Covid vaccine and nursing

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Forum -> Coronavirus Health Questions

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amother

Sun, Aug 15 2021, 8:41 am

Has anyone asked their doctor if there’s any reason it wouldn’t be safe to vaccinate with Pfizer or Moderna while nursing ? Mine is on vacation.

amother

Royalblue

Sun, Aug 15 2021, 8:54 am

I spoke with a doctor before getting the vaccine and I don't think the doctor cared that I am nursing. I got my vaccines earlier this year, Jan-Feb.

There were two big side effects post-vaccine (other than a sore arm after the first and a general not feeling great for a few hours after the second dose):

1. I now produce antibodies for my baby, if I am exposed to coronavirus.
2. My baby started to get really social and interact with other people, "talking" etc., immediately after I received my second dose. (Baby was 5 months old and I was starting to worry, getting the vaccine solved it! Highly recommend.)

Jasmine13

Sun, Aug 15 2021, 9:03 am

The truth is that the doctors don't really know whether there will be any long term effects as nursing women were not included in any trials. Everyone has to make the best decision for them. Just know that there are currently no long term studies.

amother

Offwhite

Sun, Aug 15 2021, 9:07 am

There are no long term side studies at all that’s what makes the whole thing scary

amother

Apricot

Sun, Aug 15 2021, 9:07 am

Every dr I asked- pediatrician, OB, GP- all said it is overwhelmingly safe. As with any vaccine however, there is always a tiny chance of something happening. I am nursing and I’m on the fence. I may have to get the vaccine for work so I’m deciding whether or not to stop nursing when I get it.

ggdm

Mon, Aug 16 2021, 7:52 pm

I got the vaccine while nursing. The doctor said it might mess with my hormones temporarily or the baby may not like that the milk tastes different. It seems like antibodies get passed to the baby, but this is not really clear yet, as far as I understand. I know several others who got the vaccine while nursing and none of them said the doctor was concerned in any way.

challahchallah

Mon, Aug 16 2021, 7:56 pm

I got Pfizer while nursing at the strong recommendation of both the pediatrician and my midwife. I didn’t notice any changes in supply or with my baby, though I’m happy to have even a small chance of giving my child some immunity.

NotInNJMommy

Mon, Aug 16 2021, 8:03 pm

Hypothetically, if you (heaven forbid) got COVID, would you nurse your baby?

If one would nurse her baby while COVID positive, I cannot see why one wouldn't nurse after getting the COVID vaccine---which doesn't even have COVID in it. The spike proteins in the mRNA vaccine are the same spike proteins as the parent COVID strain.

amother

Mauve

Mon, Aug 16 2021, 8:09 pm

I got it while nursing. I asked my pediatrician about it and she said I should get it. She said there is no physiological reason why it would be harmful to the baby, and there is a good possibility you can pass along helpful antibodies to your baby to protect him/her.

amother

Grape

Tue, Aug 31 2021, 12:57 am

an israeli study done a few months ago showed that mothers vaccinated while breastfeeding DID overwhelmingly pass antibodies to their babies. of course, long term outcomes are not known, but passive immunity seems to have no known downside (such as Tdap, etc.). the only concerning thing to me, is that about 5% of the babies in that study got a fever after mom was vaccinated; some also had mild cold symptoms. it resolved quickly and was not thought to be an issue at all (the average age of babies in the study was about 10 months)- however, because of this, I would NOT vaccinate if you are nursing a baby under 12 weeks old. depending on your pediatrician, a baby younger than 8 weeks, or sometimes even up to 12 wks, gets an extensive workup if they spike a fever (bloodwork, chest xray, etc), including a spinal tap - which you obviously wouldn't want done unnecessarily. so if possible, would wait until the baby is over 12 weeks (if you feel you need it sooner to protect yourself and your family, there's always the pump and dump option).

Rabbit613

Tue, Aug 31 2021, 2:10 am

I got vaccinated when my baby was around a month old I was nursing. I didn't notice any side effects.

English3

Tue, Aug 31 2021, 2:35 am

Pfizer's insert says that they do not have enough safety studies yet on nursing mom's whether the spike protein goes through the milk.

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