Pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson tells you how.

If you get a flu shot when you're pregnant, you can protect your newborn from the flu for up to six months after birth, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"This is a very interesting study, because influenza is a leading cause of hospitalization and a potentially fatal illness in young infants," says pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson. "A child needs to be six months old before he or she can receive a flu vaccine. This means that babies zero to six months old cannot be immunized, even if their parents wish to."

That's where this study comes in. "If a pregnant mother is vaccinated against the flu in her third trimester and then delivers a baby just before or during the flu season, there seems to be protection passed onto the infant," Dr. Cara continues. "This could translate into a significant decrease in infant morbidity and possibly mortality from influenza."

Why not give it a shot?