Wednesday, January 28

Vaccinations, and other random child issues I am researching

Hello all,
I am again stuck in bed sick, so I thought I would go ahead and put my thoughts on some very controversial topics on here. (Funny, it seems everything I am passionate about, has some sort of controversy attached)
As I mentioned in my post yesterday I have been doing a lot of research on Vaccines. A lot of people vaccinate their kids when the doctor says that they should, and do not think about what they are putting in their kids bodies. I have done some research, and have been rather scared by what I have found. Their are many studies out there that show that the vaccines that we give out kids, may in fact be the reason why SIDS, and Autism, as well as a number of learning disabilities have become so commen in the last 50 or 60 years. On website that I went to, called "ThinkTwice" even has a place for parents to write in with stories about how the vaccines affected their kids! I found the stories to be very frightening. In some cases, the baby is fine, but screams bloody murder for hours. In most of the cases that they have posted on the website, the children either died, or had physical or mental problems that they had never seen before in their child. To be fair to both sides however, I also spent quite a bit of time on the FDA's website dedicated to vaccines, and immunizations, as well as CDC's website.
I found some key points from both sides, and tried to weigh the risk of both vaccinating, and not vaccinating.
Pros to vaccinations:
*They have cut way down on the number of people who die from the diseases that they are used for.
*They work more effectively if most or all of the population is vaccinated to produce what is known as the community immunity idea.
*They make it much easier to put you child in school, as vaccine records are requested, and there is some paperwork to go through if you opt out.
*It fosters a "safe" feeling in the community as a whole.
*By preventing the diseases through the vaccines, we save more lives than we lose in the process.

Cons to Vaccines:
*Parents are not really told what the risk is when they take their child in for the shots.
*Many children to experience adverse reactions, even if they are not long term or severe.
*There are many apparent links to vaccines and illnesses and abnormalities, such as autism, physical disabilities, mental problems, and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
*While vaccines have done a good job cutting down on the illnesses they are here to prevent, they have also opened up many new illnesses, such as Autism.
*Several vaccines given at one time ultimately end up weakening, instead of strengthening an infant or young child's immune system.
*These problems seem to be happening more and more, instead of levelling off.

I have read both sides, and have personally decided against vaccinating Judah. But I am willing to admit it may be an emotional decision that I use the facts to support. A couple of years ago, my friend Heather had a baby, and a few days after his 3 month vaccine, she found him in his crib, dead. The doctors ruled it SIDS, but refused to even acknowledge that the vaccines might be responsible. They told Heather that adverse reactions are"extremely rare" but that isn't much comfort on your way home from your 3 month old son's funeral.
The other thing that caught my attention is that the government insists that the vaccinations are safe, and yet they have set up a fund for parents who lose their children to the vaccine. The name of the system is VAERS. (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) And if you go to the actual site, you can search by age, type of vaccine, if the child actually died, and all that. There are thousands of entries. Some died, some had serious illness, and hospitalization. If they are so safe, like the doctors tell us, why the system? Why is their a fund to reimburse these families? (as is money can really fill the hole) Also, why are parents who receive money from the fund told not to talk about their story?
So this is where I have fallen on this issue.
One other thing I am still looking into is circumcision, so if any of you have any information on that, I would LOVE to look into it.
And one more thing I have been looking into is something they call "Orgasmic Birth" It is a home birth, where the mom is completely relaxed, and actually, instead of a painful labor has what some have described as a "blissful" labor and delivery. I would love to know if it is legitimate.. because I like "bliss" way better than "agony" I never even knew this stuff would matter to me so much before I found out I was pregnant. Chris told me he wants me to have the first baby in the hospital, and after that he is open to home birth. I am very excited about that. I think it will be much more relaxed. I have heard horror stories about hospital stays and labor, and everyone that I know who gave birth at home said it was much easier to just do what their body told them to do, instead of having doctors peering at you every 10 minutes.
Anyways, I guess this is enough of all that, I am tired, and still feeling sick, so I am going to get some sleep! *yawn*
Signing off-
Jennie

5 comments:

Daniel and Rachel said...

Hey Jennie, thanks for posting this!! I'm gonna have to check out some of the links you said you looked at, and talk to Daniel about it too...the midwife we're using seems pretty open to letting us make the decisions, so I think either way she'll go with what we decide.

*Chris and Jennie* said...

Thats nice. My doctor is quite as nice about it, but I don't think she will try to interfere.

The K. Family said...

We studied this a lot when our kids were younger too. We did have the kids get them but waited till they were at least six months old. (with each child they got older) The older they get the more doses they can skip. We were going into Mexico a lot with the older ones so we felt they might need them. As far as side effects, Miriam fainted once. Isaac, when he was 12, passed out and kinda went in and out for a long time. They finally sent us to the clinic, and finally after a couple of hours he came around. They said he probably shouldn't join the military! They also accidentally gave him the shot Priscilla was suppose to have had! I know if we did it again we probably wouldn't get them. Maybe the tetenus, and maybe others if they were travelling in foreign countries. If a disease comes around or they get a bad cut, they'll give them shots anyway. Be prepared for the horror on faces when you tell them you haven't had them. Even missing the first couple of doses made the nurses hysterical. Others will be shocked as well that you would refuse such a "wonderful" thing! If I had any advise, it would be to make sure Chris agrees with you:)

*Chris and Jennie* said...

Thanks Camile! Chris and I have talked about it at length, and neither of us are comfortable with the schedule at first. I guess we have not decided 100% either way, but we are both leaning toward caution

The K. Family said...

Hey Jennie,
This is Amos and Rebekah. We were studying vaccines as well and found that at least two of the vaccines are made in aborted human fetal tissue. One of them we're pretty sure was chicken pox and Amos thinks the other was possibly rubella. But you could probably research and find for yourself. We decided not to give Daniel shots and will more than likely not do any of our other children either.
Concerning circumcision we found that recent research has shown that there are a number of health benefits to it, contrary to what they were saying in the tumultuous 60's and 70's.
Also we did home-birth. It was WONDERFUL! And we certainly plan on doing it again! Since you are doing your first child in the hospital. I recommend finding a Doola (sp?). She will help you to relax and be there with you throughout the whole birth, whereas doctors and nurses generally are not. I also reccomend the "Christian Childbirth Handbook" Vanderlaan I believe is the last name of the author. It's the best book that my midwife has found. And was very helpful. It has a lot of stuff in there that you can do in the hospital as well.
Hope the info helps!

Amos and Rebekah