Pregnancy is a time when your physical health comes into greater focus. Since you found out you are pregnant, you’ve likely already made some significant changes in your lifestyle. You might’ve had to politely decline alcoholic beverages at parties before you made your big announcement. You may also be focusing on eating more nutritious meals and getting the recommended amount of exercise each day.
Expectant parents also have to make new choices with the pandemic, and one of your biggest decisions right now may be whether or not to get the COVID vaccine. Exploring how the pandemic affects pregnant women and their babies helps you stay informed about the best ways to protect your health.
What Are the Risks of Opting Out of the Vaccine?
All vaccinations come with risks, but the chance of having a serious side effect is low with the COVID-19 vaccine. Instead, you increase your risk for serious health events if you choose to remain unvaccinated. Sadly, the following facts highlight just how dangerous it is to be unvaccinated and pregnant in Georgia.
- Without the vaccine, you have a 38 times higher risk of being hospitalized with COVID in Georgia.
- In Georgia, you have a 60 times higher risk of dying from COVID-related complications if you are not vaccinated.
- Recently, Northside Hospital reported having three pregnant patients with COVID who were all in the ICU on ventilators.
Is the Vaccine Safe for Pregnancy?
Currently, there are no known adverse effects of getting vaccinated for COVID during pregnancy. Research up to this point also suggests that there should not be any concerns now that thousands of pregnant women have taken the vaccine without any problems.
We know that pregnant women are more susceptible to developing complications from COVID due to how the virus affects their bodies. If you catch COVID during pregnancy, you are at higher risk for having a pre-term birth, issues with the placenta, and requiring medical interventions such as ventilation that can impact your pregnancy.
What Side Effects Should You Expect After Getting Vaccinated?
If you’ve been on the fence about getting vaccinated, then you’ll be happy to hear that the side effects of the COVID vaccine are relatively mild in pregnancy. The most commonly reported side effect is some mild pain and swelling at the injection site. You’re probably already familiar with what this feels like if you’ve ever had a flu shot or blood drawn.
You may also feel some slight fatigue or develop a low fever after vaccination. These symptoms are easily treated at home with rest or cool compresses. If your fever reaches a certain point, we can also recommend a safe over-the-counter pain reliever that will help to bring it down.
What Else Can You Do To Stay Safe During the Pandemic?
The most important thing that we can tell you about staying safe is to get vaccinated. The pandemic is not a conspiracy, and the vaccine is the safest thing you can do to protect yourself and your unborn child. You’ll also want to continue to wear a mask in public, keep washing your hands and minimize your contact with people outside of your home who are unvaccinated. You’ve made it this far. Now, do your part to stay safe throughout the rest of your pregnancy.
At Roswell OB/GYN, you’ve got the perfect support network in place to help you make this critical decision. Your doctors and midlevel providers all recommend that everyone get the vaccine, including our pregnant patients.
If you still have any questions or concerns, then reach out to your provider today. We’ll help you make the best decisions for your health throughout the pandemic.
