Tetanus and pregnancy

[mummymitzy]

Hi all
I am 36 weeks pregnant and am temporarily living in, and about to give birth, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am desperately seeking a bit of advice from BellyBelly members and experts on the following:
1: Is a Tetanus Vaccine safe during pregnancy?
(My Ob says it is routine and advisable)
2: My Doula says that I don?t need the vaccine, as there is a homeopathic remedy that can be administered if I contract the disease. Is she right?

[kelebek]

Hi mummymitzy,

I was about 6 mnths pregnant & on a sunday night stood on a nail, I had a tetnus shot at my local hospital. Interestingly I saw the dr who was on duty & not really a expert in this field, I asked if I needed to have it & as he explained the virus lives in dirt & is generally found in 3rd world countries so it isn't that common in Aus, he explained is some of these countries people give birth on dirt floors. He also explained as it had been over 10 years since my last tetnus shot this shot was a booster to protect me if I am exposed to the virus again, ie stand on nail etc... & if they thought that I contracted it then I would have to go onto antibiotics & a whole other regime. So as I am a little sceptical at first I said I didn't want the jab. I was sent home & got a call on the way home, apparently the dr spoke to the obstatrician (sp) who said that I should have JIC, so I went back & had the shot. I thought it about it later & thought I probably didn't need it but on the plus I didn't have any reaction & no affect on my little boy.
So to answer your question, in my case there was no adverse affects, in terms of homepathic remedies I don't know the answer to that.
GL with your decision & HTH

[mummymitzy]

Thanks njd
Glad to hear all went well with your little one.
I have a further question for you and it may jog your memory a bit, but, do you remember if the shot you received was the Tetanus vaccine on its own or was it the the type that also contains diphtheria & pertussis vaccination?

[kelebek]

It did include the diphtheria & pertussis & I was concerned about that as well but if I remember correctly when I asked if there is a vaccine just for tetnus he said there was & it was an oral dose but it contained the 'live' virus where as the combined shot didn't.