Should you?! You could! You also could not! As more and more states are making pregnancy a part of the list of priority groups eligible for the vaccine, you may be googling this very question. Ooooooooof talk about a heavy hitter question. Or maybe it's not for you! Maybe you know exactly what side of the line you stand on. I commend you for your stability and unwavering stance. For those of us who are completely unsure, I wanted to give everyone some resources that I found to be helpful in making my decision.
I want to preface this blog before diving in, by saying that I (and everyone at Wyld Birth & Postpartum) completely honor, trust, respect and admire ANY decision you make. This is your life, your body, your baby, your choice. This is in no way to persuade you one way or another. As a Doula we simply give the facts and then support you without any judgement to make an empowered decision on your own! This is exactly the same. The facts, as we know now, and support you in whatever decision you make.
Another acknowledgement I want to make is that a lot (if not all) of the articles and resources that I am sharing use very gendered language. At Wyld Birth & Postpartum we use terms like "pregnant person" or "parent" instead of "mama". We also like to use the correct term of either breast / chest/ or body feeding and lactating parent rather than just breastfeeding. If you're curious why we use this language or want to chat more about that, we always love a good convo so give us a shout!
( hello@wyldbirthandpostpartum.com )
Lastly this blog is a mix of resources and articles for you and also my own personal experience. We are all on a different path, with different views, and different needs. So what I choose to do as a parent and with my body may not be what you choose to do as a parent and with your body and baby! All of that is valid and fair. Let's keep the "parent shaming" at the door with this topic. k!?
Okay - let's dive in. I am currently 31 weeks pregnant with my first babe and at first I completely wrote off getting the vaccine. It wasn't until I attended our Pregnancy Support Group (which meets the first Friday of every month for free via zoom) that I heard a few other pregnant folks saying that they were going to get the vaccine. It immediately made my ears perk up and I thought to myself, maybe I'm not giving this enough thought? Why was I writing this off completely? It began weeks of research, talking to midwives, nurses, doulas, other pregnant people, and those in postpartum. I won't bury the lead here, after doing all that research I decided to move forward and get the vaccine while pregnant. First dose is this Friday!
This decision though did NOT come easy and there were a lot of sleepless nights, crying breakdowns, pro and con list making etc etc. What swayed my decision? Making the pro con list definitely helped, talking with my care provider and looking at my risks to getting the virus all made me move toward the decision to vaccinate.
Below are links to articles that I found super informative and helpful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWhd1USextI
https://emilyoster.substack.com/p/vaccines-pregnancy-and-lactation
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-0173
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/covid19-vaccines-effect-on-pregnant-women-and-nursing-mothers/#x
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.23.21252328v1
https://www.thecut.com/article/science-advice-covid-19.html
Here are a list of resources / website to check out:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/433459851127376
A of a few accounts to follow on social media:
@dreverywoman
@dr.risahoshino
@profemilyoster
There is so much still coming out in terms of studies, articles, resources etc. This is nearly scratching the surface. If you have any resources, articles, accounts to follow, experiences we want to hear them! Send us an email ( hello@wyldbirthandpostpartum.com ) and we will have this be a continuous series of information.
I'll also keep a little diary of my experience getting the vaccine and share it with you all.
In the meantime I / we are here to support you. We trust you to make the best decision for you and your family, and we hope you are all staying safe and feeling well.
Until next time!
Signed,
A very tired & full of emotions pregnant person.
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