Adelaide's first shots.

Adelaide turns four months tomorrow (be on the lookout for that post), and today we had her four month checkup at the doctor's.

I've written before about the doctor practice we've chosen for Adelaide (and us, too, as we didn't have a family doctor). They work with a holistic approach and are very respectful of their patients' wishes. We see a really great friendly doctor (physician's assistant) who is really good with Adelaide. She smiles and smiles at him, and he takes his time with her and is very gentle.

Today she got her first shots (vaccines). Every parent has to make the decision about vaccines that works the best for their own family. Of course I have my own opinions about vaccines, but that does not make them right for everyone. And I would hope that other mothers would accept my own decisions as well.

[See Adelaide's bandaid?]

If I did not have to go back to work we would probably delay vaccines for over a year, but as it is, we have to take her to daycare and it is required in NC for her to have vaccines (unless for a medical or religious exemption, but not for a personal belief) so we had to get started. We delayed the shots until today, waiting until 4 months old, and we're only doing the ones that are required for her to attend public daycare and public school. We're also spreading them out, so as not to bombard her system with all these different vaccines at once. So today she only got 2 shots (the first doses of DTaP and Hib).

Here's what worked for us for the actual getting-the-shot moment: I held her in my lap so she felt safer. I danged a toy in front of her that she was trying to grab and play with. Two nurses came in, cleaned the shot-spots and put one sticky side of a bandaid on each leg (chubby thighs!) and got ready to do both shots at the same time, and then did it. At first Adelaide didn't cry, but before they were done, she cried for maybe 2 seconds. The nurses cleaned up and talked sweetly to Adelaide and she promptly gave them a huge smile. She did so good and made her momma proud!

She hasn't had any negative reactions so far, except for a little bruise on her right thigh at the injection site. And since she's normally fussy in the evenings anyway, it's difficult to tell if there was any added fussiness due to the shots making her feel bad. I did give her a dose of ibuprofen when we got home to help with any fever or swelling, etc.

We go back in a month to get two other shots, then two more at her 6 month checkup. Beyond that, I'm not sure. But we will definitely go slowly. Again, I wish wish wish I could stay at home with her instead of working, and this is just another reason why. But we have to do what we have to do to provide for our children, and for us it includes two working parents.