2 Month Vaccines Tomorrow

[AMYLYN930]

We are suppose to be getting my son his 2 month vaccines... I want to delay them..however not sure how to. Any suggestions would be great!

[Mama Lo]

The "how" to is simply you declining them at your doctors office. It's probably not going to be easy though, unless you have a no-vax friendly doctor. My dd's first doctor told me that it was my decision but that any intelligent person would vax. We've decided not to vax at all for now, we may re-consider some when dd is over 2yr. You have to be committed to your decision to delay because your doc will probably try to pressure you into it. Just remember that you are ds's mother and you make the decisions about his healthcare not his doctor and definately not the CDC.

[JessicaTX]

You say "we're not getting any vaccines today" with a smile. If he asks why, just say you want to research more fully before you inject something that can't be taken back. If he asks or tells or anything more, just say "i'll be sure to research that" You can pull this for a couple visits before you have to make a definite stand =D

[2boyzmama]

You can take this approach:

Ask the dr what vaxes are typically given at that age, and ask for the information sheets on those vaxes. Also ask for any printed information or links to webpages he/she recommends so you can learn more about the diseases themselves, as well as the vaxes. Tell the dr that you want to research it before you vaccinate, so you're informed on your choice.

That kind of approach, non-confrontational, information-seeking, shouldn't start a huge argument, and if the dr does try to lecture you about anything, say something like "wow, thank you for telling me that, this is a topic I definitely need more education on." You're not commiting to anything, you're not outright refusing anything (yet), you're just saying that you want to be a responsible consumer of health care.

Think of it this way...if you wanted to buy a new car, would you show up at the first dealer you find and say "which car should I buy, and how much should I pay for it?" No! You'd research car types, research costs, research payment plans, research dealers, etc so when you walk into that show room, you're prepared to discuss specifics. Right now you are not prepared to discuss specifics of the vaccines or the diseases they're designed to prevent, so if you blindly vaccinate your child, you're not being very responsible. Some people might say it's not responsible to NOT vaccinate, I think exactly the opposite is true if you're not educated on the topic.

Beware, if the dr tells you that you have to sign a refusal form, some of those forms are worded in such a way that could be interpreted as you being neglectful. You can take the form and say "I'd like my husband to see this form and be involved in the research before we decide anything" and just don't sign it. You could "amend" the form by crossing out parts you don't agree with (don't forget to initial anything you cross out) or by adding additional information you don't think is covered. In your case, you could write in "I, the parent of X, have not been given the opportunity to fully discuss the risks and benefits of the vaccines and the illnesses with my child's dr, and am choosing to wait until such time as I have received full information before choosing a treatment plan for my child." That way you are not "refusing" the vaccines, you are acknowledging that a 15 minute well baby visit was not adequate time to make a decision on whether to accept prophylactic treatment for an illness she may or may not acquire.

THEN...start reading these boards!!! Read up on every vaccine, one by one. Find out what they're designed to prevent. Find out what the rates of that disease are. Find out how treatable the disease is. Determine whether you think your family is at higher or lower risk of either contracting the disease, or of having complications from the disease. Find out what the ingredients are in each vaccine. Determine whether you're comfortable injecting those ingredients into your child. Search your family medical history for any reactions, allergies, chronic illnesses, etc that might contraindicate your child from receiving a vaccine.

You might find that you don't think you need to vaccinate against anything.

You might find that there are a few diseases that make you particularly worried, but you're concerned about the side effects or ingredients. In that case, a delayed schedule might be better for you.

You might find that your research supports that many of the vaccines are needed, in that case, schedule another appt and get her started.

There is no right or wrong decision here, in my opinion, it will vary based on every family's dynamics, and might even vary within a family (I have two children with very different risk factors, so my view on vaccinating each child is different).

If your dr is not receptive to this, you might need to find a new dr. You can politely ask your current dr to recommend one that is more willing to discuss vaccine schedules, or you can come back here and post in the tribal section to find a vaccine-friendly ped. Or you can ask around the mothering circles in your area and see who is recommended.

Good luck!! Remember, this is YOUR child, no one gets to make decisions except YOU (and your husband)

[Marnica]

: to all above posts. Just say NO tomorrow. I remember my 2 month visit. I was sweating profusely by the time I left. I just wanted to get out of there so badly!!!!! They did make me sign a refusal form. We have since left this practie and found a ped who is more respectful of parental choice in this matter.

Take your time with your research. Took me years of pre-baby research (and still researching) to come to a choice I feel is based on information and not fear. Do not listen to the stories of "we just had a baby die of such and such last year" Seems every mom hears these stories. I question their honesty about them frankly and it is fear mongering pure and simple!

[peainthepod]

Just politely say, "We're not vaccinating today. I'd like any and all information you have about the vaccines you administer in this office. I need to do more research."

Smile politely, rinse, repeat. Don't sign anything, even if they threaten you. Ask for a copy of the form and insist on taking it with you. If they push, explain that you're not comfortable signing anything until your attorney has looked it over. (lol)

Really, if they give you any guff for not vaccinating, look around for a more respectful doctor. Your child's healthcare is your responsibility and no one will have to live with the consequences of your decisions but you and your family. Don't let anyone push you into making a decision you could regret for the rest of your life.

[ammiga]

Also be prepared for the pedi to really push one vax on you. Most pedis have a pet vax, and it varies from pedi to pedi. They will use quite a bit of fear mongering on you to accept "just this one".

[mamakah]

Originally Posted by 2boyzmama

You can take this approach:

Ask the dr what vaxes are typically given at that age, and ask for the information sheets on those vaxes. Also ask for any printed information or links to webpages he/she recommends so you can learn more about the diseases themselves, as well as the vaxes. Tell the dr that you want to research it before you vaccinate, so you're informed on your choice.

That kind of approach, non-confrontational, information-seeking, shouldn't start a huge argument, and if the dr does try to lecture you about anything, say something like "wow, thank you for telling me that, this is a topic I definitely need more education on." You're not commiting to anything, you're not outright refusing anything (yet), you're just saying that you want to be a responsible consumer of health care.

Think of it this way...if you wanted to buy a new car, would you show up at the first dealer you find and say "which car should I buy, and how much should I pay for it?" No! You'd research car types, research costs, research payment plans, research dealers, etc so when you walk into that show room, you're prepared to discuss specifics. Right now you are not prepared to discuss specifics of the vaccines or the diseases they're designed to prevent, so if you blindly vaccinate your child, you're not being very responsible. Some people might say it's not responsible to NOT vaccinate, I think exactly the opposite is true if you're not educated on the topic.

Beware, if the dr tells you that you have to sign a refusal form, some of those forms are worded in such a way that could be interpreted as you being neglectful. You can take the form and say "I'd like my husband to see this form and be involved in the research before we decide anything" and just don't sign it. You could "amend" the form by crossing out parts you don't agree with (don't forget to initial anything you cross out) or by adding additional information you don't think is covered. In your case, you could write in "I, the parent of X, have not been given the opportunity to fully discuss the risks and benefits of the vaccines and the illnesses with my child's dr, and am choosing to wait until such time as I have received full information before choosing a treatment plan for my child." That way you are not "refusing" the vaccines, you are acknowledging that a 15 minute well baby visit was not adequate time to make a decision on whether to accept prophylactic treatment for an illness she may or may not acquire.

THEN...start reading these boards!!! Read up on every vaccine, one by one. Find out what they're designed to prevent. Find out what the rates of that disease are. Find out how treatable the disease is. Determine whether you think your family is at higher or lower risk of either contracting the disease, or of having complications from the disease. Find out what the ingredients are in each vaccine. Determine whether you're comfortable injecting those ingredients into your child. Search your family medical history for any reactions, allergies, chronic illnesses, etc that might contraindicate your child from receiving a vaccine.

You might find that you don't think you need to vaccinate against anything.

You might find that there are a few diseases that make you particularly worried, but you're concerned about the side effects or ingredients. In that case, a delayed schedule might be better for you.

You might find that your research supports that many of the vaccines are needed, in that case, schedule another appt and get her started.

There is no right or wrong decision here, in my opinion, it will vary based on every family's dynamics, and might even vary within a family (I have two children with very different risk factors, so my view on vaccinating each child is different).

If your dr is not receptive to this, you might need to find a new dr. You can politely ask your current dr to recommend one that is more willing to discuss vaccine schedules, or you can come back here and post in the tribal section to find a vaccine-friendly ped. Or you can ask around the mothering circles in your area and see who is recommended.

Good luck!! Remember, this is YOUR child, no one gets to make decisions except YOU (and your husband)

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by AMYLYN930

We are suppose to be getting my son his 2 month vaccines... I want to delay them..however not sure how to. Any suggestions would be great!

For starters, they are not "his" vaccines but rather belong to a big corporation that makes mucho money off your child but only if your child is not well. A healthy child means NO PROFITS.


Well, you could simply cancel the check up, if the child seems happy and healthy there is no reason to take him to a doctor.

Or you can go in with an attitude and say right off the start "NO VACCINES; SO DON'T EVEN MENTION THE WORD!!!"

Or you can say, "I am going to start researching the vaccines, would you please give me the insert papers to whatever you give at that age".

[listipton]

It can be nerve wracking to refuse something that so many people consider required. But it really is just a matter of saying 'we are delaying until we have researched further' (nevermind that you may 'delaying' forever, technically you're not lying...). Repeat if necessary.

[newmum35]

Be sure you ask for the "product inserts" of all the vaccines they give in that practice (company brands vary) and take them home and READ THEM! IT will be hard, because the fine print is so small!! But read it, front and back!! it tells you the list of ingredients, side effects, contraindications, etc, etc. They should have no problem giving you these inserts.