Hey mamas, just wanted to share that I got my first shot today. I am 32w4d. Obviously I understand if anyone doesn’t want to get it, but also wanted to let anyone that’s curious to know why I decided to do this if it helps you at all.

I was able to get the Moderna shot, which, like Pfizer, is a messenger RNA vaccine.

I spent months of sleepless nights reading everything I could to make my decision, so here’s what that process was like for me:

1) I’m comforted to know that mRNA almost definitely doesn’t cross the placenta. From everything I’ve read, it breaks down so quickly that it might not even leave your arm.

2) This vaccine helps to block the spike on the coronavirus that we all heard was so unique to this COVID variant. All it’s doing is teaching your cells how to block this spike protein so that if you encounter COVID, it can’t take hold.

3) it doesn’t change your DNA.

4) I still have two months to go, and have heard horror stories of pregnant moms delivering early and going into shock from COVID, or delivering early with a COVID positive baby. Anecdotally one of my friends got COVID in the delivery wing of her hospital and brought it home to her husband and son after birth. The effects of COVID are still so severe for pregnant women.

Every woman has the right to make the choice of what’s best for her body and her life. I don’t expect everyone to feel how I feel. But if this helps you, I’m glad! And if you don’t want to get a vaccine while pregnant, that’s obviously your call and I wish you nothing but happiness and safety.