Tuesday, June 23, 2009

All right, I admit it

*****WARNING, CRUNCHY MOMMA ALERT! PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION!*****

I admit that I do things DIFFERENTLY than some people.

Yes, okay, fine. I admit it.

This does not make me an idiot.

In fact, I prefer to think the opposite. (Not the exact opposite, like "I'm no idiot, in fact, I'm a MENSA candidate, but more just the general opposite of "idiot" so like, um, "literate"? or perhaps, "Informed"? sure, that works, informed.)

So, after a lovely visit to the pediatrician for Oliver's two month check this morning,
let's just clear some things up.

Dear Nurses:

1. It appears that I know more about vaccines than you do. Seriously. When I ask you a question about vax content/makings of, and you look at me blankly, it does not make me feel good. Heck, You got confused as to which brand name applies to which vaccine! Seriously.

2. I am INFORMED (see? not an idiot.) as a parent. I CHOOSE to vaccinate on a different schedule than you would like. Deal with it.

3. The fact that my baby was born at home and therefore has no shot record yet does not warrant a deep sigh from you. Sorry that makes more work for you.

4. Do not tell me, "If you don't vaccinate according to the AAP schedule, your insurance will drop you as a client." REALLY??? Hmm. I have YET to vacciate on the AAP schedule and haven't heard a word about this from them. I'm quite certain the insurance company did not call you up and say, "Could you let Morgan know that we're gonna drop her." Not exactly "official" if you know what I mean.

Hugs N Kisses!
~Morgan

So, all right, as previously admitted, I don't toe the "party" line when it comes to health care. I get that. I really, truly do. Fine, I'm crunchy. Fine, I'm an "earth mama." However, I am well aware of the extreme "scare tactics" used by the anti-vaccine and the pro-vaccine camps alike. I have made an INFORMED decision for my children. I do not buy into propaganda.

(and I will say, while I'm ranting, that unbiased vaccine information is EXTREMELY hard to come by. I highly, HIGHLY recommend The Vaccine Book by Robert Sears. It was written in 2007 and he continues to update his website with new OFFICIAL, UNBIASED information at http://www.thevaccinebook.com/, mmmkay, mini-rant over.)

But, it bugs me to no end when it is assumed by healthcare professionals that I am 1. a bad parent and/or 2. stupid. If people choose to vaccinate right on schedule, I don't bat an eye. It's their kid! Do what you feel is right. I educate my clients and ask them to make a decision based on facts. After that, I support their choice 100%.

So, why do nurses feel the need to make it QUITE clear that I'm doing my child a disservice by spacing out the amount of drugs his little body receives at one time??????? Why do you care? I'm not sending a child full of polio to kindergarten. I'm not sending my tentus-ridden baby to day care. Why does this bother them??

He weighs 12 pounds. I kind of think 1500 micrograms of aluminum is quite enough for one day. Thankyouverymuch.

15 comments:

~L said...

Morgan I totally agree with you!!
I have that book and find it sooo useful and it is silly that it seems like I know more about the vaccines then the nurses and sometimes DR does!! Luckily though I haven't have many health care professionals act too terribly to me. The worst was when I declined the flu vaccine. Did I really have to tell them NO we aren't getting it 4 times during the appointment??!

Lyndy

Morgan Hagey said...

Yeah, we don't go near the flu vaccine with the kids. And it's like, "what?....WHAT?" good grief. Chill out.

Emily said...

Haha! I just got back from lunch where I entertained some friends by telling them how we have the placenta from our Morgan's birth in the freezer. Ahem. Or when I didn't know what the slingy stand deal to hold a carseat at the restaurant was because I always wear my baby and therefore have never brought the CARseat with me anywhere. It is funny to be reminded when you do things differently, because to me it's just normal, so I forget that it seems weird to other people.

Luckily we haven't had too many issues at the doctor about not vaccinating her yet, but I also don't broadcast it to other people because I don't want to deal with the potential criticism.

And while I do intend to give the kiddos most vaccines, we will definitely not be getting the flu vaccine. Nope, nope.

Lynn said...

I don't know much about the vaccine controversy, but I am sad that chicken pox is coming back now that vaccines are becoming unpopular. :( After watching what a doctor goes through to receive his degree and license to practice, I am more able to trust the professionals. It's a scary vaccine world, no matter which way you lean. For now I guess I'll stick with the statistics of how many cases vaccines have helped rather than hurt.

Emily said...

Just wanted to say that I saw you commented on the gurrbonzo blog, which is cracking me up, because she's a friend of mine from law school. It was just a "small world" moment.

Morgan Hagey said...

Emily- I totally saw that today on your blog, I was like, "You know her???" So funny.

Lynn- Honestly, it's not my ped that is the problem, it's the nurses. I really respect my kids' doctor and he think he is incredibly knowledgeable and is ALWAYS able to answer my questions.

For the record, we do vaccinate, just on an adjusted schedule.

Yasmine said...

Good for you Morgan! You're inspiring me to find out more. I just listen to the nurses like a good little girl and assume what they say is best. (However we didn't get flu shots this year and were "strongly encouraged" to reconsider. =)

Ken and Jen said...

Thank you! I had to inform a nurse in my ped's office once that breastfeeding past 6 months is more than just a 'natural laxative' geesh.

My 'thing' is carseats. Use them correctly people! It isn't that hard if you read about them. Inform yourselves!

Morgan Hagey said...

Jen- Don't get me started on car seats. It makes me nuts.

Alice said...

I think the best quality about you Morgan is that you actually make educated decisions about all things in life. That is exactly what smart people do. I admire this about you!

McEuens said...

I think it's all a matter of locale. I can't imagine anyone in a ped's office here thinking much about delayed or alternative vax'ing. It's all the rage among Boston's upper-class parents.

McEuens said...

P.S. I was just looking at Sears vaccine website, and I can't agree entirely that the Sears book/website is wholly unbiased (though I think there's a good chance it's among the most unbiased information out there among a whole lot of biased and incorrect information). The very fact that it's coming from a Sears means there's already a certain "crunchy" bias that by its nature caters to more of the vaccine-suspicious crowd. I'm not anti-crunchy, as you know; I'm just sayin'....

Morgan Hagey said...

Maren- I completely agree that the Sears brand is without question "crunchy."

But, really, truly, I have found NOTHING to be as comprehensive and as unbiased as this book is. I tried to read others and some I literally could not finish just because it was SO ridiculous. No, my child is not going to need therapy from vaccines. Really!

You and I have had many conversations regarding what is "biased" is often seen so simply because in the world some things are really better than others. :) Even when things are not BAD verses GOOD. How can we not be biased when there is good, better and best, even?

If the book leans any one way, I'd say it leans "pro" vax. But perhaps, that is simple the vein that I read it in since I DO vaccinate. Who knows? If I was completely anti-vaccine, it's possible I'd be like, "this book is SO great because it is totally anti-vaccine." I dunno. Someone who is 100% anti-vax read it and tell me. :)

Emily said...

I'm not totally anti vaccine but I'll back you up that I'd say it's somewhat in the pro vaccine direction. I expected it, as part of the whole Sears deal, to be a little on the crunchy side but the only way in which I felt it was is the fact that it addresses the 'concerned about vaccines' side at all. Am I making sense? I'm tired.

I'm curious what Maren has done. So far my Morgan hasn't had any but I do plan on eventually starting and I'm not sure when I will. I'm so glad I read the book because I feel like now I have information, not just following the hip no vaccine folks nor blindly trusting the AAP and FDA ( hahaha...) but I still don't know what I DO want to do either.

Morgan Hagey said...

Emily- I agree. The fact that the book exists at all automatically makes it "crunchy." The mainstream medical community would truly have no need for it.:)

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