Where you were Then, versus Where you are Now

[Super Glue Mommy]

curious what everyone's journey towards finding the truth, or at least the answers for their family, has taken them

when I say for or against I mean for your personal family, and as what you believe them to be, not what they could possibly be or what they are intended to be.

(example, I am not really against the idea of vaccinations - but because of the ingredients and the limited safety testing, and inconclusive studies to their efficiency I am against them as what I believe them to be currently)

hope that makes sense
feel free to add your comments about your journey and how you got to where you are now.

[Raene]

I voted "was for, but now against" b/c it was the closest to me, but really I started out just not knowing and trusting the doctor. All I knew, based on my Bradley teacher's request, was to ask that they not do HepB. My pedi gave me a big lecture about how if I didn't want to do HepB, the baby would then receive several shots instead of one (she had one of those that's all-in-one...eek!) and she made me feel guilty about it, so I caved. I was 20 at the time and just didn't know then what I know now.

After researching, not until my daughter was over a year old and reacted very poorly to the polio vaccine, did I stop immunizing.

Now I don't plan to ever do any more vaccines, no matter what. I also have become much more spiritual and trust in a Higher Power that we are created perfectly and that there is a plan for us that we must not disrupt.

[Super Glue Mommy]

I would love to hear from the person who was against them, now for them. I haven't had a chance to hear that point of view and it would be very enlightening I think. what changed your mind?

The more people who reply with their experience the better, I think it helps to distinguish between people trying to skew the poll and people who are just genuinely and honestly sharing the experience of their journey. thanks

Raene (hugs)

for me I was for them. I felt I was educated. I had looked at all the information but I was taking it as presented having trust in the people providing it. I wasn't looking at is objectively... kind of like when I was growing up and I would race through a test and get a couple answers wrong that I knew, but just didnt take the time to read the question right.

I continued to vaccinate, but selectively and delayed, after my sons reaction. I continued to educate though.

Now I am in the same place as you Raene. When I started though, if I talked to someone like myself I would have thought they were CRAZY. So I guess what goes around comes around. Some of the pro-vaccination posts I see here I could have written myself 3 years ago.

[Marnica]

I was always for them. I bought everything I was told hook line and sinker...why not. It is good, it is what we are supposed to do. About 6 years ago, my then boyfriend's best friend's sister had a son and she was kind of crunchy. She didn't vaccinate, planned on homeschooling, did natural remedies and had a healthy distrust of the medical profession. Honestly I thought she was a fruitcake and thought not vaxing was almost as bad as child abuse.....fast forward a couple of years. I had some chronic health issues that were not responding to allopathic medications and interventions. I turned to alternative medicine and got better...my thinking began to change and I also began feel that maybe allopathic medicine was not the end all be all. At this point I never really thought about the vaccine issue and I was not with the boyfriend anymore so I never saw the friend's sister anymore...out of sight out of mind. Fast forward a few more years. My friend at work's SO is a hairdresser and she tells me about a woman whose hair her SO cuts who told her about losing her 2 month old to "SIDS". The woman felt it was due to the vaccines, but was stonewalled within the medical community.
I thought "of course it wasn't the vaccines" and started to research to actually proove this woman was nuts. Well needless to say what I came to discover made me change what I think, what I feel, what I know to be true about the entire issue. I actually did all this research before I became pregnant so I knew from the start there would be no vaccinations. I am grateful my journey started well before I had my baby. I know so many moms who vaxed because perhaps they figured it was safe and trusted their doctors. After their LO had a bad reaction is when their research began.

ETA and yes I do realize that there are well educated folks here that did lots of research and came to a different conclusion and vax or selectively vax.

[Super Glue Mommy]

Marnica thank you for sharing your story. I find it unique that you had actually set out to prove the woman was nuts, but ended up coming to a no-vax conclusion. Many people when they look, find what they are looking for. I think thats why when I "researched" before my sons reaction, I kept coming to a pro-vax conclusion. then again, I wasn't applying the same objectivity that I woud have to other medications on the market. and you are right, even when that is done people will come to different conclusions. My upset is that I didn't do it, because if I had I dont believe I would have come to that conclusion for *my* children.

[Juvysen]

I want to say that I started out completely indoctrinated... Was I "for" them? Not overly, but I did believe they worked AND that the vaccine makers were honestly trying to help people. Now I'm convinced that there's WAY too much money involved and too few straight answers for me to feel comfortable vaccinating. Am I "against" them? um... maybe? Mostly I'm appalled at the greed and crappy science and fear mongering. I'm having a hard time believing they're good, but I'm having a hard time getting past my previous indoctrination enough to look at this completely logically and clearly. I mean, my initial feeling is to completely RAIL against vaccines, but then that may just be a remnant of feeling lied to?

I didn't answer because I didn't feel like any of those options necessarily fit me.

[ema-adama]

I started out thinking I would vax my children for tetanus and polio - just based on my very uneducated reasoning, ie they are both very serious diseases and everything has to be done to ensure my child never suffers. I planned on waiting until about 1-2 years to do these vaccinations. Anyway, now with some more information under my belt and WAY more questions than when I started, I do not have any immediate plans to vaccinate. Never going to say never, but so far nothing is quite as simple as I thought it was. Every aurgument put forward on why it is imperative to vaccinate my child is too problematic for me. And I have to deal with a FIL who is the vice-dean of a medical school, his wife in public health as a research doctor and SIL studying medicine. Needless to say they think I am a complete fruitcake bordering on child abuse....

[Raene]

Originally Posted by Super Glue Mommy

Now I am in the same place as you Raene. When I started though, if I talked to someone like myself I would have thought they were CRAZY. So I guess what goes around comes around. Some of the pro-vaccination posts I see here I could have written myself 3 years ago.

Oh yes, don't we all at first think that? So many of us have been so brainwashed by the media that we forget to think for ourselves. Luckily through parenting, I can't speak for others, but for me, I now question everything I read...and research has become one of my best friends.

I have friends now who think we're the crazy ones for not vaccinating. In fact, they get mad sometimes b/c they tell me that by not vaccinating, our kids are going to make their kids sicker. Hmm??! :

[Super Glue Mommy]

I really hope one of the voters for catagory 3 will speak up, so we can see that these are ligitimate votes and not just pro vaccinaters trying to skew the poll!

[Ruthla]

I started out reading Mothering Magazine when I was pg with my first- my MW had a lifetime subscription and lent out backissues to clients. I was quite well informed about vaccines by the time my first baby was born.

But I can't say that I'm either "for" or "against" vaccinations. I'm for informed consent. I'm against compulsory vaccines.

All 3 of my children have been vaxed on a delayed, selective schedule. I'm leaning towards not giving any more vaccines, ever, but even that decision is based on the fact that they recieved some vax already. The that are being recomended for older kids are either new vaccines that I don't see a need for or trust the safety of, or they're "boosters" of things they already recieved, and I feel that the initial vax gave enough protection, if it's going to protect at all.

Could you maybe get a mod to add some more catagories, at the very least an "other" catagory, and maybe also add choices for "I'm still undecided"- I'm sure there are parents or parents-to-be who are in the early stages of vaccine research who havent' yet come to any conclusions.

[Super Glue Mommy]

by for vaccines I mean for your family. whether that be selectively or fully

[Ruthla]

Originally Posted by Super Glue Mommy

by for vaccines I mean for your family. whether that be selectively or fully

Ah, see, I still can't vote. I'm not unhappy with my decision to vax my kids around preschool age, but I'm not sure I'd do it again if I had more kids.

[plunky]

I reject the notion of this poll, and therefore didn't vote. So don't worry, I ain't skewing anything.

[Super Glue Mommy]

thats okay Rutha, actually more then okay! Information may change for you in the future and you are not committing one way or another until you face that situation again - wise! The poll was based on currently, but you seem to be in a place of limbo for this poll since you are currently okay with the vaccination you already gave, but are done vaccinating for the time being. thank you for your commentary I appreciate your insight!

I believe you plunky. I'm not sure what notion you are rejecting though. I am interested in what paths the majority of us have walked... on more mainstream boards it usually a majority of those who have always believed in vaccinating. The only reason I ask for insight on the parties who voted for option 3 is because I have not heard of any reason for parents changing their mind in that direction but I KNOW there are reasons out there (okay I dont know, but I think I am right to assume this one!) so I would love to hear their stories. of course, the polls are annonymous, so if it works like other boards I have moderated on, only the mods and admins can see who voted for what.

[buttercupmama]

I wouldn't say I was for them because I don't believe you can really pick a side when you don't even know what that side entails. I got the vaccines available in my area when I was a child and got my tetanus boosters as time went by. I'm even current on them right now. I perceived them to be important because it was something everyone just did without asking questions. I didn't have any actual feelings on the subject until I started reading about it.

[Ruthla]

I've heard of stories where parents hear of vaccine dangers, freak out and worry and don't vaccinate. Then their child, or somebody they know, gets a VPD and they freak out again in the opposite direction and vaccinate.

I've also heard of cases where parents are generally against vaccination but reconsider their decision in specific circumstances (say, a medically fragile baby and/or an outbreak of a VPD in their area.)

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

I've heard of stories where parents hear of vaccine dangers, freak out and worry and don't vaccinate. Then their child, or somebody they know, gets a VPD and they freak out again in the opposite direction and vaccinate.

I've also heard of cases where parents are generally against vaccination but reconsider their decision in specific circumstances (say, a medically fragile baby and/or an outbreak of a VPD in their area.)

See, this is what I'm worried I might do. : I'm telling you, indoctrination and fear mongering can really get to you! It's so hard for me to sort my emotions out from the logic, I think.

[tndixiemom]

I voted I am for them. Ds was vaxed on schedule and we will be doing a delayed and selective schedule with the baby due in April. We will be opting out of the Hep A and B and the chicken pox. I started researching a few years ago and this is where I am at.

I don't really debate here, but I do still research and read posts occasionally. I just wanted to answer since I did vote.

[CanidFL]

Maybe the people who chose #3 were anti vax and then had a VPD injury or death in a close circle of friends or family? I could see that happening and being a reason why people would flip sides. I would seriously consider selective vaxing if a child I knew died of a VPD. It just hits home harder when you see it and feel that grief KWIM?

[roxyrox]

I didn't vote. I guess I could have checked option 3 when I first started researching vaccines as it totally freaked me out. I read all sorts of (I now realise) totally ridiculous sites and believed them! I think I was totally anti-vax for a few months!
Then I learned a little more. I learned to read journal articles (with the help of a medical dictionary!) and slowly, very slowly it all sort of started to make a little sense. It wasn't easy though-immunology is pretty complex!
I would selectively vaccinate future children, starting about 2yo if we weren't travelling before that.