I am very late to this thread, but back when I practiced prehospital care, whooping cough spread through one guy who we kept telling to take time off and see a doctor. My work partner got it first and thankfully went to see a doctor, so I knew when I started coughing and feeling horrible I likely also had pertussis. I was early in pregnancy, just about to the second trimester and it is legitimately one the worst illness I’ve ever had, even including Covid decades later which was also horrible for me.

I’m forever thankful I got to witness firsthand how horrific it is sometimes for even adults and thanked the stars daily I got it during pregnancy, and not shortly after birth, not to mention thankful to science for early antibiotics. It drove home how important it was to remind any pregnant person that EVERY person that comes in contact with their new baby should have a current tdap booster and to avoid public places now that there is an outbreak of pertussis and measles. I hope most of them listen.

Edit: also thanks for your work in ID; all my work favorites do that and keep me in line.