Jacob is 9 months old today. He already wears 12-months clothes & 3 to 4T size diapers (he could probably fit into the smaller ones, but my Mom likes lots of room). Jacob had his 2nd well child visit with our naturopath Sheila Kingsbury recently. He was in the 99.9th percentile for height & 50th percentile for weight (21 lbs).
He also received his first ever vaccine (DTaP - Daptacel (3 in 1) combination vaccine). I would have waited until Jacob was older, but was swayed by the current pertussis epidemic in our state.
Jacob was vaccinated on Monday & on Thursday he developed intermittent high fevers (up to 102 degrees F), rapid breathing & heartbeat, cold sweats, frequent crying, fussiness, irritability & poor appetite which lasted for about 4 days. My Mom & I literally couldn't put him down. The only way he was somewhat comfortable was in our arms or being pushed around in his stroller. I am so glad I didn't give this vaccine at the recommended ages of 2, 4 & 6 months. If he reacted to it so poorly now, I can't even imagine what he would have had to go through when he was younger. We treated Jacob with a combination of liquid Ibuprofen, cool baths, vitamin D3, more frequent naps (when he allowed us to put him to sleep) & frequent offerings of my breastmilk. Seeing Jacob's suffering (not to mention our high anxiety & worry) was enough to convince me to put all of the vaccinations on hold for now.
1 week after his vaccination Jacob developed a rash on most of his body (including his back, neck, belly & face). The fact that the rash appeared the next day after his high fever subsided abruptly, makes me think he might have had common at this age viral infection roseola. Both Gerritt & Sophia also got infected with roseola around 9 months of age & their high fevers caused me a great deal of worry.
I have been struggling with my decision to vaccinate (or more precisely, when & to what extent) & have been researching both sides of the vaccination debate. Some experts believe if you are not sure it's best not to vaccinate at all (Sarah from the Healthy Home Economist); others believe in partial vaccination on an alternative schedule (Dr. Sears' Vaccine Book), & others push for full vaccination (the CDC & most conventionally trained pediatricians). The wealth of information would be overwhelming for any parent.
One thing I've learned for sure is that the CDC is not the be-all & end-all. There are many ways to accomplish the same goal. For example, in Japan child vaccinations don't begin until 2 years of age (significantly decreasing the number of SIDS deaths in that country). The Two And Talking website also doesn't recommend giving the first vaccine until or after the age of 2 & then vaccinating on selective schedule. This way any vaccine-related injuries (e.g., loss of speech or motor deficit) would be apparent shortly after. I have been exposed to several non-vaccinating parents this year (my chiropractor, for example) & learned about my rights for vaccine exemption. I've read the reports of vaccine-related injuries on the National Vaccine Information Center & learned about vaccine ingredients. Once given, vaccines can't be undone, & both parents & children must then live with sometime lifelong consequences. At this point, I've decided that the safest course of action is no action at all.
Vaccine reactions aside, our biggest problem is still lack of sleep. I wish I was one of those happy, well-rested Moms. Jacob rarely sleeps 2-3 hours at a time & he is usually up as often as 1-2 hours during the night. Some of his awakenings are caused by teething, but most are probably due to poor sleep associations. He is used to falling asleep while sucking on the bottle of my breastmilk or his pacifier. Once he is asleep, I remove the bottle & pacifier usually falls out some time during the night. Most of my awakenings are not to change Jacob's diaper, feed or cover him, but to find & replace his lost pacifier. The no-cry sleep solution books suggest putting Jacob into his crib while sleepy, but still awake & letting him finish falling asleep on his own. Easier said than done! He is the loudest & most strong-willed out of my 3 kids, & I don't have much tolerance for screaming. Our naturopath gave us the Wise Woman Herbals' Kalmerite Glycerite herbal tincture to try. I am supposed to administer 10 drops 1 hour prior to Jacob's bedtime. This non-alcohol solution contains California poppy, catnip, chamomile, lemon balm, passionflower & English lavender. We have to start somewhere.
Jacob is still doing well with cruising. It is so hard to watch him fall over & over. Despite our best efforts, he gets hurt several times a day (loosing balance, falling the wrong way or hitting something) & usually has a few bruises & red spots (mostly on his forehead). Thankfully, he is learning to fall more gracefully. Meanwhile, we have to stay vigilant at all times (no sharps or hot liquids, for example) since Jacob likes to crawl up to tables & pull down everything he can reach with his chubby hands.
Unfortunately, Jacob suffered an accident under my husband's watch recently. He put Jacob on the couch for a diaper change & then turned around to grab a box of wipes. Jacob fell on the floor & since then hasn't been able to use his left wrist. So instead of crawling on all fours, he now crawls on both knees, right hand & left elbow. It slowed Jacob down quite a bit & he often looks at us with sad eyes & cries in frustration. There was no bruising, swelling, bone misalignment or pain with palpation of the affected wrist, so like so many other childhood ailments I've decided to wait this one out too. If Jacob doesn't regain the use of his wrist within 5-6 weeks, I will take him to a pediatric orthopedist.
My pumping is now down to just 4 times a day (I wouldn't have believed it was possible a few months ago when I worked so hard to add extra pumping sessions to build my milk supply). It is way more convenient to pump every 5-6 hours instead of every 2-3, so I can get away with pumping just twice during an 8-hour work day. I can also sleep for 7-8 hours straight (with my Mom watching Jacob) & be gone for errands or social outings for an extended amount of time. I am still not brave enough to travel. My Mom & I talked about a trip to Hawaii, Mexico or Alaska, however, after much online research & family discussion, we've decided to postpone it until next year.
Jacob is now able to wave good bye, although he doesn't do it consistently. He has 4 teeth (2 on the top & 2 on the bottom) & another set is poking through on the top. After such a scary reaction to TDaP/roseola (?), I am so glad Jacob is acting healthy again! There is nothing worse than seeing your child in discomfort.
Additional Resources:
1) 31 Ways to Get Your Baby To Sleep & Stay Asleep by Dr. Sears
2) Sleep, Changing Patterns In The Family Bed by Dr. Jay Gordon
3) Nighttime Parenting by Kelly Mom
4) Six Reasons To Say NO To Vaccination by Sarah from the Healthy Home Economist
