This week was shot week. I am by no means an expert on the subject of vaccinations. I am simply a mom with an experience. I believe in vaccinating my child but it has proven to be one of the most challenging aspects of being a parent. I'm not going to preach that there is a right or wrong way to go about the process. Each mama knows what is best for her little one. There is so much literature out there about the pros and cons of vaccinating. Then there are controversies regarding which vaccines to give and when to give them. I was so overwhelmed when I first began my research. I started by looking at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) schedule for children’s vaccines. I then researched each of the vaccines and the side effects for each. The doctor gave us a booklet that was helpful as well. Once I gained an understanding of which vaccines were available, I began to look into alternative schedules and mommy blog entries. I was torn about what to do.
As I interviewed pediatricians I spoke to them about vaccination schedules. They all stated that they prefer the CDC schedule (no surprise there) but one doctor was more open to working with an alternative schedule than others. She politely said, “if you don’t want to have your child vaccinated, I’m probably not the doctor for you but there are some parents who choose to go with an alternative schedule.” After a great deal of agonizing, I decided to go with the CDC schedule.
My son began receiving shots at 2 months of age. I felt like I was a bad mother because I chose to go with the schedule that my doctor recommended. I beat myself up about it. I then began to speak to other mothers and found that I was not alone in choosing the CDC schedule. I kept telling myself that there are tons of people that go with this schedule but there was always a voice in the back of my head making me feel guilty.
When the baby got his first round of vaccines I didn’t know what to expect. I liked that my doctor did combination shots (less pokes). The baby was fine for about two hours after the visit and then he cried unless he was held (for hours). I sat in my bed with him all evening because that was the one position that seemed to work for him to be content. The baby was fussy the next day and then after that he was back to his normal self. No severe reaction, just a difficult day.
When it came time for the four-month shots I knew what I was getting into, or so I thought. The reaction was relatively the same as the two-month round, however he was fussy for about four days. This time around I felt the need to break out the Tylenol. That’s when I decided that we needed to change how we do this. I decided that the next time around we were splitting them up and giving two at a time.
At the six month appointment the little guy was not feeling so hot and had a slight fever so we didn’t do the shots, but I took the opportunity to speak to the doctor about it. She sat with me and we came up with a plan that worked for both of us. That brings me to today. Logan got his two shots yesterday and I can’t begin to tell you what a difference it made. I mean, he was still a bit fussy, but not nearly to the extent that he was previously. No Tylenol necessary, just cuddles and a change of scenery every now and then. He even let me sit him down so that I could get a few things done around the house! I also held him this time while he received the shots and he didn’t even cry! He slept through the night last night and today I can't even tell that he got the shots yesterday afternoon. What a relief. I guess I should have listened to my gut in the first place.
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