All-Natural

Vaccinations and Such

I guess to some people, I am a bad mom.  I keep my kids at home instead of 'socializing' them in daycare or kid groups, and I still plan on homeschooling thanks to my cousin, Katherine's encouragement.  I *gasp* DON'T VACCINATE.  That should earn me the 'worst mother of the year' award.  I am trying to teach my children a love for music, learning, imagination, and the outdoors.  I personally hate the outdoors.  Namely because I think every giant bug in South Carolina has taken up residence in my yard.  A Bounce sheet in your pocket (it MUST BE BOUNCE) or some Essential Oils, though, and those bugs run from us.  I am a natural mom.  If there is an oil, food, or other natural way to get rid of those pesky illnesses, I would rather use them.  I was skeptical of a natural path at first, of course, because I am a rule-abider by nature.  I was always a teacher's pet who made straight- A's and dresses modestly.  I can't say I have always fit in, but I have always done what seems right.  What I have discovered in adulthood is the dreaded 'herd mentality' that TV, newspapers, magazines, movies...you name it... sell us.  So as an adult, I have started going against the grain to do what I feel is ultimately best for my beautiful children.  Any mother wants to protect her kids, right?  So let's talk about vaccines...finally.  I don't vaccinate my kids for many reasons, but let's get one thing straight.  I have seen both sides of the argument and have chosen what I feel is best for my family based on ample research, personal testimonies, and even doctor's advice.  I HATE that the pro-vaccine crowd (which I am not 'anti-vaccine', people.  That is just today's terminology, so don't get your panties in a wad.) calls the non-vaccinating parents 'ignorant', 'uninformed', 'backwards', and sometimes I have even seen 'stupid' used.  Now, I can think of a lot of instances in history where finger-pointing and name-calling were used to shame- and dare I say BULLY- people into following the 'herd mentality'.  It is recorded in the Bible that as Jesus hung on the cross, people were wagging their heads and making fun of Him.  His closest friends abandoned Him to protect their own hides only to end up being outspoken world-changers in the end.  The unconventional doesn't always make sense.  Really.  Does Jesus actually make sense?!  Have any other gods in the stories from ancient cultures sacrificed their lives for mankind?  No way!  Humans were their slaves and were often required to make blood sacrifices to 'please the gods'.  I am not saying that going against the grain makes non-vaccinating moms Jesus.  Sheesh.  Don't put words in my mouth.  What I am saying is that sometimes what society says is right...isn't.

My sister is mentally handicapped and has been in special needs programs her entire life.  That opens up a whole new world of information and testimony.  I have heard countless testimonies of parents who talk about how their children were normal until the dreaded MMR.  The children were walking, talking, perfectly functioning children who had a vaccine and suddenly shut down, no longer interacting with their family, but instead staring into space until a sudden crying fit would hit that would render a child inconsolable.  The scary thing is, doctors will admit that some children are susceptible to vaccine injury.  You just can't know if yours is one until it is too late.  Which brings me around to why I hate being called 'ignorant' and 'uninformed'.  I have done loads of research on both sides of the argument.  I have taken testimonies of deaths from not vaccinating as well as testimonies from deaths or vaccine injury from vaccinating.  I researched Dr. Sears' work on his delayed vaccine schedule, and I talked to doctors.  First off, why our hospitals are giving newborn babies vaccines right at birth is beyond me.  Factors come into play here: was your baby born full-term?  Are you planning to breast-feed? Are you staying home with your baby, even for 6 weeks?  Is your home a clean environment?  Are you planning on staying in America or traveling abroad?  And so on.  After witnessing illness after illness in children close to Lizzie's age and not even one ear infection or throwing-up virus, or anything of the like in our own children, my husband has determined that vaccines can, in fact, contribute to a child not being able to ward off sickness.  Yay!  Jason is on board with my insanity!  We found more natural (but, yes, authentic doctors in the Charlotte area) doctors to take our kids to for their check-ups who accept non-vaccinating parents because they have personally seen kids have negative reactions to vaccines.  I can't emphasize research enough to you if you are expecting or planning to have babies soon.  Keep an open mind and do research on both sides of the argument.  I am telling you why I have reached my conclusions.  You need to know why you have reached yours.

One of the biggest red flags that I experienced was in the hospital with Judah.  With Lizzie, I delivered at a different hospital.  They made me sign a waiver when I said that I didn't want her vaccinated two minutes after her birth.  They eyed me disapprovingly and questioned my reasons.  Basically, Lizzie wasn't even out of my stomach yet and I was the worst mother of the year.  I wasn't decided on vaccines yet, and I wanted a little more time before getting Lizzie vaccinated.  Fast forward to Judah's birth.  I went into labor early, rushed into the hospital, and asked the nurse while they were prepping me if I needed to sign a waiver to not have Judah vaccinated.  She reacted in horror, (scaring me half to death) declaring that they don't vaccinate ANY baby until that baby is at least 6 weeks old because of health implications.  WHAT?!  Two hospitals, five minutes away from each other, and they can't agree on what is healthy for a newborn as far as vaccines?  That worried me...like a lot.  As I started doing more research, I found that doctors can't agree.  There are many different opinions out there.  Some doctors live with the guilt of ruining a child's life by vaccinating them and seeing immediate reactions (one little boy had seizures in the office that resulted in brain trauma) that were not present before the vaccines.  Other doctors mourned that if the parents had just vaccinated, their children would still be alive.  And the list goes on.  After talking to my doctors, I found out that antibiotics are available to combat every disease that you can vaccinate against IF your child gets the disease, and in America, that is a big IF.  I sat down with my doctor and discussed each vaccine, found out some disturbing things, and then made my final decision.  I am vaccinating my kids against Polio.  It is a tried-and-true vaccine that can keep my kids from living a crippling life.  I had a great-uncle who had polio.  It is a terrible disease, and I am thankful for the means to fight it in this present age.  However, Hepatitis B, for example, is an STD...and they give that vaccination at the hospital AT BIRTH.  Because my infant is going to obviously be sleeping around with people who have STD's.  Sorry.  A bit of sarcasm there.  I didn't receive this vaccine until I was forced to by my middle school when I was 12.  I think giving this at birth is saying something freaky about our society.  Anyone else get that weirded out feeling?

Anyway, I have fought most ailments with breast milk up to this point.  'This point' being the time when I have stopped breast-feeding.  Whew!  A year will wear you out!  Breast milk treats pink eye, ear infection, strep throat, bug bites and stings, cuts, psoriasis, and eczema.  It fights colds, flu, nausea, and almost anything else if you internalize it.  Seriously.  It works on adults, too.  If I wasn't so desperate to make sure Judah and Lizzie both had enough, I would have drank more of it.  If I started feeling sick, I drank it.  I mean, that stuff WORKS!  My motto has become, "If it wasn't made by God, if wasn't made for you".  These GMO wars going on over food and all that has some legitimacy in my opinion.  Everything made by man is just a cheap copy and is certainly not good for us.  So if you are going back and forth on breast feeding.  DO IT!  Make the sacrifice and just do it.  Pump, nurse.  I don't care.  You are giving your baby a gift for such a short time in your life.  I have lived 28 years and have pumped for 2.  That puts it in perspective.  It is hard, but I encourage you to stick with it.  I understand that some women can't, and that is fine, but don't give up just because you are tired and frustrated.  I had mastitis accompanied with a fever three times in three weeks.  I saw my supply plummet and was frustrated and wanted to give up.  Judah was only two months old, and I just didn't have the heart to take the easy road and dry up.  He needed me like I will never be needed by him again.  I and I alone had the privilege of providing for him what no one else could give.  Consider it an honor, my friend, to be a nursing mother.

Since I have ended my breastfeeding time, I have moved on to these wonderful little magical bottles of oil.  Not just any oils.  The oils you buy in stores-even health food stores- are processed down, have additives, and can be toxic to your body.  No.  Not Bath and Body Works stuff that will actually make you feel worse rather than better.  I am talking about Young Living Oils that are grown, distilled, and sold right here in America with no added toxins and certainly no GMO's.  Now, I have to admit that I am still a little skeptical of them.  They seem almost 'new-agey'.  Until I found biblical references to oils, remembered the oil trades on the Roman Roads, and realized that these lovely oils have been used for thousands of years for health and beauty treatments.  So maybe I am just behind the times.  I am just starting out with them, so I will update with my findings as time goes on.  I have to admit that I am thoroughly impressed so far.  These things taste great, smell great, and seem to work immediately and effectively.  I have used the allergy trio so far and it cleared up my allergies within a few minutes.  I used one called Di-Gize on Lizzie for constipation.  I mixed it with some coconut oil and applied it on her feet and stomach.  No kidding.  Within ten minutes she had gone to the bathroom.  I'm becoming a believer, though I want to play around with them more before I get too excited about these little pieces of heaven.  Oils.  Who knew?  Oh, wait, thousands of years of people knew this stuff.  I forgot.  I'm behind the times.

Here's my sweet Judah for his portraits

And my precious Lizzie playing outside