Hey everyone!! I am FTM and I am not trying to ruffle anyone's tail feathers or offend anyone but I am just doing my research and would like to see where everyone stands on getting their babies and children vaccinated? We live in Texas and it is all we are hearing about and reading about so I have some cause for concerns on both sides of the fence. Just curious as to see where everyone stands and why?
Re: Vaccination
H got pertussis before our 1st was born. It was so scary watching him cough and gag. He was an adult!!!!!! Two of my boys were hospitalized for a week while I was pregnant with #4. They had RSV and pneumonia. Honestly I'm still traumatized from seeing my babies laying in that hospital, retracting, and unable to breath completely on their own. I couldn't imagine how bad it could have been if they had contracted pertussis instead. Nope. Not worth it.
I also have friends that have kids, and have had family that are immunocompromised and I feel like we have a duty to them to provide that herd immunity.
I'm not against a delayed schedule but you should really talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of that.
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ETA sorry for being blunt. An article just popped up saying have there have been 3 confirmed cases of the measles in my area and all I can think of is my poor baby being exposed before they can be vaccinated. So scary!
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My advice is to speak with the practice you plan on going with for your child’s pediatrician, and do your own research. You will find a lot of offices won’t allow you to be a patient if you don’t plan on vaccinating.
I am wondering, though (for everyone, not directed at OP)—once the babies are here, how do you help them stay healthy until they are vaccinated? Do you just not allow people to come see baby unless they’re up to date on all their shots? How do you handle it if someone won’t get a flu shot and your baby hasn’t gotten it yet, either? I don’t want to be overprotective, but I also don’t want a sick kid. 😕
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Babies younger than 6 months can't get the flu shot and its unrealistic to think he/she can stay away from anyone without one all winter. But on the other side, if you breastfeed I believe some of the immunities pass to the baby.
I could get on a soapbox/go into more detail about this, but since you were polite, I won't. But, PLEASE, vaccinate. As @nolemomma14 said, a lot of pediatric practices will no longer accept non-vaccinators. That should be a hint.
My second was a January baby and we limited going out as much as we could, but it was difficult. Thankfully he never got sick.
Im sure my two boys will be bringing home all sorts of germs from school, but we will just keep up with hand washing, and ask those who are sick to please stay away until they’re better and the first round of vaccines.
July 4th
They may say that vaccines are unnecessary for a person to build a robust immune system, but ask them, do vaccinated children go all of their life without getting any kind of illness? Would you want to see your child suffer from a disease you know you could have prevented? How would your boss feel if you said you had to take a sick day because your child had mumps, of all things? Does the fact that many schools and daycares refuse to accept unvaccinated children *really* sound like "big government influence?" Even if an unvaccinated child goes their whole life without getting a vaccine-prevented disease, kids talk, and people talk. Your child will have to hear all of his/her life from their peers or other parents how they are uncomfortable being around them because they are the only one who hasn't gotten their shots. And when you're five years old and nobody wants to sit next to you at lunch because you're "germy," yeah, it *does* matter what people think, and the chorus of reason is soon going to drown out the child's contrarian parents.
Here's one way to look at it: many parents buy their children raincoats. Most days, the raincoat will sit in the closet gathering dust, but on the day that it rains, the child will need it. Will the child definitely get sick if they go outside without a raincoat? No, but wouldn't you want to prevent them getting sick if you could? Maybe the next-door neighbor boy is allergic to the materials in raincoats and needs your child to hold their coat over his head while they walk to school together so he doesn't get sick. Maybe you got spooked by the Proposition 65 tag that says "this coat can expose you to cancer-causing chemicals." (Yes, this is a thing. Any California residents or retail nerds out there? ) But if you did research on Prop 65 from a skilled professional, you would learn that Prop 65 only deals with hand-to-mouth contact, so unless they chew on the sleeve, it's safe for a child to wear.
I'm waiting for the day I tell all of this to my dad and he throws up his hands and says, "Do what you want; they're your kids." But that doesn't change the fact that for a long time, I was terrified that if I had a child on the autism spectrum, my dad would use him or her as "proof" of what happens when you believe in "big science." It doesn't change the fact that my young cousin is unvaccinated because my older cousin bought into everything my dad told him. But at least this time, I will have fought back.
Unless my kids had a medical reason such as a severe allergy, compromised immune system, ect I would never not vaccinate. I strong believe the benefits outweigh any possible negative.
Thankfully, my kids have never had a reaction or a complaint after any of their shots and mine are both done with immunizations until they are much older now. Just yearly flu shots.
I saw this topic pop up on the BMBs page and came running over to see the drama unfold.
I'm so disappointed lol. Anyone want to volunteer to be the token anti-vaxxer so that my Tuesday can be more entertaining?
Anywho, cheers to science and common sense!
*Formerly LuND*
Me: 35 | DH: 37
TTC: 7/2016
Low AMH, mild MFI
BFP 7/29/17
EDD: 4/5/18
DS born 4/4/18
BFP #2 7/2/19
EDD 3/13/20
I babywear and don’t let strangers try and talk to the baby. I do now ask for TDAP from those who will take care of baby at a super young age (like my mom or dad). I felt weird at first but it actually wasn’t a big deal when I asked.
I don’t do this to be all....whatever. But I’ve lost a child and lived through that. And there’s just a lot not worth the risk... if it had been preventable? I don’t know how I could have survived that.
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caught up. My husband’s sibling doesn’t vaccinate and it makes things difficult.
do, some people don’t, everyone has their reasons 🤷🏼♀️
DD is current with every vaccine. DS will be too!
I agree with the others who talk about herd immunity. And that people in poorer countries would kill to be able to offer these life-saving vaccines to their children. It is absolute privilege to be able to even consider not vaccinating. You are then relying on other people to keep your child safe, how lucky that you can even consider that because the risk is currently low. Unfortunately, as we are seeing this year, measles is on the rise because of the lack of vaccinations. And these are deadly diseases. They’ve just been out of our minds for so long, I know no one in this group is likely to have seen anyone suffer with these diseases, because they’ve been nearly radicate in the first world for decades. Thanks to compulsory vaccines.
Those with weaker immune systems rely on that herd immunity to keep them safe. And your baby is going to rely on that herd immunity to keep them safe until they can get it.
I just discovered today that CO has the lowest rate of Kindergarteners who are vaccinated in any state in the US, and I’m so disappointed.
Another question, since we will both have little ones around the same time, how should we deal with family time with then since we are vaccinating?