Are you pregnant, breastfeeding, or intending to get pregnant? If so, you’re driven to know everything there is to know so that you can be the very best Parent and ensure your baby is healthy. The Birth Center; Holistic Women’s Health Care has partnered with The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) to make sure you have all the facts to make the right decision about getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

 

 

For starters, the COVID-19 vaccine is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding individuals as well as people who may get pregnant. Secondly, data suggests that the benefits of getting the vaccine outweigh any known or potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy. In fact, pregnant and recently pregnant people have a higher chance of hospitalization after contracting COVID-19. They also have an increased risk of severe COVID-19 with significant implications for both maternal and fetal health. Protecting yourself with the vaccine is an important step to take — and one recommended by leading Midwifery and OB-GYN organizations.”

 

 

Evidence about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine is growing:

 

 

  • There is no evidence the vaccine causes problems during pregnancy or increases risk of miscarriage.
  • There is no evidence it causes loss of fertility.
  • The vaccine cannot make anyone sick with COVID-19 — not you, not your baby.
  • Once vaccinated, your body can pass on antibodies through your placenta and breast milk that can help protect your baby from COVID-19..
  • Pregnant women have not reported side effects different from those experienced by anyone else getting the vaccine. 

 

You can also call 1-833-643-1715 or email vaccine@delaware.gov. Locations offer walk-in and by-appointment COVID-19 vaccines.

 

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant one day, (or love someone who is!) remember that getting the COVID-19 vaccine protects the health of both the pregnant person and their baby.

Have more questions? Talk to your midwife at your next visit!

Thank you for joining us in helping all new parents and parents-to-be know the facts and get vaccinated.

Looking for more reading material to help you make an informed decision about the COVID-19 vaccination? Here are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information pages on the COVID-19 vaccine for people who are pregnant, lactating, or hoping to become pregnantHere is the most recent statement from the CDC on the risks of severe COVID-19 in pregnancy and the importance of vaccination.  Here you can read a joint statement about the COVID-19 vaccine from more than a dozen healthcare organizations, including the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Here you can read the statement from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on the COVID-19 vaccine