first shot :(

Charlotte had her two month checkup today - which means she got her first shot.

I have been extensively reading up on vaccines lately - not so much that I am against them - I just want to be a well-informed mother, knowing what is being injected into my daughter.

I have decided to do an alternate vaccine schedule - it spaces them out and limits the number that she gets at one time, rather than loading her immune system up with vaccines and their mixing agents (some of which are controversial). I wasn't sure if I wanted to do this, but in the end, I felt more comfortable with it. At the end my daughter will be fully vaccinated, just at (what I feel) is a safer pace. I'm just going with my "mama knows best" instinct that I am learning to listen to.

Some of the vaccines I might decline if this girl wasn't going to be a world traveler. She's at a pretty low risk right now being an exclusively breastfed baby, and won't be going to daycare. But, I want my baby girl to be safe.

I had read that if you breastfeed DURING the shot (and immediately after as well) that it can lessen the amount of pain that they experience. I did nurse her during the shot, but she let go and screamed as soon as she got the shot. Broke my heart, it did. Her face turned bright red for about 10 seconds before she let out a huge scream. But as soon as she calmed down, she latched back on and that was the end of that.

Right now we'll be going every month to get a shot.

Just in case, I picked up some Infant Tylenol in case she has a reaction so we don't have to run out at 3am. I spent 15 minutes deciding on the type of Tylenol to get. I feel like a good mama.