Nothing really too exciting happened except that a nurse hurt my feelings. Now, anyone who knows me knows that when my feelings are hurt I don't get sad, I get angry. Here is what happened:
Nurse: Step on the scale, please.
*So I do*
Nurse: Oh my, you've gained 3 pounds this week. Do you feel puffy?
Diana: No. Is gaining 3 pounds in one week a lot at 36 weeks?
Nurse: It's more than we expect. What have you been eating?
Diana: I haven't eaten anything new. The only difference is that I didn't go for my walks last week because it was so hot.
Nurse: Oh.
Diana: *under my breath to Jason* - Bitch.
Other than that, the doctor didn't have much to say other than my Strep B test results are negative and that he'd start examining me for thinning and dilation at the next appointment.
Friday was my last day of work. YIPPPEEEE! I spent all day yesterday doing baby laundry, trying to clean the house a bit and shopping. Of course I did the shopping first. Headed to Babies R Us to pick up a few things that we didn't get off of our registry. I almost choked when the total came to $450 - but thank God for gift cards!! After using every single one of them, I paid $180. Not bad!!
Today I'm going to take it a bit easy. I woke up today with contractions at 4am. Not bad, but I was praying that they'd go away because I wanted to sleep some more. Lately I've been getting up four times a night to go to the bathroom. What a joke. There are times when I pee like a race horse and times when it's a trickle and I can't believe I had to get up.
Jason and I agreed on a name! I am so excited!! We're not telling anyone until he is born. Sorry. We are currently looking for a pediatrician. Since I'm off work, I figured now's a good time to pick a couple and visit their office to look around and ask a few questions. I'm mostly interested in vaccination schedules. Since we found out we're having a boy, I've been doing some research on autism and the alleged link to vaccines. Jason and I have decided to vaccinate _______, but on an extended time horizon. I was on the American Pediatrics website and the association recommends a certain schedule. Well, I think it's a little much at one time. Since I'll be home, I don't mind going to the doctor's office every month (starting at 2 months) for 2 vaccines. Plus, I don't like the idea of the "cocktails" where the office combines vaccines into a shot to decrease the number they have to give in one visit. Sometimes I feel like I'm being paranoid, but there isn't enough research or agreement in the medical community to totally disprove that vaccines may or may not contribute to the onset or progression of autism. Some articles I've read link autism to a deficient immune system. That may be true too. The statistics alone freak me out!! 1 in every 150 kids is diagnosed with some level of autism. Out of the 150 kids, 4 out of every 5 of them are boys. I wonder why?
Plus, I'm reading Jenny McCarthy's new book about her son being autistic. The emotional rollcoaster is heartbreaking.
What are your views on vaccines? Did you vaccinate on the "recommended" schedule, extend it or not vaccinate at all? I'd like to know.
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10 comments:
Nothing to do with your post --- I did try to call you on Saturday when we were going by your house! I wonder if perhaps I have the wrong cell number....
Since I am child-less I don't really have any advice, but I can tell you that my boss from my waitressing days had an autistic son. He was "normal" and then after a round of vaccinations he spiked a fever and started having seizures. She always said it was the vaccines that caused the autism. Like I said though, I really can't say either way because I haven't done the research, but it seems to be entirely possible.
After having Thomas, handicapped from birth, I skipped most of the shots with Mark. Living in a world of knowing a lot of handicapped people and parents of hadnicapped children its hard for me to tell you that your baby needs them unless you plan to travel out of the country with him.
My view is a little different on vaccines..
On the autism subject, I used to baby sit a girl with autism. She had a mild case, and didn't get diagnosed until she was like 6 or 7, then they retracted the diagnosis, and then they reinstated it when she was about 11 because it allowed her to get extra help at school. I baby sat her quite a bit on and off for 10 years, so I feel I know her very well. She had a little difficulty taking ideas from paper to her brain, and then transferring her thoughts back to paper. She got help by seeing a therapist who specialized in hand/brain work. She leads a normal life and doesn't have any more trouble than someone with a mild learning dissability. Again, she has a mild case, and I realize a lot of parents struggle a lot more.
My view on vaccines is one of a child who has a ER nurse and Paramedic for parents. Vaccines help a higher percentage of people than the number of problems that they cause. Especially if you have them in day care, or around young children a lot, like preschool or lots of cousins.
I am up in the air on the subject of cocktails of vaccines, although I had to take Noah to the health dept for his last round, and they don't do combos. So instead of 3 shots, he had 6. Having your child be poked more times than he has to breaks your heart.
Also, Noah didn't have his first vaccine (I think it's Hep B) in the hospital like most babies do, he had his at 2 months.
All this aside, I don't believe in the Rotavirus vaccine. It's an oral vaccine and it prevents against 2 or 6 strains depending on what brand you get. There are so many strains out there, that preventing against 6 of them doesn't really cover your bases. Also, despite the fact that the new vaccines are made from a different source than the old Rotavirus vaccine that was retracted from the market, there are still side effects from this vaccine. I didn't get the Rotavirus vaccine for Noah even though Ava had Rotavirus and ended up in the hospital for 3-4 days. The risks didn't outweigh the benefits in my opinion.
Overall though, my opinion is that vaccines serve a purpose and are necessary. With both children, I had no problems with any vaccines. I didn't even have the minor problems like fever, achey, sore, etc. They cried for the shots and bounced back in about 10 minutes. I always give them tylenol about 1/2 hour before their appointments so it has the chance to kick in before thier shots.
Whew that was long...sorry. It's a subject I feel strongly about though, probably because I've heard the horror stories of not getting the vaccines from my mom working in the ER for 30 years.
Even so, I think that all decisions involving children are the rights of their parents/guardians, and that parents know what's best for their children. So whatever you decide is what's right for your little boy! Sorry for the novel:)
the new vaccines that alex got did not contain any mercury. so that was good.
i am pro-vaccine. I think getting them is better than not. And fewer pokes is better than several pokes at several different times.
Alex has never reacted poorly to any shots he's had and our pediatrician is good and understanding. She has young children of her own, so she gets it. I think that's important when shopping for a pediatrician. Get a parent.
Heather- I didn't get a message from you!! I did see that I missed a call though. Damn!
A. that nurse was rude, and gaining 3 lbs in your last month during a week is not abnormal. how would she know? does she study data?
B. vaccines scare me to death but I get them for him anyway. I just don't get the flu shots for him.
C. I never read books like that or watch tv shows b/c it makes me very paranoid. I'd rather cross that path on my own w/ our doctor if necessary.
yeah - i didn't leave a message...Glad to know I still have the correct number! :)
I vaccinated Carter according to the recommended schedule and I get him (and myself) the flu shot. I'm just one of those people that is not quite convinced that vaccinations themselves are totally to blame. I'm more terrified of pertissus and the measles.
But I do remember my mom (an RN) telling me it was stupid to vaccinate for Hib and Hep at his age. By that time, he'd already had them.
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