I have received several emails inquiring as to what our family has decided in regards to vaccines. As we prayerfully evaluated which route would be the best for our family, we found the following resources to be extremely helpful. I do not desire to raise a debate, nor am I any sort of doctor, but rather my desire is to share some interesting resources. It is important for each of us to make an informed decision!
The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child by Dr. Sears is a very informative and balanced approach on all the different types of vaccines. The Vaccine Book is divided into 19 chapters. The first 12 chapters are each devoted to a different vaccine. Within each vaccine chapter, Dr. Sears discusses:
- What the disease is
- When the vaccine is given
- How the vaccine is made
- What ingredients are in the vaccine
- What are the side effects of the vaccine
- Should you give your baby the vaccine (including both reasons for and against, as well as travel considerations)
- The way Dr. Sears sees it
According to Dr. Sears, the main concern currently is the addition of aluminum to certain vaccines. Mercury was removed since 2002 with the exception of the flu shot and trace amounts in a few vaccines, but aluminum and other chemicals (including formaldehyde) remain…
“With aluminum, just as with mercury, if you give a baby too much all at once, it’s toxic to the brain, and we know that’s a fact. The worry is that no one has ever determined what a safe level of aluminum is for human infants. A lot of research shows 99 percent of the aluminum you swallow passes right out of your body through the digestive system. But when it’s injected, it goes straight into the body.
Now that six out of the 12 vaccines we use for babies have aluminum and we give as many as four of those all in same day, we need to stop and study how much actually is safe for babies. Until we know that, parents can vaccinate with my schedule, which only allows one aluminum-containing vaccine at each visit instead of getting all four at once. ” (Dr. Sears’ schedule is found in the back of his book)
Strongly encourage you to check this resource out! I am currently working my way through it and it has provided a valuable introduction to vaccinations while helping us make an informed decision in regards to each one.
My husband and I have decided we would like to take our time in introducing vaccinations and then on a selective vaccination schedule. We consider them important before taking any overseas mission trips in the future with our children. We have not vaccinated Karis at all as of yet, and feel more at peace with this current status especially after reading Dr. Sears share how breastfeeding your children and avoiding day cares/nurseries is the safest way to avoid these diseases:
“If your baby is breastfeeding, his chance of catching any of these illnesses is greatly reduced. [He encourages breastfeeding for the first two years, if possible, for this reason.] Breast milk has antibodies that coat the lining of the nose, lungs, and intestines, so most germs that get inhaled or swallowed are killed…Placing a young baby in a group day-care setting significantly increases a baby’s risk of encountering diseases…An unvaccinated baby in day care is very likely to catch at least one of these infections during his first few years.” (page 20)
Check out Dr. Sears’ website/blog for the most current information. He also includes a helpful list of doctors/pediatricians who are more tolerant to adjusting the vaccination schedule.
The Link Between Autism & Vaccinations – an informative video that really revealed the current information on vaccinations and their possible connections with autism. (HT to Katie for the link!)
Definitely some things to ponder…
What resources have you found helpful in your decision making process in regards to vaccinations?
An excellent resource in this discussion as well as any other health related issues is the Weston A. Price Foundation. Go to http://www.Westonaprice.org
I was a strange person many years ago when I insisted on a delayed vaccination schedule for my kids. Since I breastfed exclusively, I knew it was better for them.
I’m glad they’re vaccinated. I work in a hospital, and all you need to do is see one child with whooping cough, or measles, or mumps… let me tell you, there’s a REASON vaccinations are out there. Horrible diseases.
Just read this article and thought you’d enjoy it as well.
http://westonaprice.org/children/vaccinations.html
If you have negative blood and your husband has positive blood your baby could have positive blood. In all pregnancies some of the babies blood can get into the mother’s blood. If the baby is positive and the mother is negative than the mother will make antibodies against the blood of the baby and this will cause the baby’s blood to hemolyze which just means the blood cells break down. Unfortunately this can be a really bad thing becuase destroyed blood cells must be broken down in the liver. The liver can not handle the load because it s immature. One of the breakdown products of red blood cells is bilirubin.Bilirubin is safe up to a certain level and over that it can cause brian damage.Now the first pregnancy that this happens the baby may just require some photo therapy, but if it happens again(another positive baby)the immune reaction is stronger and the red blood cells are destroyed even faster. Once the mother producese these antibodies you can never go back-all pregnancies with a positive baby are affected.If you have developed these antibodies you will have to have the baby’s blood checked while pregnant and possibly even have an exchange transfusion done on the baby. I thank God that Dr. Queenan discovered the Rho-gam shot.I know it is very confusing but it is far more dangerous to not get the shot if you and your children are at risk.I had all my children at a non-hospital Birth center(home birth is illegal where I live)and my children never had a drop of formula so I am fairly crunchy.But ,although things like c-sections are WAY overused now days I thank God that they can be done safely and save the life of mother and infants.
Indeed, all the research I did on this shot supports doing so. I agree that it’s so important!
Just curious – where do you live, that homebirth is illegal?
homebirths are illegal in many southern states
Hi! I have been visiting this website a lot in the past few months and I have been very encouraged by it! My husband and I in the last year have been convicted on the vaccine issue. In the past, we have been selective on which vaccines our children (Now 4 years and 19 months) have had. Now, we have decided not to have them vaccinated at all any more. I had read that some vaccines are grown on organs of aborted babies and this was very shocking to me. I also found a good website on vaccine risks and data at http://www.thinktwice.com Very informative site and worth looking at! For me, fear was a great influence to vaccinate my children and I have had to pray and give that fear over to the Lord. He really gave my husband and I a peace in our hearts on our decision no to vaccinate. When someone asks me if I am worried if my children get a disease I meditate on Psalm 118:8 “It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man.” After all, God made our bodies with an immune system already in place and I also believe that there are many natural ways (herbs, etc.) He provided to help cure us. thanks for letting me share!
I curious to know how you handled the Rogam shot, or do you not have to worry about blood types?
I’m neg. and all three of my kids are pos. So I’ve had the shot 6 times. One during pregnancy and one after delivery. I’m not sure that both are necessary, but don’t have any extra info, and our midwife does recommend it.
Thanks
I do a modified schedule where I give my daughter only 1-2 a visit and I feel good about that. I read the book.. “sanctity of the human blood” it helped. My MD told me to check out the University of Philadelphia where he says is the leading research in Vaccines. I do believe that these diseases where on the way out before vaccines do to changes in our sanitation but if we stop vaccinating our children will they come back? I dont believe in the Flu and bummed about the Chicken pox vaccine!! Its a tough call but ultimately God has our children in his hands and we can just pray about what is right…
I wish I would of not done the traditional vaccine schedule, both my children are now affected due to the vaccines they received. Though my son only had about half of whats normal. When he rcvd his first mmr within hours he experienced a high fever and screamed in pain. We found out his brain swelled, a reaction some kids may get from this vaccine. When my daughter was born she only rcvd half the dosages and when she started showing severe reactions we stopped.
There is no proof the vaccines damaged my children but they both have learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder
Howdy, I’m delurking.
We vaccinate, on schedule, mainly because I’m an RN and I’ve seen too many outbreaks where we are to feel comfortable about my littles not having the protection of a whooping cough vaccine in particular, and because of the high rate of death when infants get infected with tetanus. I respect parents who choose not to vaccinate but I do encourage them to read some of the “pro-vaccine” studies as well as the ones about links to autism; I do know that the original British autism study (about the MMR) was not done well and has been discredited, so I would be interested in seeing any newer studies on this that are peer reviewed. Anybody got links? I am always open to the evidence but I haven’t been able to find anything on my own. Dr. Sears is a great source of course.
I think delayed vaccines are a great option for those who have their doubts but also wish to protect their kids with a vaccine. Quite a few kids end up getting delayed vaccines anyway, accidentally, as I happen to know from working in public health; that’s why public health nurses have a “catch-up” schedule they can consult if a kid has missed shots.
So it shouldn’t seem that strange to doctors that you want to take a slower schedule, especially if you can hand them a print-out and articulate that you’re doing it on purpose, not being neglectful, and that you have a plan for the kid to eventually have all the vaccines you’ve decided are necessary. Remember, YOU’RE the parent and YOU are the one responsible for making the decisions–if you have a doc who gives you static about this, it may be time to look elsewhere for your care. (Not always an option, I know, but I just wanted to encourage anyone out there who might be feeling condescended to.)
It’s great to see so many mommies so passionate about doing the best for their kids.
I am decidedly pro-vaccine after researching the issue in its entirety to the best of my ability. However, like many parents I feel that too many vaccines too early, especially before the soft spot on a baby has completely healed, can compromise the immune system. I chose not to do more than two at a time and received a lot of static from my doctor. He did not support my decision so be prepared when you go in or find a doctor on Dr. Sears’ website that supports alternative schedules. I’m considering changing doctors now.
Another book I found helpful was Vaccine Alternatives. It goes through each vaccine, tells the risks (of the vaccine and the disease), what’s in the vaccines (as a vegetarian, it was eye opening to learn that several are cultured on animal organs), as well as herbal remedies that can help build immunity against the specific diseases naturally.
I’m blessed, this time around, to have a family practice that actually recommends a delayed, selective vaccine schedule. We will definitely be following their recommendation to delay all vaccines until age 2, and then discuss each one individually with Lina’s doctor to make individual decisions.
My little brother had a severe reaction to his MMR shot. A year or two later he developed intractable epilepsy. Praise God he is doing well now. But while he was ill we did a lot of research on what was the cause. Several results pointed to vaccinations being a major link to neurological problems (as mentioned above: Autism), and we believe a major cause of his epilepsy was this particular vaccination. I have a book I’ve begun reading entitled: “Vaccines Are They Really Safe and Effective.” by Neil Z. Miller. The information has been very helpful, as well as the charts showing the incidents of each particular disease before and after the introduction of the vaccination. Interestingly, the disease isn’t stopped by the vaccination and in fact, more people developed the disease… in addition to all the deaths and disabilities caused by the vaccination as well. I’ll have to take a look at this other book too.
Great post Lindsay!
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading the comments and seeing different points of view on the subject. I also now have a list of required reading thanks to you and your readers! Although my children were vaccinated prior to our adopting them, I have refused all immunizations for them since, and will continue to do so. If we ever have a child of our own, he/she will NOT be getting any vaccination unless overseas travel becomes an issue. My main reasoning was the ingredients, as you know, and spiritually, I believe we were created in a perfect image of the Divine Creator, and therefore have all the ability to overcome an illness if it is part of the plan.
“The worry is that no one has ever determined what a safe level of aluminum is for human infants.” I really don’t think they ever will be able to determine that because NO ONE was meant to eat aluminum or other toxins, let alone have it injected into their blood stream.
It is so refreshing to see mother’s reading and trying to find the balance and if the benefits outweigh the risks. Most important I LOVE that they are praying and asking the Lord to guide them to the choice that will work best them each of their children. Being a parent is such a huge responsibility it’s so nice to know that we are NOT alone in it and that the Lord knows us each individually!
Another really good book is “Vaccines: Are They Really Safe And Effective?” by Neil Z. Miller. I truly do think it’s about being informed looking at BOTH SIDES of the information, PRAYING, and then making the choice that is best for both you and each child. Either way having the whole family eat well so they can have strong immune systems is a GREAT idea!
A must read article on vaccines!!!!:
http://rense.com/general81/aut.htm
I personally feel, and as this article suggests, that vaccines mess up our natural immune systems. I have Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome/CFIDS. Looking back at my medical records, I developed some neurological problems one month after my last Hep B shot in high school, and two years later, CFIDS after getting sick w/ mono. I have personally chosen not to vaccinate my children, because of my concern of vaccines permanently disrupting our immune systems. Definitely read the above article for more info. on this.
Another great book was What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Vaccinations. I liked that the book was balanced- alot of books are biased towards not vaccinating, and you aren’t really sure if their facts are accurate.
I love the Vaccine Book. I read the appropriate portions before every check-up.
I am a mom of an 11 month old who is not vaccinated. I have read extensively on the issue and feel great about my decision to not experiment with my child’s God given healthy immune system. I personally believe that proper nutrition (including breastfeeding) proper rest and good hygiene provide for a strong immune system and therefore little or no risk of serious diseases. I also know God as my healer (My sister was born blind and was healed as a baby after being prayed for) and trust Him with the health of my family. I am confused though by the fact that so many vaccinating parents fear children who have not been vaccinated. I thought that since their children were vaccinated they had immunity? So shouldn’t I be more concerned for my daughter to be around a friend who has just gotten her shots and therefore was recently in contact with (sometimes live) viruses? I have heard many vaccinating parents express this concern and it seems backwards to me. Where is the faith in the vaccines? I don’t have any, but if I were a vaccinating parent I would hope to.
I love your blog by the way! A friend sent me the link and I read it daily. You inspire me to work harder at being the best wife and mother and daughter of the King I can be! Blessings to you and your family
Very good point Natalie! I totally agree! I will not allow anyone around my kids that has rec’d the flu shot, or any other vaccine for at least 2 weeks…the vaccines are the many times the reasons the diseases spread. Smallpox would have been eliminating years earlier if it had not been for the vaccine (that comes directly from a quote from the World Health Organization)
It’s also important to think about what shots you get while your pregnant. My ds was born in Africa while we were on the mission field. I had 3 rhogam shots that did have mercury in them. My ds was 2 months premature and had 7 immunizations that all contained mercury (thimerso)l. He was never officially diagnosed, but was definitely on the autism spectrum. We had his mercury levels checked and the normal level is below 200. My ds is 739. We are just about to start chelation with him at the age of 4 1/2. It’s so important for pregnant mama’s to be careful about flu shots and rhogam shots. Our little guy is a miracle…he is now social and interacting with other kids the way the Lord meant for him to do. We are blessed!
My older two were vaccinated according to the standard schedule. We did not do the chicken pox vaccine at all, though, and do not plan on doing the cervical cancer vaccine.
My adopted twins were a different story. We brought them home from Vietnam at age 5 monts. Within the first couple weeks we were at the doctor for a check up, blood-work, and what-not. After their first round of shots, one of them had a funny reaction. She was upset and would not eat for 2 days. The doctor shrugged it off as a coincidental illness or possibly being overwhelmed after the adoption and major climate change (tropical-like surroundings to midwest winter.) Round two and she did the same thing again for four days. We stopped all vaccines at that point and only recently re-started on a delayed schedule. Part of this could be that they were so small and likely pre-mature. Part of it could be questionable nutrition in their beginnings. Regardless, I was just not comfortable going on with it. At age 2 and a half, I finally started back up with the rounds of immunizations, though not all at once.
Posts like this would have been a big help to me at that time. I just really did not know what was going on with my sweet, new-to-me, tiny (8.5lb,) daughter who was barely attaching to me, of unsure beginnings, and quite frankly upset!
I just wanted to say a note about the “cervical cancer” vaccine. First, it frustrates me that they advertise it that way – it’s not a vaccine for cancer, it’s a vaccine for an STD. Second, I think it’s dangerous to recommend/make this vaccine mandatory to girls as young as 11 or 12 when there have been no longevity studies on the effects of a girl’s reproductive health throughout childbearing years when the vaccine is administered before/during puberty. As far as I’ve been able to determine, the only clinical trials were performed on adult women, and now they want us to give the vaccine to children.
That said, when I first heard about it, I was vehemently opposed to it. But as my hubby and I prayed about it, the thing we realized was this: we hope for, pray for, and teach our children diligently about the Lord. We discourage dating, and we will teach them about purity, the sanctity of their bodies, the sanctity of sex within marriage, and the obvious limits our respect and honor for the Lord place on fleshly desires for sexuality. We hope and pray – and have faith – that our children will be spotless on their wedding days.
BUT, the last time I checked, God is still in the business of redemption and changing lives!
) There is always a possibility that the men/women our God has designed to be mates for our children will not come to faith in Jesus until they are an adult; that they will have led teenage, college, and/or beyond years in a worldly way, pursuing promiscuous relationships. If that is to be the case, by the time a God-loving adult man courts our daughter(s), he could have been exposed to (many) unhealthy women, and if he were to marry our daughter, then he would be exposing her too.
It’s tough to think about, and as a friend and I were discussing last night, you can take any situation that allows us to feel that we are more in control than we actually are, and we unwittingly completely divorce the assurity of God’s sovereignty from a situation. Of course, we still have decisions to make, and we make them prayerfully and carefully! It is my hope that by the time our daughter(s) are old enough that we need to make a decision about this vaccine, much more will be known about it.
Also, it’s worth mentioning that while it’s recommended for young girls, that recommendation is based upon the fact that many girls are becoming sexually active at that young age!!! My OB/GYN told me that you can get the vaccine up to age 24 or 25. So for those parents who may be considering the HPV vax, or live in an area where it is required for girls entering the 6th grade, that’s something to think about!
It’s also important to realize that the Gardisil vaccine only “protects” against 4 strains of HPV that can cause cervical cancer. However, there are many more strains that can cause cervical cancer. I feel it’s very misleading to call it a “cervical cancer vaccine” as well!
Hello Lindsay,
This is such a hot topic. We too have studied about this topic. First, about what is actually in the vaccines. This alone swayed us in the direction not to use them. We then also looked at the entire germ theory as it relates to the idea of vaccines. Not since the polio vaccine really helped to cure a disease. We found that the logic used to sell the idea of the vaccines in faulty. If your body is truly immune to a disease, what is the purpose of the follow up shots? It seems that general good health practices have really been the reason that so many diseases have mostly disappeared in the States. We have chosen not to immunize and do other things proactively to stay spiritually, emotionally and physically healthy. I am glad you have found an answer to this question that fits your family.
Best to you!
I was so relieved to find The Vaccine Book when we were researching vaccines. Books and articles that I had read prior to this book seemed to me to be very biased- information seemed to be compiled in a way as to just prove the author’s point, regardless of the facts. When I read The Vaccine Book I found it to be more about presenting the information rather than swaying you one way or another.
It is definitely a tough decision to make- one that must be made with lots of research, thought and prayer.
If you do decide to vaccinate, I came across some information on natural ways to strengthen the immune system from the book Childhood Vaccinations by Lauren Feder. I posted the information here: http://directmysteps.wordpress.com/2009/03/14/strengthening-the-immune-system-if-you-vaccinate/
I haven’t tried any of these, but I wanted to save the information since I had borrowed the book from someone. It definitely makes sense to be sure that the immune system is strong before receiving any immunizations!
Thanks for this post! With my first born, we vaccinated on the advice of our pediatrician, no questions asked. With my second, we did so on an alternative schedule and opted not to go forward with some of the vax. He still has not had the mmr, and I am not sure when we are gooing to move forward with that.
Because my children go or will go to school (not home schooled) and we live in a major city with a large immigrant population from all over the world and my husband and I both teach in different schools with many other children, we feel that our kids need to be vaccinated. BUT, that does not mean that we need to do 5 at once or do all that is recommended.
What I am so grateful for is that we have a pediatrician who listens to our concerns and moves forward with us as a team rather than trying to dictate what we would or should not do for our children!
I read Dr. Richard Sears (I only added the Richard part because it isn’t “the Dr. Sears”, it is his son) book prior to when my daughter was scheduled for her first set of vaccines and we chose to do 2 at a time, but to get all of the vaccines. We tried to follow Dr. Sears schedule, but are not breaking up the MMR vaccine. She will get that at age 2 or later.
That said, I read the book and in no way was given the impression that Dr. Sears feels that avoiding daycare or breastfeeding is prevention for many of these illnesses. I am still breastfeeding and my daughter is 19 months and yes she is in daycare. I took a year off to be with her and it was a hard decision to return to work but with the struggling economy it was the financially responsible decision. As a teacher I will have summers with her. If I had the choice I would stay home but whether I put her in daycare or not, I knew she wouldn’t be in a bubble, so she would have been exposed to others. The one virus that he did indicate that breastfeeding will aide in the treatment of was the rotavirus. I like your website and I really just felt I needed to comment. By going to daycare my daughter is actualy less likely to get asthma and leukemia according to the latest studies. Avoiding daycare is not always possible and some people feel it benefits their children greatly. I can certainly see the benefits as she is ahead of many other toddlers her age, but I can’t say that is better then staying home. I just don’t think that a decision to not vaccinate or to vaccinate should be made surrounding whether your child is in daycare or not in daycare.
I was actually providing a direct quote from Dr. Sears on this matter of daycare. The title of his point was “breastfeeding and avoiding day care help protect a baby from infection” on page 20-21 of his book. He does not claim that it will protect them from all diseases but that it CAN help prevent (according to studies and statistics apparently). Since I am at home with my children it just made me feel more at peace since we hadn’t made a final decision on the vaccination issue.
Great topic to bring up. Most parents, it seems, don’t even think about vaccinating children, and following the recommended schedule. I didn’t with baby #1. I often wonder if his documented neuro-chemical issues are related to this.
We don’t vax now. Babies 2 & 3 are very, very healthy.
I totally believe that each family should do their research and make the decision that seems best for their children and their circumstances.
Thanks for talking about this. Regardless of what any parent chooses, the discussion is worthwhile.
peace,
Mary
I work in a traditional doctor’s office for peds and internal med and happen to do all the ordering. I know that more and more pharmaceutical companies are going to mixed vaccines because of the push from doctors and patients alike to give/receive less injections. My personal thoughts on vaccines are that I’m pretty much against all of them, but I have to admit that there seems to be less risk of “over” exposure to harmful chemicals and heavy metals in mixed immunizations simply. Just a thought for those who do want to vaccinate on an elongated schedule and are having a difficult time getting them separated.
My midwife was actually a great resource for me. After my first child was born, she asked me what I planned to do, and at the time, I just didn’t know. I was leaning towards not vaccinating (mostly due to the fact that I had previously worked as a therapist for children with autism and was concerned about the potential link), but was unsure of the information out there. She handed me a huge (seriously!) file of scientific studies, news articles, printouts from online sites, magazine clippings, government pamphlets, etc. which included information from all sides of the debate.
In those early months of mothering, I spent much time sifting through that file. In the end, my husband and I chose not to vaccinate at all (though we will consider if we go overseas at some point, as well). Neither of our children have received a single vaccination, and both are quite healthy and have not had any serious illnesses or infections whatsoever.
We have also recently discovered that my son (almost 2) has some heavy metal toxicities. We are unsure where this came from (environmental? The fact that my husband went through chemo when he was a newborn?), but it made me so relieved about our decision not to vaccinate. Clearly, my son’s body is struggling to clean itself out of these toxic metals (and that struggle is evidenced through the eczema on arms and legs). I can’t imagine if we had allowed him to receive those shots, with the metals and preservatives that are in them. Thank God for his protection of our son!
I think the best things that you can do are read, read, read, pray about the decision, and really talk it over with your spouse. In the end, you will come to a decision that you feel most comfortable with, and that is all that any parent can do!
How timely Lindsay! I am generally uneasy with vaccines, because there is still so much unknown about them. However, I have also read a lot about the diseases that vaccines prevent, and I would hate for one of our children to contract one of those illnesses! (And they are sadly, not as entirely eradicated as we tend to think they are.) But my husband is a pediatrician, and through all of his research and reading still believes wholeheartedly in vaccinating. It’s been a very hard area for me to submit to him! Ultimately, what we continue to come down to is my refrain: the known benefits outweigh the known risks. But it’s still something I chew my nails over and pray about each “shot” visit! God is sovereign over the health and well-being of our children, whether we vaccinate or not.
I thank those comments that shared the Children of God for Life website. I just posted on my own blog today about abortion. I’m excited to share the website and info with my husband and see what he says.
I read this book and found it really interesting and clear. I read it because a friend of mine told me she didn’t want to vaccinate her kids at all–ever. I had never even heard of someone NOT vaccinating, so I wanted to see why she would choose that. We vaccinate our kids on the current schedule and with the exception of the 12yr+ vaccine for girls (the new one that prevents cervical cancer) we will get them all. I was glad I read it, but my choice wasn’t changed.
We have 5 littles w/ another on the way and have chosen not to do most vaccinations- we have only done the one for polo & tetanus. I am very thankful for our DR- we have to drive 45-60 minutes to see him but I have not found another DR closer who will let us not do the vaccinations. Errr! If the Lord ever lead us to move overseas, then we would do more vaccinations.
I’m very glad to see this topic on your blog. I’ve been reading and thinking about vaccines/schedules/multiple doses/aborted fetal cells, etc. a lot recently. The aborted fetal cells really is a big deal to me. I know the Catholic church has made a statement about it in the past, however, I am not Catholic. http://www.cogforlife.org/vaticanresponse.htm
Also a friend gave me a link to another good site http://www.christianpatriot.com/vaccines.htm
I’d also be very interested to see what tests/medical procedures you did with your little boy. We are not having a home birth, although, I’m not opposed to them, but am concerned about the eye drops, etc. that are administered after birth in a hospital setting.
The only test we had done for our little guy was the PKU test. Our midwife administered that test for us and submits it. She did not recommend any other procedures.
Lindsay, did you research any of the standard newborn procedures, or just feel comfortable opting out on your midwife’s recommendation? Our first two had everything, but our third had nothing except the PKU test. I researched extensively, and felt comfortable with skipping everything, but had some second thoughts/fears about missing the vitamin K shot because of late-onset deficiency bleeding. I did supplement my vitamin K but went back and forth between thinking it was unnecessary and fearing that it wasn’t enough. I’d be interested to hear your take on it if you have one. (My baby is fine, BTW.)
I honestly did not do alot of research on the standard procedures as we did have full confidence in our midwife’s recommendations. I did understand that the vitamin K shot seemed important if you had excessive bleeding/hemorrhaging, but I also took a lot of nettle leaf near the end of my pregnancy which is supposed to help prevent the excessive bleeding and thus I personally thought prevented any need for the shot. That was my thought.
I did quite a bit of research on vit k shots, eye drops & pku tests. We did pku, but not vit k or eye drops. Main reason for no eye drops was that neither my faithful husband nor I had any std’s and therefore I couldn’t possibly pass on the bacteria that can cause blindness. We opted for no vit k shot because I learned that babies have a naturally low level of vit k because it interferes with baby’s rapid cell growth, and nursing causes a slow and steady rise in vit K as baby grows. I also found that the vit k shot introduces 20,000 times the amt of vit that a newborn has which is which I thought was excessive.
Arlie,
Obviously my brain was not working and having the plan written out for her to read was crucial!
You can write your birth plan to exclude any procedure you are not comfortable with. I had a hospital birth a year ago and made sure to be very clear as to what we wanted for our daughter and what we did not (hep B shot, eye ointment, immediate cord clamping, etc). I am sure for the most part that the staff will be accommodating although you may have to sign some waivers. I was so glad to have my birth plan! I labored at home for as long as possible and got to the hospital at 8cm. When the nurse asked if I had any specific instructions I told her I didn’t want pitocin
Do you still have your birth plan? If it is not too personal of an issue to you I’d be very interested in taking a look at it?
It is not too personal at all! I would love to share it with you. Email me at nataliedwaters@hotmail.com and I will forward it too you.
I did this too. I had a specific birth plan typed out & gave to my OBGYN & L&D @ the hospital weeks before our due date and we brought several copies with us to the hospital when it was time so that anyone who was helping us got it ahead of time. It was very helpful for the nurses to have so they knew exactly what we wanted.
Remember that God has knit us together in our mothers’ wombs and we are fearfully and wonderfully made!(Psalms 139:13-14) God did not leave anything out or make a mistake when He created us. He gave our bodies have an amazing ability to heal themselves….we don’t need a cocktail of toxic chemicals to make us healthier!
I would highly recommend The Vaccine Safety Manual by Neil Z. Miller http://www.thinktwice.com. It goes through the entire history of each disease as well as each vaccine, the corruption in the industry and the junk science that is used to propogate these corruptions on the immune system. He also thoroughly addresses the overseas and travel vaccines!
Also,I would recomend reading Dr Carley’s story on http://www.drcarley.com. One more, How to Raise a Healthy Child in spite of your Doctor by Robert Mendelsohn, M.D. is absolutely essential! He was a renown pediatrician for over 30 years and used to vaccinate children, until learning the truth behind the lies…this book tells you what to do when you child gets sick and when it becomes an emergency.
The vaccine industry is riddled with corruption (just like most government-mandated programs seem to be)! Be VERY cautious about this! Get fully informed with independent information and make your OWN decision. Do not trust your doctor just because you like him…your doctor has been trained by the same people making money on these vaccines! Keep that in mind.
Please evaluate everything you hear about this subject with a discerning mind!
My childrden are completely Unvaccinated and they are totally healthy…if they do get sick, we allow their bodies to do what they were designed to do by our Creator. Their bodies fight it off and then they are naturally immune…the way God intended it from the beginning.
Also know that they are now using aborted human baby parts in the production of many vaccines! This is a total outrage, especially if you are pro-Life, as I certainly am. I have hundreds of references I can point you to if any of you are interested.
Thanks for your comment Stacy! I agree with you 100 %!! I hope every commenter and reader of this post reads your comment!
After I had my second child Joshua I began to pour over books on both sides of the issue. what is difficult about this issue is the two extremes “you will die if you don’t” and “you will die if you do”. We must not let fear be a motivator for the decisions that we make. I have a passion to see Mothers rise up and do all that God has called them to do regaurding their children. Who has the best interest in my children; well that would be me, so It’s my job to prayerfully research any decision (vaccines, school, movies, etc..). I would strongly encourage every Mother to go the extra mile with this and seek wisdom. These decisions will effect our children the rest of their lives. After we make a decision knowing that we have put are best effort forth then we must rest and trust the Lord. I am currently going over this whole issue again now that I just had my forth child Zach. There is always new information avail as time passes so I felt the importance to revisit this issue and reevaluate my decisions. Two really good resources are The DVD’s by Sherry Tenpenny who has been in the medical field a long time. She also has a new book out. And Neil Z. MIller’s book’s, his most recent one came out 2008 and is called “Vaccine manual for concerned families and health practitioners” He has dedicated his life work to this issue and is well respected by doctors. Very current and accurate info.
We practice delayed/selective vaccination.
One thing that convinced me is studies on how some of those diseases actually play an important part in priming our immune systems and developmental issues. For instance, people who receive the measles vaccine are more likely to develop allergies than people who don’t, and even more interestingly, people who contract the measles naturally are LESS likely to develop allergies than people who don’t, regardless of vaccination.
Another thing that convinced me is my personal family history with vaccinations. My kids reacted to the few they had, and my siblings all had reactions (including myself). My mother, a nurse, decided to delay vaccinations for all of us because of that.
http://www.nvic.org
http://www.nvic.org/Downloads/4507NVIC11x17HIRES.aspx
“If the State can tag, track down and force citizens
against their will to be injected with biologicals
of unknown toxicity today,
there will be no limit on which individual freedoms
the State can take away
in the name of the greater good tomorrow.”
— Barbara Loe Fisher, Co-Founder NVIC
One of our daughters had an adverse reaction to a multiple dose vaccine. I have lots of information on vaccines now if anyone is interested. Please, before you vaccinate, read about it and especially read the medical inserts that come with the vaccines (you have to ask your doctor for them, they don’t hand them out). They are eye opening.
PRAY, be informed and then make your decision.
thank you, thank you, thank you!!! i have 3 littles and have gotten them all vaccinated. i have friends that are nurses that convinced me that they were important, and yet the night b/f i take them in i can’t sleep and have no peace!!!! even after spending much time in prayer i have unrest about this. WELL, that alternate schedule is wonderful!!! i am pregnant w/ number four and will definately be using this new schedule!!! thanks again!
First off, let me just say that I fully respect any decision that a parent prayerfully makes that they feel is best for their family. Saying that, I have to express my concern about not vaccinating children. We live in an area where a lot of families choose not to vaccinate. Our area is also more prone to outbreaks, and I am sad for the children who are affected because of a choice that their parents make. My three children are all vaccinated, and I will continue to do so for any more children that God blesses us with. They are all also breast fed, and in general very healthy children. I have never had any issues with the vaccination schedule that my pediatrician has recommended. Being involved in mission work overseas, and knowing that our children may do the same, I feel like I am making the best choice that I can for them, their health and safety, and the safety of other children around them. My children are involved in activities outside of our home to a great extent. When they are around children who are not vaccinated, I worry for both my kids, and the ones they are surrounded by. I don’t know all there is to know about vaccines, but I do know that our choice to keep them safe from devastating and crippling diseases is the best for our family.
As do I! My hubby and I have NEVER regretted vaccinating our children either. The only vaccine we do not get is the flu vaccine. It’s just not needed in our opinion.
I’m very thankful that we are in an area that children are vaccinated, and must be to go to school.
I certainly understand vaccinating for travel purposes… I would too. You said you worry when your kids are around others who are not vaccinated…just curious what there is to worry about if your kids are vaccinated?
The worry with vaccinated kids being around unvaccinated kids is that most vaccines depend on “herd” immunity–they are about 85-95% effective, so they depend on the disease not being able to build up a reservoir of infection (which takes as few as three or five infected people). Where I live we had an outbreak of pertussis (whooping cough) for exactly this reason, and a lot of kids and old people got very, very sick.
Even in a herd, people can be carriers of the disease, and even in fully vaccinated communities, there are outbreaks. I’m more nervous about vaccinated people around my unvaccinated kids–immune systems are more likely to be compromised, and they could be carrying germs that aren’t presenting in them!
i loved this post.
we have not vaccinated any of our 3 children, and it’s something that i think about every day. we don’t doubt that we’re doing the right thing, but there can be major times when i don’t have peace, ya know? but, it is reassuring to know that breastfeeding, and not being in daycare is a big advantage.
i wanted to say also that our chiropractor was full of good knowledge as well. any natural doctor would be (i assume). he always makes me feel better if i’m having and “ahhhh” moment!
love the blog…never commented before, but i read it daily
emily
I really appreciated Aviva Jill Romm’s *Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent’s Guide*. It provided the most balanced approach I’d found so far.
The *real* reason for my comment though, is to bring up what I see Mommaof10 has already mentioned: the use of tissue from aborted babies in making vaccines. I wonder if you’d consider posting again and emphasizing that it is possible to avoid vaccines made this way. . . .
THE best book I have ever read on Vaccinnes, and I have read a lot of them, is “Raising a Vaccine Free Child” by Wendy Lydall. She sites almost 500 different studies, is so well researched and so convicing.
I LOVE this book – it gives you the facts and lets you make your own decision without trying to scare you into going one way or the other. My daughter had most of her shots on schedule up until 6 months, but has not had any since then. I am now re-reading this book to determine a selective shot schedule that I’m comfortable with for the new baby.
Another issue to think about when considering vaccines, is that many vaccines have been developed using aborted fetal cells. If you are pro life, then this is definitely a moral issue to consider.
I found the website http://www.cogforlife.org/ very helpful. They list all the vaccines made using aborted fetal cell lines as well as ethical alternatives (sometimes made by different companies). Some vaccines, unfortunately, do not have ethical alternatives available to us in the U.S.
We are pro-life, but find that being vaccinated is a more responsible thing to do. My hubby and I have never been convicted on vaccinating, and do consult the Lord on ALL our doing.
check out http://www.informedchoice.info smoeone recently shwed me this site. A whole slew of vaccines use aborted fetal tissue as the growth medium- they have t be “grown” on something like eggs or bovine serum or gelatin.
A Shot in the Dark is an older book that opened my eyes to some of the dangers of vaccines back in the ’80s. My two oldest daughters had severe reactions to the old DPT shot. Between the 2 of them they had every side effect except for seizures and death. That was when we decided we needed to not just take the Dr’s. opinion but to research what we were putting into our children.
With my first two children I wasn’t told that the live polio vaccine can actually cause polio ~ only that I shouldn’t nurse for x amount of time. I didn’t put 2 & 2 together until I found out that the polio that is still in this country is actually caused by the live vaccine.
In addition to aluminum and mercury, there is also the issue of aborted babies being used in vaccine growth. And, bovine tissues that could be tainted with mad cow disease.
And how the body’s immune system responds to synthetic immune stimulants differently than to the real bacteria or virus. The link between autism and juvenile diabetes to immunizations is also troubling.
There is so much that is not known about vaccines because they are not adequately tested and the negative results of the vaccines are not truthfully reported.
Each family must do their due diligent research and make wise decisions for their family. When you have multiple severe reactions to immunizations, it makes the decision much easier.
Mommaof10
http://PlymouthRockRanch.com
Recording the Faithfulness and Provision of God for Future Generations
Thanks for this post. We also do not vaccinate, but are considering overseas missions in our future and we know that vaccination will need to be considered then. It is great to feel support from another mom about not vaccinating babies…I don’t have a lot of that around here! My mom did not vaccinate her four daughters either, a choice she never regretted.
It seems like you are adjusting really well to two children. Thanks for continuing to educate and inspire us!
LOVE the Vaccine Book! LOVE Dr. Sears! I also found that book very valuable in deciding how to vaccinate. We chose a delayed and selective schedule and we’ve been very happy with it.
Great post!
I too read that book before having my second baby. After my first child of 18 months had the most shots given at once and acted different for almost 2 weeks- I decided I was going to do more research. I have a public health education and believe in immunizations and how important they are. But I feel we put too many vaccinations in too little of a time period for little babies. We chose to do the spread of version of shots in his book. We still will get all the shots, just no more than 2 at a time. It has worked out great. There were about 3 times so far by baby hasn’t even cried when getting shots b/c he only gets poked once. Also, we haven’t had any fevers or reactions afterward either.
Well said. The Vaccine debate is a big among concerned moms on both sides & every where in between. We have found it is important to ask questions of our medical professionals: our doctor, our chiro & also friends in the field. It is so important for each parent to seek this information out, rather than just blindly following one side or the other on this issue. But as Christian parents, our first course of action is to ask God’s heart on the matter.
We have found that the delayed immunization schedule works best for our family & circumstances. I am thankful to live in a country where we still have this freedom!
PS-Love your blog! You are articulate & inspiring! Blessings!
This book was an excellent resource for me when I was deciding how to vaccinate my son. The schedule we are using closely follows this one by Dr. Kenneth Bock – http://majeskifoundation.com/Vaccination.pdf. My only concern now is that Merck is no longer producing separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines. The combined MMR is the only option. If that is still the case a year from now, we will be delaying that shot until our son is older.
I also have used this book as a good resource, and was relieved to read that if you do wait / postpone some of your children’s vaccines, or stretch them out, rather than having them all at once, it’s very likely that your child will not need SOME of them at all, for he/she will be beyond the “risk” age for catching that particular disease or virus.
Just a follow-up to my previous comment in case it’s approved: I clicked over to Dr. Sears’ blog as you linked to, and as I read down his archived posts, I noted that Merck is currently not manufacturing *more* of the separate M/M/R vaccines.
That does not, however, mean that pro-vaccine separation doctors/clinics don’t have it backstocked – or pharmacies – from previous orders and requests. So if you’re interested in separating the MMR, it’s still worth a try. Hopefully anyone interested will have better luck with their doc being willing to try to find it in stock somewhere, rather than our situation where the doc just said “they don’t make it” and battled on from there like we were nuts.
I purchased the separate M/M/R vaccines through Hopewell Pharmacies a couple of years ago and felt so much more at peace about separating them and not having preservatives. Perhaps specific drs can send you to pharmacies that still have some. Mine suggested Hopewell. It was expensive but worth it.
I highly recommend this book. For those who are interested in finding a “short form” of it to show to their doctor, look for the February 2009 issue of U.S. News & World Report. The cover has a big apple on it and it is titled “A Complete Guide to Health & Wellness”. They actually did a feature on vaccines and reprinted Dr. Sears’ alternative immunization schedule. Handy to have in your diaper bag during check ups.
We are actually having quite the fight here in Japan with our military (U.S.) doctors. When we were in the States both the military and civilian docs we used were open to alternate schedules, but our son wasn’t old enough for all the shots yet – most especially of concern to us is the MMR vaccination. We arrived here in Japan and sought the alternative schedule and have not only been refused it, but one doctor (in the Pediatric Immunization clinic!) flat out stated that these shots are no longer available. He became incredibly agitated and rude when I explained to him that was incorrect according to my research – demanded to know my sources – and pulled my husband (the service member) aside and basically told him I’m an idiot. He was even more displeased when I informed him that this particular resource was on sale that day at our local PX/BXs and he should probably check it out in case other parents brought it up.
It’s really discouraging now for us as our son remains unprotected from measles due to this issue – and there were outbreaks of measles last year before we arrived. Our only hope is that the Japanese hospital will provide the shot if we pay for it out of pocket to help him be protected.
I don’t want that to sound totally negative – just stick to your guns, folks, and do as much research as you can. With this showing up in more and more “mainstream” sources, hopefully more pediatricians and family practitioners will get behind the alternate schedule as a compromise, for “better safe than sorry” – instead of it being an “either/or” of you get shots or you don’t.
Good luck – and wish us luck too. LOL
F.Y.I: I go to a Kaiser hospital in the states. My doctor gave the ok for another family to buy the vaccines out of pocket and said he would administer them. When the vaccines came, the hospital wouldn’t let him administer them because they came from an outside source, so they ended up having to throw them away.
We have followed an alternative/edited vaccination schedule. the last vaccine my daughter now needs is MMR. I an nervous, but I am praying about it and plan to give her the shot.