I've been meaning to write this post for awhile and have been asked about them a few times recently. Baby is asleep so I decided I'd try to write it while I have a few spare minutes!
I consider myself pretty crunchy in that I cloth diaper, breastfeed, natural birth, believe in keeping boys intact, bedshare, make my own cleaners, try to eat little processed foods, etc. There are a few things that set me apart from being all out granola though--I refuse to give up my razor. And I vaccinate.
I believe in the science behind vaccines and Mike and I both agreed that we want Hazel fully immunized. However, the CDC schedule freaks us out a bit. We didn't like the idea of giving her several vaccines at once for fear of her having an adverse reaction and I still don't understand why the same dosage is given to a baby and a full grown man. We declined Vitamin K and Hep B (and eye ointment) at birth because we felt they were unnecessary and I didn't want anything injected into my newborn. We got a LOT of crap from the on call pediatrician who made us feel like we were killing our child if we didn't vaccinate right then and there. At her 72 hour weight check the pediatrician offered to bring in the head of the infectious disease department to talk to us, again making us feel like we were jeopardizing her life, which was ridiculous. We were pissed that we were treated this way but we had done our research and felt confident in our decisions. Hazel still has yet to have her Hep B. We will likely have her immunized against this once she starts school.
As I said, we want Hazel to be fully immunized but have chosen to spread them out a bit. This gives her immune system a little more time to mature and we have elected to do no more than two vaccines at a time (this makes it easier to figure out any issues should she have any negative reactions) no more than one aluminum containing vaccine at once and no more than one live virus at once. This means more trips to the pediatrician's office in between her well baby check ups but that's not a huge deal. So far her pediatricians here have been okay with her alternative vaccine schedule, even if it confuses the hell out of them. Good thing I keep good records and know what I want her to have and when!
Dr. Sears' Vaccine Book was a really helpful resource while making this decision. He breaks each vaccine down and lists the pros and cons of each, the ingredients and explains the disease. He also offers several great alternative and selective vaccine schedules. Vaccines don't have to be all or nothing. I have many friends who choose not to vaccinate at all and while I disagree with them, I respect that it is their decision to make. I know that once I vaccinate her I can't "un-vaccinate" her and if Hazel does ever have an adverse reaction I will never forgive myself. BUT Mike and I both feel that the risk of a reaction is the lesser risk compared to all the scary diseases of the world. All you can do is research and decide what is best for your child and family.
