The Third Prayer

Yesterday we met with Mary Rene’s new doctor, Doctor Richard Knight and I must say, I am very impressed and so very, very happy that we switched.  I felt right at home the moment I walked in the waiting room.  (Although there was only one waiting room which all kids, sick and not sick, go too.  The other doctor’s office had two separate rooms.)  When we got to the waiting room, Mary Rene ran right to the table and chairs and wanted to play with the toys.  I always bring her own toys so she doesn’t play with the waiting room toys (they have lots and lots of germs and well, if a sick kid was playing with them before Mary Rene…..) but Mary Rene would have nothing to do with her toys.  She loves table and chairs and feels like a big girl when she sits at them.  But then she saw the fish tank and jumped off that chair so quick she nearly fell.  She went right up to the tank and pointed at the lonely fish and “ooh” and “OOH!” over and over again.  The receptionist was getting a real hoot at watching Mary Rene.

But that’s not what we are here to talk about.  The nurse led us back to the room and got Mary Rene’s weight and height.  Mary Rene is still 23 pounds (45 percentile) and has been this weight since she turned one.  They said not to be concerned because she is walking and running so much that she is burning a lot of calories.  And trust me, she seldom sits down-she is always on the move!  It is just funny to watch your baby grow out of clothes so quick that first year and then all of a sudden-stop.  Mary Rene is 31 inches (36 percentile) tall which is an increase since her 15 month visit.

We went in the room and the nurse told me that Mary Rene was due for her Hep. A shot.  I instantly froze and my heart stopped.  I was going to be put to the test, right here and right now.  The nurse was really nice and said the doctor would be back in.  My head was racing, “is this vaccine okay to get?”  I couldn’t remember what four vaccines had the tissues from the aborted babies and I knew 100% that I did not want to allow that to happen.  I panicked, wanted to call Frank for moral support, but then the doctor walked in.

His warm smile put me at ease right away and then Mary Rene quickly waved at him and said, “bye bye.”  Dr. Knight and I both started laughing because it was pretty clear that Mary Rene did not want him in there.  Every time he came near her with the stethoscope she would look him dead in the eyes and say, “bye bye.”  It was too terribly cute.

He quickly mentioned that Mary Rene was not due for her Hep. A shot and he apologized for the nurse bringing in the fact sheet on it.  I breathed.  But then he said she was due for it at her two year appointment. 

When I came home I did look back and see that the Hep. A shot is one of the four that contains the tissues from the aborted babies.  So I decided that a month before Mary Rene’s appointment I will call the office to confirm if the vaccine they carry contains these tissues.  If they say yes, then I will ask where I can get an alternative vaccine.  If they can’t get it then I will have them put down in her chart that she will not be getting the vaccine at her appointment. I figured if I do it ahead of time they, and myself, will be prepared when this comes up at her appointment.

So no shots and I instantly felt better.  But I realized this was my opportunity to let him know where I stand.  I told him the story about why we switched pediatricians and how Mary Rene got three and four shots at her last two appointments.  I told him I wasn’t happy about it and I felt like the doctor really pushed me around.  He told me that he has small children and doesn’t want them getting more than two shots at a time.  Therefore, he doesn’t want his patients either.  Awesome!  I was so glad to hear that.  So I know that Mary Rene will not get more than two shots a visit so that solves part of the problem.  The other part will be my job to fix.

So overall, it was a great visit.  Mary Rene is healthy, thriving and doing amazingly great.  And even better, she has a doctor that I can really trust.  He didn’t intimate me like other doctors and I felt completely at ease with him.  Such a good feeling.

We left the room and went to schedule Mary Rene’s two year appointment.  We have it scheduled so Sweet Pea might be able to get his/her one month appointment done the same day.  As we left, the nurse asked if Mary Rene could have a cookie and I felt so good I said yes.  Mary Rene’s eyes lit up and she slowly ate the cookie the entire way home.

The new pediatrician gets an A plus so far.

Frank thinks that when I read something I instantly jump on it and believe it is true.  Well, that is not true.  When I first read of the disturbing ingredients used to make some of the vaccines I couldn’t accept it.  There was no way that the source was accurate.  So I dug deeper, and deeper, and deeper, and unfortunately, every place I looked pointed in the same direction.  I am so disturbed to know that Mary Rene may have received up to six separate vaccines that included human tissues from an aborted baby.  Yes, from an aborted baby.  I really could not believe that when I first read it because it seemed too far out there.  I mean, really, a vaccine from an aborted baby?  If embryonic stem cell research caused such an uproar then how have vaccines slide under the rug?  I just couldn’t make sense of it.  But it is true.

Along with Stephanie Cave’s book, “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Vaccinations,” there are many websites that have pointed out this fact.  I even found a list of all the vaccines that did contain the aborted baby online.  That is when I realized Mary Rene could have gotten six of the vaccines.  Ignorance is bliss.

So I dug even deeper to see what my church had to say about this.  I mean, if we are so against abortion and embryonic stem cell research then where do we stand with vaccinations?  The Vatican released a statement in June 2005 addressing this issue in Medicina e Morale by the Center fro Bioethics of Catholic University in Rome, titled: Moral Reflections on Vaccines Prepared From Cells Derived From Aborted Human Foetuses.  It is an eight page document regarding vaccinations using aborted babies and this is how they summarize it:

• There is a grave responsibility to use alternative vaccines and to make a conscientious objection with regard to those which have moral problems;
• As regards the vaccines without an alternative, the need to contest so that others may be prepared must be reaffirmed, as should be the lawfulness of using the former in the meantime insomuch as is necessary in order to avoid a serious risk not only for one’s own children but also, and perhaps more specifically, for the health conditions of the population as a whole-especially for pregnant women;
• The lawfulness of the use of these vaccines should not be misinterpreted as a declaration of the lawfulness of their production, marketing and use, but is to be understood as being a passive material cooperation and, in its mildest and remotest sense, also active, morally justified as an extrema ratio due to the necessity to provide for the good of one’s children and of the people who come in contact with the children (pregnant women);
• Such cooperation occurs in a context of moral coercion of the conscience of parents, who are forced to choose to act against their conscience or otherwise, to put the health of their children and of the population as a whole at risk.  This is an unjust alternative choice, which must be eliminated as soon as possible

I did some more research and it turns out that every vaccinations that Mary Rene received with aborted babies had an alternative option but the MMR.  Measles and Mumps separately are available without the aborted babies but Rubella is not.  Since the MMR is only offered as a trio, then we will not be giving this vaccinations to Sweet Pea.  As far as Polio, Chickenpox, and Hep. A are concerned, we will only be giving Sweet Pea these vaccinations if the alternative is available.  We feel that it is our moral duty to do this.

Interestingly, the CDC website does not list aborted baby on their website as an ingredients.  They actually only address a few ingredients and then vaguely mentioned that other combinations of ingredients are used.

***

 Besides tissues from an aborted baby, there are more offensive ingredients in vaccinations.  You can go to this website and read the entire list of crazy ingredients or just scan the list below that I took from their website.

Formaldehyde. “Pungent gas: a colorless gas with a distinctive smell. Use: manufacture of resins and fertilizers, preservation of organic specimens.”

Mercury. “Liquid metallic element: a poisonous heavy silver-white metallic element that is liquid at room temperature.”

Antifreeze  “A liquid causing low freezing point: a substance added to a liquid to lower its freezing point.  An antifreeze such as ethylene glycol is added to or substituted for the water in a vehicle’s radiator to stop it from freezing in winter.”

Yuck.  And that’s all I have to say for now until I read the Dr. Sears book.

After doing my internet research and reading, “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations,” by Stephanie Cave, M.D., F.A.A.F.P, I have a better understanding on why certain vaccines are on the mandatory list.  Most states require 10 vaccines but your pediatrician may give a few more.  By the time your child is five, your child may have had at least 33 doses for the 10 vaccines.  That does not include any additional shots your pediatrician decided to give. 

Below is a brief description of the illness, questions brought up regarding validity of vaccine, when the Center for Disease Control and Prevention wants your child vaccinated, and finally, when Dr. Cave recommends giving the vaccination.  Dr. Cave’s goal is to postpone vaccines as long as possible to reduce adverse reactions, while still following state law.

Please keep in mind, some of these vaccines can come in the form of  liquid instead of a shot.

Hepatitis B (HepB)

This is a disease which affects the liver. This disease mostly effects drug users and homosexual men.  So why are newborns given this shot when there is little risk of the disease as a child?  The CDC recommends that your child get this shot: at birth, one month later and then again at nine months.  Three doses are needed.  If the mother is negative for Hepatitis B, then it is not necessary for your child to get this vaccination at such an early age.  However, to meet state requirements, you will need this completed before your child goes to school.  Dr. Cave’s recommendation is to give the first shot the year before school starts, the second shot the following month and the final shot four months after the first dose.

CDC:birth, 1 month, 9 month (Mary Rene has already completed this series of shots.)

Cave: Approximately 3 years, one month later, three months later

Huge difference.  I will definately do this shot different with Sweet Pea.

Rotavirus

This is a strain of diarrhea causing virus that mostly effects infants. It is a contagious and highly infective virus. However, this virus mostly effects formula fed babies and those in daycare.  I just read an interesting article on Peaceful Parenting (thanks Jamie!) how exclusively breastfeeding reduced rotavirus 90% in Brazil over the vaccine at only 40%.  This particular vaccine has been recalled on and off again and was only recently, 2009, added to the mandatory list.  It has been recalled, on and off again, because there have been so many side effects to this vaccine.  Currently the CDC recommends your child getting this vaccine at two months, four months, and six months.  The maximum age to get this vaccine is 14 weeks.  Per the CDC, vaccination should not be initiated for infants aged 15 weeks or older.  So if you delay this one, well you delay this one. Dr. Cave does not mention this vaccination in her recommendation list since it was not mandatory at the time.  Which leads me to believe that she wouldn’t have had it on her “extra” list.

 (Mary Rene has already completed this series of shots.)

I really don’t know what to do with this shot.  Since it has been recalled so many times I am wondering what the chances of it happening again will be.  But then again, this mostly effects infants which concerns me.  I plan on breastfeeding Sweet Pea, but there always is that chance and I would hate for her/him to get a diarrhea type virus.  So I might consider sticking to the CDC schedule on this one.  Or at least postponing the first shot until the three month visit instead of at two months.

Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTaP or DTP)

The DTP vaccine is a three in one shot. It protects the child against Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis. Diphtheria (effects ages 2-5) is a disease affecting the throat,  Tetanus (effects people in their 50s and older)  is related to painful muscle spasms and Pertussis (effects all ages but worse in infants) is the formal name for whooping cough.  The CDC recommends giving this vaccine at two months, four months, six months and 15-18 months.  A booster shot is given again around the age of four or five.  Dr. Cave recommends getting these shots separate if possible.  She gives these shots at seven months, nine months, 18 months and the booster and four or five months.

CDC: 2 months, 6 months, 15-18 months  (Mary Rene has already completed this series of shots.)

Cave:  7 months, 9 months, 18 months.

Again a difference but not as much.  I would like to delay this shot a few months and maybe wait until Sweet Pea is closer to five or six months.

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

The Hib vaccine can protect the child from the flu like symptoms that can eventually lead to meningitis and pneumonia. It is also possible for the child to choke due to the severe throat infection that this organism can cause.  This is contagious and you can get this more than once.  This is most common in young child.  There have not been many reported side effects on this vaccine.  The CDC recommends giving this vaccine at two months, four months, six months and the final dose at 15-18 months.  Dr. Cave recommends four months, six months, eight months and 17 months.  Since this one didn’t have many side effects it was given earlier and with another vaccine, Polio, and the same appointments.

CDC: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15-18 months (Mary Rene has already completed this series of shots.)

Cave: 4 months, 6 months, 8 months, 17 months

Since there are little side effects I am comfortable giving this shot.  But I would like to delay the first shot until at least four months with Sweet Pea.

Pneumococcal

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine fights against a bacteria which tends to cause ear infections in children.  The CDC recommends giving this vaccine at two months, four months, six months and again at one year.  Dr. Cave recommends waiting until your child is two and only getting one dose. 

CDC: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 1 year  (Mary Rene has already completed this series of shots.)

Cave: 2 years (one dose)

Big difference.  I still don’t understand exactly why she postponed this one so long but allowed other shots so early.  I’ll have to do further research on this one for Sweet Pea.

Polio

Polio is a viral illness, that in 95% of cases produces no symptoms at all.  More serious forms of polio can cause muscle paralysis.  Polio was virtually eliminated from the US in the 20th century.  (There has not been a reported case since 1991.)  The CDC recommends giving this vaccine at two months, four months, six months and a booster at four or five years.  Since this vaccine had little side effects or concerns, Dr. Cave recommended giving this at four months, six months, 17 months and the booster at four or five years.

CDC: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months  (Mary Rene has already completed this series of shots.)

Cave: 4 months, 6 months, 17 months

Not much a difference.  I honestly think I will postpone this one further than Cave proposed.  Since there hasn’t been a case of Polio in the US since 1991, I don’t see this one as a life threatening disease.  I need to do furthe research before I decide when I will get this done for Sweet Pea.

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)

The MMR vaccine is a three in one protector against three different diseases.

Measles can start as a bad cold with a rash and then become far more serious if not immediately treated. It is highly contagious but nearly gone in the US.  Unfortunately, this vaccine is starting to develop resistance and not working as effectively as it used to.  (Why is it given then?)

Mumps is a viral infection which is very contagious.  This vaccine was developed for males but is also given to females. (Why do females get this vaccination then?)

Rubella results in high fever, swollen glands and even rashes.  This is common in preschool children.  This vaccine was originally made to protect unborn children.  (Why do children get this vaccination then?)

This is one of the most debated vaccinations and has been linked to autism, other neurological problems and Crohn’s disease.  The reason it is so debated is because of the trio vaccine and so many children having negative side effects around the time the shot was given.

The CDC recommends giving this trio shot at 12 months, no earlier, and a second shot at age four.  Dr. Cave recommends separate shots: Measles at 15 months, Rubella 12 months after the Measles shot, Mumps 12 months after the Rubella shot.  Then giving the preschool booster at age four or five.  However, it was recently reported that Merck, the main vaccine manufacturer for the MMR will no longer be working on making separate vaccines.  Of course, this can eventually change.

CDC: 12 months, 4 years   (Mary Rene got the first dose.  I can’t postpone the second because she will need it in order to get into school.)

Cave: separate shots.  Measles: 15 months, Rubella; 12 months later, Mumps: 12 months later

Since there is not a separate vaccination at this time, and not sure when there will be, I’m not sure how I will handle this.  Regardless, I will be delaying this with Sweet Pea until before school.

Varicella (chickenpox)

Need I say more?  Chickenpox.  Did you get it as a kid?  I didn’t and I never got the vaccine either.  This is not a life threatening disease but only an inconvenience that last approximately 10 to 20 days.  The vaccine may wear off as time goes on and it may not be effective when your child reaches adulthood.  Getting chickenpox as an adult is a million times worse then getting it as a child.  The funny thing is, this vaccine was developed to help the economy back in the early 1990s.  Many mothers had to take off work for an extended amount of time until their child got over chickenpox.  Employers were losing money because of mothers being at home for such a long time.  This is when the government stepped in and a vaccine was created.  Chickenpox mostly effects school-aged children.  The CDC recommends giving this vaccine at one year and then again around four.  Dr. Cave recommends waiting until your child is ready to enter school and doing a ‘titer” to see if your child is immune.

CDC: 1 year, 4 years  (Mary Rene got the first dose.  I can’t postpone the second because she will need it in order to get into school.)

Cave: Wait until ready for school

I have to side completely with Cave on this one.  I don’t see the necessity in getting the shot until it is needed.  Plus, if they think it is going to wear off anyways, it seems kind of pointless.  But, I have to follow state law to get Sweet Pea into school.

Hepatitis A (HepA)

This is a liver infection that is common in children but more serious in adults.  In mostly effects people in western states.  The CDC recommends giving this at 15 months and again at four years.  Dr. Cave does not have this on her list as recommended vaccines.

CDC: 15 months, 4 years   (Mary Rene got the first dose.  I can’t postpone the second because she will need it in order to get into school.)

This is a shot I will delay for Sweet Pea.  There doesn’t seem to be a huge concern or chance of her/him getting this so I think it will be safe to postpone.  I’m not sure exactly when though.

***

Regarding the booster shot, you can have the pediatrician check your child’s ‘titer’ to measure the amount in child’s blood to see if a further dose is needed or not.  You might be able to opt out of the booster later in life.

***

I still don’t know exactly what vaccination schedule I will follow with Sweet Pea.  One thing is for sure, I will not be following the 2010 CDC guidelines completely.  I also don’t think I will follow Dr. Cave’s schedule either.  She has some vaccinations listed early and I’m not certain if they need to be that early.  I still want to read Dr. Sears’ “The Vaccine Book” before I make any final determination. 

***

WOOH!  That was a mouth full.  And that was only the current nine recommended vaccinations (really 13 when you break the trio shots up.)  There are also shots for the flu, H1N1, Lyme Disease, Menningococcal, etc.  But as the book pointed out, what does the future hold for vaccinations?  Will there be shots for STDS (some are already in the works,) what about shots for HIV/AIDS?  Reproductive vaccine?  What else will we allow the government to MAKE our children get vaccinated against?  

What I found most interesting was that many of these illness are for diseases that effect older children and adults.  But why are we giving these to babies?  Is it really true that we are giving these to babies because the government has the best chance of making sure children are vaccinate due to the many wellness visits?  If that is the case, then can’t we be given the responsibility to make sure our child gets vaccinated before school, when they are older?

Okay, this is not the last post on vaccines.  I still have another post about the different ingredients they use (very disturbing) and some other side issues.  I haven’t started constructing those post, and well, I’m busy this week, so they might not be until the following week.  Stay posted and thanks for reading!

Reading “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations,” by Stephanie Cave, M.D., F.A.A.F.P not only helped me realize that I want to delay vaccinations but it also helped me understand more fully why vaccinations are necessary. 

Frank’s first question to me was, “see what the other side has to say.”  The book explained the history of vaccinations and why a vaccine was created for each different illness.  In the early 19th century there were outbreaks of diseases that caused hundreds of thousands of deaths.  A lot of these deaths were children, because naturally, they are weaker than adults.  The government wanted this problem fixed immediately and doctors started working on vaccines.  Slowly vaccines were created to help with different illnesses.  But over time, some of these vaccines provided to be harmful so they were pulled off the shelves.  The team of doctors would start over again until they could find a better combination of ingredients to (a) make a vaccine and (b) make it healthy.  The combinations of ingredients have been changed over and over again to make the vaccines healthy and more effective.  For the most part, the vaccines have worked because there haven’t been anymore outbreaks of these illnesses.

However, did the vaccines really help stop the outbreaks or would it have solved itself?  For instance, when you get chickenpox you become immune to it and you usually don’t develop the illness again.  Could this have been the case with these illnesses as well?  They really don’t know since vaccines were created, which actually saved many lives.  But now, many studies are showing that our bodies are becoming immune to the vaccines and they are not as effective as they used to be.  Eventually if we keep vaccinating for these illnesses, the effectiveness can wear down and we can have another outbreak in our country.  This is all theory though and can’t be proven.  But it is a thought.  One point to back this up is that as time goes by, doctors are noticing that one dose is not enough of a certain vaccine.  In most cases, you need to have two to four different doses administered for the vaccinations to take effect.  And after that, the effectiveness is still not 100%. 

To answer Frank’s second question, “there must be a reason they do it.”  He was referring to giving infants shots.  Even as I got Mary Rene vaccinated I had trouble wrapping my head around this.  Here was my helpless little baby girl, and I had to help the doctor hold down her legs so they could give her shots.  She had no way to communicate but cry so as soon as they were done I would quickly scoop her in my arms and nurse her.  I always left the office puzzled but thought it was supposed to be done.  But after reading the book it makes sense why they do it as infants.  The first year of development is very crucial and parents are supposed to take their children for wellness visits approximately five to six times in the first year.  At these visits, the doctors check to make sure your baby is gaining weight and height.  If your baby is not gaining weight, this is a clue to the doctor to talk to you about breastfeeding or formula issues.  The doctor also checks your baby’s eyes, ears, mouth, hips, and genitals to make sure your baby is developing healthy.  These visits are very important and it really helps to have a professional examine your baby to make sure your baby is on track.  For me, it was always a relief to know she was growing in weight and her hips were in proper order.  I always felt like a better parent when I left the visit and heard the doctor say, “keep up the good work.”

As long as you have a healthy child, these wellness visits in the first year will be the most you will see your child’s doctor.  After a year, you might go in for a 15th month, 18 month, then 2 year check-up.  After that, you might only need to go in once a year for a wellness visit.  With a healthy child, this can continue until your child graduates high school and is ready for an adult doctor!

So doesn’t it make sense to get the required vaccinations during the time frame when the doctors have the best opportunity?  It has been mentioned that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention first established the shot recommendation list because of low income families.  Since families of low income were less likely to continue taking their children to the doctor for wellness visits, it was thought to get the children vaccinated while they had the chance.  That way when these children reached school-age, they would be vaccinated by state law and be able to attend school.  In addition, by giving multiple vaccines at the same visit, the parents were able to save money on doctor visits.  (Depending on your state, there are laws in effect about a child’s ability to attend daycare and schools regarding vaccinations.  You need to know your state’s law before you decide how to handle vaccinations.  There are always exceptions but getting by on an exception is getting harder and harder.  The three main exceptions are medical, philosophical and religious.  In the state of Missouri, you cannot use philosophical as an exception.  For Missouri law, you can check out this link.)  So the vaccine recommendation list was established and it went in effect for all children. 

If you decide to get your child vaccinated below are some helpful questions to ask yourself and the doctor.

Before Getting the Vaccine

1. Make sure your child does not have a fever.  A fever can cause a very bad reaction to the medication.
2. Request a copy of the Vaccine Information Statement from your child’s pediatrician.  This will explain the benefits and risk of the vaccine.
3. Tell the pediatrican if anyone in your family has been sick recently.  Your child may have picked up the illness and hasn’t shown signs yet.  A weaker immune system will cause side effects to the vaccine.
4. Ask to see the package of the vaccine before it is administered to make sure it is correct.
5. Ask for the Lot Number of the vaccine just in case your child has a reaction. 
6. Ask about giving your child Vitamin C before the shot to help protect your child from getting a reaction.
7. Ask if your child can get a single dose over a multiple dose.
8. If the only option is a multiple dose, make sure the doctor shakes the bottle first so the vaccines are more evenly distributed (DID NOT KNOW THIS!!!)

Specific Questions to Ask The Doctor Before Getting a Particular Vaccine

1. What are the symptoms of a reaction to this vaccine?
2. How long does it take for symptoms to appear?
3. Can I get mercury-free vaccines?
4. Can I get thimerosal-free vaccines? (Just as important as mercury free.)
5. Which polio vaccine are you using? 
6. Will my child get the new DTaP vaccine?  (This vaccination has been changed so many times that the word “new” is really not relevant.  But it is still good to ask since there have been so many different modifications.  You want to make sure your child is getting the latest version.)

Questions to Ask Yourself

1. Is my child feeling well today?  If your child is having an off day, do not get the vaccinations.  
2. Does my child have any allergies to medicines or foods? 
3. Has my child ever had a reaction to a vaccine before? 
4. Has my child taken cortisone, prednisone, or other steroids, or anticancer drugs or undergone X-Ray treatments in the last three months?
5. Has anyone who has taken care of my child had any of the above symptoms or taken the above medication?
6. Does my child or any other person who lives or takes care of my child have cancer, AIDS, leukemia or other immune system disorders?
7. Has my child ever had  seizure or brain problem?
8. Has my child received blood or plasma transfusion, or given globulin in the past year?

If you answer yes to any of the above questions then you should not have your child vaccinated at that time.  Your child is at a higher risk for getting a reaction from the vaccine.

So get all the shots the first year while you are at wellness visits anyways, right?  Not so fast.  In the next post, I will talk about the different types of vaccines, what age group that particular illness effects and when the vaccine is supposed to be given.

As I mentioned awhile back, I had a bad experience with Mary Rene’s former pediatrician regarding her shots.   The doctor was doing his job but the tone of voice and attitude were not necessary.  Looking back, I realize that a lot of it stems to my parenting skills.  If I would have been a better advocate for my daughter from day one then we never would have gotten to that point.  A friend of mine uses the same doctor and has been very successful with delaying vaccinations.  From the start, my friend gave a firm no.  I didn’t do that which allowed them to bully me around easier.

When I was pregnant with Mary Rene, I was in baby land.  All I thought about was what baby stroller to buy, what car seat was the safest, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, cloth diapers over disposable, and on and on and on.  Vaccinations didn’t cross my mind.  It wasn’t until a month before Mary Rene was born that I had the pre-interview with her pediatrician and vaccinations came up.  I was given a pamphlet on why vaccinations were important and that was the end of it.  I don’t even remember reading the pamphlet.  Why?  Because she was the doctor and I was paying her to make the medical decisions.  I figured she went to school all those years and knew what was best.

Now I realize how naive I was as a new mother.  There are two important things I have learned as an adult and I should have applied these to parenting as well.

1. Always Question Authority.  Professionals make mistakes because…they are human.  Haven’t you heard all the stories about doctor’s amputating the wrong leg?  Mistakes happen.  It is unfortunately apart of life.  Never trust what you are told just because the person who is saying it appears to have more knowledge in that field then you do.  Ask questions and expect an answer.  If you are given an answer that doesn’t add up, then do your research and become the professional. 
2. Knowledge is Power.  Trusting someone else to make crucial decisions for your child’s well-being is just ludicrous.  I realize that now but I didn’t before.  I gave them the power because they had the knowledge.  I realize though that seeking out the knowledge is much easier than going to eight years of medical school.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not discrediting all the years of hard work they put into medical school.  I applaud the doctors for doing that.  But what they know is also something we can know.  And once we know it, we have more power.  In order to stand firm in your beliefs on a matter, you need to have knowledge in that area.

I questioned the fire department when they said it was safest to put Mary Rene’s infant car seat behind the driver seat instead of the passenger seat.  When he explained why, I agreed and her car seat was put behind me.  I questioned the lady at Babies “R” Us when she claimed one stroller was better than the other.  I question people all the time but I wasn’t questioning the doctor because of the M.D. behind the name.

But now I am learning more, through web research and books, and I feel like I have the Knowledge to Question all Authorities.  So I am now, hence a new doctor.  I know I could have stayed with the same doctor because she would have allowed me to delay vaccinations.  It would be easier to do this then get the record’s transferred and start fresh.  But I know that even though I say I have the Knowledge and I say I will Question her Authority next time, I probably won’t.  I am not as tough when I am in person and since I couldn’t do it from the beginning with Mary Rene it will be hard to start fresh.  So I decided I had to switch pediatricians in order to make sure that I get started on the right foot with Sweet Pea.  I looked over Mary Rene’s vaccination chart and it honestly is too late to do anything different for her.  But Sweet Pea, I am changing it up a bit a lot.

When it comes down to it though, Mary Rene and Sweet Pea have two parents.  As much as I want to have my way all the time, I can’t.  And I don’t.  But I am thankful to have a supportive husband that believes I am making good choices for our children.  He works at a hospital and believes in vaccinations and thinks they are important.  When I told him what I learned in my research, he quickly added, “look at the other side,” and “there must be a reason they do it.”  So I researched and found answered to both of his questions.  As an adult working in a hospital around sick patients all day, it makes sense that he needs to keep up with certain vaccinations.  I don’t question that all.  But I question why an infant, just out of the womb, needs these same powerful vaccinations?  If my children were in daycare, then yes, I could understand the need.  Besides the fact that in most states it is required by law, there also is a bigger risk with all the children in close quarters.  When my children reach school age, then yes, they do need to be vaccinated.  Besides the obvious fact again that it is state law, they are in close quarters with other children.  So I believe that there is a time and place for certain vaccinations but I don’t believe it is the first year of life.

Frank was slightly on board with my new approach and as he always does he  casually mentioned to his mother what we were thinking of doing.  He says it in a way that he almost is trying to get her feelings on the matter.  At the very moment he told her, a nurse walked by (he was at the nursing home visiting his grandma.)  The nurse kindly butt in the conversation and told him it was a good thing to do that.  She went on to tell him that she lost a five month old patient because of vaccinations.

Clearly that is the worst case scenario and that doesn’t happen often.  I don’t tell you that conversation to scare you but only to show you that mistakes can happen.  Sure it could have been the vaccine itself that caused a negetive reaction.  Or maybe the baby was supposed to get the polio vaccinations but by mistake the doctor picked up the vaccinations for pneumonia.  Maybe the polio vaccinations is supposed to be 10 mil-liters but the flu is only supposed to be .10 mil-liters.  That baby just got 10 mil-liters of the wrong vaccinations.  This is all  hypothetical and I’m not certain what happened in that situation.  But it does happen. 

Which brings me to this point, if you do decide to get your child vaccinated, ask to see the bottle they are administering and the amount. Remember, everyone makes mistakes.  And as a parent, it is your right to see what they are injecting in your child.  Also it is good to write down the Lot Number on the side of the bottle.  That way if your child does have a reaction you can report the Lot Number to the National Vaccine Information Center.  They will make sure other children who got that same bottle will be closely monitored.

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I have a lot to say regarding this topic (can you tell?) and there is no way I can fit this all into one post so I will be breaking it up into several post over the course of the next few days or week.  Next post will start discussing the book, “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations,” by Stephanie Cave, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.  I was concerned about vaccinations before I read her book and started my research online.  A few people suggested that I read this book and I am so glad I did.  If you are an expecting mother, I highly recommend this book.

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Today is my dad’s last day of work at Chrysler.  With the failing economy, the St. Louis plant was closed a few months ago (maybe close to six months ago?)  He was lucky enough to hold on to his job a few months longer since he worked in the water treatment plant for Chrysler.  But starting today he starts his forced retirement.  Remember how he was excited to start watching Mary Rene and he wanted to take her up and down the street in a wagon? My mom, Frank and myself went in together and got him a wagon as a retirement gift.

The moment I took it out of the box to assemble, nosey Mary Rene came over to help.

She found the wheels and decided to put them in the wagon.

Once it was finally assembled, she jumped right in and has enjoyed being pushed around the front room throughout the day.

But what fun is a wagon without your friends, Baby Jesus

and Violet.

Isn’t that wagon great?  It has two seats with seat belts.  Plenty of room for Sweet Pea someday!

Seriously, everyday she has been playing in the wagon, see the new outfit-different day.

She likes to take her blanket and pillow inside so she can lay down for a cat nap.

Mary Rene and my dad are going to have so much fun with that wagon.

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Month one down with the new budget and I am proud to say that I stayed on budget for groceries!  I really did not think it was possible to do it but I did with $4 remaining.  The key was staying away from Target.  Target has such good deals but whoever goes there and buys only want they need?  I only allowed myself to go in there once because with a coupon and the sale, I got regularly $4.99 soda for $2.  Unfortunately we didn’t stay on budget with our utilities (colder weather spiked our gas bill,) medical bills (yeah, I think I have talked about this enough,) dentist (we both went the same month,) and charity (Haiti pushed us over, but completely worth it!)  So on to next month!

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Speaking of budgets, we met with a new financial advisor on Tuesday night.  He is the son of a friend from church.  If anyone in the St. Louis area is looking for a financial advisor call Michael Disalvo at 314-932-4300.  Frank and I feel much better about our pending deductible because now we see we have other resources for money, if needed.  We are still praying that we won’t need it but it is nice to have a safety net.

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I finished “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations” by Stephanie Cave, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.  I will be writing a cliff note’s version of the book on a post next week.  When I say cliff note’s version, it will be long.  It is a very informative book, eye opening that is for sure.  I highly recommend expecting mothers to read this book.  The only issue with the book is that is was last updated in 2000.  Ten years have gone by and there have been many changes to vaccines.  One change includes the rotavirus.  It is back in the line of shots and it wasn’t at the time of publication.  When I finished the book I was absolutely disgusted to look back at Mary Rene’s vaccination chart and see what was given to her.  I am so blessed that the only reaction she has had were two minor ear infections.  I say, “has had” because I learned from the book that side effects can appear years later, in the form of learning disabilities.  I am praying that other side effects don’t come up later though.  So many people talk about the autism debate with vaccinations but it is more than just autism.  Shooting your baby’s, already weak, immune system, with so many different viruses at the same time can cause strokes, seizures, learning disabilities and even death.  Okay, I’ll stop now.  I will be writing more about this next week.  The post is taking me awhile to construct properly but look for it next week.

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I have two new projects at work and have been, and will be, working my little tail off.  Working part-time can be hard when most of your hours are done at home.  Which means, you stay up late.  Lack of sleep means…lack of sleep.

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Two days after they decided to stop searching for survivors, more survivors are still being found.  I get goose bumps every time I hear another story about someone surviving.  The latest, a 16 year old girl was rescued 15 days after the earthquake.  Amazing.  I told Frank that I wanted to fly down there and nurse those poor babies.  Well, I also told him if I wasn’t pregnant then I would be convincing him to foster a child.  He really didn’t respond to that statement.

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I’ve been doing these Quick Takes for over a year now, hence the #54.  Has a year really gone by that fast?

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We finally got our new screen door installed!  Before Christmas, there was a bad windstorm and our door blew off the hinges and shattered into pieces.  We got a new screen door for Christmas but opted to save the $98 installation fee and do it ourselves.  Do it ourselves means, beg my dad.  My dad came over on Saturday and Frank and him spent nearly the entire day working on the door.

Frank said the door would have been installed much sooner but they kept misplacing tools.  I find this humorous because we live in a matchbox and all the tools were in the front room.  Regardless, the new door is nice and it will be even better once spring gets here.  It hasn’t been up a week and Sophie B and Mary Rene are already fighting over who gets to look outside.

They both would stand there all day if they had their wish.

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Thanks for the prayers on Monday.  A few of you emailed me privately and said you would pray as well and I really appreciate that.  Monday’s prayers were answered But I continue to ask for prayers.  This will be a long process, I am prayerful that it will, so prayers will be needed for months.

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When I was pregnant with Mary Rene, I asked the girls in my Bible Study Group for their recommendations on a pediatrician.  I took the names they gave me, did research and found the one that I really liked.  He was right by my house too which was even nicer.  Unfortunately he was not covered under our insurance so I had to go searching again.  A friend of mine recommended the pediatrician we selected and I must say, I was very pleased.  However, the whole time Frank questioned her and I found myself always sticking up for the doctor.  When Mary Rene went in for her 12 month appointment, her doctor wasn’t available so we had the other doctor.  I’ve always liked the other doctor but this particular visit went back.  He did his evaluation and then told me that Mary Rene would be getting four shots.  I asked why she needed four, and he looked me dead in the eye and said, “That’s what she is due for.”  I asked why four?  She has never had that many at once.  He picked up his file, looked me straight in the eyes again, and said this time was different and she had to get four.  As he walked away, he told me a nurse would be in right away.  My heart just stopped because of the way he treated me but I was frozen in fear and let the nurse shot Mary Rene up.  What happened?  She screamed, she ended up getting a runny nose, she ended up getting an ear infection.  I was so mad.  When her 15 month appointment came, her doctor was available.  This time she was getting less shots but I still wasn’t happy.  We left the office and I just started to get this bad feeling in my heart.  I was supposed to be my daughter’s advocate and I wasn’t doing a good job advocating.  I let these professionals walk on me because I allowed myself to think that they knew what was best for my daughter.  And it wasn’t.  Every time she got more than two shots, she would get crabby and a runny nose.  January came and so did our new insurance.  I remembered the name of the pediatrician I had wanted in the beginning, and it turned out some ladies in my La Leche League used him.  I had Frank see if he was in-network and…he was!  So on Monday, I switched pediatricians.  The problem for me is that I have learned I am all talk, and as much as I want to back down to the doctors, I couldn’t.  I had already started down the path of full vaccinations and I was too much of a coward to slow down the pace.  But with a new pediatrician I can start fresh.  Mary Rene will be going in for a 18 month check-up and my plan is to have a delayed schedule set up and show him on our first visit.  I will also have this set up ahead of time for Sweet Pea.  Starting off fresh is so much easier for me to do then stand up to authority figures.  And besides, I didn’t feel comfortable with the other doctor and I was paying him a lot of money.  Frank and I don’t have much money left at the end of the month and it came down to-spending my money wisely.  And I realized, I needed to invest my money wiser when it came to health care.  Okay, that wasn’t really a quick thought.

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I’ve been doing a lot of research this week about switching to organic products.  I mostly was thinking about genetically modified foods, such as meat and chicken.  But the further I went into my research I realized that GMO also effect milk, eggs, vegetables, fruit and even canned foods.  So if there is anyone who reads this and only eats organic, explain please.  Also, how much more does it cost?  Now that we are on a grocery budget I’m wondering if I can afford to go organic.

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Mary Rene went on a playdate Monday with her friend Elaine, who is two.  They aren’t that far apart in age but they didn’t interact too much.  Mary Rene wanted to sit on her momma’s lap the whole time while Elaine had fun running back in forth.  On Wednesday, we had a playdate with my friend Laura and her 2 month old son, Cole. 

Mary Rene was in absolutely heaven and loved him to pieces.

Laura was so kind and let Mary Rene hold Cole in her lap.  Mary Rene felt like such a big girl and was beaming with pride.  When we put Cole in the bouncy seat, Mary Rene kept trying to sit with him.  Poor little guy was getting squished by a 23 pound baby!

She just kept looking at him and smiling away.  Love?  Oh, I just think she likes babies a lot-which is a good thing.  It was really cute because she kept getting really close to him and jibber jabbing away.  She had to be saying something really important to him because her face was very serious and she would not stop talking.

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On Wednesday, I was able to cross off #95 on my list: get re-certified in CPR.  Well, I didn’t get certification because the class I registered for didn’t offer it.  But I am counting it because I learned Adult, Child and Infant CPR.  It was a three hour long class and I took it with one of my co-workers, Laurie.  (She had it on her list too.)  I feel so much better now that I know infant CPR.  It is so scary to think of, and I pray I never have to use it, but I feel more confident as a parent now.

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Last, but definitely not least, today is the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade.  As my amazing OB/GYN  put it on facebook, “Lord forgive those of us who have had one of the 50+ million abortions and forgive the rest of us for not speaking up as much as we should to protect your innocent.”

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Something I thought I would never do: rub Vick’s on my chest and aim my daughter’s nose towards it while she nursed.  Well I did it.  She stopped to sniff but then went ahead and nursed.  I also rubbed it on her chest before she went to bed and she woke up feeling so much better.  Thanks Melissa for the suggestion!

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Since my dad is going to occasionally watch Mary Rene once he retires, we decided to start leaving her at my parent’s house for a bit while I go run errands.  Usually I am always with her when we visit so this was a big adjustment.  But you know what, she did fine.  She loves it at my parent’s house and has so much to do there.  They wore her out and she was so tired that she took a 2.5 hour nap.  The nap would have been longer but I sneezed when I walked by her and she instantly woke up.  I must say, going grocery shopping alone was really nice.  I enjoy Mary Rene’s company, and I know she likes to be out and about, but I was able to really concentrate on the sales and my coupons.  Hopefully my little shopping trips pays off and we stick to the grocery budget this week.

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Two of the gals at work are pregnant and we are having a baby shower for one of them today.  This gal is having a baby girl so I decided to try and make her a pair of baby girl shoes. 

This was very tedious and I’m not sure if I want to make this shoe thing a hobby.  I like making taggie blankets as gifts but I don’t think I’ll be going overboard and making girl shoes as well.   Although they are so cute and the finished product makes me so happy that I might do them again.  Hmm.

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Having a blog is great and it gets people to do things easily.  Case in point, my post yesterday about the deductible led my wonderful husband to call our insurance company again.  They confirmed that I will have a $800 deductible but now they are stating that the baby won’t have to pay his/her deductible until he/she starts making regular doctor visits.  They also said something about me not paying the deductible if all the stars align correctly.  So, now we are praying that all this is true and we leave with a healthy baby boy or girl and a small hospital bill.

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I have decided to delay vaccinations for Sweet Pea.  I’ve been doing a lot of research this week and my fantastic sister-in-law is getting books for me to read from the library, where she works.  So far, I like the Dr. Sears method the best.  Go figure.  For the moms that read this blog, how have you handled vaccinations?

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We have this little hand-held back scratcher that is shaped like a hand and the fingers knead into your back.  It an awesome little thing and I misplaced it several months ago.  Somehow Mary Rene found it and has been playing with it.  I showed her how it worked on her back and she started laughing so hard.  Which got me thinking, I’m going to make this a tickle game.  So everyday this week I have been handing it to Mary Rene and trying to get her to tickle me on the back with it.  She is starting to get the hang of it and is having fun.  Now I just need her to apply a little pressure and go in a circular motion while I kick back and relax during the massage.

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I have tried really hard not to turn on the television much this week because I am just sickened by the disaster in Haiti.  My heart just breaks for these people and all they are going through.  When it comes to natural disasters, are you plugged to the tv or do you steer away?