Pregnant woman’s Covid-19 vaccine experience

Pregnant woman speaks out to encourage others to consider getting the jab.

A pregnant Nottinghamshire woman has spoken about why she chose to have the Covid-19 vaccine and her experience in a bid to encourage other pregnant women to consider getting the jab too. Olivia Saxton, 28, of Gedling, had her first vaccine at King’s Mill Hospital in January. She was eligible due to being a frontline health worker working in the maternity department.

At the time of her first vaccine she said she was apprehensive as she was trying for a baby. However, after speaking to a consultant she decided to go ahead and have the jab. She said: “A consultant at work explained to me there was no plausible way it could affect fertility so I went ahead as the pros outweighed the cons. I had a sore arm for 24 hours and then I found out we were expecting a baby two months later in March.” When she found out she was pregnant she decided to research about having the vaccine in pregnancy before going for her second appointment. After doing lots of research, Olivia, who is a mum-of-one, decided to go for her second appointment and had the second dose at 13 weeks pregnant.

She said: “I decided after some research that the benefits were better than the known risks of contracting Covid-19 in pregnancy. “Due to my job, I had personally seen women severely unwell with Covid-19 with caesarean section kits next to their beds in case the worst happened to them. This was sobering enough for me, alongside knowing that vaccines are given routinely in pregnancy. “There has been more than six months of data about the vaccines with no major risks outlined and there have been more than 100,000 women in America who have had the vaccines safely in pregnancy.”

Following both the vaccines, Olivia had a sore arm for 24 hours and after her second dose she had a mild headache. She said she wanted to have the vaccine to be protected at work as well as protecting her baby, patients and family. Olivia added: “We know the risks of getting Covid-19 in pregnancy and the effects can be devastating. It is more important to be protected. “The vaccine doesn’t cross the placenta so cannot hurt the baby. You can also pass on Covid-19 antibodies to your baby!”

Those eligible can walk into any of our vaccination sites to receive their jab or you can book an appointment by calling 119 or visiting the National Booking Website.

For more information on the Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy, you can speak to your community midwife or GP.