Hep B Vaccine?

MrsMandaK

I'm filling out my pre-admission forms for the hospital and there's a consent form for the Hep B vaccine in the packet. I went ahead and did it with my older children, but this whole new world of natural birth this time around has me taking a closer look at all things drug-related these day. Are you/did you decline this vaccine in the hospital? It seems like the only good reason to give it to newborns is if the mom is positive for Hep B, no?

sschwege

My CNM advised me to wait until BFing was well established before we 'rocked the boat.'  She cited the same reasoning you did, that since I was negative the baby wasn't really at risk.  We got it done at DD's 2 week visit.  I should say that I am pretty pro-vaccine and other than briefly delaying the Hep B we follow the CDC schedule.

KayaXavier

I'm not anti-vax at all but we completely forewent the Hep B vaccination for my 3 year old and will do the same for the child I'm expecting because no one we know has it and it is transmitted only blood and other bodily fluids. The risk factors are entirely lifestyle based so we felt it unnecessary. I was especially leery of having my baby receive an injection, even though pain is minimal so soon after birth because it's already such a traumatic experience, I just wanted to start skin to skin contact and BFing right away. 

(I'm not a dr & this is just based on my research, if I'm mistaken at all, I'm happy to hear any info anyone may have to the contrary) 

MrsMandaK

Did you all get any kind of flack from the nurses or your pedi about refusing or delaying it? I'm fine with fighting just wanna know what to expect.

katcarls

MrsMandaK:

Did you all get any kind of flack from the nurses or your pedi about refusing or delaying it? I'm fine with fighting just wanna know what to expect.

We delayed with both kids until 2 months and it wasn't a problem at all.   The hospital staff and our pediatrician didn't say a thing.

judahsmommy1

The Hep B is one of the vaccines that we have chosen to decline, specifically for the reason that you list. For the most part it is a blood born/sexually transmitted disease (although some people argue that there is a slim chance you could get it in another way... technically...). I don't feel comfortable giving my baby a vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease that I do not have. That doesn't make sense to me. I definitely think this is something that each parent should consider and decide for themselves. Other people have obviously come to different conclusions than I have.

sschwege

MrsMandaK:

Did you all get any kind of flack from the nurses or your pedi about refusing or delaying it? I'm fine with fighting just wanna know what to expect.

The pedi in the hospital didn't have a problem just said the schools would want her to have it by the time she was 6.  My daughter's pedi was stone cold silent when I refused it at her 4 day visit.  Not sure if she was reacting to me delaying Hep B in particular or more likely was concerned that I might be anti-vaccine in general (which I am not). 

sschwege

MrsMandaK:

Did you all get any kind of flack from the nurses or your pedi about refusing or delaying it? I'm fine with fighting just wanna know what to expect.

The pedi in the hospital didn't have a problem just said the schools would want her to have it by the time she was 6.  My daughter's pedi was stone cold silent when I refused it at her 4 day visit.  Not sure if she was reacting to me delaying Hep B in particular or more likely was concerned that I might be anti-vaccine in general (which I am not). 

judahsmommy1

The only person I've had any problems about it with was a NP at my DS's doctor's office who fed me some BS about him needing the vaccine in case he ever needed a blood transfusion. It's BS because all blood in the US is carefully screened for STIs including Hep B, and has been for decades now. I'm planning on mentioning it to my pediatrician at the next visit because I was so offended that she would give me false medical information to convince me to treat my son in a specific way. Both pediatricians my son has seen, the staff at the hospital where my son was delivered, and pretty much everyone else we've come into contact with has been completely fine with the fact that we have declined Hep B. 

KayaXavier

MrsMandaK:

Did you all get any kind of flack from the nurses or your pedi about refusing or delaying it? I'm fine with fighting just wanna know what to expect.

Not at all. We also didn't get the eye gel because I am very confident that I don't now and never have had an STD. We encountered no resistance at all. 

Twizzle

KayaXavier:

MrsMandaK:

Did you all get any kind of flack from the nurses or your pedi about refusing or delaying it? I'm fine with fighting just wanna know what to expect.

Not at all. We also didn't get the eye gel because I am very confident that I don't now and never have had an STD. We encountered no resistance at all. 

Exactly the same for us.  No one gave us a hard time about declining it at all.  Our pedi did not even mention it until the 2 month visit, when they would be giving other immunizations as well.  We got it then and got caught up.  I'm not anti-vax at all but just did not think it was necessary to subject a newborn to this one. 

sandy02

We delay it till the 2 month appt, the only injection they get at birth is the vitamin K shot since it is very important and time sensitive.

MrsMandaK

Thanks ladies!

CoffeeMommy3

I don't do the vaccine thing untill the kids are over a year old. The only shot they recieved was the vitamin k shot in the hospital. But now we only do dtap because of the tetanus and whooping cough. There are alot of books about vaccines and such but go with your gut and do what you feel will be best for your child. You are the mommy and you have to live with the decisions you make no one should hassel you about it. that is my big stand firm rule, If they keep hounding me on it and making me feel like a bad mom the I stick my ground. I tell them I am doing my research and i will let you know if and when we are ready. but I would let the baby's system get used to the world before just jabbing it with everything.

celiabwatson

We declined with my son because he was early (36 weeks) and we just hadn't had time to research or anything. They asked if we wanted it (it's not right at birth like Vit K, they didn't even offer it until the next morning) and we must have had a blank look because they said we were welcome to think about it and let them know what we decided. When we couldn't decide they suggested just waiting.

Then when we went to the pediatrician (which we don't do until a month because the midwives include the 2 week visit in their global fee) they just asked if we'd had it in the hospital and we said no. They were fine with it but it does effect the schedule slightly so we've had to talk about it at every visit. Basically the nurse stands there and while she's checking the chart against what she's about to administer and it's different she reminds herself/asks us if we got Hep B in the hospital.

Since it was no big deal with our son we delayed with our daughter as well, though I technically had time to become informed with her. 

drpayne

We skipped it.  I didn't have it until I was an adult.  I don't see why a newborn would need it.  We plan to do it at some point... and I will say that I'm now realizing that giving shots is going to become more difficult as LO gets older and figures it out.  We may do it sooner than I'd originally planned simply because he still doesn't fight them at this point .

Haley.Beth

We declined it in the hospital, it just didn't seem like a necessity since no one we know is hep b +. To me, it was an extra stick and unnecessary chemicals pumped into her new body. We weren't really given any problems, except from one nurse, but she was not very nice anyway...this was also the same nurse who gave us grief for not bathing our dd, so we ignored her. My pediatrician was fine with it, she just said, "Ok! Do you want to give the first dose at her 2 month appointment?" We had to sign a form from the hospital saying we denied it and understand what the vaccine does, why it's given at birth, etc. 

flyer23

It's not just a sexually transmitted disease. It can be transmitted through bodily fluids such as saliva (say, through a bite at daycare or preschool), it can live for a long time on surfaces, and some infected people are completely asymptomatic. Here in the USA, nearly 20% of all newly HepB-infected people have no known risk factors. That percentage is even higher in other countries where HepB infection is more common in general.

With DD, we wanted to delay but were pressured into getting it by a nurse at the hospital. Which I'm still bitter about, but whatever. We ended up finishing out the series, because we couldn't get an exemption for school because she'd already had the first shot.

DS has not had any of the shots yet. We originally planned to delay until he's a preteen. But we travel frequently, and had a scare on a recent trip to China: He had to get stitches, and who knows what the sanitation standards of the hospital were. So now we're planning for him to start the series as soon as we can fit it in. (We delay vaccines in general, so he has a few other higher-priority vaccines he still needs to get.)

We'll do the same with this baby.

choppinbroccoli22

We have done all vaccines except this one. I am a healthcare worker, and DH is an international pilot. We are both immune to Hep B. She is not in daycare, she's with me. If schools demand it, I don't suppose there's anything I can do about it, but I know for a fact I didn't have it until college and only then because of my field.

Why are we suddenly inoculating a whole population of infants against this?

The vehicle for vaccines contains heavy metals, and as my older brother died of a heavy metal poisoning (unrelated to vaccines) it's just not something I take lightly.