Who else is doing this alone "IRL"??

[1babysmom]

Is there anyone else here who knows absolutely NO ONE "IRL" who doesn't vax or at least REAAAALY significantly delays and selectively vax's?? Seriously, this is the only place where I can ask questions and get support.

[Gitti]

Come to think of it, we don't know too many who don't vaccinate. But our whole family is pretty much on the bandwagon. I have three grown kids and two have children who do not believe in (further) vaccinating.

A few years ago I came across a young mother here on this board, who lives close to my own dd (out of state). I got them together because I figured since dd is so far away from the rest of the family and this mommy was also far away from her family, they ought to join forces. They've been friends ever since and actually formed a pretty good circle of friends. But they are the only two who (they know of for a fact) don't vaccinate their kids.

Did you ever post under finding your tribe?

You can meet non-vax folk through holistic groups or at vegan meet-ups. They can all be found through a google search.

Or here is one that looks interesting - http://www.newcomersclub.com/oh.html

[bri52582]

as far as i know there is no one else we know with kids who doesnt vax. i am prettys ure all the friends we have with kids are current with the schedule. i dont hide that we delay/dont vax (ds is one and has had none) i have talked to a few of them about it, they seemed interested enough, not put off like some people you hear about...but they still vax so..........*shrug*

my mom doesnt nec know, i havent hid it, think it has only come up once in me commenting on her vaxxing my brother (hes 17 with downs) so idk what conclusions she drew about my DS...but she didnt ask either.
we got some static from my MIL about why and how can we do that when DS was born (she asked about his WBV) but we put that to rest pretty quickly and as far as i know shes not said anything else about it (to me anyway) i am happy to have a happy healthy uncontaminated (as i refer to it around DH) baby boy.

has it been hard for you? i find that it really only becomes hard when people know about it or they are pushy about it. but i dont avoid the subject bc of that. i have no problem telling people to myob!

[mammom]

I only knew one other family that didn't vax. Luckily for me (or more, luckily for ds!!), the husband is one of dh's best friends. It was easier for me to convince dh that vaxes weren't good (since he won't read anything himself).

Now I've found the Holistic Moms Network (www.holisticmoms.org) and I will tell you, I have met LOTS of moms that don't vax! It's a nice "safe haven" for us crazy non-vaxers. I was shocked that there were so many people in this area that don't vaccinate. Thrilled, but shocked. Not everyone in the group is concerned about vaccines, of course - others want to learn about healthy eating or homeopathy or chemical-free homes. It's great. I highly recommend finding a group in your area, or perhaps starting one!

Melissa

[blessed]

Me

When we switched dd to a Montessori school, I thought for sure there'd be other parents who had questions and concerns about vaxing. Nope. Just us, it turns out.

[angelpie545]

I'm pretty much alone here too. I knew of one mother once that didn't vax her kids, but her and I lost contact over the years. Sad thing, because she was really sweet. Most of my other friends(who I have known for years, some before we started having kids) are very mainstream. I'm the "weirdo" who dares question things. It frustrates me sometimes, because it is so ingrained in their head to just take what they are told. One friend even told me that I didn't vax because "I knew so much about them(vaccines)". Well, um yah, I HOPE that you would find out everything you can about a medical procedure before subjecting your child to it!!! It irritates me that parents will think to research or question othe procedures that are less dangerous, but yet when it comes to vaxes, they just go right along with the tide. FWIW, we are all pretty young too-under 25. I'm the "old one''..lol...I'm going to turn 25 in less than a month. I was also the first to have kids, too-and it's funny because my friends all tell me what a good mother I am-but yet they discount a lot of things I do.

[mykdsmomy]

I'm lucky to have ONE friend who doesnt vax (she introduced me to mdc..hi brit ) but alllllll of my other friends vax and think I'm a loon for not vaxing. Im pretty sure that if I mentioned that we've stopped vaxing all together to either side of my/dh's family, that I'd start WW3 for sure. It's a lonely place to be but that's why I'm soooooo grateful for this forum....lots of super smart moms who lend support A big shoutout to all the non vaxin mdc mamas....

[LoveChild421]

I had a good friend who helped enlighten me about the risks of vaccines but we moved and have lost touch I don't know anyone else IRL who doesn't vax.

[MyLittleWonders]

As Judy mentioned above, I have ONE friend IRL who doesn't vax either ... otherwise, yep, we are going it alone. (We had, probably obviously, wonderful support from my midwife when ds#3 was born - the other two are partially vax'd. )

[Peony]

I know a couple but we aren't that that close, so we don't chat about vaxs. I was sure that some of the people we knew, delayed or knew something about the dangers of vaxs, not true. When we all got pertussis, they freaked out. : I'm pretty much the black sheep of the homeschool group, etc... now.

[bygones75]

I have exactly one friend who doesn't vax. I'm grateful to have her... but I would love if a member of my family supported my decision. Particularly DH. I guess I should just be grateful that he doesn't vax DS behind my back.

It's lonely to be anti-vax. I don't know what I would do without this board. Just reading each day makes me feel less alone.

[julieann199930]

I don't know anyone in my area. I have found though that most don't know the laws that you have a choice.

[dakotamidnight]

none at all - infact when I brought up the fact you can get exemptions in my child psyc. class - the proffessor said it would be "child abuse to not vax":

I quickly remidied that

[Deborah]

I know a number of people who don't vax or delay. Waldorf school communities frequently attract circles of people who don't vax. One reason is that alternative health practitioners sometimes choose waldorf--in Chicago there were at least 3 chiropractors I knew who had their kids in waldorf--and the other reason is that the founder of the waldorf schools, Rudolf Steiner, criticized vaccines back in the early part of the last century. And then I know people through my daughter who has a lot of natural living moms as friends.

[bri276]

nope don't know any- then again, I don't ask. so it's possible someone could be in the closet about it so to speak. I don't go around telling people because I know how irrationally freaked out they get.

although- my gma knows we don't do them and supports that because she knows she and her siblings grew up without any vaxes, and that her kids had far fewer, and she doesn't trust the med establishment.

[Nique]

Nope. I have a lot of friends who know we are not planning to vax anymore (my twin DD's were fully vaxed until 6 mo). Fortunatly, no one treats me like a weirdo about it! I've in fact told them when their kiddos get the CP vax I want my DD's playing with them for days after!!! LOL

Part of it for me (why I don't know any other non-vaxers) I THINK is that DH is Army, and we live on post. I think a lot of parents here believe that they have no choice. They sure make it seem that way, if you want your kid in Daycare on post they make you believe you HAVE to have the vax's (I know you don't), same thing with the schools. And I know one person who changed her mind after the doctor at the clinic put on the pressure and scared her. (I'm already practicing for the girls 9 mo WBV next month and their 12 mo too... "No thank you, we will not be getting any vax's today. I do not wish to discuss our reasons.") So anyway, a lot of people around here just vax because they THINK they have to. *sigh*

[Christine&men]

Everyone vaxing (and circumcising) here. I thought my sister was non-vax (she lives a continent away) but it turns out she only delays the vaxes...

[suschi]

Just me as far as I know, and my daughter, who hasn't vaccinated her almost 2 yr baby. She won't vaccinate, not after she saw what they did to her little brother.

I tried to warn both of my SIL's, but neither heeded the warning. I don't know if it's just a coincidence that one baby was very slow to crawl, walk and talk and is very sickly,

and the other has asthma, even though there is no history of it on either side of the family, and is also a sickly child.

[runes]

we are friends with one other family that doesn't vax.

that's it.

the thing that strikes me the most is that most people don't know or don't think that they have a choice. so many people talk about children needing vaxes for school, and i've been surprised by the blank looks that i get from people after i inform them that it is entirely possible and within everyone's rights to get an exemption here. it's like bursting a little bubble of denial.

people don't like that, i've found...so now i have somewhat of a reputation of being *that* mom who thinks i'm above it all and that my sh!t doesn't stink.

not that i care...

[momto l&a]

I know of quite a few different families who dont vac.

When I talk to them thought they just know that vac's aren't good for us but really dont have any deep info, like state laws, treatment of diseases naturally, problem's vac's cause ect. Its kinda of bothersome to me, that they know its not good but don't no the why's.

They dont know or have access to much of the info the people on this board have/know.

Most of them didnt know about C until I started spreading the word and passing around Levy book.