Decisions, decisions...

One thing I've learned so far in this pregnancy is that having a baby requires a lot of research!  I'm the kind of person that likes to know as much as I can before making a decision.  I can spend hours (much to my hubby's dismay) researching options, pros and cons, and others' opinions. 

I hadn't even considered that there could be options when it came to vaccines.  It seemed very standard to me...everyone does them and our doctors know best, right?  I had heard some controversy about about vaccines due to Jenny McCarthy and her son, but not because I was researching vaccines...I was probably just doing my "celebrity" research through a US or People Magazine.  At the time, I wasn't pregnant and I didn't give it much thought. 

Around a year ago, a good friend posted on facebook that she had read The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears.  I remember she loved the book and felt much more well informed about the topic of vaccines and what her options were.  For the first time I recognized that there were options out there and it was something to look into when the time came.  So once we found out we were pregnant, I knew Dr. Sears would be on my list of "pregnancy reads". 

I just finished the book last week and I'm SO glad I read it!  Dr. Sears is definitely not anti-vaccines (neither am I) and thinks the benefits absolutely outweigh the risks, but does question the standard vaccination schedule set by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics).  In his book, Dr. Sears clearly explains each of the twelve vaccines on the standard schedule and the disease associated with it.  He covers (from the back cover of the book):

*How common or rare, as well as how serious, each disease is
*How each vaccine is made and what its ingredients are
*Which ingredients are potentially controversial
*What each vaccine's side effects might be and how likely they are to occur
*How to recognize, treat and prevent vaccine side effects
*Which brads and types of vaccines are safest
*How to tailor your child's short schedule to minimize risks and satisfy state requirements

For those who are interested, here's a chart showing the differences between the AAP schedule and Dr. Sears alternate schedule:

Like my friend, I feel much more educated on the topic and more equipped to make the best decision for me and my child.  I know this is just the beginning of a lifetime of worry and decision-making for this little girl...I'm pretty sure she's more than worth it!