Choosing vaccination while breastfeeding (or pregnant) | Northfield Hospital & Clinics

Jump to Main Content

Home

  • Patient Login
    • Login or Create Account to MyHealth Info
    • Historical Portal (records before June 28, 2022)
    • Pay My Bill
    • Learn more about MyHealth Info
  • Find Location
  • Find a Doctor
  • Contact us
  • MyHealth Info
  • Donate Now

Search form

Get Care Today
  • Locations
    • Immediate Care
      • Urgent Care Lakeville
      • Urgent Care Northfield
      • Northfield Hospital
      • eCare
    • Primary Care Clinics
      • Faribault Clinic
      • Farmington Clinic
      • Kenyon Clinic
      • Lakeville Clinic
      • Lonsdale Clinic
      • Northfield Clinic
    • Specialty Care
      • Birth Center
      • Breast Care Center
      • Cancer Care & Infusion Center
      • Eye Physicians & Surgeons
      • Home Care
      • Hospice Care
      • Long Term Care Center
      • Rehabilitation Services – Lakeville
      • Rehabilitation Services – Northfield
      • Orthopedic Clinic
      • Sleep Center
      • Surgery Center
      • Women’s Health Center
      • Wound Healing Center
    Map & Directions
  • Providers
  • Services

    View All Services

    • Highlighted Services
      • Birth Center
      • Cancer Care
      • Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)
      • Family Medicine
      • Orthopedics/Sports Medicine
      • Pediatrics
      • Pregnancy Care/Obstetrics
      • Surgery
      • Urgent Care
      • Women's Health - OB/GYN
      • Wound Healing
      • Classes + Events
    New Birth Center!
  • About
    • Careers
      • Careers
      • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Job Shadow/Clinical Rotation/Internship
      • Credentialing
    • About Us
      • News
      • History
      • Administrators
      • Board of Directors
      • Mission Vision Values
      • Annual Report
      • Quality Measures
      • NH+C Magazine
      • Donations to Non-Profits
      • Patient Stories
      • Hospital Auxiliary
    NH+C Overview
  • I want to ..
    • Find a Doctor or Provider
    • My Health Info Login
    • Get Directions
    • Pay my bill
  • Get Care Today

NH+C has COVID-19 vaccine for everyone age 5 and older. Call to schedule: 507-646-8019.  COVID-19 Vaccine Information 


Get the latest COVID Information including VISITOR RESTRICTIONS.

Choosing vaccination while breastfeeding (or pregnant)

Tags
Birth Clinics Community Women’s Health

Choosing vaccination while breastfeeding (or pregnant)

Jessica Bohren is a certified nurse midwife . . . and a breastfeeding mom. Here’s what her COVID vaccination experience was like.

“It was a really hard decision for me to get vaccinated while breastfeeding. My original plan was to wait another month or two as more people got vaccinated, so I could see that everyone was doing okay with it.”

“I knew that I wanted to, for a lot of different reasons. My baby would get antibodies from my immunity, through my breast milk. My husband and I both work and our baby is in daycare, and his classroom had been shut down twice for potential COVID exposure. I wanted to do anything I could to protect him.

“The other big reason was to see family. The few times we did get together with them (outside, with precautions), we were the dangerous family – potentially exposing them to COVID. We were risking everybody.

“I had minor side effects with my first dose, slight pain at the injection site for a few hours and a bit of a headache; then with the second dose about a week of fatigue and some nausea.

“The vaccine had no impact on my breast milk supply, and my son was fine, not fussy or anything. I found that reassuring.”

Jessica helps patients think through their decision, too.

“I totally understand the hesitation. When I talk with patients who are pregnant, we talk about benefits and risks, balancing everything we know about getting COVID in pregnancy: pregnant women have a higher risk of pre-term birth, and are much more likely to get much sicker, and potentially end up in ICU. And if you get COVID while breastfeeding, now you have to take care of a baby while you’re sick, and deal with masking and precautions while caring for your baby.

“I realize it’s a really hard decision, but I do recommend getting vaccinated, both in pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

“I chose to get vaccinated to get back to normal life and end this pandemic. I know this is the only way out.”

Jessica Bohren, APRN, CNM is a certified nurse midwife at NH+C. She sees patients in the Women’s Health Center and delivers babies in the Birth Center at Northfield Hospital.

Photo credit: Tracie Bea Photographie

Contact Northfield Hospital + Clinics

General: 507-646-1000
Patient Billing: 507-646-1399
Contact Us
Email Sign up

Patient Advocate

To provide feedback or share a concern, email us, call 507-646-1509 or complete a Grievance Form.

Get Involved

Volunteer or apply to join the Patient and Family Advisory Council.

Find

  • Doctors & Providers
  • Emergency Department
  • Urgent Care

Connect With Us

FacebookInstagram

Resources

  • Pay My Bill
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Request Medical Records
© 2022 Northfield Hospital & Clinics. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Notice of Privacy Practices | Website Privacy Policy | NHC Login
Non-Discrimination Statement | Accessibility Statement | Download Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Main menu
    • Locations
      • Immediate Care
        • Urgent Care Lakeville
        • Urgent Care Northfield
        • Northfield Hospital
        • eCare
      • Primary Care Clinics
        • Faribault Clinic
        • Farmington Clinic
        • Kenyon Clinic
        • Lakeville Clinic
        • Lonsdale Clinic
        • Northfield Clinic
      • Specialty Care
        • Birth Center
        • Breast Care Center
        • Cancer Care & Infusion Center
        • Eye Physicians & Surgeons
        • Home Care
        • Hospice Care
        • Long Term Care Center
        • Rehabilitation Services – Lakeville
        • Rehabilitation Services – Northfield
        • Orthopedic Clinic
        • Sleep Center
        • Surgery Center
        • Women’s Health Center
        • Wound Healing Center
    • Providers
      • Patient Information
        • Request Medical Records
        • Patient Forms
        • Advance Care Planning
        • When You Have Concerns
        • Patients' Bill of Rights
        • Non-Discrimination Statement
      • Billing & Insurance
        • Price Estimate / Price Transparency
        • Accepted Insurance Plans
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • I don't have insurance
        • Understanding Insurance
        • Financial Assistance/Charity Care
        • Patient Financial Services
      • Support Resources
        • Support Groups
        • Hospice Care
        • Patient Advocate
        • Patient and Family Advisory Council
        • Interpreters/Language Assistance
        • Social Work Services
        • Medication Disposal
        • Ethics Committee
        • Aging and Disability Resources
      • Northfield Hospital
        • Preparing for Your Stay
        • Tobacco-Free Campus
        • Northern Lights Cafe
        • Gift Shop
        • Visitors
        • Assistance at Home
        • Map of Hospital Campus
    • Services
      • Highlighted Services
        • Birth Center
        • Cancer Care
        • Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)
        • Family Medicine
        • Orthopedics/Sports Medicine
        • Pediatrics
        • Pregnancy Care/Obstetrics
        • Surgery
        • Urgent Care
        • Women's Health - OB/GYN
        • Wound Healing
        • Classes + Events
    • About
      • Careers
        • Careers
        • Volunteer Opportunities
        • Job Shadow/Clinical Rotation/Internship
        • Credentialing
      • Classes + Events
        • EMR/EMT/CPR Courses
        • Learn CPR
      • Hospital Auxiliary
      • About Us
        • News
        • History
        • Administrators
        • Board of Directors
        • Mission Vision Values
        • Annual Report
        • Quality Measures
        • NH+C Magazine
        • Donations to Non-Profits
        • Patient Stories
        • Hospital Auxiliary
      • Health Resources
        • Chemical Health Resources
        • Fall Prevention
        • Medication Tracker
        • Mental Health Resources
        • Protect From Infection
        • Aging and Disability Resources
      • HealthFinders
      • Meals-On-Wheels
      • Northfield Healthy Community Initiative
      • Be Prepared
    • I want to ..
      • Find a Doctor or Provider
      • My Health Info Login
      • Get Directions
      • Pay my bill
    • Get Care Today