News Moms Need

It’s the tail end of my pregnancy and I’ve been busy getting all sorts of things ready to welcome our second baby. One thing I recently crossed off my to-do list was to have all of us (my husband, our daughter and me) get our yearly flu vaccine to protect us from flu.

Getting the flu is more than just having the sniffles or a cough. I got the flu once several years ago and it completely wiped me out! I felt like I’d been hit by a truck. I had trouble breathing, no appetite, fever and chills, and was always exhausted even though I slept for most of the day. I was so sick that I never want to get the flu again!

It’s important for everyone to get the flu vaccine, but that’s especially true if you’re pregnant. That’s because you’re much more likely to have serious health complications from flu during pregnancy. Some health complications include miscarriage, preterm labor, premature birth or having a low-birthweight baby. In some cases, flu during pregnancy can even be deadly.

Don’t forget to have your partner and other children get their flu vaccine, too. Babies can get their first flu vaccine at age 6 months. But for us, our newborn baby will be too young to get his or her flu vaccine for much of this year’s flu season. So, the best way to protect our new baby and the rest of us from flu is to make sure the whole family gets the flu vaccine.

If you have any questions about getting the flu vaccine, talk to your health provider. Learn more about vaccinations during pregnancy and your baby’s vaccinations. Visit flu.gov for more information on flu.

Did you know that pregnant women are more likely to be hospitalized from complications of the flu than non-pregnant women of the same age?

Pregnancy increases the risk of complications of flu, such as bacterial pneumonia and dehydration, which can be serious and even fatal. Pregnancy also can change a woman’s immune system, as well as affect her heart and lungs. Getting vaccinated at any time during pregnancy is the best way pregnant women can protect themselves and their babies from the flu.

Recent research published in PLoS Medicine earlier this year also found that getting a flu shot during pregnancy may offer some protection from having a premature or low birth weight baby. The study looked at births in Georgia from 2004 to 2006 and found that pregnant women who received the flu vaccine and who gave birth during the October through May flu season were 40 percent less likely to have a baby born too soon.

The flu vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective. As an added bonus, during pregnancy, mothers pass on their immunity, protecting babies in those early months of life. Parents of children younger than 6 months should be vaccinated against influenza because these children cannot receive the preventive vaccine. Those who live with pregnant women or young children, or are in close contact with them, should be immunized. If you have a child who is 6 months or older, she should get a seasonal flu vaccine every year. The flu vaccine is safe for most children.

Make it a family affair. There is plenty to go around, so schedule your flu shots today.

Aside from helping to prevent the miseries of the flu, a flu shot during pregnancy may reduce a woman’s risk of delivering a premature baby. Every year, more than half a million babies are born prematurely in the United States. Since 1981, the premature birth rate has risen by 30 percent. Babies born just a few weeks too soon can face serious health challenges and are at risk of lifelong disabilities.
 
A new study reviewed data from over 4000 births over a two year time frame in the state of Georgia. Roughly 15% of pregnant women received flu shots. These women who delivered during flu season (defined as October through May) were on average 40% less likely to deliver prematurely, before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. During the peak flu season (January & February), vaccinated women were 72% less likely to deliver prematurely as opposed to unvaccinated women.  Additionally, babies born during peak flu season to mothers who were vaccinated were 69% less likely to be small for gestational age.

At other times of year (not flu season), the study found no association between flu vaccination and reduced premature birth. Because of this, the researchers believe that it is the vaccine that is offering this protection. And an earlier study found that getting the flu vaccine during pregnancy can even protect your baby after delivery.

When you’re pregnant, your immune system isn’t as quick to respond to illnesses as it was before pregnancy. Your body knows that pregnancy is OK and that it shouldn’t reject your baby. Your body naturally lowers your immune system’s ability to protect you and respond to illnesses so that it can welcome your growing baby. But a lowered immune system means you’re more likely to catch illnesses like the flu. Your lungs and heart are working harder to support you and your baby and this stress on your body also can make it more likely for you to get an illness like the flu. 

For these reasons, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians and the March of Dimes all recommend women get vaccinated against the flu during pregnancy.

A recent study published last month revealed that many pregnant women are not receiving flu shots, despite the fact that they are one of the primary target audiences to receive the vaccine, especially the H1N1.  Hey folks, this is important.

Did you know that pregnant women are more likely to be hospitalized from complications of the flu than non-pregnant women of the same age? Pregnancy can change a pregnant women’s immune system and affect her heart and lungs. These changes can increase the risk for complications from the flu.

Flu shots are generally considered safe at any stage of pregnancy. Almost all women who will be pregnant during flu season (November through March) should receive a flu shot. If that’s you, roll up your sleeve.  The only exception is pregnant women who are allergic to eggs because egg products are used to make the vaccine.

Pregnant women should get a flu shot, but avoid the nasal flu mist vaccine (LAIV). It is not approved for use by pregnant women.  Watch our video for more information.

All weekend long I kept asking myself, “what am I forgetting?” It was driving me crazy. I knew there was something I was supposed to do. Then I logged onto the computer this morning and it dawned on me. I forgot to write a blog post for Friday. DOH!  I hate to admit that I have a memory problem (especially to colleagues), but unfortunately this is just one out of a hundred examples that I can give about the mental fog that I’m in.

I almost forgot my wedding anniversary recently. Good thing he brought it up the day before and I had a chance to run out and grab a card. I walk into a room and completely forget what I was intending to do. I can never find my cell phone. I have to keep sticky-notes on the computer screen, frig and in my car to serve as reminders. Put gas in car. Buy diapers. Call sister for her birthday. Take baby for flu shot. If it’s not in writing it’s not getting done. I actually just remembered that there are wet towels in the washing machine from two days ago. Gross.

This wasn’t always the case. I was sharp once, or so I thought. I wonder if I ever will be again or is this it? I’ve done a little reading and although researchers can’t explain all the ways motherhood affects a woman’s memory, they agree it can happen. Plummeting hormone levels after delivery, fatigue, stress/anxiety, drastically changed priorities and breastfeeding might be the culprits.

I wanted to end this post with a funny story, but unfortunately I can’t think of one, so that’s that.  Have a good day and please feel free to share your favorite ‘momnesia’ moment.

A few weeks ago, I was having dinner with family when the topic of the flu, particularly the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine, came up. My in-laws (one is a mom, the other is a nurse) talked about their concerns with both the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu vaccines and whether or not they or their children should get them. I quickly realized that there’s a lot of misinformation floating around out there. To help get through all of the confusion, it might help to know the myths from facts.

Myth: You can get a cold or flu from the seasonal or H1N1 flu vaccine.
Fact: The flu vaccines CANNOT get you sick with a cold or flu. My in-law said that the last time her son got his seasonal flu vaccine, he got a runny nose and cough a few days later and had to stay home from school. But the truth is that the two situations are unrelated. The reason it’s called “flu season” is because lots of people tend to come down with the flu at around the same time period. In the case of my in-law, it’s most likely that her son caught a cold at around the same time he got his vaccine, but the symptoms didn’t show until a few days later.

Myth: The H1N1 vaccine hasn’t been tested enough, so it can’t be safe.
Fact: The H1N1 vaccine is made exactly the same way the seasonal flu vaccine is made every year. And the seasonal flu vaccine has been thoroughly tested for years. The H1N1 flu is simply a new virus strain. Millions of Americans get the seasonal flu vaccine each year without any problems. To be doubly careful, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the vaccine makers have conducted more rigorous tests on the H1N1 vaccine than they do on other flu vaccines. The clinical trials conducted have shown that the new H1N1 vaccine is both safe and effective.

That said, there are certain people who shouldn’t get the H1N1 vaccine. Generally, these are the same people who shouldn’t get the seasonal flu vaccine. For example, people with egg allergies shouldn’t get the flu vaccines because eggs are used to make both flu vaccines. Learn more by visiting the CDC Web site.

Myth: Getting the seasonal or H1N1 vaccine during pregnancy may be the reason I miscarried.
Fact: Sadly, miscarriages are more common than we think. Everyday, about 2,000 miscarriages occur. In fact, as many as 2 out of 5 pregnancies may end in miscarriage because many losses occur before a woman realizes she is pregnant. It’s common to want to understand why something like this happened.  But please know that getting the H1N1 vaccine doesn’t increase your risk of miscarriage or any other health-related event like heart attacks or strokes. It’s important to know that one event doesn’t necessarily cause the other. 

Remember: it’s very important that pregnant moms get both the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines. If you have questions, talk to your health provider. You can also submit a question to one of our health information specialists.