I have all these project ideas that would be so much more fun to post but this is near to my heart and mind right now. I'm going to very quickly touch on vaccines, but i really wanted to post about alternative and holistic medicine, and the gfcf diet. A lot of our family doesn't necessarily agree with the decisions we've made with Nora but I feel in my heart that they are the best decisions for her. And for us as a family. So here they are...
Nora - 16 months
We decided not to vaccinate. I'm going to keep this one short. I could go into this one way too much and so many people wont agree BUT I'm just going to voice my stand on the matter. If you chose to vaccinate, that's your choice. I'm thankful we still all have the freedom to (hopefully) make an informed decision. In my humble opinion, I don't feel it's necessary to vaccinate an infant right after birth for Hepatitis B. Or so much in the first two years of their life when they are so vulnerable. The Hep B shot has more thimerosal (mercury) than what a monthly food allowance during pregnancy would be. More than a whole month for a pregnant 150+ woman in one shot for a baby around 10 lbs or less! And it's only good for up to 10 yrs. I'm positive that the high risk category doesn't fall in that age range. As far as any others, I've seen children come down with full blown measles right after the vaccine. Japan has banned the MMR. Sweden has banned the H1N1 shot admitting it has caused narcolepsy and has rewarded those affected with life long settlements. When did we all become guinea pigs? I'd rather go toward a holistic approach on all things, if at all possible. For example, did you know there was an homeopathic alternative to the yearly flu shot, which also, by the way, contains mercury, aluminum and who knows what else? Influenzinum is made with the same flu virus as the current years flu shot. In pill form ... without mercury or the other junk. Here's a link that has some good info:
http://littlemountainhomeopathy.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/a-safe-effective-alternative-to-the-flu-vaccine/
I feel we are being bullied by our health care systems, who are being bullied and paid by big Pharma, when a much cheaper and safer approach is available and works. Our children's health is at stake. In a nutshell, that's where we stand on that.
And then there's alternative medicine..... We are all too quick to pull out the infant Tylenol and Motrin and Mylicon and Desitin without really knowing what's in them. They are all continually being recalled for containing mercury and other carcinogens or being too concentrated. Not to mention, all the prescription meds that Dr's claim are safe. And then there's the allowed amount of toxins the the FDA lets slip past in baby products. Even a popular brand baby shampoo has recently been found to be contaminated with carcinogens. The less I know, the more I wish I didn't. But knowledge IS power. The good news is there are alternatives that have little or no side effects. We always used homeopathic teething tablets before breaking out the Motrin and almost never used Tylenol. Tummy Soothers or Gripe Water rather than Mylicon. Cool steam, an elevated mattress, more fluids and saline nose drops for a runny, stuffy nose or cold. After she was one, Honey elixir and more fluids for coughing. But overall, she's been extremely healthy with the exception of her eating habits at about 14 months to 3 months ago. Which leads me to the gfcf diet.
GFCF is gluten free, casein free. Gluten is wheat and white flours, often found in most shelf boxed foods and other products processed alongside wheat. Wheat by products include durum, semolina, farina, gluten, gliadin, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, starch, monosodium glutamate, bran, bulgur, graham, patent, wheat germ, “thickener”, and “flour". Casein is found in all bovine dairy milk and milk products, including lactose free products. It's a protein found in milk and is used independently as a binding agent in many foods.
After talking to a few licensed professionals about the benefits of the elimination of those things, we gave it a try. It was really hard at first and I had no clue what I was doing. About 80% or more of our families didn't like what we were doing. I even have to say my husband thought I was crazy. But when it comes to my baby girl, whom I love more than life, I will do whatever it takes and "obsess" til I find an answer. Why? Because that's my job as her Momma. And then I found "Cooking for Isaiah" by Silvana Nardone. She owned and operated a bakery in Brooklyn, NY so you know this woman knows how to make something taste really good! I've since then learned how to replace almost everything with foods that actually taste good and add in more healthy choices.
My new favorite cook book!
The results and benefits have been amazing! She did a complete 180! Her health is better than it has been since I stopped nursing. And she feels better. No more days of constipation and irritability. And less colds and viruses with the same, if not more, contact with people. The best part is she's gaining weight and growing in height again. She's grown 1 1/2" in the past month. Gone from wearing the same size 18 months clothes since last Fall (I'm dead serious- it was beginning to get scary) to 2T. And my baby girl is eating. Again. Naysayers, say all you want but my girl is eating and growing and comprehending and learning like crazy. She can count to thirteen. She can have 4 to 5 word sentence conversations. And her smiles can melt a glacier. Three months ago, i was worried because she was regressing to only a few words and stopped responding to us when we called her. She woke several times a night and would only be comforted by a bottle. She clung to her blanket and her bellybutton for dear life. But now she's been given a new lease on her toddlerhood. And Mommy and Daddy finally can get a full nights sleep!
23 months
I'm a huge believer in holistic and natural health and just all around basic healthy nutrition. What we put into our bodies needs to be fuel and if we can avoid potentially harmful ingredients, whether they are in a shot, the food we eat or the products we use, the better our bodies will be. Our focus should always lean toward basic healthy foods full of vitamins and minerals, healthy fats and proteins and in return, guess what? We'll be healthy, too :)
