Everyday life with an unvaxed child?

[amyandelle]

Ok, since we have decided to hold off on vaxing untill at least 1 year and maybe all together (still researching) we have been told to avoid large crowds, elderly people, people who work in hospitals, malls, and other children. We have been told these things by 2 Ped's. Well, to follow these guidelines is becoming very hard. We have a very good friend who works a childerns hospital and it is getting harder and harder to make up reasons not to let her visit. Not to mention Elle's cousins are 10 mos and 3 1/2 years and we are moving next month around the block from them. I have not taken her shopping with me so that she is not at a mall or even at Target. Is this all really necessary? My husband is getting really aggrivated with me over it. He says that I am too overprotective but I am just following what I was told by the doctors. My husband has not really researched the subject of vaxing or not vaxing, he has left it totally up to me which can be difficult at times. He says if I cannot live a normal life because of it then I should vaccinate her. I also should state that a few weeks ago there was an outbreak of Pertussis in our county as well as 3 other counties in our state. So my question here is how do you adjust your life to make up fo rthe fact that your child/children are not vaxed? I am not going to vax out of fear. From the very first time they tried to vax her (hepB) right before leaving the hospital I have had a gut feeling that it was just not right and that I was not comfortable with it and I still feel the same way.
Thanks!!
Amy

[Evergreen]

Ohhhh, honey! It sounds like you are going through some rough times. I have an unvaxed child and I do almost none of what you described. In NC we use IPV, not OPV so it doesn't shed in stools, so I didn't worry about taking her around other babies then. The MMR is live, so I asked friends with toddlers not to come around after their kid had gotten that one.

We go to the mall, we visit friends in the hospital, we pretty much do it all. The only VPD I would even remotely worry about is pertussis. You can use the worried mama card on this one. Ask your friend if there are any pertussis sufferers in the hospital. If the answer is no or works far from them, she is fine to come visit.

Really, it sounds like those docs are being overly cautious or have a hidden agenda.

[townmouse]

I totally agree.

I do watch out for other babies, I've always been very careful about that.
c
But having your kids out and about will strengthen their immune systems!

When ours were really small, we stayed out of restaurants and hotels, and doctor's offices. Nasty, nasty stuff there!

The older they get, the more they move freely in the world. Proper handwashing has always been a priority for us. Don't let your baby chew on the shopping cart handle, or touch anything in a public bathroom. Don't let baby have a pacifier or blanket that's fallen on a public floor.

None of our 3 have ever had a single ear infection. We tend to get a respiratory bug every other winter, and a stomach bug every other fall, but that is totally it.

We started 'em off by not vaxing, breastfeeding, delaying solids, avoiding dairy until at least 2 years old, no sugar, easy on the grains, and getting organic foods when possible. Also keeping the kids clean, and making sure they get plenty of sleep.

I think the prophylactic measures are more important than the sheltering measures, although like I said we do avoid vaxed babies and filthy environments when possible.

You said you don't want to vax out of fear. Don't live in fear while nonvaxing, either.

[janellesmommy]

I've taken absolutely no precautions with my daughter, now 13 months and totally vax-free. She's had one minor cold in her life, and one stomach virus with fever that lasted only 10 hours. (I got it and was sick for days). I do breastfeed her for the majority of her calories, and she's never had any cow's milk. (We're vegan). I don't even wash her hands every day. (Pretty much only when they get sticky or visibly dirty). I allow her to pick things off the floor and put them in her mouth. When her grandparents visited her for the first time when she was 1 week old, I asked them to wash their hands first. That's the only time I ever made such a request.

I think those pediatricians were trying to make your life so hard that you would give into vaxing.

-- Paula

[sohj]

I second what janellesmommy said.

I had no restrictions. Even took my pixie on the subway when he was only 6.5 days old.

Mind you, I don't let him play in the troughs at the sewage treatment plants. :nana:

[mammastar]

I agree with Paula - they're just trying to make non-vaxing seem daunting (and they probably expected you to run off and get her vaxed in response, not turn her into a bubble baby ).

My daughter isn't vaxed, she has 2 older half-sisters who spend 8-10 weeks a year with her, she goes to playgroup, parks, wading pools, and we have some friends who work in health care. I've honestly never thought twice about it! She's so far (fingers crossed) disgustingly healthy, maybe has had 3-4 colds and once got pinkeye - she's 2.5 years. I wasn't fully vaxed as a child, and I never got a single childhood disease, even after playing with other kids who were sick.

Just feed her healthy, let her have plenty of fresh air, and enjoy!

[TigerTail]

and pertussis, everyone around here got it, vaxed and unvaxed. (i got at the well-baby visit, along with rotavirus later- did they add that to the list of places you should avoid?) puhleeze.

oh, gracious, i wish hilary could hear what these docs said, she'd have fits!

suse

[loving-my-babies]

same here! we go almost everywhere (haven't gone to hospitals) the only place I'm a little worried is the doctor's office. we usually don't go to the doc unless something happens, and we have a check-up this thursday, I'm concerned about him getting something in the waiting room. but other than that, we go everywhere.

[bwylde]

I think there is too much un-needed worry. I never even thought about not letting DS around different people. He did have a couple vax's, so he's not totally unvax'd, but interacting with all sorts of people, the only thing he has ever had other than the odd fever is roseola, which he picked up at his playgroup and wasn't a big deal. When there have been outbreaks of different things around here, we stay home until the danger is over, but people who are immunized are just as susceptable, so it's just good sense . Like someone said to me, let him build up him immune system by not sheltering him (this is by an avid vax'er too; they should take their advice, lol!)

[Monkey]

Hi there and welcome! Im in IL too! where abouts are u?

ok, I dont vax my kids, one is 8 mos and the other is 3 yrs. my ped.. bless her she has never ever said anything about avoiding anything! LOL
get out and enjoy yourself! s!

[3 little birds]

My twins are almost 5, my ds is 2. They are totally unvaxed.

We go everywhere and I am not the best at making sure they don't come across any nasty germs. I was hyper about it when the twins were born, for about 1 month. Then it was just too much trouble.

We never need to go to the ped except once a year for well-baby, well-child check ups. Those make me a little nervous, cause of all the sick kids going through there and touching all the toys (which I do let my kids play with out of necessity) but they've never gotten sick afterwards.

The only time I ever avoid anyone is when I KNOW a friend's baby just had vax. It must be my own little paranoia, because a friend of mine doesn't vax her kids and babysits a little one who is vaxed (with lots of yucky bad reactions) and her kids are never affected.

We do eat mostly fruit and vegetables (organic as much as available), avoid sugars, processed foods, etc. but we aren't totally abstinent from "bad, fun" things to eat.

I think the docs are trying to make it seem too hard, also.

[Gitti]

Your unvaccinated child is stronger not weaker than the vaccinated children. So why don't you trust your decision? You have not read enough.

Vaccines corrupt the immune system, they do not strengthen it. The child that's been vaccinated is fighting to keep other viruses and germs in general at bay. Your child has all the fighting capabilities in place. Let his body do what it does best, fight everything off and strengthen the immune system all the while.

Do not worry. Do not wash hands unless sticky and you want them clean. Let her play in the mud and sand. Let her touch the shopping carts. The only thing I would do is wipe the handle off before she chews on it, but not with anything other than a tissue.

Let her be with other kids.
She is the stronger of the two.

Now do a search for the thread "Hygiene Hypothesis". There is a theory out there that the child that is left to run barefoot and play in the dirt and even eat it, is healthier than the child that's being protected.

I am a firm believer of that - within reason.

Keep her away from doctor's offices and hospitals, they are the filthiest places on earth. Nothing is as germ filled as those two places. (And tell the ped to shove it!)

Keep the child healthy with proper nutrients, plenty of sleep, love, eye contact and lots of gentle and kind words.

[punkprincessmama]

Gitti's got it right.

I understand that as mother's we do not want to see our children miserable with illness, but we need to remember that our children NEED to get sick. That is how their immune systems get stronger.

I have not taken dd to a hospital though. There are too many freaky mutated germs there....

Read loving-my-babies recent thread about the doc. waiting room.

[Devaskyla]

I've never taken any kind of pre-cautions with ds and we don't even have that great a diet (money issues and dh & I are sugar junkies) and all we've had here are a few colds. When we first started going to play group, both ds and I got quite a bit (3 colds in a row) but I think that was because we were previously very isolated and neither of us had been exposed to germs except on very rare doctors visits.

I don't use anti-bacterial soaps or cleaners and I'm not obsessive about keeping things clean, and never have been. They need to be exposed to lots of germs young so that their immune systems can develop.

[MelMel]

the only thing I avoid with my unvaccinated dd is vaccinations

:LOL

[Katana]

I could almost cry, reading your post, Amy.

A non vaccinated child does not have to live in a bubble. There is no need to be afraid of crowds or malls or stores or old people or employees of hospitals. Live your life the way you want, don't let non vaxing hold you back or keep you inside.

I live in the Chicagoland area. My two children have been on the trains, in cabs, in shopping carts, in hospitals, in malls, pick a place, and the only thing I've ever done is made them wash their hands/mouths if they looked dirty. But sometimes not even that.

The only thing I am afraid of is the ball pools at Chuck E. Cheeses. That gave us a mystery fever that was unexplainable and really bizarre. But we survived even that.

Originally posted bysohj
Mind you, I don't let him play in the troughs at the sewage treatment plants.

:LOL

You're so mean to deprive him of that joy!

[nimamom]

Hey,

I just wanted to chime in as well to add that my 4 yo DD has flown on many a plane, ridden in busses, gone to restaurants and malls, etc since she was really young... and she is so healthy! It's so easy to forget that unvaccinated kids are at the advantage in terms of strong immune systems... its usually the vaccinated kids are are getting sick at the drop of the hat. My DD was pretty much illness free until she was about one year old, and we've had a few run in with colds and she's gotten the flu a couple of times, but it's never been severe and she's never taken antibiotics. Good food, breastmilk, and no immunizations are all she needs!

The one thing I do believe in is frequent handwashing, although its just with regular soap, not the whole anti-bacterial thing. And I've always tried to discourage her from randomly sticking her hands in her mouth. But, that's about it!

[lovemygirl]

Originally Posted by Gitti

Your unvaccinated child is stronger not weaker than the vaccinated children. So why don't you trust your decision? You have not read enough.

Vaccines corrupt the immune system, they do not strengthen it. The child that's been vaccinated is fighting to keep other viruses and germs in general at bay. Your child has all the fighting capabilities in place. Let his body do what it does best, fight everything off and strengthen the immune system all the while.

Do not worry. Do not wash hands unless sticky and you want them clean. Let her play in the mud and sand. Let her touch the shopping carts. The only thing I would do is wipe the handle off before she chews on it, but not with anything other than a tissue.

Let her be with other kids.
She is the stronger of the two.

Now do a search for the thread "Hygiene Hypothesis". There is a theory out there that the child that is left to run barefoot and play in the dirt and even eat it, is healthier than the child that's being protected.

I am a firm believer of that - within reason.

Keep her away from doctor's offices and hospitals, they are the filthiest places on earth. Nothing is as germ filled as those two places. (And tell the ped to shove it!)

Keep the child healthy with proper nutrients, plenty of sleep, love, eye contact and lots of gentle and kind words.

OHHH!!! TOTALLY ITA with Gitti! I was going to type a response but she said it all! Have no fear, your baby is so heathly and safe! I bet the people who had pertussis(sp?) in your area were vaxed.

Even if your child does get something it won't be as terrible (and no she won't die) as the children who don't have access to adequate water or nutrition or have substandard living conditions...and it certainly won't be ANYTHING like what vaccinated children get if they get a disease they were vaxed for--or even not vaxed for (their immune systems are already compromised being vaxed)...

I am sure this has already been posted here, so I will end with that.
Great job mama! You are doing a great service to your child for not compromising her immune system...IMO.

[phathui5]

I have an unvaxed 10 month old and we don't avoid going anywhere. I work at WIC on Tuesday and Thursday and she goes with me in the sling. She's exposed to all kinds of germs all the time, but she's never been sick.

[applejuice]

Read Gitti's post!

ITA with what she said.

Thank you Gitti - you are always very articulate.