Non-Vaxxers...

[amrijane128]

1st... please no flaming.

Do you ever just have your days of fear? DD had her first set of shots at 2 months and I discontinued them after that. I've always been assertive and confident about my decision, but after reading about a LO who passed away from meningitis, etc. I get terrified. I know, that's to be expected, occasional fear is part of parenthood in my opinion, but I guess I feel like I'm not educated enough, I haven't read enough, I haven't seen enough to make such a big decision. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to DD because of me not vaxxing, but I am so opposed to allowing her to be injected with all the crap in vaccines.

I guess I'm just having a moment of internal conflict, and am not really sure to go from here. Anyone in the same boat? Can someone point me in some direction? Sorry for the sob story.

[ClothDiaperingMama]

1st... please no flaming.

Do you ever just have your days of fear? DD had her first set of shots at 2 months and I discontinued them after that. I've always been assertive and confident about my decision, but after reading about a LO who passed away from meningitis, etc. I get terrified. I know, that's to be expected, occasional fear is part of parenthood in my opinion, but I guess I feel like I'm not educated enough, I haven't read enough, I haven't seen enough to make such a big decision. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to DD because of me not vaxxing, but I am so opposed to allowing her to be injected with all the crap in vaccines.

I guess I'm just having a moment of internal conflict, and am not really sure to go from here. Anyone in the same boat? Can someone point me in some direction? Sorry for the sob story.


I am so there mama! I guess I feel embarrassed that I let myself get so scared about vaxes. I have three older dds who are all FULLY vaxed and have no issues whatsoever. I was also vaxed as was my DH, etc.

DS has severe food allergies and was very sick for his first year of life. Vaxes were the last thing on our minds then. My main fear about vaxes now is that they could cause a severe reaction in ds. {He has a ton of food allergies {epi pen jr severe.. including one to eggs}. My DH and I have been doing some research and talking. {He is a Scientist}. I think we have decided to selectively vax ds and avoid the ones that have egg bases. I am also avoiding the cervical cancer 'vax' and the chicken pox vax. {I think those are silly especially since cervical cancer is so easily found and treated without complications. {Now maybe if they had an ovarian cancer one}:giggle:

Okay.. side tracked.. anyway.. I have been so terrified thinking what if my little ones get these things because I didn't vax? There are now getting to be a lot of non vaxed kids which will eventually bring back the very diseases that we are hoping to avoid. I think I will 'delay' vaxing for the new babies, but I don't think I will completely not vax though. I have had a change of heart and will be starting selective vaxing when we get home and settled.

The new baby won't get vaxes until after one year I think? Not sure though.. maybe we will start on time. I just haven't decided yet.


So long ramble to say that Yes.. I am conflicted too!:hugs:

[ClothDiaperingMama]

Sorry that I can't point you in the 'right direction' but I think you and DH should sit down and talk, research, etc and go with what you two feel is in the best interest of your kids. I know that is what we have decided to do.

Good Luck! I really do know how confusing it is!:hugs:

[TieNappyQueen]

I feel more confident since I stopped ( same point as you). When you heard about the LO who passed from men. did they say he was unvaxed, because there are kids who are vaxed that die from it, they are not as safe as some think.
I know some selectivly vax, I thought I MIGHT do that but I got to a point that that is not even an option TO ME! RESEARCH and do what is right for YOUR FAM!

[iris0110]

I did for a while, but then I did more research on the diseases themselves. Now I am not afraid. I also have known too many families affected negatively by the vaccines. The CDC admits you are more likely to know a person who has had a vaccine reaction than a person who has even had one of the disease we vax for (other than the flu and chickenpox this was before those vaxes were common). But knowing that the diseases aren't that dangerous, disapeared thanks to the advent of clean water and sanitation (suprising how much healthier you are when you don't drink the same water you pee and poo in :yuck: ), and that the vaxes themselves are very dangerous I am far more afraid of the vaccines than the diseases. It doesn't hurt that Kearnan has autism because of his vaccines. He has braindamage caused by encephalitis. The encephalitis was caused by his MMR vaccine. Measels, mumps and rubella are not more concerning than chickenpox (measels is a little more so but not much, mumps is far less and rubella is no more than a touch of rash and fever). I feel such horrible guilt I can't even explain it. I also feel angry that I was duped into injecting these horrible toxins into my child under the guise of protecting him. They don't even do long term safety and efficacy trials on vaccines (not even close to what is required on other drugs). our children are the long term experiments. And I know Kearnan is lucky. MMR encephalitis can cause permanent debilitating seizures and death. I'll take my chances with the diseases. But I do totally understand where you are. Do more research and see how you feel. Check out the CDC's MMWR, that always makes me feel better. And there is an awesome graph that shows the decline of the diseases along with when the vax appeared (assuming there is a vax, it shows other diseases as well). And a list of the vax ingredients and VAERS. It really does help.

AS for menengitis there are many causes. My dh's friend contracted a viral form and was very very sick, there is no vax for it. Just because you have menegitis does not mean a vax could have protected you. I look at it this way, with a vax I risk all of the vaccine adverse events, and then still risk the disease (no vax is 100% effective, no matter what they claim). I would rather just take my chances with the diseases.

[baby1577]

I look at it this way, with a vax I risk all of the vaccine adverse events, and then still risk the disease (no vax is 100% effective, no matter what they claim). I would rather just take my chances with the diseases.


:yeahthat:

When I start to have uneasy feelings for whatever reason, I remember this:

If I give my children vaccines and they have a reaction, I am 100% the cause of that. If I don't vaccinate them, I know that if they do happen to end up with something *really bad* the chances of that happening were slim to none and I took the less risky road. :goodvibes:

[BlsdMama]

Absolutely! Our dd fell on a canning basket... One of those wire baskets that you put in a canning pot to can fruit, etc. It broke and the wire went 2-3 inches into her leg. We bought it at a farm auction and it was a pretty high risk for tetanus...And she wasn't vaccinated for it yet. (We are selective and delay vaxers.)

However, neither side is a win/win. After having lost one of our children in 2001, I'm very, very, very aware that sometimes parents bury babies. We have weighed both sides and if something was to happen as the result of a vaccine we have chosen we can live with that because we know we chose the best choice in that particular situation. If one of our children has complications because we DIDN'T vaccinate a certain vaccination, we can live with that too, because we know we had weighed both sides of THAT disease and made the best choice.

This is why it is SO important to be aware of both the disease and the vaccine effects so that you can PERSONALLY decide the risks you are willing to take. Was I scared? Oh yeah!

But, the bottom line isn't "Could we have prevented it if we knew ahead of time?" The question is, "Did I make the best decision for my babies with the information I had?" Hindsight is always 20/20. It is every parent's obligation to be informed and make good decisions based on their specific family.

[Tiffer23]

Absolutely. I think every good parent questions their decisions. We want to make sure we're making the right one. I ALWAYS go back and stand by my decision though. Not vaxing is safer than vaxing imo.

There are many strains of meningitis, and every other disease. The child that died very well may have had a strain that was not in the vaccine. And honestly, the current Men. vaccine isn't very good anyways.

[ishyfishie]

Absolutely. I think every good parent questions their decisions. We want to make sure we're making the right one. I ALWAYS go back and stand by my decision though. Not vaxing is safer than vaxing imo.

There are many strains of meningitis, and every other disease. The child that died very well may have had a strain that was not in the vaccine. And honestly, the current Men. vaccine isn't very good anyways.

There were also a couple cases in the news lately (in NYC or Long Island?) and the one girl who died of it WAS vaccinated against that particular strain that she caught, so it's never a certainty, you know? Sometimes it's scary to think of our child catching something but even if she were vaccinated, I'd still worry about it, so any momentary concern simply leads me to do further research--which always reassures me that I'm making the right choice for our family. The risks outweigh the benefits for us no matter how many stories we hear about things going around.

[dluciew]

I just posted this other thread. It's a long video but it also has a lot of information. http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=332593

[amrijane128]

Thank you all so much, I guess I was told what I needed to hear but knew all along. I've done my research and decided no-vax, sometimes I just 2nd guess myself. Thanks again. :)

[ThatLinGirl]

I'm not a full non-vaxer, but almost.

I was scared at first, when we were just delaying to decide what we wanted to do.

Once I researched the diseases, treatment, morbidity... not anymore, not really. My biggest fear is Pertussis, but that isn't a scare as far as her life or permanent disability or anything -- it would just be a MISERABLE illness for her to have to deal with.

[greymom]

definitely. it's so hard not to when the mainstream medical community, gov't, etc. push it so strongly.

[nannersmama]

Only responding on the OP since I havent read the rest.

I have your fear...I completely understand. Then I hear of a lady who has lost her child due to complications from the P in the DPT and then another lady whose child was having a seizure an hour from complications from the P in the DPT and has since partially recovered but can now not hear and is having problems seeing.
Then I have fears the other way.

I try to do as much research as I can to educate myself so I know what I am facing either way. I always think when it comes to vaccines that you are kinda damned if you do and damned if you don't. scares the crap out of me

[Mommy2Austin]

My biggest thing is I can always vaccinate in the future if something were ever to seem like a "good" vaccine to have. However I can't take back any that I give. So we filed for the exemption and that way I don't have to deal with them forcing vaccines on him for school, but if I so choose to have him vaccinated for something I can :)

Most of the vaccines IMO are for diseases that are easily handled and give more immunities to a child than the vaccine probably ever will.

*hugs* I hope you can feel confident in whatever choice you make that it's the best for YOUR child :)