Should I have the MMR booster or not?

[kittiecat]

So found out that I'm not immune to rubella anymore so was booked in to have the first booster on Monday & had been advised not to conceive for a month after each booster (I have to have 2 four weeks apart). We had unprotected BD today. I'm on CD13 and ovulated CD15 last cycle so I don't know whether to take the risk & still have my booster on Monday and make sure we don't have any more unprotected BD or whether I should cancel it and rearrange. I'd rather not have to rearrange though as that means beginning our 2 months not TTC all over again. I feel it's highly unlikely that one time would get me pregnant after 18 months TTC but not sure whether I should risk it. Any advice?

 

[DobbyForever]

What was your doctor and gyn's advice? Because I would put my stock in them. I'd probably wait this cycle out then get it, but that is a tough. What is the danger to a fetus?

 

[kittiecat]

Well my letter said it was advised not to conceive a month after the injection. Reading up on it the risk is more theoretical than actually proven and they worry it can cause miscarriage & possible deafness or other defects in the foetus. But they did studies on pregnant women who had the vaccine when they didn't know they were pregnant & none of them suffered any effects. So the advice is more precautionary. I'm tempted to still have the booster tbh as highly doubt one time will land me pregnant after all these months of TTC but then again it could happen and is it worth the risk? I hate needing these boosters & having to take 2 months out of TTC. Feels kinda heartbreaking after being at this so long.

 

[DobbyForever]

Hugs. That's the worst. What will they have you do if you get pregnant this cycle? I know you aren't feeling optimistic, but just wondering. And the faster this gets out of the way, the faster you can go back to ttc. I have to wtt a couple months after this month, too. For work. So I know it sucks, but a healthy baby needs a healthy momma.

 

[jessmke]

There are many women on this forum who can tell you true first hand stories about contracting rubella while pregnant and having a baby with birth defects. I'm not sure what studies you were reading or what country you are in, but here in Canada it is considered a real risk and not a theoretical risk. If it were me I would reschedule the appointment for your booster for right around when AF is due to be on the safe side. I found out that I am not immune after I already got pregnant, so I couldn't get the booster. My OH works at the Children's Hospital, and although rubella is extremely rare here in Canada, there was a hospital wide memo sent to the entire staff to let them know that my OH is not under any circumstances to be called in for a case of rubella (whether suspected or confirmed) because of the potential risk of him bringing the infection home to me.

 

[kittiecat]

I wasn't talking about the risk of catching rubella I was talking about the risk of having the injection of Monday when I've just had unprotected BD around O time as I was advised not to conceive a month after. I know catching rubella when pregnant is extremely serious. What I was talking about were risks from the vaccine which aren't proven.

I've decided to have my first booster on Monday & if I do turn out to be pregnant in 2 weeks time then I obv won't have the 2nd. Thing is you can have your boosters & still be non immune to rubella as some people just don't respond to it. I had my MMR jab as a baby & a booster at my primary school as there was a nasty outbreak of measles in my area & I'm still non immune to rubella so for all I know I may not respond anyway. But we'll see!

 

[kittiecat]

I don't want to reschedule my booster cause of one episode of unprotected BD which I'm pretty sure won't have gotten me pregnant as I was still two days away from O & showered right after etc. I know it could still be possible but I doubt it when my DH & I clearly aren't the most fertile people around . But yeah the risks from the vaccine itself aren't proven and all the advise I read said that if you do fall pregnant right after having it or unwittingly had the vaccine when pregnant then the likelihood is that everything will be fine.

 

[DobbyForever]

Oh kitty. Hugs. Two days before O is actually a pretty sweet spot of timing. I got pregnant once that way, with a condom that broke, and showered the heck out of myself. So stranger things have happened.

I think it is a lot of theoretical guessing is why I am hesitant to give you advice. It doesn't sound like the research has been done. Are you googling or using Google scholar? For something medical and this serious, I would stick to medical journals not word on the street.

If it is safe to have while pregnant, wait to see if you are pregnant then get it asap. If you aren't pregnant yet, get is as soon as you get af. It'll all work out

 

[kittiecat]

They won't do it when pregnant hence why I think it's best I get the booster on Monday. They've done studies on people who had the vaccine when pregnant & there were no adverse effects but they advise against having it when pregnant as a precaution x

 

[jessmke]

The concern is because it is a live vaccine, meaning that you are being administered a weakened live virus. Your immune system fights of the virus and you develop immunological memory to the virus, which is how you develop immunity. Most people don't show any symptoms of the disease, but many people do show mild symptoms after being administered this type of vaccine. I would not want to take the risk of being administered the rubella virus even in a weakened state, while possibly pregnant, but obviously everyone views risk differently!

 

[DobbyForever]

True true. It really sounds like a personal choice. What is worth or not worth the risk. You have to trust your gut on this one.

 

[kittiecat]

The concern is because it is a live vaccine, meaning that you are being administered a weakened live virus. Your immune system fights of the virus and you develop immunological memory to the virus, which is how you develop immunity. Most people don't show any symptoms of the disease, but many people do show mild symptoms after being administered this type of vaccine. I would not want to take the risk of being administered the rubella virus even in a weakened state, while possibly pregnant, but obviously everyone views risk differently!

Thing is if I have it Monday that's my likely O date so I won't even be pregnant when I have it. If it was later in my cycle I wouldn't risk it but since I won't actually be pregnant I don't see it as that much of a risk. I can understand why others would choose not to though

 

[DobbyForever]

I thought you were already in the TWW. Totally misread the initial post. I would go ahead and get it honestly. My second pregnancy, I had a HUGE cyst on my ovary. The cyst was big which delayed O which is how I ended up pregnant (thought I was at my least fertile time/ AF was due), but I tend to have pregnancy related cysts so it just exploded in size. They found the cyst and pregnancy at the same time, 5 weeks. We hoped it would just resolve. But at 9 weeks, it was clear the cyst wasn't going anywhere and was honestly just a large as the ovary. My doctor looked at me and said the surgery for the cyst would end my pregnancy, I could (under medical advisory) terminate the pregnancy to see if it would reduce the hormones enough so the cyst might resolve on its own, or crossed my fingers it didn't rupture and take my ovary with it. Making that choice was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. And, while maybe not likely, is it something you are willing to face if you forgo the vaccine, get pregnant in the meanwhile, and then contract rubella or measles or whatever the other m stands for?

 

[kittiecat]

Yeah I'd rather have the vaccine now tbh. The risk of not having it and then being pregnant this cycle and then contracting measles, mumps or rubella is greater tbh. Case of weighing it up!

 

[DobbyForever]

And who knows. Maybe you end up having the best of both worlds if there isn't any concrete evidence to support it having negative effects. Doctors have to say stuff like that in case anything happens. They would be liable if they didn't tell you. It's like doing a Spartan Race. People rarely die, but if they don't tell you that you could die and then you manage to get yourself killed they would be i big trouble.

 

[kittiecat]

Yeah. From what I've read if you do have the vaccine & are pregnant within a month after they just monitor you a little closer but we'll see. I'd be surprised but over the moon to be pregnant from that one time!

 

[kittiecat]

And I'm sorry btw that you were faced with that decision. That must have been extremely difficult

 

[DobbyForever]

Well I will be keeping my fx for you!!! And thank you. I've come to terms with it, but it definitely was not fun. Wouldn't wish it on anyone.

 

[kittiecat]

Ugh having to rearrange my appt now to an evening one. Hopefully they can do it in next couple of days or I won't feel so happy getting it done.