I took Jacob to the doctor this past week for his well check. Jacob is doing great! He weighed in at 11 lbs. 5 oz. which is 50th percentile. He was 23 1/2 inches long, which is 75th percentile (I have a friend who had a baby that was 23 inches at birth!). I can't remember the exact head size but it was also 75th percentile, which is small for a Finch. He has been smiling and cooing so much lately. He has been doing that since he was about 3 weeks old, but now it comes so much easier for him. It is really fun. He has the most pleasant temperment and is just easy going and quiet. He is sleeping really well still, getting up only once a night.
The saddest part of the visit, of course, were the shots. Maybe it is because he hardly ever cries, but it really bothered me when he was crying after his shots. I just felt so bad. You could just tell that it hurt. He has been fussier the last couple of days, but did better today. I have to say this was an uncomfortable visit for me as well. I chose not to get the prevnar, you know the pneumonocacal (sp?), or the new oral rotavirus vaccines. We have never gotten prevnar, and when Adam was a baby they had a rotavirus shot that they recalled, so I just would like to see how things go with this one for a while. Also, with both of these I feel like ther are not as serious as some of the other illnesses, anyway... the nurse practitioner seemed very concerned that I wouldn't get these vaccines (I know the shots are combined, but the poor child already was getting 4 or 5 vaccinations that day). I probably wouldn't get the varicella (chicken pox) either except it is required for school. I also had to sign this waiver "Refusal to vaccinate". I just felt terrible, but I felt like it was the right thing to do for us. I don't know, it felt like it harmed the relationship with my practitioner. The tension was thick and she tried to talk me into it and told me all these things I should do to prevent illness and how I should get the other kids vaccinated with flu shots (I said no to that too). I don't know people. Am I crazy? I seriously want some opinions, even differing ones. You folks with medical backgrounds.....hint, hint, and you moms out there, what do you think?
It was not my favorite visit to the doctor, but I guess most visits to the doctor are not enjoyable, it usually means something is wrong. I do have to say though, Lizzy and Ben were awesome! We had to wait about 35 minutes just to be called back there and then all the time spent in the room and the waiting time there. Our appt. was at 9:30 and we left the office at about 11. They did really well though, even the nurse practitioner commented on how well they behaved. That made me happy. Ok, yes, there was a promise of a treat involved, but I'm OK with that.
Anyway, Jake is doing great. He has been such a blessing to our family. I am always amazed at how much love you can feel from this little person that can't do anything for himself, that needs you for everything. He just lays there and smiles, but it fills our home with happiness to have him do that . We really do feel loved by him. It is pure love. Babies are such a blessing, and we are thankful to have one that is so amiable all the time, who loves us. We love him too of course!
4 comments:
I (and Todd also, who will probably post his opinion as well) feel very strongly about vaccinating. Having lived across the stress my whole life from a man who has serious complications from getting polio as a child, I feel so grateful that I can vaccinate my kids against things like that. My doctor in CT, after practicing for 30 years or so, felt so strongly about vacinnations from all her experiences as a doctor, that she told me she flat out refuses to even take patients who are not willing to get their kids vaccinations. She had seen the very negative consequences that had come from people not doing it and felt that it was absolutely the right thing to do.
I've also suffered a couple of times with the flu (for weeks!) and felt absolutey so rotten and horrible that I feel it is totally worth it for me and my kids to get a flu shot every year to help prevent it. It might not be life threatening for someone like me, but it is certainly extremely inconvenient, painful and nasty - so I'd much prefer not to get it.
I've heard lots of reasons that are either pro or anti vacinnations, but the ones that have seemed the most compelling and true-research based to me have been the ones that are pro. I think some people can get away with not getting vacinnated right now because the majority are vacinnated and that protects those who aren't. But I think if there were a lot of people who stopped vaccinating, then we would see a big increase and return of a lot of these diseases.
Anyway, that's my two cents (for what it's worth).
Well, I haven't really questioned vaccinations much. Lately, I have given it more thought, but haven't done any research. I am, for the most part, in favor of them. I don't think the chicken pox vaccine is necessary, and didn't know if was required for school either!
The flu shot to me is in a totally different league. None of us ever get one. I was a little bothered last year when the doctor tried to convince me to let Kathryn get it. I didn't like the pressure of something that is totally optional and can relate to the tension you felt. I have heard of too many instances of people being sicker after getting it. We have a new doctor this time around and I'm a little worried about how she will be when I take the girls in in a couple weeks. I guess we'll see.
A lady in my ward doesn't take her kids to the doctor to avoid the whole issue. Well, not as infants anyway. She is getting her children vaccinated, but not while they are babies and I'm not sure which vaccines. She's also planning to home school, so she doesn't have to worry about what's required.
If I did more research, I might have a different opinion, but I think I am afraid of what I would find out. On the other hand, I think I do put too much trust in doctors and other medical professionals.
Well, I don't think my opinion will mean much because you can guess what I'm going to say. So, I'm not going to be much help. I got my flu shot within an hour of it being offered to me.
So, I'll just say a couple of things. First, I wasn't quite sure why you didn't want them but most people give two reasons. First, the autism issue. That has been disproved multiple times over and the ingredient that supposedly was related to it is not used in the majority of vaccinations anymore anyway. The other reason they give is that they know someone who had a problem with the vaccine, etc. So, I will tell you that I know someone who didn't have their child vaccinated and the child died from H. Flu meningitis.
Next, I will bring up one other thing that most non-medical people don't think about. It's called herd immunity. That means that everyone else who does get vaccinated make= it so that the amount of that disease in the general population is so low that it's harder to get the disease even if you don't get vaccinated. For example, have you ever known anyone with measles, mumps or rubella? How can you catch it if you never come into contact with it? While this makes it easier to not get the diseases for you, it's another reason I consider when I get my kids vaccinated. For example, the flu may not kill you or your kids, but it kills more people every year than AIDS, particularly those who are elderly and may not mount a response to the vaccine even if they get it. So, you are protecting more than yourself when you get the vaccine.
Anyway, if you have specific questions or concerns, feel free to ask you doctor, me or dad and we can hopefully answer them for you.
NOw I would love to hear from your dad. I got my kids all their vaccines, but there were so many less than there are now. I have to say that I questioned the extras that had come along when I had Mark. I don't remember, but I think I refused the chicken pox because it was just a trial (and we all survived that). I don't think you have to take every vaccine that is offered and if you weren't having them get the normal DPT, MMR, Tetnas(sp?), then I would worry. I know medicine is not an exact science and everything new is not always needed.
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