Are you more careful?

[redwolf2]

Are you more careful with your dc b/c you don't vax?

I have a 2.5 yo that I have been careful with, but not overly careful. I have 4mo twins who were 6 weeks early. Should I be more careful with them b/c they were preemies?
We have been sick a few times this year but they have not gotten anything. I don't know if they are at more risk than my dd.

Any info appreciated>

namaste

[Guest*]

No, don't do anything special. My kid's the healthiest kid I know.

[Gitti]

Absolutely not. My grandson has an unaltered immune system, one that was not injected with all sort of questionable chemicals, he is able to get over any disease or sickness better than any vaccinated child - I am convinced of that.

In your case about the preemies, I would not worry if they are doing fine now. Any vaccine could be more dangerous to them than a full term baby but not vaccinating will let them grow up healthy IMO.

[QueenOfThePride]

No, partially vaxed DS goes to group daycare, and I'm hoping he will actually catch some VPDs to acquire natural immunity. He probably won't though, since all the other kids are probably vaxed.

[vanilla]

I guess I tend to think there's not much I can do about my kids getting stuff, so I'm not careful really...but that we don't vax really has nothing to do with it, I don't even think about it really....sickness happens, and I'm not really up for trying to keep them away from everyone we know who might be sick, staying away from playgrounds, etc...

now, if I had a preemie baby or something I would have to think about it more- it just may be common sense to keep them away from sickness till they are a little older and their immune system is more mature. You'd have to be the judge of that but I wouldn't be concerned because of their vax status, personally.

[momto l&a]

The only thing I am careful about is wound cleaning, other than that no.

[rootzdawta]

I, too, am particular with cleaning cuts and scrapes but I am wary of folks sneezing and coughing or not washing their hands. But I've always been this way, not just because ds is not vaxed. I think if I were going to overly worry about ds getting something "vax-preventable" then I should just go ahead and get the vax because I already have enough to agonize about. Like Gitti said, I believe an intact well-working immune system to be the best defense. I do things to support the immune system's function but I've always done this with myself (and I'm fully vaxed)--it would only follow I'd do it with my children.

[LongIsland]

Originally Posted by redwolf2

Are you more careful with your dc b/c you don't vax?

Would you mind clarifying what you mean by "more careful?" Do you mean taking our children out in public or crowded places, things like that?

[2Sweeties1Angel]

The only thing I've even been mildly concerned about was Pertussis because it was going around St. Louis when DD was younger. I doubt that vaccinating against it would do any good, though, since DH was fully vaccinated against it and STILL had it about 5 times as a child.

[redwolf2]

Originally Posted by LongIsland

Would you mind clarifying what you mean by "more careful?" Do you mean taking our children out in public or crowded places, things like that?

As an example, during the winter months I don't bring my dd to church that often b/c I don't want her around all those kids in the childrens church.

I am not thinking about vaxing AT ALL. Just curious if anyone else kept their kids away from crowds or things like that. Alot of parents tote their kids around and bring them to church when they are OBVIOUSLY sick and that just bugs me. Why should my child have to be exposed to that. Since the twins have come along I am much more careful since they are preemies.

Thanks for the responses.

namaste

[LongIsland]

Originally Posted by redwolf2

Just curious if anyone else kept their kids away from crowds or things like that.

No, we were out and about everywhere with my unvaxed younger son. Most people who visited our house (or if we went somewhere) washed their hands before touching him, but it wasn't a "requirement."

Of course, I wouldn't have wanted anyone hacking right on top of him, but not because he's unvaxed.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

These are the things we were careful about.

1) Our children were asleep by 7 at night when toddler, 9 when about 10, though the oldest still carked out really early, being a pogo stick....

1a) We have a silent house after 7 which means any music is under headphones. After evening meal, when they were older, only activities allowed were board games, reading, drawing, painting etc... no rough and tumble.

2) they had a very good diet.

3) They spent much of each day outside with us, playing, walking, gardening, whatever.

4) We did not have TV until the youngest was 10. And even then programmes were likely to be taped so that ads could be skimmed over...

5) We homeschooled from start to finish, and had a housebus, in which we travelled in the "holidays" and taught them their geography and history hands on.

6) They helped us build half a house...

7) When sick, I nursed them through it. Youngest has never had antibiotics, the oldest only one course when born, which was unnecessary and that was when I was a moron, and too stupid to get a backbone and fight for him.

Having said that, the oldest is handless though maybe... learning... perhaps... (probably a vastly optimistic statement) , but the youngest is a mechanic, and can turn his hand to most practical skills.... Neither now, appear to wish to apply previous learning about diet.

What they do when they are adults isn't under your control.

However, I discharged my responsibilities as a parent as well as I was able.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

I couldn't have cared less what infections the kids came up against. Firstly, God gave them an immune system, though many christians appear not to believe that, or why would they vaccinate. The immune system is designed to work, or there is no point in having one in the first place. And if the immune system depends on the fuel put in the body, and if that's right, they can rub noses with whoever they like.

Why? Because the immune system requires practice to learn how to work properly. You can't control what infections your kids come up against anyway. You just have to go into a restaurant or a food store, and you don't know what the person who last handled that trolley had on their hands.

Fear is not of God. It is an emotion cultivated by experts who want to control every aspect of your behavioural responses with regard to medical issues.

You can either get paranoid about germs and want to disinfect every shopping trolley, door knob, car door, whatever, or you can accept that if you make sure the inside is strong, then God's design for your child will work.

I can't see what sort of a witness it is to other people if you don't vaccinate, but hold it against others if their children have infections etc. Are their children dying? If their vaccinated kids are sick and still running around, are you going to assume that your unvaccinated kids will get sicker than they are and die?

The best witness in a Christian sense is to believe the promises that go "If my people.... THEN will I...." and take them at face value and trust Him to do what the Bible says he will. If you show fear, you don't trust your children's immune system, therefore you don't trust God; and you put a barrier between yourself and others, because that unfounded fear can turn into disgust for others and hate. A witness is a person who lives the talk and the belief that and unfettered immune system IF it is supported right THEN it will do the job its designed to...

JMSO

[MindfulBirth]

Nahhh...I stick my kids on the NYC subway with all those germy tourists!

However, I am careful about what they eat and chemicals in the house, and I am careful to use homeopathic rather than allopathic medicines as much as possible.

-t

[Deborah]

I think MT is absolutely right about reasonable bedtimes, good diet, limited media and all the other good stuff. Watching people get blown up on TV has got to be bad for the immune system! Ditto being sleep deprived. And the diet part is pretty basic, right.

I also think giving babies a few weeks of limited exposure to the world isn't a bad idea, whether you do it by slinging them so it is harder for people to sneeze on them, or just keeping em at home. Newborns need time to settle into their changed circumstances: it is a lot more hectic out here than in there.

Deborah

[knittingmomma]

Up until 12 months I am fairly careful about avoiding places where there are lots of young children - such as church nursery, large crowds, etc.. But I wouldn't say I am overly worried about it or paranoid either.

Warm wishes,
Tonya

[Oh the Irony]

i don't even think about it. we just do what we want to do.

[mrsfatty]

No--I feel I'm more laid back...cause his immune system is INTACT.

[angela&avery]

Nope, we dont do anything differently bc we dont vacc.

[MyLittleWonders]

We don't alter where we go and what we do (like MT said, you have no idea what the person before you had/touched/sneezed, etc), but I have become much more careful (well, trying - the grandparents make it difficult at times) about how I treat the inside of their bodies ... we have tried to eliminate a lot from their diets and replace it with what I have learned strengthens them (raw milk, cultured milk products, healthy fats, good protein, colorful fruits/veggies, as much organic as possible - though we still have a long way to go), we have thrown out all allopathic medications (don't even have tylenol on hand) and replaced them with herbal tinctures, teas, and homeopathic remedies, and we are trying to get them to sleep earlier - they are night owls and it is so tough, but they don't sleep enough in the morning to make up for it. My goal is to give them a healthy, strong immune system, and allow them the freedom to play and thrive and experience.