We are so dam lucky that in this day and age we have the ability to immunize our beautiful babies against the nastiest of diseases that caused so much pain and misery to our previous generations. My Nanna had Polio and spent most of her childhood in a plaster cast from her waist down. It had crippled her spine when she was a little old lady her back was rounded and as a child I never really understood why. I am pro-immunization, I would hate any child to get the nasty bugs of the past, but it can be very daunting and quite scary to have your babies stabbed with a needle, all they feel is pain they don’t know it’s for their own good.
I know immunisation became quite controversial for awhile there and probably still is but I’ve had a sister with whooping cough, I’ve got scars on my chest from itching childhood chicken pox and the rest of the diseases I am glad I have never had anything to do with. I wouldn’t risk my kids getting any of them so it is scheduled immunisations all the way. Today was Mr Chilled One’s 18 month old needles. I had been putting it off for a while because I knew that now he was a bit older he would know that someone just did something to him that really hurt and he would scream his lungs out as a result. How wrong I was.
He had all the distractions, toys, stickers, bubbles, I was thinking lets just get this done. I held on to my little nugget who was munching on a chocolate frog, the nurse said “here we go” so I held his little warm body so tight and I grit my teeth. I could feel his reflex, that he wanted to jump at the pain, his big blue eyes looked up at me full of tears. So I told him “It’s ok Bo Bo” and he trusted me and was happy to be distracted at the bubbles that had started again. That was it, no tears fell out, no crying, no blood curdling screams he was a champion! I love that kid!
Check with the nurse/doctor the latest advice on paracetamol. With Mr 8 I was told to give him panadol when I got home at his six week needles. With Little Miss 4 I was told to give her panadol before I bring her in with her six week needles. With Mr Chilled 1 I was told they now think paracetamol effects the way they fight the bug and to only give it if he gets a temp, funny how the advise changes so much even in just an 8 year block!
Don’t think too much, if there are immunizations that your baby or toddler needs, get them done as per the current immunisation schedual. It does effect your Child Care Benifit (CCB) if you don’t. Don’t be scared you are doing the right thing, even if your nugget screams the place down they will get over it very quickly. You are doing the right thing.
Renee
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I agree you can’t over think it or you will go crazy. The vaccinations do worry me silly though. We are just over the 12 month MMR one which really knocked my son around and I was cursing myself for not seeking out whether I could get them done individually as opposed to the 3 in 1. I don’t understand why this is not made available to people that want to vaccinate this way so as to reduce the risk of ill effects. Anyway, the thing that I always remind myself off when worrying myself sick about the shots is it would not be fair for me to not immunise and let everyone else take the risk with the shots to protect my child.
Jessica, it’s a tough one isn’t it, one of the hardest parts of being a parent. R