Until I was well into my 20's and already out of college, I had no idea that anyone opted out of getting vaccines.  I guess I thought literally every single person in the US gets vaccinated for anything and everything they have the option of getting a shot for.  Kinda sad looking back that the topic was never even mentioned growing up. 

I remember getting my first shot in the series that's supposed to protect against (some strains of) HPV and therefore lower your risk of cervical cancer, but before I got the next shot, I started hearing all the talk about the dangers of this particular shot and all the women who have had terrible terrible side effects.  I decided not to get the other shots in the series.  For me, the risks outweighed the benefits.

Now, I'm not here to convince anyone one way or the other about whether they should say yes or no to vaccines.  This is really a serious topic and I think there is a lot more to the question, so giving a yes or no answer is just not that simple.  New parents ask me my opinion all the time, and I honestly tell them that I can't give them my opinion - if the topic is pulling on them then they need to start doing their own research and making informed decisions that work for their own family. 

They might decide to do everything that's offered to them, they might pick and choose what they are comfortable with, they might decide to do an alternative schedule with their children, or they might decide to bypass vaccinations altogether.  It is none of my business what their personal choices are.  They have a right to make the decision for themselves and their families.

Here's the thing though... I do believe in educating people.  That's what I'm all about - educating new parents and supporting them in their decision making processes.  So when I came across this link this morning, I thought that I should share it.

The article has 8 great questions that you should ask before and after a vaccination.  Even if you have made up your mind and know what works for your family, you'll probably still get something out of this list of questions - I know I did!

Here's the link:
http://www.nvic.org/Ask-Eight-Questions.aspx 

I like to encourage my clients to consider putting off bathing their newborn for a few days after birth (my daughter had her first bath about a week after she was born) because 1) the vernix - that cream-cheesy looking stuff - on their skin is actually moisturizing and good to let soak in, and 2) the smell left over from the amniotic fluid is one of many perfectly designed cues that help the baby find the breast to breastfeed, as amniotic fluid and colostrum (the first milk) are said to smell so similar - the baby searches for the familiar and comforting smell.

In case you're wondering why babies tend to get their first bath so soon after being born in the hospital, the reason is that once the baby has been bathed the nurses no longer need to wear gloves every time they touch the baby, because they don't have to worry anymore about the residue of mom's bodily fluids being left on the baby and having the potential of transmitting disease.

That being said, you can always request to delay your baby's bath until you get home, and the nurses will simply continue to wear gloves when they handle your baby. 

This video that I'm about to share with you is a beautiful example of how peaceful baby's first bath can be.  Enjoy! 

Elimination communication is what a lot of people call early potty training.  But to someone who actually does EC with their child, it is more of a way of communicating, as the name implies, and not having to go through traditional potty "training" later on.  For people who decide to try it with their newborn, it is also a way of keeping their baby from getting comfortable with being wet or poopy and just hanging out that way. 

EC involves learning your baby's cues that tell you she needs to go potty.  You also offer the potty often, especially when your little one has just woken up, and make a "pssssss" sound as she goes, so that she will make the association between the sound and eliminating.  My daughter, at 16 months now, says "psssss" when she wants to tell us either that she needs to go potty or she is going in her diaper and wants a dry one put on.  She also uses the same sound when she needs to poop.

My husband and I had talked about doing EC during my pregnancy and decided we would give it a try and see how it would go, but agreed with each other that we didn't want to be too "hard core" about it.  When Daliya was a week old we started holding her over her little potty that we kept on the bathroom counter whenever we would take her diaper off to change her.  We had the changing table set up right outside the bathroom and our bedroom to make it really easy.  That first day she peed on the potty 5 times!  We couldn't believe how easy it was! 

As time went on, offering the potty just became a routine for all 3 of us, and was even a fun time to play and sing and talk about the fact that "pee pees and poopies go in the potty."  Probably somewhere around 4 months old Daliya started to really get a kick out of peeing or pooping on the potty.  Don't get me wrong, there have been and still are plenty of times that she doesn't want to sit on the potty, and we don't push her to do it.  But the majority of the time it is a satisfying experience for all involved.  I can't even tell you how excited out babysitters have been to take a little baby to the potty when she tells them she needs to go.  And our parents, who definitely thought we were a little out of our minds to try EC in the first place, are now big believers and tell all their friends.  I think once people see that we don't put a lot of pressure on Daliya to go on the potty, but we offer and often she is the one to let us know that she wants to go, they are much more comfortable with the idea and even excited about it.

It also makes for a lot less dirty diapers, and very very rarely have we had a diaper leak when she was sleeping.  For the last few months Daliya has rarely peed in her diaper when she is sleeping.  It amazes me that she can go 12 to 13 hours with a dry diaper and no longer even asks to go potty during the night.  She still usually nurses before bed around 7:30 or 8pm, before I go to bed around midnight, and then again in the early morning - maybe around 4am, but keeps sleeping until somewhere between 7:30 and 8:30am.  When she sits on the potty in the morning once she is up for the day I'm still always amazed at how much pee is in the potty.  Her bladder has seriously gotten used to holding a lot of urine until she is ready to get up and go in the morning!  Daliya will even tell us when she needs to pee during her bath.  She'll get out, pee on the potty, and get back in.  I love not having to worry about her peeing or pooping in the bath anymore! 

Now, I just have to say that Daliya is not peeing and pooping on the potty 100% of the time - which is totally fine with us because the point of EC is not being fully potty trained as soon as they possibly can be.  It is really more about getting comfortable with the potty and letting her body dictate when she needs to eliminate, while simultaneously learning to wait for her to be sitting on a potty.  I'll be honest, I tend to just have her go in her diaper when we are out and about because it is easier for me than taking a potty along that we have to clean out each time she uses it in the car. 

She also goes through "potty pauses" where she won't want to use the potty hardly at all for a week or two.  These "potty pauses" tend to coincide with developmental milestones, like when she started crawling, when she started cruising, and then when she started walking.  The other "potty pauses" have tended to be after we've traveled to see out of town family, and then come home to her not wanting to use the potty for a few days to a few weeks.  

EC can be different for each family and you can pick and choose what works for you and your baby - just like anything else you do as a parent.  Just know that any amount of EC, even if it is part time, can be a fun and positive thing - it doesn't have to be stressful because there is no pressure to be "done potty training" by a certain time or age.  It just happens so much more organically, and you can literally see the feeling of satisfaction and empowerment on your little ones face when she goes on the potty.  My daughter also obviously loves that we understand her when she needs to go or when she is wet, even though she isn't even talking yet!  I think it makes her feel heard and that her needs and comforts are taken into consideration and respected.

If you have any questions about EC, feel free to post below.  Or if you've done EC with your baby, then your story is also more than welcome if you'd like to share!