Facing Fears

Fear 1: Our state has been toying with the idea of standardizing the immunization process for all children in order to attend school: public, childcare, or homeschool even.  The new law would impose severe restrictions on any parent attempting to exempt their child from any vaccination -even just one.  Doctors would be unable to use their own expertise and understanding of your child's health situation to exempt a vaccine, they would have to meet certain government defined requirements for an exemption.  It would also increase governmental control over which vaccines are recommended versus required for children in order to attend school at all, without specifying any boundaries to that control.

I am not anti-vax.  I am definitely not blindly pro-vax either.  I am against government choosing my family's healthcare without my input.

Society is currently motivated by fear and misleading information about vaccines and their supposed safety and the unsafe environment perceived by there being unvaccinated people in our society.  Across the nation, laws are being introduced to remove religious and personal vaccine exemptions and increase the requirements for which vaccines are mandatory.

Pro-vaxxers like to state that anti-vaxxers do not have any scientific proof.  However, they won't support any research or laws to look for scientific evidence either.  The majority of the evidence is first-hand anecdotal accounts.  This frustrates me to no end because as with all societal issues in the media today, there is the extremes on either side.  No one cares that neither extreme is entirely accurate.  No one cares that there may be something to both sides and making the efforts necessary for finding out what that is.

Two of my children were completely vaccinated as young children.  No ill side effects.  Another child could not tolerate them.  No one seems to wonder why.  No one seems to care enough to look into what more is going on.  At least, not the people who need to the most.  The ones trying to impose governmental choice in our personal healthcare.

I am doing my part.  I have contacted my congress people and spread the word on social media as best I can.  I am even hoping to attend a rally with my children to show the physical support against this proposed law.  The rest I must leave up to God.  I pray that this bill is defeated.

Fear 2: As a prior C-section mama, I now have the choice of attempting a vaginal birth or having a scheduled C-section.  My hubby and I have spoken with the doctors about risks and I have done lots of research as I normally do.

I want to choose the right one.  The best one for my entire family.  Regardless of what I choose, I have to rely on others to care for my little ones.  Our new baby could have issues like our toddler does.  Choosing birth control options and the options vary based on what I choose.  My support people are farther away and less physically capable than they were a decade ago when I gave birth to my oldest two.  There are many, many factors.  Lots of opinions online and judgements for and against.

I know what I'm leaning towards choosing, but I haven't worked out all of my hesitations and concerns internally to be able to make a choice and give it to God.  I've been praying for peace and wisdom.