Sophia is an assistant practitioner within the Suffolk and North East Essex system. She is on maternity leave and is breastfeeding her daughter. Sophia tells us why she took the opportunity to get her COVID vaccination.
“When I received an email regarding booking my slot for the Coronavirus vaccination, I was breastfeeding my little girl, who at the time was only a month old.
“I had some concerns around having the vaccination whilst breastfeeding, due to the advice originally suggesting that it shouldn’t be taken by breastfeeding women. When this advice changed, I decided to do speak with my GP about it.
“After my GP provided me with the information that explained that it was safe for both me and my baby and after a few chats in several online breastfeeding groups I’m part of, I decided to go ahead and book my vaccine.
One of the reasons that people give for not getting their vaccination is the fact they are worried about the side effects. Sophia wants to reassure anyone that is worried about the side effects of the vaccine.
She said: “The only side effects I experienced were for around 48 hours, including feeling lethargic and the site of the vaccination feeling a little tender. These subsided quickly, and I have not had any long-lasting effects.
Sophia is looking forward to getting her second vaccination, safe in the knowledge it will be protecting her, her family and the people she will care for when she returns from maternity leave.
“I am so glad that I decided to have the vaccine; it has given me more confidence when going outside for walks, going to the supermarkets and seeing my support bubble.”
If you have any concerns about the vaccinations, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a chat with your GP, midwife or health visitor. They will be able to offer you informed advice, providing you with the information to decide whether having the vaccination is right for you.
“I was very unsure at first about having the COVID 19 vaccine because it hasn’t being around for long. I wanted to know the long-term effects and any potential immediate reactions.
“I spoke to my doctor, who answered my questions and recommended I be vaccinated to protect myself and those I care about (including my unborn baby). I had done a lot of research on the NHS website and my sister, who is a midwife, sent me information too. I came to the conclusion that I would rather get vaccinated then not get it done and put myself and my young family at risk, particularly given winter is coming and my daughter starts pre-school very soon. The deciding factor for me was learning the vaccine gives immunity to the baby too which made me want to do it even more!”
“Ordinarily I would have been first in the queue for the vaccine, but being pregnant I was very much ‘on the fence’. At first the advice was not to have it done anyway, so that made the decision for me.
“However, I had been keeping an eye on stats in America as they were vaccinating pregnant ladies. I had also seen that when rates increased massively in Brazil, they were advising pregnant ladies to be vaccinated.
“I kept an eye on research and studies as much as I could to make sure I was educated on the vaccination programme as much as possible. The general feeling was that COVID19, especially some of the new variants, were possibly dangerous to ladies particularly, within trimester 3. The advice then changed re vaccinating pregnant ladies with the UK and I had to make a decision.
“There were a few things that pushed me to making a decision and having the vaccine. I knew of someone first-hand that contracted COVID19 in trimester 3 of pregnancy and she ended up in intensive care, unable to breathe because of her bump and the virus. She had to have an emergency c-section and baby was taken into intensive care but in another hospital. Her baby was also delivered 10 weeks early! Her baby is fine now, but she had to be on oxygen for the first couple of months. I did not want to go through this for myself or my baby. I had also had a couple of days where I had suffered with a migraine. Because it had been a few days I called the assessment unit just to chat through symptoms, as it may have been a change in my blood pressure. While on the call the midwife I spoke to chatted to me about the vaccine. This was the first time a professional had talked to me very much pro the vaccine for pregnant women and she was very helpful. Until then my GP and midwife had just said “It’s your choice”, which personally I hadn’t found too helpful.
“It had been super easy to get vaccinated and find a vaccination centre. I didn’t have to wait forever for an appointment with my GP, I could book an appointment online at an array of local centres. I booked both in advance and my first was at a clinic in a shopping centre local to me. I then had my second yesterday at Colchester Zoo! There was a bus outside the zoo offering the vaccination, so I went over and asked if I could have mine after visiting the zoo. I was already booked in for next week, but they were able to pull this forward for me.
“The team were incredibly professional and the nurse that did my vaccine was lovely and she even wished me luck with my baby when she finished her shift. I was the last person to be jabbed for the day but they still made sure I was happy and felt ok after my jab. It’s such a fab idea to have a vaccine bus at key attractions as then you attract those like me keen to get their jabs sorted but also those who may have not got around to it for one reason or another.”
