How bad was the winter/flu season in the rest of the world? Did you get a flu shot?

[Hobbermittens]

Oh holy crap, it was AWFUL in the U.S. this year! My son was born in October, so I was especially worried about the flu season this year, and I had my older kids, myself, and my husband all vaccinated to try to keep us all (and especially the baby) healthy. Well, we all got it anyway! Even the baby. Luckily we all did fine, but my 8 year old worried me--her fever got up to 104 for awhile and we ended up taking her to the E.R.

If what happened in th U.S. truly predicts your flu season, I would get vaccinated. I had two pregnancies through flu season, got vaccinated both times, and my kids are fine. I was pregnant in 2009 when the Swine Flu (H1N1) came through (it came to our town before the vaccine was released), and I caught it, and I was SO SICK! It was awful. I ended up getting th flu shot even after that, at my doctor's recommendation.

I really hope you can stay well this year!

[Bigwish]

In the netherlands we had an official epidemic back in november. I got ill for one week and it wasn't heavy. My kids were not ill, only chronically catched colds... Well, i think this year was less worse than 2011/2012 winter, besides the fact that winter is very long this year. It's already spring but tomorrow we'll have temperature around 0C. And with an eastern wind of 6 bft it feels like minus 8! Brrr!

In the Netherlands only the elderly and some risks groups will get an vaccination.

[RKT Mama]

I am in New Zealand so going into the same flu season and I have had it and wholeheartedly support all pregnant women to get it as well as the whooping cough vaccine.
Influenza kills otherwise completely healthy people and when you are pregnant your immune system is already suppressed plus your lungs are squashed by a baby. In 2009 the swine flu killed quite a few pregnant women and made others very sick in New Zealand so I am guessing the same in Australia.
I am also petrified that with 3 older kids plus 2 working parents the chances that someone will bring home the bug are pretty high, therefore my poor kids plus hubby are also being shipped off to the GP for flu vaccines and DH gets pertussis as well.
Making sure I am vaccinated plus breast feeding also provides protection when the baby is small because this kid will be dragged along from birth to whatever its brothers are doing.

The flu vaccine has been used safely for long enough that I am happy it poses no more risk to my baby than the chemicals I breathe and eat just by living in the 21st century.

At the end of the day you have to make the choice that works for you and your family because everything has both benefits and risks and you have to be happy with the decision you have made no matter how it turns out

[LO123]

Thanks Ladies for the comments, I am really torn. I booked an appointment today with our family doctor. I think I will also discuss it with her and see what she thinks. My Ob is totally for it which gives me some confidence but I would never forgive myself if something happened because I did or didn't have it.

[LO123]

Angle thanks for those links, very interesting. This what I had heard but haven't actually read it.

[Atsaukina1]

hobbermittnes- you would still get the vaccine again even though your whole family got it and then got sick as well??

[Hobbermittens]

hobbermittnes- you would still get the vaccine again even though your whole family got it and then got sick as well??

That's a good question. I am not sure. We typically get the shot every year, and this was the first year it didn't work. I know they just guess what strain they think will be the one that is going to be prevalent, and then build the vaccine for that, so I bet they just guessed wrong this year? Most years we don't get sick.

My daughter was really sick, but the rest of us had a much milder case (my older son didn't even have a fever). I was told that if you get the flu even if you are vaccinated, it helps lessen the severity and the duration of the illness.

[LO123]

Agree you can still get the flu but hopefully not as bad or even a different strain which the vaccine does not cover. The more I read the more confused I get. I am going to try and do everything I can to build my immune system but with a little one in child care it is very hard. I spoke to my Mum about it last night and she said if I have any doubt I probably shouldn't have it. She haven't really read into much so she said she do a little bit of research for me. Makes me feel a bit better, she said she will also come to the doctors with me to discuss it. I tried to talk to my husband about it but he is like what ever you decide, he is not good at making decisions like that.

[Butterfly Spirit]

Agree you can still get the flu but hopefully not as bad or even a different strain which the vaccine does not cover. The more I read the more confused I get. I am going to try and do everything I can to build my immune system but with a little one in child care it is very hard. I spoke to my Mum about it last night and she said if I have any doubt I probably shouldn't have it. She haven't really read into much so she said she do a little bit of research for me. Makes me feel a bit better, she said she will also come to the doctors with me to discuss it. I tried to talk to my husband about it but he is like what ever you decide, he is not good at making decisions like that.

I will just say this without getting into my own beliefs... Go With Your GUT!

[LO123]

I think your right, someone else said you need to be happy with your decision no matter what happens and I think I need to work that through and decide. Any doubt is some doubt.