What it is
Babies cannot start most vaccines until two months. First, shots in pregnancy pass antibodies to the baby. ACOG and the CDC advise Tdap in every pregnancy at 27 to 36 weeks, a flu shot in flu season, and an RSV vaccine at 32 to 36 weeks between September and January. Second, cocooning: adults around the baby get their shots. The baby's own schedule, set by the AAP, starts with hepatitis B at birth, then shots at two, four, and six months. Without the pregnancy RSV vaccine, the baby can get an RSV antibody shot before her first winter.
What's typical
Whooping cough is most deadly under two months; about half of babies that age who catch it are hospitalized. After the two-month shots, a low fever and a sore leg for a day are common.
What's known
ACOG, the AAP, and the CDC agree on Tdap, flu, and RSV in pregnancy. Federal COVID vaccine guidance has shifted; ACOG still advises it. Federal and AAP baby schedules have also split on a few points since 2025. Ask your pediatrician which they follow.
What helps
- Tell grandparents and helpers now: Tdap once as an adult, a flu shot each fall, and stay home if sick.
- Feed or hold skin-to-skin during and right after shots.
When to call someone
- Nowafter shots, a rectal fever of 100.4°F or higher under three months, trouble breathing, or hives.
- Todaycrying over three hours after shots, or a cough with a whoop or gasping in anyone in the house.
- At your next visitschedule questions.
Who helps
Tools: Postpartum Prep Checklist · My Birth Team
Related
- Getting sick while postpartumPostpartum: Your Body
- Visitors and boundariesSupport, Home, and Village
- Grandparents and in-lawsSupport, Home, and Village
- Pediatrician visits in the first weeksBaby Basics
What mothers here say
No one has posted under this topic yet. The first experience here will help the next mother who searches for it at 2 a.m.
Experiences and questions are their authors' own, not reviewed advice. The topic's steward lists the ones that help most in a credited digest once there is one. Unusual experiences stay, with a note.
Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Maternal immunization committee opinion and RSV vaccination practice advisory
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Vaccines during pregnancy: Tdap, flu, and RSV
Sources are named, not yet linked. The steward verifies each one and adds the link.
Steward this topic
Birthworkers listed in our directory can claim a topic, verify its sources, and curate what mothers share here. Your name and credential go at the top of the page. Takes about an hour the first time.
Find your directory page