Vaccines/Immunizations

This is a very touchy subject that I hope to approach in a respectful, informative manner. Many times when this topic comes up it's very uncomfortable as opinions on what is best can be at two different extremes.

For us - we are choosing to not vaccinate our little girl [we still need to do more research & may find a few that we believe will be beneficial]. We are making this choice after many conversations with informed people, doing some research, & prayer. Please read this post with an open mind & a kind heart towards us if you disagree with our decision. My hope to is encourage discussion & longer consideration on such an important decision that has a huge affect on a child's life.

I won't go into all the vaccines & why we aren't choosing to give them to Jori because that would be an obnoxiously long post that no one would care about. Instead, I'm just giving the general reasoning behind our decision in hopes that other parents & future parents can at least take the time to research for themselves the pros & cons of immunizations rather than simply taking their doctor's word that it is necessary for a healthy, protected child.

1. There is an incredibly strong correlation between the increase in vaccinations given in recent years & the increase in autism during those same years [the numbers are something like 1/50 children now have some form of autism]. There are many stories of children who were happy, healthy, & "normal", but then had dramatic changes in personality & cognitive development/growth after a mega dose of vaccines. There probably are cases where vaccines were not the culprit of a child's autism developing - but the statistics & graphs showing this correlation are very discouraging & one reason we have chosen to avoid them.

2. There are "mega doses" of vaccines given to children that contain multiple types of immunizations - then the parents are expected to watch for signs of allergy... So if there is an allergic reaction, how can it be determined which vaccine caused the allergic reaction? I just don't like the idea of putting a lot of drugs into a tiny body that doesn't even have a fully developed immune system... talk about overload!

3. Some can cause allergies to develop to various things that were otherwise not there before the vaccine was given.

4. There is a link to SIDS.

5. Breast milk provides immune system building properties for babies naturally. Lord willing, I plan to nurse Jori girl for at least a year & will build up her immune system in that way.

6. God has a plan for our little girl. This idea was shared with me by a close friend who also chose to not immunize their baby at all. As morbid as it might sound -  we feel better about keeping her un-vaccinated & susceptible to potential illnesses that vaccines claim they protect against than to put those drugs into her body, being responsible for any poor reactions she may have to them, including death. God has a plan for her life & we trust him to protect her & feel we are putting her at unnecessary risk by doing vaccinations.

One example of unnecessary vaccines I want to share is about Hepatitis B. This vaccine is given to babies as early at 12 hour after they're born & the third dose by the time they're 18 months old. Hep B is contracted through blood/bodily fluid & is associated with a risky lifestyle of drugs [sharing needles] & unprotected sex. Why are babies be given this vaccine only 12 hours after birth when their immune systems are still weak [making them more susceptible to bad reactions] & the chances of them doing intravenous drugs or having sex is none... The interesting part of this is that in a study, the Hep B vaccine was shown ineffective in many kids by the time vaccinated babies reached their teenage years where this behavior is more likely to occur. According to the article, there are 60 Diseases and adverse reactions associated with this vaccine - yet it isn't even effective for what it's supposed to prevent.
Follow this link for the full article [article will open in a new browser window] & more in-depth info on this specific vaccine.

I understand people wanting to trust their doctors & think that they have what's best for the children they treat in mind. Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world & money is power. Drug companies have unimaginable amounts of money & therefore have influence over what doctors do/give to patients. I'm not implying all doctors are puppets of big drug companies, & many probably do believe vaccines are best for children - but not all doctors are pushing vaccines on parents & claiming they're harmless. This is part of what encouraged us to do our own research & make our own decision.

I want to encourage my friends to do research before they take their doctor's word as ultimate truth. I am not judgmental to any parent who has vaccinated their child - I was vaccinated & I think I turned out ok :] I don't think you're a bad parent or think any less of you. I wrote this post as an encouragement to dig a little deeper into the drugs that are being put into our children's bodies & to make an educated decision, not an ignorant one, on whether or not the risks of the vaccine outweigh the benefits.

& who knows - after all our research is complete, we may find a vaccine or two that we decide to give to Jori girl :]

PS: the argument that schools won't allow students to enroll if they're not vaccinated is simply not true. The process is different by state, but there are forms that can be filled out to work around an unvaccinated child.

Jori Update:
-33 weeks & 4 days - about 4 pounds & 18-20 inches long! [that's the "average" at this stage]
-had my bi-monthly check up with the midwife yesterday: up 30 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. Nothing to sweat though - midwife says I started kind of small so I have a few extra pounds to add without harm. phew!
-otter girl is measuring at 32 weeks, but growing at a consistent rate so she is right on track to be a healthy 6 or 7 pound lady. hallelujah.
-i have been plagued with heartburn finally
-starting to get asked if my due date was yesterday. ha ha. this is going to get old REALLY fast. [word to the wise, don't tell a pregnant woman she looks like she is about to have a baby... it makes her feel huge. & we already know we are. ]

Looking Ahead:
-quick & healthy lunch ideas
-3rd trimester workouts