I wish I had read...

I am passing along (my humble opinion) information that I wish I had before I delivered my babies. I am reading the Vaccine Book (Dr. Sears) and am amazed by what I'm reading. It's not an anti-vac book AT ALL. Instead, it provides the childhood disease info, info about the vaccine to prevent the disease, and a pro and con of each. I just remember the hospital asking "do you want us to give the Hep B vaccine," and I said, "of course!" I really didn't have much vac. information I just figured I would vac. It's not that I would have made a different decision looking back, however, after reading this book, I feel like I would have made a much more informed decsion at the time. My point is, you have to start making vac. decisions almost immediately and you don't want to look back and regret your decisions. I wish I had known about this book before having babies--I'm just trying to help the next new mom That's my 2 cents!!

 

That really is a great book. I agree..being informed is important.

 

I am currently reading it… and my DH brings it to all my Dr appointments to read in the waiting room… we do a lot of waiting room waiting….

Elizabeth

 

Thank you for the recommendation! I'll get the book and read it.

I've been feeling a little overwhelmed by all the things they want to do to the babies right after birth and I want to be prepared to make the right decisions.

 

I read that book recently too. I feel the same, I wish I had that info when I was vaccinating my boys. Oh well all we can do is do better when we know better. I want to follow his alternative vaccine schedule this time with the girls except put off the Hep B til they are pre-teens. I really like the idea of the HPV vaccine and luckily by the time they need it, there will be a lot more data on it. I hate giving brand new vaccines after DS#1 got the Rotavirus vaccine that they pulled off the market back in 1999.

I also question all the stuff they want to do at the hospital. I've never let them give the Hep B vaccine at birth. There's just no need unless I was Hep B positive. I'd like to skip the eye ointment but don't have the courage. I asked about giving the Vitamin K dose orally instead of the shot. My midwife says it tastes horrible, like an explosion in your mouth, and her opinion the shot was kinder.

 

Dh is concerned about the risk of contracting HepB while in the hospital since that's a common place for infection. He has a good point, but I still think it's a bit early for that shot. I'm not inoculated against HepB, and I worked in a hospital for 2 years (though they were always encouraging me to get the shot).

 

That is a great book. I was so glad I got it. Dr. Sears did an excellent article in Mothering magazine a few months ago about the amount of aluminum in vaccines and the lack of research about it's long term effects. It's amazing how much aluminum our children our injected with at each shot visit and they're so young! We are now following the alternative shot schedule with Dax because I just don't want him getting that many shots at one time. We also did not give the Hep B at birth and won't be getting the chicken pox vaccine until he's a little older.

 

I agree! Great book! I will be spreading out the shots as well. I did not have them get the hep b shot at the hospital - no need. I don't agree w/ the statement that it ould be easier to get it at a hospital. Yes, maybe if you worked there, but babies won't be coming into contact w/ other people's bodily fluids and most hospitals have you room in. My hospital is even a separate one from the regular hospital - it is only a L&D hospital. I think twins are just too tiny to get that when they are first born.