[Rheya]

Hello ladies, I've been perusing the posts on this board for a few days and thought I'd finally post one of my own. I have a new LO, 2 months old, and two older daughters, ages 13 & 15. My older girls have been fully vax'ed to date and my LO has yet to receive any vaccinations. My oldest DD had some relatively minor reactions to her vaccinations that I was told were normal, developed eczema and severe asthma around 1 1/2 and has attention deficit issues. In hindsight, I worry that vaccines caused or exacerbated some of her problems.

Baby sees a ND who is very open to delayed schedules or non-vaccination. We're trying to do all of our homework, to make sure we make informed decisions about how to proceed. So far neither SO nor I are comfortable giving any vaccines, and the more I learn the more I wish I'd done my research when the girls were little. I blindly followed along with what I was told to do.

Anyway, I'm so glad to find this board. I'm happy to see some fellow concerned parents, in the midst of all the backlash and knee-jerk reactionaries.

[mgm78]

welcome! it is great you have a supportive doctor! our dr is pro vax but is ok with us making an informed decision to NOT vax and respects that. do your research and do what you feel comfortable with. You can always vax later, you can never unvax

[pink_piggy]

Welcome I agree, that is so wonderful to have a Dr who supports you.

[Rheya]

Originally Posted by mgm78

welcome! it is great you have a supportive doctor! our dr is pro vax but is ok with us making an informed decision to NOT vax and respects that. do your research and do what you feel comfortable with. You can always vax later, you can never unvax

Originally Posted by pink_piggy

Welcome I agree, that is so wonderful to have a Dr who supports you.

Thank you! Yes, we're very happy to have found such an open-minded doctor. I know when I questioned my daughters' doctors about vaccines years ago my worries were brushed aside quickly and I didn't look farther.

[crazytown]

Welcome to CNTV! Julian is ADORABLE!

When I first began researching vaccines I was going to pick and choose, and then delay and ultimately decline them all. I'm grateful to have conceived during a time where the vaccine controversy is mainstream info (at least in message board land )

I really like Dr Tenpenny's website for info - as well as her books!

[Rozz-berry]

Hey playroom buddy! I'm putting my LO on a minimal vaccination schedule- he didn't get Hep B at the hospital the day he was born and he never will. (Hepatitis B is a disease you get from sharing drug needles or having sex, children are a very low risk.) It makes no sense that infants get Hepatitis B vaccinations.

Anyway, we're skipping most of them but these are the ones we're choosing to get:

IPV (Polio vaccine) Polio is a horrible disease that has basically been erradicated due to vaccines. The vaccine has been administered to children since the 1960's and has proven to be relatively safe.

Hib (vaccine against bacterial meningitis) Bacterial Meningitis is often fatal and infants are at high risk compared to the general population. We believe this is one of the few vaccines worth administering.

DTaP. The "a" is important. I have a cousin who recieved the DTP vaccine (without the a) in 1980 and she suffered severe brain damage. Since then the vaccine has been improved significantly, there are far fewer reactions to the DTaP. DTP is diptheria, tetanus and pertusis. Diptheria is another commonly fatal disease that has been mostly erradicated by vaccines. Tetanus comes from bacteria in open cuts, causes lockjaw and a painful death. It is rare, usually in peole over 50 who have never been vaccinated. Pertussis (whooping cough) is making a comeback- is a highly contageous bacteria that seems to be developing a resistance to the vaccine. Nevertheless, there's a big push to get vaccinated against whooping cough because its highly contagious, usually requires hospitalization, and mucus and swelling can stop breathing in small children. Remember the DTaP is more advanced/has fewer toxins than the DTP vaccine.

We're also waiting to administer these vaccines. My son won't get his first shot until he is 4 months. We're not using Dr. Sears' vaccine schedule, we're using the vaccine schedule from the book "What your Doctor may not tell you about Children's Vaccinations." Its my favorite out of 4 or 5 books I have read on vaccines.

[Martha83]

Welcome! We didn't do our research with our first three....my younger two are unvaxed.

The important thing to remember about the DTaP is that while whooping cough vaccine will take the side effects and make them less they still get and carry and pass on the virus....but once they've had it they carry that immunity with them...the next time they get it they will have just a cough not whooping cough....Personally I'd rather know if my kid has WC or not so I know to stay home rather than think it's just a cold and spread the virus...(this is my opinion on why WC is "making a comeback" according to the CDC and such).....

All that said it's obviously YOUR choice...that is the important thing. If you feel strongly about getting certain vaccines....then the wonderful thing is you've made a carefully thought out decision. HUGS!!!!