A friend of mine forwarded me the information a few days ago (and I forgot to post it!) showing just how much crap my old doc was spewing about my refusal to test and her saying that protective services could visit…

I also want to send a very sincere thanks to the women in the forums and the entire website Mothering.com – thru your information and help, I now am even MORE confident in the medical decisions I’m making for my kids!

Anyways, for those in Ohio, here is some information:  http://www.vaclib.org/exempt/ohio.htm  It talks a lot about immunization, but it also discusses testing.  All optional.  Of course. 

Now I’m really angry that my old doc, who I got along with so well (cuz I never disagreed, I guess), threatened something that wouldn’t happen anyways – not that I thought for a minute it would, but it’s nice to know the law is on my side too.

I have found a physician practice that absolutely believes what I do!  I’m so thrilled!  I had to find an Osteopathic Physician – so for those frustrated with their docs and looking for someone who will change vax schedules or not do them at all, do a search.  Here’s the National website:  http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=findado_main

I love this part of their philosophy:  …doctors of osteopathic medicine, or D.O.s, apply the philosophy of treating the whole person to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, disease and injury….

 

I believe that Ohio link has every state if you search – I hope this helps some other smart mama interested in educating themselves to make the best possible decision for their family!  Happy Friday!

 

Apparently, a typical conversation in a home with young children is as follows:

MOM:  Honey, I want to take a shower.  Can you watch the baby?

or

MOM (out with friends):  Oh, Daddy is babysitting tonite.

WHAT???? Say again?  Daddy is babysitting? 

 

Other conversations:

MOM (to older child):  Where is Daddy?

OLDER CHILD:  He went up to take a shower.

Uh uh uh… wait a minute… I don’t see in this conversation where he asked Mom to watch the kids for him.   Does he also ask mom to babysit when he goes to work or goes out with his friends?  And since “babysit” generally means a service, is there payment involved?

 

I’m sorry, moms.  You do not have to ask permission.  Yes, it’s respectful and nice to say something like, “Hey, I’d like to make a hair appointment on Saturday, are you free to take the kids to the park/movies/stay at home with them?”  Obviously – this is common manners.  But if you’re both relaxing on the couch and you need to use the bathroom, you should never have to ASK if you can.  Simply saying “here’s the baby, I’m running to the bathroom/shower/kitchen” is fine.

The baby’s daddy is a partner, not an outside observer there to care for the child only when you have something else that needs to be done.  He is 50% of this baby.  It doesn’t matter whether he works out of the home 60 hours a week and you are a SAHM.  You work IN the home 24 hours a day.  You are equals.  Period. 

The next time your significant other leaves the room to do anything, see if he ASKS you to watch the babies while he’s out of the room.  My bet is he doesn’t.  And society has conditioned him so.  This has nothing to do with “femininism”, it has to do with parenting.

All done now

 

Well, you don’t have to read this if you don’t want to “hear” me vent about my doctor.

First off, Ayla “failed” her hearing test in the hospital BECAUSE they gave her the test when she was only 3 hours old (normally this test is given at 24 hours or so, but we left 4 hours after she was born).  The vernix and liquid from birth was still in her canal – this was what the doctor actually wrote on the sheet. 

I was instructed to have her retested… no big deal – until I received the instructions:  Drive across town to be there at 8:30 a.m. on a weekday in rush hour traffic.  Other children must remain in the waiting room.  Child must be asleep for the 30 minutes of the exam.  Okay, so I need hubby to take a day off work to watch Autumn, I need to leave my home an hour or more before the appointment and deal with a miserable car-riding child who I have to “ensure is asleep” during this 30 minutes.  Impossible.  So after detailed research, and knowing she has no hearing problems (startles well, responds to sounds, etc.etc), I’ve canceled the appointment.  It’s just not plausible.  Hold that thought – it fits in with my rant.

Soooo… I’ve been seeing “Dr. S” for nearly a decade – our entire family does, even my sister.  Loved her.  Loved the practice.  Never wait, fast appointments, she even takes calls and doesn’t make us come in if I know what a child has (pinkeye, etc.).

She brought up Ayla’s hearing appointment and told me that Child Protective Services could come to my house if I don’t go thru with it.  Well… hmmm.  This upsets me to no end.  Children are being beaten, burned, washed in high-powered car washes, and murdered, and you’re saying CPS will take time out of their apparently boring schedule to visit my clean, cared for home to see a child that has no problems?  Send ’em over.  Ayla will hear them coming.  Give me a BREAK. 

Okay, then, well, I’ve never been one to “buck the system” (believe it or not), but this recent information about vaccines has been getting my attention.  I’m a FIRM believer in vaccinating children – I believe they absolutely should be vax’ed – no questions asked.  But the recent information about the aluminum and simply spreading them out to maybe lessen the shock on baby’s system has really given me pause for thought.

So I purchased Dr. Sears (God bless you, Dr. Sears – you really are my hero even though you won’t research the SIDS information more!) book, “The Vaccine Book” and it is very comprehensive and informative.  He suggests an alternate schedule, still giving the baby all of their vax, but spreading them out a bit.  I loved it. 

Ayla had her two month appointment yesterday (yes, she was 10 weeks, don’t know how that happened but whatever) and I brought the book to my trusted, knowledgeable family physician.

She won’t even acknowledge it.  She said no way, in good conscience she would not delay any shots, the book must be old (it’s brand new), it’s not credible, blah blah blah.  I felt struck in the face.  I didn’t say anything, and really, I should’ve packed up and left, but I must find another doc before I do so.  She “let” me refuse one shot so Ayla only got two yesterday, but that’s not the point.  I no longer feel like I have a “partner” in my child’s care.  I no longer feel that I can express a concern with this licensed “expert”.

And both her and her nurse said things to the effect of “not being able to go to school without shots”.  Well, that’s blatantly WRONG.  I don’t have to vax my child and they will still be able to go to a public school.  So if she’s so misinformed about this fact, what ELSE is she misinformed about?

Sigh.  I have left several messages at different care clinics this morning to see if any of them are more current on their information.  I’m going to move my family to another practice.   I don’t like being threatened with CPS.  Why don’t you be my advocate, like you’re supposed to be, and note her file that all is well?  And I no longer feel that I can trust this doctor to listen or even simply discuss something with me.  I wish she’d have at least left it as “I will look into it”, instead of NO.  Sorry, lady, I am the paying customer here, and I now have to find another service provider. 

And that makes me sad.

 

What I witnessed my 10 year old (Justus) do yesterday… Ayla was fussing so he picked her up to walk her around – he LOVES to do this, and I don’t argue it! LOL! 

Anyways, he was taking her outside thru the garage, and he fell down the stairs.  ACK!  I was watching it happen in slow motion, while my heart about lept out of my chest.  Well, Justus made the split-second decision to pivot his body around and land flat on his back, against what I’m sure is everything his mind and body told him to do to protect himself, so that Ayla was safe and sound on top of him.

Makes a mama proud!  It amazes me that even a 10 year old has such protective instincts towards his little sister, it really shows his love, doncha think?

Okay, gloating over.

We are opening  the Autumn Center For Kids Who Can’t Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too, we teach you that there’s more to life than just being really, really, really good looking.

 

We had a wonderful day yesterday as we celebrated Autumn’s 3rd birthday!  We started out at Chuck E Cheese’s with her cousins Madelyn & Gabrielle, then came home for cake and ice cream:

Autumn\’s 3rd Birthday

Sigh.  Another one of my babies growing up.