Oh, vaccines. To get them or not to get them…that is the great question of this age. If you’ve been in the middle of deciding the right decision to make for your kids, then read on.
I never questioned vaccines with my first daughter. After all, they were for her protection, weren’t they? I made sure she attended every single well check up and got every vaccine they said she had to get without question. Because, after all, I trusted the medical field because they were all professionals and had the best interests of me and my little family in mind.
…right?
In about 2013, however, I started reading blogs and realizing that there were many, many mamas out there who not only didn’t agree with vaccines, but blatantly bucked the system. And they spoke against vaccines so strongly it frightened me. For the first time ever, I started realizing that vaccines could possibly not be the preventative that I always thought they were.
So naturally, I started questioning the system too. I researched and researched and researched. On the one hand, I listened to the anti-vaccer community (which seemed to be a lot larger than I realized) who toted around the dangers of vaccines and how it was all about money, etc etc. And then I would see another article or Facebook post about how it was unwise not to get your kids vaccines and how old diseases (like measles) were making a return because so many people were choosing not to vaccinate.
So needless to say, I was confused, undecided, and afraid to go forward in either direction.
Because of this, I decided to hold off on any further vaccines for my second daughter. Her last set of vaccines was at 9 months old, and I avoided taking her to the doctor for a while because I really just didn’t know what to do. In fact, I even got dismissed from her pediatrician’s clinic because I didn’t want to vaccinate!
But I realized that if I wanted to join the growing community of anti-vaccers, I would need to do more than just read blogger’s posts. So I kept researching. And I realized that what many of the anti-vaccers were doing well was focusing on strengthening their children’ immune systems. That seemed logical, so I started changing a few things to do the same. These things were:
Increasing their intake of fruits and veggies
I know this sounds elementary and like common knowledge, but I made sure to have at least a fruit and/or veggie (or two) present at every meal. And fruit juice did not count.
It took a lot more effort than I thought it would, because my kiddos could be pretty picky about veggies especially. I had to find creative and yummy ways to make veggies, but I wanted to do my best for their bodies, so I stayed at it.
Becoming super strict about sugar
I can’t stand sugar. It’s so deceptive. Once it gets past your taste buds, it pretty much just wreaks havoc on your body.
I still am very strict about sugar in our home. Candy almost never gets purchased by me (unless it’s an occasional chocolate) and we rarely ever have dessert. I know how sugar can pretty much single-handedly destroy your immune system and how addicting it can be (said the woman who was raised on M&Ms and coke-thanks Grandma!).
I’ve taught my kids over and over that while sugar tastes good and we can have it every once in a while, it’s actually really bad for the inside of our bodies. You can say that my kids have been brainwashed (in a good way!) because to this day they impose a personal limit with sugar and have actually turned down candy offered to them when they weren’t in my presence (score!).
Making sure I was supplementing
The best kids vitamins on the market, in my opinion, are Garden of Life’s Vitamin Code Kids Multivitamin. I started purchasing them for my kids and making sure I was filling in gaps in their nutrition. I’ve also purchased the Vitamin Code Probiotics, which have given my kids the good bacteria they need in their tummies (and have given me peace of mind!).
But even though I was doing the best I could, I still had that nagging question lingering in the back of my mind: Is it really wise not to vaccinate my kids?
By the time I was pregnant with my third daughter, I knew I had to make a decision. So I prayed. I asked God. I told Him that I wasn’t sure what to do, and that I wanted to be a good mother.
And I made a decision.
I decided that I would go ahead and vaccinate my kids, but only with much prayer. Every. single. time they would get a shot, I made sure I prayed this prayer:
Father, I pray that these shots do only what they’re supposed to do and that’s it. No side effects and no negative effects. In Jesus’ name.
And that, my friend, is how I’ve decided to deal with the great unknown of vaccinations.
I remember when I wanted to have a VBAC. I researched for months and felt like I was actually about to have a baby for the first time because of all that I learned. I hired a doula and asked every possible question I could and made sure I was as prepared as I knew to be.
My mother in law called me when I was in the hospital and she told me this, which I will never forget:
Even though you’ve done all this research, which is good, don’t forget to trust God.
I realized at that point that while knowledge was important, I couldn’t put my trust in knowledge. Because how many times have opinions, studies, and recommendations changed? I decided that I would keep doing what was right to take care of my kiddos, but that ultimately, I would trust their health and well being into the hands of their Creator.
It’s an amazingly freeing thing when you can cast all your cares on the Lord as a mom. Because let’s be honest, there are enough things to potentially worry about that it can absolutely make you sick. From sickness to accidents to dangerous people, it’s a lot for a mama. And we don’t want to be carrying those worries around because our souls can’t handle them.
Let’s cast our cares on God, entrust the children He’s given us to raise into His hands for protection, and get His leading and guidance on decisions. He loves us and He will lead us!
How are you dealing with vaccines? Comment below-I’d love to hear!
Related Posts:
Why Every Mama Needs to Prioritize Prayer
7 Easy Changes You Can Make for a Healthier Diet