Wonder how vaccines are handled in other countries?  Here is an article on the how childhood vaccines are handled in Japan in contrast to the US.  Hmmmm…whacha think?  PS  I think there are a few good tips in here as well for us.  Take their temp before receiving vax.  Note all changes in your kid after they receive their shots.  And don’t be afraid to ask questions and slow things down.  Just saying…..

PS And before you start firing off comments to me about how I’m a parasite because of the way I vaccinate or how I should just leave the country if I don’t like the vaccines given here or how I’m a bad Mom….save it!!  This is not a pro/anti vaccine post.  Take that crazy mess someplace else.

PPS  Good morning ya’ll. 

Voluntary Vaccines in Japan

Naturally yours, Dallas

I’ve been gone a while and I’m finally…after months of not  blogging….am getting back on track!  We moved back in July and it’s been nonstop chaos since then!  I have so much I want to talk about…vaccines (oink, oink!), local food (or lack there of), the stress of moving, family drama and the list just goes on.  Gotta finish up a little research on the little piggy vaccine and I’ll be back with ya!

Missed you guys!

Naturally yours, Dallas

To vax or not to vax…that is the question.  If you’ve read my blog before you’ll know my view on vax is this – GET YOUR FACTS.  Gather all the information you can, talk to other parents, talk to your ped, talk to the Moms (or Dads) you see in the coffee shop, talk to your friends and anyone else you think could offer some insight.  Educate yourself as much as possible before you decide one way or the other with regards to vaccinating.  Why do I stress this?   Because in the age of the internet, unless you are living under a rock or out in space, there is NO reason why you should not be educated on this topic.  IF this topic is of concern to you.  It may not be.  You may be a parent that could not possibly care any less about vaccinating.  And if that is you, stop reading this blog and go do something else.

So here’s the skinny.  A friend of mine who is pro-vax wanted to share some facts on why it is important to get our kids vaccinated with all shots and on time.  And I asked her to put that info together because I wanted to share it with my readers.  The reason I’m doing this is because as a community (of parents) we are all shooting for the same goals and I believe in the power of knowledge.  And I know that we are stronger together (both sides of the coin) than we are apart.  So without further delay….. Read the rest of this entry »

Yep.  Merck is no longer manufacturing the MMR shots in separate doses.  Some think it’s a conspiracy against families that either want to give all three in separate doses OR want to pick which vax they want from the series.  The thought is that if Merck eliminates the separate dose options, families will be forced into vaxing with all three shots.  No more picking and choosing.  Which I find odd because the rubella vaccine is sometimes given to new mothers before they leave the hospital.  Will they now give new moms the entire series even though they may only need the rubella vaccine?  Please be sure to check out this great, very unbiased, article from Dr. Sears on this topic.  I want to hear from you if you’ve got a little one that needs to get this vax – whacha gonna do now?? Or if your little one has received part of this series in separate shots and you need to finish – will you?  Me – I’m going to delay until 18 months and then give all three at once.  Not my first choice but I’m hoping that if we take some precautionary steps beforehand,  we’ll be able to prep his immune system to handle the vax.  Our pediatrician is on board with our delayed schedule and we’ve already talked about this latest news from Merck.  Get your fax on the vax and let me know what you think!

Dr. Sears Newsletter

We skip the flu vaccines every year.  Because, well, for this very reason and I’ve never met a person who received a flu shot and did NOT get some sort of strain of the flu during that particular flu season.  If you have received a flu shot and did NOT get the flu that season and suffered from no side effects from the shot – please let me know by commenting!

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_16514.cfm

Naturally yours, Dallas

As flu season comes at us full throttle (Kiki is battling his first stomach bug) I get asked a lot if I’m going to get a flu shot. And still the answer is NO. I’m not getting one, my hubby isn’t getting one and neither is Kiki. Stop asking me.

For the past few weeks, I have been digging around the internet trying to find really good resource to pass along to those of you who have questions about vaccines and I want to remain as neutral as possible….BECAUSE….what is good for us may not work for you and I really do not believe that “one size fits all” especially when it comes to kids. Which leads me to my latest love affair…the Holistic Moms Network. These gals talk about peaceful parenting, body/mind/spirit nourishment of our children, getting us and our kids to care about our environment and most importantly – BEING AN INFORMED PARENT. Especially when it comes to health care and vaccines. You owe it to yourself and your children to gather as much info and resources as possible so  you can decide which path is right for your family. So stop sponging off me and check out this site.

Naturally yours, Dallas

Eco friendly birthday parties for kids are becoming more and more popular.  And it’s really easy if you have (and want to take) the time to do some research and think a little outside the box.  Since my family is really giving this eco friendly thing a good go – I have done my homework.  Mwah ahh hahh. Okie, dokie.

Now Kiki will only be turning one so this party is mainly a celebration that we, as his parents, made it.  We survived year one and only have seventeen left to go. We are still married,  still in love, still like each other’s company, have all of our hair, do not have a drug or drinking problem and still have a somewhat respectable sex life.  (Sorry hun, but I felt it was important for the integrity of the post, to mention it.) But in the spirit of going “green”, I really want this party to be a true reflection of us and how we try to live our life on a daily basis with respect to living naturally.  I’m still working out some of the details and once it’s all over, I’ll share with you guys what I came up with, companies/products I used and some things you can do to make you’re next party a little greener.  Stay tuned!

Uh-oh. Things got a little um, how you say, bitchy on The Today Show this morning between Mr. Matt and Dr. Nancy Snyderman. They were doing a segment on the link between autism and vaccines and were talking specifically about a doc in Philly who is at the front of this controversy. Here is the link to the segment that appeared this morning on the show. Be sure to watch the video of the actual interview between Mr. Matt and Dr. Snyderman. It gets a little heated at the end of the interview with Dr. Snyderman saying that “we are going to have an outbreak of polio if we don’t vaccinate our kids!” She talks about being “physically ambushed” by anti-vaccine supporters (which I’m sorry, but I find a little hard to believe because if that has happened why haven’t we heard about it in the news). She’s sounds a little panicky and almost like she’s trying to scare parents into getting their kids vaccinated. Fear can be a powerful motivator…but so can money. (I’m just saying!)

If you’ve read my blog, you already know my stance on vaccinations. This is a very controversial subject and weighs heavy on the heart of every parent. There is no guarantee that vaccinating our kids will keep them safe from these diseases AND there is no guarantee that not vaccinating our kids will keep them developing autism either. It really is a coin toss in my opinion. But what we can do is be as informed as possible about all of our choices and then make the best decisions for our families. I’d love to hear what my readers think and get a dialog going about what you’re doing with your own children and your thoughts on the relationship between autism and vaccinations. If you have info you want to share for both sides of the coin, please do. If you have links or resources you want others to know about…share them. Knowledge is power!

If you’re crazy and just want to spread hate and fear….go someplace else. Or take your meds and come back to us when you’re feeling better and little more clear headed.

Naturally yours, Dallas

I’ve received some inquiries from a couple of my readers about whether or not I’m going to give Kiki a flu shot. And my answer is simply…NO. But to elaborate – I do have several reasons for not getting him vax’d and here are a few of them!

1) This season’s flu vaccine supply is formulated based on last year’s strain. You can do that math on that one for yourself.

2) I would rather him get the current flu virus (if he gets it at all) and let him develop antibodies naturally. )No, I’m not wishing the flu on Kiki and yes, I know that if he gets it, we all get it.)

3) I really believe that with the proper diet, herbal supplements and acupuncture our family can maintain a healthy immune system which to me, is always the most important thing and makes the most sense. Don’t forget – 70% of your immune system lives in your gut! Watch what you eat, especially during flu season.

4) The “flu mist” vaccine that is being offered for our little ones scares the crap out of me. I’m not going to squirt anything up my infant boy’s nose. Hell, I’m wouldn’t squirt it up MY nose!

5) I think the risks associated with the flu are less and more manageable than the risks associated with the vaccine.

If you’re unsure about whether or not to get the flu shot this year…DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. Ask your friends what they plan to do and why, talk to your pediatrician and get all the facts before you make your decision.

If you decide to get a flu shot, call around and go somewhere that is offering mercury free shots. Ask to see the UNOPENED box before they give you the shot and read the ingredients on the box. If they will not do this or the box says mercury or thermasol on the list of ingredients…LEAVE.

Here are some resources that I’ve used to for vaccine information.

www.generationrescue.org

www.naturallifemagazine.com

www.holisticmoms.org

www.mothering.com

And of course….www.cdc.gov.

Naturally yours, Dallas

I’ve had a few requests to share the delayed schedule that we used. There are a lot of books and sites out there that offer delayed schedules so be sure to do your homework and decide what is ultimately the best for you and your family. What is right for us, may be too aggressive for you or not aggressive enough.

Birth – no vaccinations (I tested negative for Hep B so we were able to skip this vaccine at birth.)

Hepatitis B – 6, 12 and 18 months

Rotavirus – 3, 5 and 7 months

DTP – 2, 4, 6 and 18 months

HIB – 4, 6, 8 months and 17 months

Pneumococcal – Have not started this series yet as of 9 months. I have been talking with my pediatrician about the information coming out about Prevnar which is the vaccine for pnuemococcal and its promotion of “superbugs”. She was going to look into it and let me know what she comes up with at our next visit which is in three months.

Influenza – NO

MMR – Will be administered in single shots with the first dose at 15 months. Each shot will be 12 months apart UNLESS we have plans to leave the country and then we will re-evaluate. As of today, we have no plans to travel outside the US.

Varicella (chix pox) – No current plans to vaccinate. Would rather he get them naturally if possible.

Hep A – 12 months

Meningococcal – No current plans to vaccinate.

Our goal was to only give him two shots at the most during each visit and at least about 6 weeks in between. Sometimes we were a week early or behind…but I feel like this schedule really works for us. It’s a little more expensive to do a delayed schedule because your in the doc’s office like all..the..time! But it’s worth it to us to just slow things down a bit and give his little body a chance to recover. He has never had a reaction to anything (please god don’t let me jinx us!) other than the occasional wonky-ness after the visits.

Kiki also sees an acupuncturist who helps him recover from his shots if he needs it and at his suggestion, we’re about to start Kiki on a chinese formula that will help keep him balanced and healthy.

Look – I hate getting him vaccinated but I do everything I can to make sure we’re informed about what we’re doing and if we’ve got the chance to slow things down a bit..we’re gonna take it. Getting him vaccinated is not “natural living” but for us, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I feel like the risk of him getting one of these illnesses is a far greater risk than the vaccine itself. Like I said before, I don’t believe a single vaccine is the cause of developmental delays, allergies, asthma or autism but rather the overload of the immune system by doing multiple vaccines at once and so close together. Nothing is ever 100% but we feel like we’re on the right track to keeping him as safe as we possibly can. Even those who chose to not vaccinate at all are taking a risk with their child’s health. So you just have to decide which risk is well, less riskier, for you and your family.

Naturally yours – Dallas