Teething Problems

My daughter has been teething since around three months. It was not fun when it started, not at all. Bree was cranky, sad, and screaming. There was one day where my husband had to come home from school early because she was inconsolable and I was in hysteria (she wouldn't even nurse, it was a hard day for both of us). Luckily, his presence calmed her down and she was able to fall asleep.

I didn't know what to do to help her. I didn't want to give acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen, 1) because I didn't want to give her drugs and 2) because something just told me not to. (Gotta love mama instincts!)

Luckily, a mama friend offered me an amber teething necklace. Life changed that day, and I swear I'm not being dramatic.

The day after we got the necklace, Bree was a different baby. She was calm, smiley, happy, and actually napped again! I was the happiest mom in the world. All was right in the world. That, gripe water, and Hyland's homeopathic teething gel made the ride much easier. (You can read more about Baltic Amber teething necklaces HERE. There are many brands out there, and a lot of places sell them now, just be sure that it is authentic Baltic amber! Inspired By Finn is a good brand, and there are a lot of good Etsy stores too, just shop around. Again I say, authentic Baltic amber.)

The past three weeks or so however, Bree has been Grumpy McGrumpypants again. She has four top teeth, and four bottom teeth, and is working on her two bottom cuspids. It's not been pleasant. She was no longer sleeping through the night, fussy and screaming, biting, warm, holding her head.... all the negative side effects.

Going to my Facebook tribe of crunchy mamas across the country, I was desperate. I asked about Ibuprofen and Tylenol, and this is what I was shown:

Don't Suppress That Fever (And Why I Don't I Like Tylenol)
FDA: Benzocaine and Babies - Not A Good Mix
How To Help Ease The Pain Of Teething And What Products To Avoid

Reading those things and my want to not give Bree drugs until she's older made me look at other options. Luckily, when I went to visit my drugstore, a few rows above the infant Ibuprofen (and for two dollars less than the dye free ibuprofen and acetaminophen) I found a homeopathic teething remedy! My day was made. It's called Kids Relief (I think it is a generic version of Little Remedies, both of which I recommend) and uses chamomile, arnica, and St John's Wart to relieve pain and inflammation from teething. There is always a natural alternative, which I am so thankful for. I'd like to maintain a pure body for Bree as long as possible, there's plenty of time for Tylenol and non organic food when she's older, am I right?!

If your little one is teething, my heart goes out to you. It isn't easy for our little ones, and it isn't easy for us to see them go through the pain. Look into the teething necklace, and another good option also is a nursing necklace for you that is safe for chewing; they can hold onto it and gnaw on it when you hold them/wear them, and since it's attached to you, if they drop it, it's safe! Get some gripe water, Hyland's, and other homeopathic remedies, and just be patient with your sweetie. I know it can be frustrating having a needy, fussy baby, believe me! But what I am trying to remind myself on the hard days, is that she won't want me like this forever, she will grow up in plenty of time.

All my love to you and yours,
Alyssa

Here It Comes, Another Hot Topic!

*Preface*

The following post is a sensitive subject to many, please keep an open mind.

The debate over vaccines is often a bitter fight. Both sides are passionate and both sides claim to be educated on their decisions to either vaccinate or not vaccinate their children. I am writing about my side today.

Point blank, we do not vaccinate. As I continue with this post, I will share the journey to this decision, but for now let me say that I am not aiming to convince people to vaccinate, delay, or completely forego vaccines. I just want people to make informed decisions and decide what is best for their family. Get ready, I have a ton of info in here for you to read!

How I Started Learning About Vaccines

My journey started when I lost my first pregnancy. That's when I began questioning everything and realizing I knew nothing. I only knew what society conditioned me to know and do. Just as I questioned "conventional" hospital birth and circumcision and began my research, vaccines popped into my head.

Now, I was raised by a nurse. I was one of the first children in my state to receive the chicken pox vaccine when it came out. I believe I received most of my shots through childhood. However, by my teen years, my mom began having a more holistic approach to life. I can honestly say I was rarely taken to the doctor and only remember a tetanus shot and a steroid shot for pneumonia.

I remember my mother refusing a hepatitis shot, and I remember her refusing the Gardasil shot. Which, knowing what I now know about Gardasil (sterilization and death, among other things), I am incredibly thankful for. (Read more about Gardasil HERE)

So I began reading up on vaccines, especially the ingredients. Take a look at the ingredients for various vaccines below, chart courtesy of Informed Choice.

Vaccine	Manufacturer	Microbes	Antibiotics	Chemicals / Heavy Metals	Animal ByProducts
Acel-Immune DTaP diphtheria - tetanus - pertussis	Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556	diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis adsorbed		formaldehyde, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, thimerosal, and polysorbate 80 (Tween-80)	gelatin
Act HIB Haemophilus influenza Type B	Connaught Laboratories 800.822.2463	Haemophilus influenza Type B, polyribosylribitol phosphate		ammonium sulfate, formalin, and sucrose
Attenuvax measles	Merck & Co., Inc. 800-672-6372	measles live virus	neomycin	sorbitol	hydrolized gelatin, chick embryo
Biavax rubella	Merck & Co., Inc. 800-672-6372	rubella live virus	neomycin	sorbitol	hydrolized gelatin, human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue
BioThrax anthrax adsorbed	BioPort Corporation517.327.1500	nonencapsulated strain of Bacillus anthracis		aluminum hydroxide, benzethonium chloride, and formaldehyde
DPT diphtheria - tetanus - pertussis	GlaxoSmithKline 800.366.8900 X 5231	diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis adsorbed		formaldehyde, aluminum phosphate, ammonium sulfate, and thimerosal	washed sheep RBCs
Dryvax smallpox (not licensed d/t expiration)	Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556	live vaccinia virus, with "some microbial contaminants," according to the Working Group on Civilian Biodefense	polymyxcin B sulfate, streptomycin sulfate, chlortetracycline hydrochloride, and neomycin sulfate	glycerin, and phenol -a compound obtained by distillation of coal tar	vesicle fluid from calf skins
Engerix-B recombinant hepatitis B	GlaxoSmithKline 800.366.8900 X 5231	genetic sequence of the hepatitis B virus that codes for the surface antigen (HbSAg), cloned into GMO yeast		aluminum hydroxide, and thimerosal
Fluvirin	Medeva Pharmaceuticals888.MEDEVA 716.274.5300	influenza virus	neomycin, polymyxin	beta-propiolactone	chick embryonic fluid
FluShield	Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556	trivalent influenza virus, types A&B	gentamicin sulphate	formadehyde, thimerosal, and polysorbate 80 (Tween-80)	chick embryonic fluid
Havrix hepatitis A	GlaxoSmithKline 800.366.8900 X 5231	hepatitis A virus		formalin, aluminum hydroxide, 2-phenoxyethanol, and polysorbate 20	residual MRC5 proteins -human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue
HiB Titer Haemophilus influenza Type B	Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556	Haemophilus influenza Type B, polyribosylribitol phosphate, yeast		ammonium sulfate, thimerosal, and chemically defined yeast-based medium
Imovax	Connaught Laboratories800.822.2463	rabies virus adsorbed	neomycin sulfate	phenol red indicator	human albumin, human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue
IPOL	Connaught Laboratories800.822.2463	3 types of polio viruses	neomycin, streptomycin, and polymyxin B	formaldehyde, and 2-phenoxyethenol	continuous line of monkey kidney cells
JE-VAX Japanese encephalitis	Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE	Nakayama-NIH strain of Japanese encephalitis virus, inactivated		formaldehyde, polysorbate 80 (Tween-80), and thimerosal	mouse serum proteins, and gelatin
LYMErix lyme	GlaxoSmithKline 888-825-5249	recombinant protein (OspA) from the outer surface of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi	kanamycin	aluminum hydroxide, 2-phenoxyethenol, phosphate buffered saline
MMR measles - mumps - rubella	Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372	measles, mumps, rubella live virus	neomycin	sorbitol	hydrolized gelatin, chick embryonic fluid, and human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue
M-R-Vax measles - rubella	Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372	measles, rubella live virus	neomycin	sorbitol	hydrolized gelatin, chick embryonic fluid, and human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue
Menomune meningococcal	Connaught Laboratories800.822.2463	freeze-dried polysaccharide antigens from Neisseria meningitidis bacteria		thimerosal	lactose
Meruvax I mumps	Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372	mumps live virus	neomycin	sorbitol	hydrolized gelatin
NYVAC (new smallpox batch, not licensed)	Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE	highly attenuated vaccinia virus	polymyxcin B sulfate, streptomycin sulfate, chlortetracycline hydrochloride, and neomycin sulfate	glycerin, and phenol -a compound obtained by distillation of coal tar	vesicle fluid from calf skins
Orimune oral polio	Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556	3 types of polio viruses, attenuated	neomycin, streptomycin	sorbitol	monkey kidney cells and calf serum
Pneumovax Streptococcus pneumoniae	Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372	capsular polysaccharides from polyvalent (23 types) pneumococcal bacteria		phenol
Prevnar Pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine	Wyeth Lederle 800.934.5556	saccharides from capsular Streptococcus pneumoniae antigens (7 serotypes) individually conjugated to diphtheria CRM 197 protein		aluminum phosphate, ammonium sulfate, soy protein, yeast
ProQuad measles, mumps, rubella and varicella	Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372	live measles (Enders' attenuated Edmonston), mumps (Jeryl LynnTM), rubella (Wistar RA 27/3), and varicella (oka/Merck) strains of viruses	neomycin	monosodium L-glutamate (MSG), potassium chloride, potassium phosphate monobasic, potassium phosphate dibasic, sodium bicarbonate, sodium phosphate dibasic, sorbitol, and sucrose	human albumin, human diploid cells, residual components of MRC-5 cells including DNA and proteins, bovine serum, hydrolized gelatin, and chicken embryo
RabAvert rabies	Chiron Behring GmbH & Company 510.655.8729	fixed-virus strain Flury LEP	neomycin, chlortetracycline, and amphotericin B	potassium glutamate, and sucrose	human albumin, bovine gelatin and serum "from source countries known to be free of bovine spongioform encephalopathy," and chicken protein
Rabies Vaccine Adsorbed	GlaxoSmithKline 800.366.8900 X 5231	rabies virus adsorbed		beta-propiolactone, aluminum phosphate, thimerosal, and phenol red	rhesus monkey fetal lung cells
Recombivax recombinant hepatitis B	Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372	genetic sequence of the hepatitis B virus that codes for the surface antigen (HbSAg), cloned into GMO yeast		aluminum hydroxide, and thimerosal
RotaShield oral tetravalent rotavirus (recalled)	Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556	1 rhesus monkey rotavirus, 3 rhesus-human reassortant live viruses	neomycin sulfate, amphotericin B	potassium monophosphate, potassium diphosphate, sucrose, and monosodium glutamate (MSG)	rhesus monkey fetal diploid cells, and bovine fetal serum
smallpox (not licensed due to expiration) 40-yr old stuff "found" in Swiftwater, PA freezer	Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE	live vaccinia virus, with "some microbial contaminants," according to the Working Group on Civilian Biodefense	polymyxcin B sulfate, streptomycin sulfate, chlortetracycline hydrochloride, and neomycin sulfate	glycerin, and phenol -a compound obtained by distillation of coal tar	vesicle fluid from calf skins
smallpox (new, not licensed)	Acambis, Inc. 617.494.1339 in partnership with Baxter BioScience	highly attenuated vaccinia virus	polymyxcin B sulfate, streptomycin sulfate, chlortetracycline hydrochloride, and neomycin sulfate	glycerin, and phenol -a compound obtained by distillation of coal tar	vesicle fluid from calf skins
TheraCys BCG (intravesicle -not licensed in US for tuberculosis)	Aventis Pasteur USA USA 800.VACCINE	live attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis		monosodium glutamate (MSG), and polysorbate 80 (Tween-80)
Tripedia diphtheria - tetanus - pertussis	Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE	Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Clostridium tetani toxoids and acellular Bordetella pertussis adsorbed		aluminum potassium sulfate, formaldehyde, thimerosal, and polysorbate 80 (Tween-80)	gelatin, bovine extract US sourced
Typhim Vi typhoid	Aventis Pasteur USA SA 800.VACCINE	cell surface Vi polysaccharide from Salmonella typhi Ty2 strain		aspartame, phenol, and polydimethylsiloxane (silicone)
Varivax chickenpox	Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372	varicella live virus	neomycin	phosphate, sucrose, and monosodium glutamate (MSG)	processed gelatin, fetal bovine serum, guinea pig embryo cells, albumin from human blood, and human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue
YF-VAX yellow fever	Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE	17D strain of yellow fever virus		sorbitol	chick embryo, and gelatin

____________________________________________________________________________

These ingredients alone swayed me, and others I know, to not vaccinate. Aborted fetal cells, aluminum, mercury.... It caused a pit in my stomach. I had an instinctual feeling we shouldn't do vaccines, and this table really confirmed in my heart what I was feeling.

In this fabulous link, "Why We Didn't Vaccinate Baby Noor, the writer states

"I think it’s very important to carefully consider possible harm vs. probable benefits before subjecting your child to something.  When we did that, we concluded that the vaccination regimen that is prescribed in the U.S. today is clearly much more likely to do harm to our child than to help her, even just using statistics provided by the Center for Disease Control itself."

This dad's view is very similar to mine, and why we are not vaccinating our daughter. I encourage you to read it!

Most of the diseases children are vaccinated for began declining before the introduction of vaccination anyway. Vaccines are not what caused the diseases and viruses to fade, proper sanitation practices, clean water, and hand washing did.

Reasons We Made This Decision

As I continued with my research I came across a book, The Vaccine Manual For Concerned Families and Health Practitioners, which I highly recommend reading before making any vaccine decision. It lists ingredients, adverse reactions, probability of disease, defines the different diseases and viruses and what they truly entail, and the probability of bad reactions from the disease as opposed to the scare tactics we are taught in our society. For instance, did you know that 95% of people exposed to polio will show no symptoms, 5% of infected people exhibit mild symptoms, and paralysis (the biggest scare of polio) is 1 in a thousand. Plus, the disease is statistically low in the US, and began declining before the vaccine came out. This book has scientific data, charts, and tables, and has great resources. It also has an informative foreward by Dr. Russell Blaylock, a retired neuroscientist and current professor who talks about the affect of vaccines and possible harm they can cause, and goes into great detail about the various ingredients and the affect they have on the brain.

For me, after viewing the real statistics and data, and the rarity of the respective diseases and the fact that they are easily treated, I saw no reason to inject my daughter with all the toxins and heavy metals. There is not ONE study showing the safety of all the combined doses of vaccines and the affect they could have on someone's system. That's too big of a risk for me.

Another thing that got me thinking was the Hep B vaccine given after birth. For a person without an STD, why would you give this to a child? Its for a sexually transmitted virus! My child won't be sharing needles or having sex, so why give this shot, especially after birth when they are so new, before they have an immune system built? It doesn't make sense.

Here, Dr. Sears talks about the aluminum in vaccines...

Aluminum can cause neurologic harm.

A study from 30 years ago showed that human adults will increase their urine excretion of aluminum when exposed to higher levels (suggesting adults can clear out excess aluminum).

Adults taking aluminum-containing antacids don't build up high levels in their body.

There have been reports of infants with healthy kidneys showing elevated blood levels of aluminum from taking antacids.

The AAP found that people with kidney disease who build up levels of aluminum greater than 100 micrograms per liter in their bloodstream are at risk of toxicity.

The AAP also states that the toxic threshold may be lower than this.

The paper states that aluminum loading (meaning tissue build up) has been seen even in patients with healthy kidneys who receive IV solutions containing aluminum over extended periods.

In "V is for Vaccines" this mother explains why she doesn't vaccinate and gives some great links/resources that helped her reach her decision. "At the start of my research, several diseases/illnesses really scared me. I mention which ones they are as I go along. When I say I "almost got" a vaccine for one of the diseases, I mean that it scared me enough to seriously consider a vaccine. At this time, those diseases still scare me, but I have done much research to know that, at this time, I still think it is best to not vaccinate."

In this link, 10 Things I Wish The Mainstream Media Would Get Right About Parents Who Don't Vaccinate, the writer makes some valid points:

"If you are a parent who doesn't follow the recommended vaccine schedule, you have probably read the same articles I have (I don't mean the PubMed journals, which of course you have read.  I mean the ones in parenting magazines or newspapers).  You know the ones.  It is almost enough to make you suspect that they are all quoting from a really old article--circa 2004, perhaps?--because they all make these same 10 mistakes.  

1. Basic info/terminology. Virus vs bacteria. Antigen vs adjuvant.  Live virus.  When you talk about the pertussis virus or removing thimerosol from the MMR it is hard to take you seriously. 

2. The autism angle.  Autism is a big concern for some parents.  I get that.  But contrary to popular opinion, it isn't the only or even primary concern of many parents.  Auto-immune issues in general, fetal tissue in vaccines and other things influence many of us as much or more than a fear of autism. 

3. Herd immunity.  There is always the suggestion that non-vaxers are the ones who put others at risk by derailing herd immunity.  The truth is that herd immunity is largely a myth.  How many adults do you know that are fully up to date on all boosters?  Um, yeah.  Furthermore, not all diseases or vaccines are created equal (some are not even designed to prevent transmission, let alone the varying rates of efficacy) and while herd immunity might be plausible for a few, it isn't for most.   All the non-vaxers that I know are fully aware of this--one reason why we study MMWRs, and educate ourselves on the symptoms and treatment options for many VPDs.  We certainly don't rely on herd immunity in most cases.  

4. Remembering how bad the diseases are.  We are told with ineffable condescension that vaccines are a victim of their own success. If we could only remember a few decades ago...  Aside from the fact that hygiene, improved medical care, nutrition and other things are at least as responsible for declining rates of mortality, the perception has changed significantly. Nobody was scared I would die when I got chicken pox.  Even measles was not considered to be a big deal in most cases (and there is mounting evidence that we are trading a week of illness there for chronic allergies, asthma and other diseases).  Some diseases are very serious, but so are the vaccine reactions.  

5. Equality of diseases and vaccines.  All diseases and vaccines are not created equal.  My four month old is not at risk for Hep B or tetanus.  Pertussis scares me.  Mumps?  Not really.  The fact that my children are exclusively breastfed for a year, and continue to breastfeed after that affects my decision on Hib. I could go on and on.  The risks vary according to age, family history, geography and many other things.  Similarly, some vaccines are more reactive than others.  Some are very effective, others are not. 

6. The obsession with thimerosol.   This still gets trotted out every time along with experts patiently explaining that thimerosol was removed from most vaccines years ago.  While it was more removed from some than others, thimerosol isn't the over-riding concern for most of us.  Aluminum, which is present in very dangerous amounts, concerns  me more.  There is a whole cocktail of nasty stuff in most vaccines (varies according to brand and type). 

7.  Fear of antigen overload.  The same person talking about thimerosol sweetly pats us on the head as s/he explains that worries over too many vaccines at once are unfounded because the antigens are so weak. After all, we are exposed to far more bacteria or viruses at any given time than the ones injected in a vaccine.  Well, yeah. The problem is all the adjuvants.  The antigens are too weak to provoke an immune response on their own, so they are made into a threat with adjuvants like aluminum and other toxic substances.  Forget about the antigens.  Explain how levels that greatly exceed the FDA limits for toxic adjuvants aren't a problem.

8.  Environmental exposure.  You are exposed to these toxins in the environment, anyway.  Yes, we are, and while that isn't a good thing there, either, in most cases, our bodies' natural defense systems help excrete them.  Being injected into your muscle tissue bypasses a lot of that, and when you are talking about babies whose blood-brain barrier isn't developed, that is concerning. 

9. Vaccine side effects are redness and soreness at the injection site and a fever.  In rare cases, anaphylaxis may result.  True. The implication is that fever isn't a big deal, and anaphylaxis is so rare that we shouldn't worry.  Fine. What about the other side effects?  Read the safety inserts, please.  There are many serious side effects, including respiratory illness, arthritis, paralysis, an assortment of auto-immune disorders, and more.

10.  Concerns about vaccines are based solely on the anecdotes of so and so who posted a story on vaccinesRthedevil.com.  Most of us started questioning because of reactions we saw in our own children.  But we didn't stop there. We spend countless hours poring over medical journals, researching the diseases, ingredients, the immune system, etc., learning all we can.  Some are immunologists, neuroscientists and other medical professionals. We are educated and informed about vaccines.  Talk to us. And if you are going to write about us, learn a little more first."

Most of the people I know who don't vaccinate chose to stop vaccinating or to not do it at all because of the severe reactions they've seen and the ingredients that are so toxic. Why is it okay to inject these toxins into our bloodstream when a HazMat team has to come in and close down a school to clean up a syringe that fell to the ground and broke, spilling the contents on the floor? Again, doesn't make sense to me.

The Autism Factor

I'm still now sure what to believe about autism and vaccines right now. One thing I do believe is that it isn't good to mess with our bodies, especially with chemicals and toxins, and this is why I try to raise my daughter as naturally as possible. Chemicals and toxins are definitely linked with autism and the brain. Irish scientists have found a link between gut bacteria and autism, and two recent studies suspect that induction of labor may have an effect on autism and the brain. Science Based Medicine says 

"Compared with children born to mothers who received neither labor induction nor augmentation, children born to mothers who were induced and augmented, induced only, or augmented only experienced increased odds of autism after controlling for potential confounders related to socioeconomic status, maternal health, pregnancy-related events and conditions, and birth year. The observed associations between labor induction/augmentation were particularly pronounced in male children."

I do think there is a link between vaccines and autism. I cannot say that every case is caused by vaccines, and not every vaccinated child will become autistic. But I do know the government believes there is a link. Otherwise why would the government's vaccine injury court grant two families millions of dollars because of their childrens' autism and encephalopathy they believed were caused by vaccines. The government did not admit in court that vaccinations were the definitive cause, but they must have seen something that these cases were won. The vaccine court has had a LOT of cases like these, but it isn't something you hear about in the news often.

More info on the vaccine injury compensation program HERE.
Studies Showing Link To Autism and Vaccines - downloadable document
Scientists identify way to test autism in one-year-olds using blood test... for those who say it only appears around/after two. I really believe it has to do with environmental factors.

Hard pro-vaxxers like to argue that vaccines cannot possibly cause autism or developmental disorders, that the problems simply arise around the general time of vaccination. That just isn't a satisfactory answer for me. Something causes it. And the toxins and heavy metals absolutely can penetrate the brain barrier. Studies have shown victims of Alzheimer's have mercury in their brain, and it affects the progression of the disease. The thimerosal (mercury) in vaccines never leaves the brain. And I don't like that, personally. Perhaps its a genetic issue and is overwhelmed by the sudden flood of heavy metals... maybe the heavy metals cause it... I really do not know, and I will continue to learn about that as I find information about it. However, at famous Ina May Gaskin's The Farm, out of alllll the births they've seen since the seventies, no medical inductions or vaccinations, they've never seen a case of autism. Food for thought.

30 Scientific Studies Show The Link Between Autism & Vaccines
http://www.fourteenstudies.org/ - "I think that the government or certain public officials in the government have been too quick to dismiss the concerns of these families without studying the population that got sick. I think public health officials have been too quick to dismiss the hypothesis as irrational without sufficient studies of causation."
- Dr. Bernadine Healy, former Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), largest U.S. federal agency responsible for conducting and supporting medical research. Dr. Healy has no known conflicts of interest in the vaccine-autism debate.

- No real world studies of the vaccine schedule have ever been done. Of the 11 separate vaccines given to American children (many given multiple times), only one vaccine -- the MMR -- has ever been studied for its relationship to autism. Yet, American children get 6 or 7 different vaccines simultaneously at 2, 4, 6, and 12 month doctor appointments.

- Not one study compares vaccinated children to unvaccinated children -- every study only looks at children who have received vaccines. This is like comparing smokers who smoke one pack a day to those who smoke two packs a day, seeing no difference in cancer rates, and saying cigarettes don’t cause cancer.

- The studies are rife with conflicts including authors who have been paid by vaccine companies and federal agencies and foreign governments charged with administering vaccines.

- Many of the studies reach false conclusions or conclusions that have nothing to do with the simple question: do vaccines cause autism? They are simply being misrepresented in the press by public health officials taking advantage of a docile media that is heavily dependent on advertising from pharma companies.

This link here will take you to Dr. Tenpenny, a doctor who promotes healthy living and prevention and not vaccinations as a way to prevent illness, and an informative video you can feel free to watch about info on vaccines and reactions.

In THIS LINK a medical chemist explains why he doesn't vaccinate.

What Doctors Know/Are Taught About Vaccines

Questions To Ask & Claims VS. Facts About Vaccines

Read HERE about the scary world of vaccine additives.

Miscellaneous Info

HERE you can find info on the normal childhood disease and how to treat them.
Adverse Effects of Vaccine Injury Table pdf
HERE are exemption forms for all states and state requirements if you are delaying/not vaccinating and sending your child to daycare or school. Most states offer medical and religious exemptions, some also offer philosophical, and others only have medical.
The Value of Your Child's Life According To Those Promoting Vaccines
http://www.childhoodshots.com/
If You Vaccinate, Ask Eight... Questions For Your Doctor About Vaccines
Australian Vaccination Network - American, Aussie, or wherever else you may be from, this site has lots of great info!
Hep B Vaccine Pulled From Vietnam After Three Newborns Die
CDC Says MMR & Pertussis Vaccine Can Cause Brain Damage
Does Vaccination Cause Autism? Here's What They Know...
Package Inserts For Vaccines
Thimerosal (mercury) Info
Want To Vaccinate My Child? Sign This Form First - a downloadable form for physicians to sign before vaccinating... "It's been over a year since hundreds of parents have downloaded this form and there are still no reports of any signatures. Many physicians won't even look at the form while they dismiss a parent's anti-vaccination stance as ridiculous. The behavior is a clear indication of a very misinformed Physician who does not have his or her patient's best interests at heart. They are not willing to inform their patients of the risks, only the benefits they feel are acceptable. They are not open-minded to any other side of the debate except their own biased view passed down through the medical system."
http://www.westonaprice.org/
Seven Reasons To Delay or Refuse Vaccines
The Healthy Unvaccinated
FDA Recalls Flu Vaccine
9 Arguments For The Vaccine Debate
NBC News: Shot May Boost Superbug

Pages on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/VaxTruth
www.facebook.com/motherwiselove
https://www.facebook.com/national.vaccine.information.center
https://www.facebook.com/doctor.health
https://www.facebook.com/GMAOQV
https://www.facebook.com/vaccinationcouncil

I have also included more links on my Resources page and my parenting board on Pinterest.

In writing this, I hope that I may have opened your eyes to something you may not have known before. That is my goal for this blog, raising awareness about topics that aren't commonly known about/talked about in the mainstream. If this has raised any questions for you, I highly recommend delaying vaccinations until you can read more and come to a decision for yourself and children. You can always start them again, but you can never undo what's been done.

Ultimately, we do not vaccinate because the benefits do not outweigh the risks in our book. The viruses and illnesses are not frequent, and in the event of such an illness, they are easily remedied. (Of course there is the rare serious event, that will happen whether you vaccinate or not.)

Our daughter was exclusively breastfed until seven months and is currently still breastfed, an added protection against illness and building a healthy immune system. To us, breastfeeding, a healthy diet and good sun exposure, and vitamin supplementation if necessary, are great alternatives for prevention. As Christians, we also heartily believe in our protection and divine healing. In comparison to other children her age, our daughter has never been sick and has a very strong immune system, and we believe it is our job to protect her from harm, toxins and unnecessary heavy metals included.

If you leave a comment, please leave only kind and considerate ones. Remember that parents like me read what we do and make the decisions we do out of best interest for our children, and most with beliefs similar to mine will not be swayed. Thank you for reading! Until next time...

~The Cruncy Mama

Breastfeeding: Myths, Tips, & More Pt 3

August is World Breastfeeding Month, and today we continue our breastfeeding support campaign with part three of our series, Tips, Tricks, and Extras!

{Part one - Benefits of Breastfeeding, can be found HERE and Part two -Lies Told To Us About Breastfeeding, can be found HERE}

This post will predominantly be links and pictures to help you out and offer support, encouragement, and breastfeeding education.

Breastfeeding Tips and Tricks For Ease

Breastfeeding Your Newborn - What To Expect In The Early Weeks
Tips & Tricks For Hands-Free Nursing
If At First You Don't Succeed - A Mother's Story
Don't Shake The Breastmilk
Common Mistakes of The First Time Breastfeeder
Top Ten Myths
Tips For Painfree Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding Latch Trick
Tips For The Nursing Mother
The Discovery of the Upper Lip Tie
Breastfeeding Links From Dr. Sears
Six Tips For Breastfeeding On The Go
10 Tips For New Moms
Breastfeeding Advice From The Experts
Breastfeeding - Why is it so hard sometimes?

Tips For Foods That Can Help Or Hurt Breastfeeding

Lactogenic Foods & Herbs
Herbs To Avoid
Foods That Can Affect Milk Supply
Increasing Your Supply

As a note, Mother's Milk tea is AWESOME to promote lactation. I have a good supply but drink it when I need to pump for a special occasion, I also drank it a lot after giving birth to ensure my supply. It's more of an herbal, savory flavor than a sweeter tea, so I brewed it with chai and used a flavored creamer to dillute the flavor. A friend brewed it and used it as a soup base, which worked out awesome because of its herby, flavor. Great for chicken soup!

Another thing that is good for the occasional supply boost is beer. A good strong beer with lots of hops will help your supply. The hops is what does it. Don't worry about a drink, if you are sober enough to drive you are sober enough to nurse, and alcohol leaves your bloodstream as well. No need to pump and dump unless in dire circumstances.

Lactation cookies are awesome as well! They totally get the milk flowing, and taste yummy too. I always add chocolate chips. This recipe here is similar to the one I made. This recipe from The Leaky Boob is awesome as well! The main ingredients that aid in lactation are brewers yeast, flax meal, and oats. You can add those to anything, or any cookie recipe really. Just remember that REAL oats are what work, not anything like instant oats or Quaker Oatmeal. I loooveee steel cut oats.

Clothes and Products For Your Breasts

DIY Nursing Tank Tutorial
DIY Nursing Infinity Scarf - Awesome scarf doubles as a slight cover for your breast if you're uncomfortable with full breast out nursing, or if you just want a cover in general.

How To Convert A Regular Bra Into A Nursing Bra - I did this, and it works splendidly. Saves money too! I used pant hooks instead of snaps {check out the picture} but you can use any variety of closures that you want, check out your local craft store!

Boppy (available on Amazon or at Babies R Us) - Get this, or something similar! It's a life saver. I got one for my baby shower, and used it often. It was great in the early weeks/months when the baby is small, so you don't get tired arms hold the baby up to your breast. You hold the baby as he/she lays on the pillow, which wraps around you. Once the baby is a bit bigger you can also use it to sit the baby up to lay against, and use to boost the baby up for tummy time. I would "seat" my daughter in it while I scarfed some food down, and she was always content. I also had a pregnancy body pillow (similar to the one in the link) I used, not only for support during my pregnancy and after birth, but I wrapped that around my whole body to help with nursing as well. A good investment with three uses!

A few other products to look into on Amazon, or at a baby store such as Babies R Us - 

Breastpads! Saved my life. I leaked big time at the beginning. I don't now that my supply has leveled out, but I've known moms who leak routinely. I still have some for the occasional mishap in my diaper bag. Great to have on hand! Be sure to change them and not sit in old milk too long, that can lead to yeast.

Lanolin or Coconut Oil - This will really help with any soreness or tenderness as you get used to breastfeeding. I still will occasionally use coconut oil when we've had a bad teething day and nurse more than usual. Another important tip is to let your nipples air dry if you're having tenderness.

Nursing Cover - I never used one, but if you would prefer to be more covered, these are great to have. Blankets and burp cloths are often ripped off. Just remember if your baby doesn't want to be covered, respect them. Fighting with a baby doesn't make breastfeeding very easy. I do the two shirt trick myself. I wear a nursing tank (or any tank that can be stretched easily) under whatever I wear, tanks or shirts or sweaters. I lift the top shirt up, and bring my breast out from bra and over the neckline of the tank underneath (or unhook the nursing tank) and there you go! Boob is out and available for baby, and my huge breast is predominantly covered. My baby still likes to pull my shirt up, so I'm barely covered nowadays, but whatever haha, you have to do what you are comfortable with, and most importantly you have yo work with your child.

Nursing Tanks - This is obvious after my previous suggestion. Nursing tanks are awesome. If you don't cover that's all you have to use! I love them, get em in every color!

Breastmilk Donation vs. Formula

Why Not Formula?
Human Milk Banking Association of North America
Milkshare
Eats On Feets
Human Milk For Human Babies
How Formula Supplementation Decrease Supply
Breastfeeding Advocacy and Formula
Insufficient Supply?
Why I Chose Another Mother's Milk - A Mother's Story
Breastmilk/Formula Comparison

Fullterm Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding Benefits Don't End At Age 1
AAFP and WHO Stance on Breastfeeding Past Infancy
Timeline of Breastfed Baby
How Stigma Hinders Nursing Past One
Toddler Breastfeeding Myths
Breastfeeding Past Infancy Benefits
"Extended" Breastfeeding Info & Statistics

The "Modesty" Issue

Renegade Mothering "Let's Whip Our Tits Out" - very tongue-in-cheek, if you have an issue with strong language, be forewarned! But I really do love her point and outlook on things.
Is Breastfeeding A Modesty Issue
I Almost Chose Not To Breastfeed Because Of The Sexualization of My Breasts
Embarrased || Spoken Word - awesome video from the perspective of a fed up mom
Breastfeeding In Public - A Mother's Story About Becoming Brave
Breastfeeding In Victorian Times - I love this link, because it shows how open women in the Victorian age were about breastfeeding, versus now. The culture then was so Puritanical and the culture now is so sexual, so why was it okay to nurse openly and uncovered then, but not now? Great post.

What is important to remember is to feed your baby however you are comfortable. Whether you use a cover, the two shirt trick, just pull your shirt up, or just pull your boob out, it's feeding your baby and no one else's opinion matters.

Medicinal Uses & More

Medicinal Uses of Breastmilk
Breastmilk Lotion
58 Medicinal, Cosmetic, and Other Alternative Uses For Breastmilk

It should be said that there are innumerable medicinal uses to breastmilk and colostrum. It's just a fabulous creation. Breastmilk can be used to cure pink eye, heal spider bites, and has even been used to treat cancer patients. It's a miracle fluid. My way of life is, apply breastmilk or coconut oil to it, and one of them will fix your problem. In 98% of the cases, it's totally true.

Miscellaneous Links & Info

Why Is Breastfeeding So Important?
HIV & Breastfeeding
101 Reasons To Breastfeed
Extreme Pumping
Breastmilk the movie
Modern Day Wet Nurse

Remember to check out our Facebook page and our Pinterest boards for more info and links any time!

I hope you were able to find some interesting or new information by reading this series. If you ever have question or would like to learn more about a certain topic, feel free to message the Facebook page or leave a comment!

Until next time,
The Crunchy Mama