You know what's heavy on my heart lately?
Seeing so many moms feeling pressured about vaccine decisions, just like I was years ago.
Back when I was making these choices for my little ones, I learned that I could technically delay vaccines, but there was this constant pressure - this expectation that eventually, I'd need to get them all done. That reluctance in my mama heart? I wasn't supposed to listen to it. I was just supposed to follow along.
Here's something that stopped me in my tracks during my research journey: None of the routine childhood vaccines were licensed based on true, long-term placebo-controlled trials. Let that sink in for a minute. Most safety trials only followed children for days or weeks - not nearly long enough to detect long-term effects. These are our children! This finding infuriated me as a mom.
Take the Hepatitis B vaccine given at birth, for example. The safety follow-up lasted only 4-5 days! As a mom, that raises some serious questions for me.
If we're making decisions that could affect our children's long-term health, shouldn't we have long-term safety data? Why is and was this not a requirement before approving a vaccine??
But here's what really gets me - the dramatic increase in the recommended schedule.
Did you know that children today are recommended to receive 72 doses by age 18, compared to just 24 doses in 1983? That's triple the amount!
And yet, despite having one of the most aggressive childhood vaccine schedules, the U.S. ranks 36th out of 38 wealthy nations in child well-being. These numbers are not comforting to me, are they you?
I'm not sharing this to scare you or tell you what choices to make. I'm sharing this because as moms, we deserve to know the full story.
We deserve to understand that we have options, including medical, religious, or philosophical exemptions in many states.
What matters most is that you:
- Know your rights
- Understand the actual requirements in your state
- Feel empowered to ask questions
- Make informed decisions without fear or pressure
Sweet momma, if you're feeling that familiar tug in your heart, that gentle whisper telling you to look deeper, to ask questions - listen to it.
Your maternal instinct isn't there by accident. It's a gift, designed to help you protect and guide your precious ones.
Whether you're just starting to research or you're well into your journey of informed choices, know this:
You don't have to feel alone in those late-night research sessions or in those moments when you're standing firm in your decisions.
Your role as your child's protector matters more than any schedule, any recommendation, or any pressure to conform.
Trust that still, small voice that God placed in your heart.
It's there for a reason.
~Chat soon
0 Comments