At your preconception checkup, make sure to go over your vaccination history with your doctor. It’s especially important that pregnant women have up-to-date chicken pox (varicella) and rubella (German measles) protection, since these diseases can cause problems during the first or third trimester of pregnancy. Because both these shots are live vaccines—meaning they include all or part of a usually-weakened disease-causing organism—they’re not recommended during pregnancy. Some routine shots, such as the tetanus/diphtheria shot that adults are advised to have every 10 years, are considered safe during pregnancy, but it’s still smartest to get vaccinations up-to-date before you conceive.
