Why I Chose the Dr. Sears Vaccine Method

Why I Chose the Dr. Sears Vaccine Method 

Monday, May 7, 2018

During my birthing class, I learned so much about vaccines ( the benefits, advantages, disadvantages, ingredients etc). This is a very sensitive topic for parents and the argument never stop.
I started to research and choose the best and right way for our family. At first I was going the route of not vaccinating our daughter but then with the benefits over weights the non benefits I figured to spread out the vaccine and that’s when Dr. Sears came in Dr. Sears Vaccine Book. Babies are so young and putting so much in them is not the right way to go. At some vaccine appointment a child is injected with 3 or more vaccines on the spot.

And unfortunately, when you look at vaccine books on the market, you’ll see they’re for the most part very anti-vaccine. They only tell all the dangers and risks of vaccines, only that side of the story.
You get to take all the vaccine with the Dr.Sears plan it’s just an alternative vaccine schedule versus the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] schedule.
I for one with a lot of parents questioning the CDC vaccine schedule. Its too overloaded. He created his alternative vaccine schedule that allows parents to go ahead and vaccinate, simply in a more gradual manner.

Let’s take a look at the two different schedules. One of the main differences that the CDC schedule dictates is they suggest the hepatitis B vaccine be given the day a baby’s born, one month later, and then six months later. Now, if you look at hepatitis B, it’s a sexually transmitted disease. The only way a baby can catch it is through blood or body-fluid exposure, and that’s extremely unlikely to happen for any baby or young child in the United States.
He suggest that parents do a hepatitis B vaccine when a child’s more of a preschool age, where he or she is going to be entering school and be running around with a lot of other kids, and there could be some blood or body-fluid exposures in those kinds of situation. The next point on the vaccine schedule where he differ [from] the CDC schedule is what to do at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. The CDC groups six vaccines all together at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months, and they recommend that pediatricians give all these vaccines in this three-dose series to babies. I think that’s what a lot of parents like myself are worried about.

What he do instead is to give two vaccines at a time, at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months. He also give two of the vaccines that I’m skipping on alternative months: 3 months, 5 months and 7 months and is avoiding a big overload.  I feel that babies will experience fewer vaccine reactions; I think babies’ bodies can handle them better. Their immune system can handle them better that way, and I think a lot of parents simply feel more safe about that kind of approach.
What he does on his schedule is take the most serious diseases and he make sure vaccinating for those right away for babies. He don’t want to delay any vaccine that could protect a baby from a very potentially life-threatening or very common serious illness. And what those illnesses are that I focus on are whooping cough, or pertussis, and rotavirus. Those are two very serious illnesses that I vaccinate babies at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months.
My personally advice is that parents do their research and purchase a Dr. Sears vaccine book, discuss with other parents and so forth. Please don’t take my word for it, please!! I am only doing what’s best for my family. Also my advice is that you find the right pediatrician. Dr. Sears Pediatrician Near you who follow the Dr. Sears method in your area(not all pediatricians would work with you), remember most of them work for corporations. I was blessed enough to find the right pediatrician ( Vaccine Friendly Pediatricians. The downside to this method is that parents would do a lot of visits to their pediatrician office ( every month 2,3,4,5,6,..............)since the method is spread out (for me I don’t mind going often or driving).

Lastly, some experts might question changing the vaccine schedule, or doing an approach that’s outside of the CDC’s schedule, where in fact these vaccines are studied in different time intervals and given apart from each other instead of grouped together. They’re studied that way initially, in the initial safety research. The studies that are down to show that vaccines are effective are often done isolated from the regular schedule. So we do know these vaccines work just as well when they’re given staggered or separated from other vaccines as they do when they’re grouped all together.
What isn’t studied separately is the safety profile. We don’t know whether or not it’s safer or more dangerous to group vaccines together versus spreading them apart.

For Dr. Sears, it’s a logical approach. It makes common sense that giving fewer vaccines at a time should create fewer reactions, but they haven’t researched that to prove whether or not that’s true. I think it’s an approach that parents feel safer about, and he would like to see the CDC do some safety research that compares a staggered, spread-out vaccine schedule and compares the rates of reactions and severe side effects to the current CDC schedule.

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ZURIEL's Birth Story

ZURIEL's Birth Story

Sunday, March 4, 2018

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.

                                                          1 Samuel 1:27

Fair warning, this is definitely the longest and one of most intense personal post I’ve ever written. I knew I wanted to write this for myself, to remember the beautiful battle that was bringing Zuriel into the world, but so many of you have reached out asking and you guys said you really wanted to read it too, so here you go. 


I went in for my 36 weeks check up at the specialist after my regular OB appointment and they found out that my water was decreasing a-lot. Firstly, thank God we made it this far I told myself but yet the fear came over me. I had established an amazing relationship with my specialist Dr. Jacques, we would pray together at every visit. She told me that it was not alarming but will need to induce me within 3 days if my water continued to decrease. As usual, I called my husband and he goes "you are not full term yet, we prayed for a full term and healthy baby girl lets trust God".
Later, I went to my friend's place who was also our neighbor to vent my frustration. She had a newborn at that time so it was so fun connecting with her in so many great ways. She insisted that I listen to the doctor and drink lots of liquids. Boy did I drink; lol! I increased my water intake from nine bottles a day to fourteen bottles. My entire pregnancy I cut down sugar but I decided to drink juices to help with the increase. In three days, we went to the appointment and my water had increase a bit so it was victory for us.
At 38weeks, my water had decreased again, so Dr. Jacques insisted that I go home for the weekend and check in at the hospital on Sunday evening to be induced. She didn't want to take any more chances, I was already full term at 38weeks. She checked my cervix, and I was only dilated to 2 cm, so she called my OB, Dr. Robert Klien (he was the doctor who took care of me during my miscarriage) to schedule me.
I felt a bit defeated but had a sign of peace in my heart, knowing that it was the Lord's doing. As I waited for my husband to arrive, I heard a small voice inside of me 'let the Lord's do his work'. The entire weekend surprisingly we took long walks in the park, got our hospital bags ready and we kept laughing at little things.
We packed the car up with our hospital bags, said bye to our dog chanel, and headed out around 6:15 PM. I remember telling Chanel, we are going to bring our baby home. Sunday November 5, 2017 at 7:00pm we checked in at Memorial Regional Hospital. I was wheeled into the labor and delivery unit, even-though I insisted on walking. I reached one hand up to Tunde’s shoulder and the other to my belly and shifted from one foot to the next as I took a few deep breaths. By the time we entered the delivery suite, it was all happening, and I looked up to Tunde with a wide grin on my face. Could this really be happening? We said our prayers and left everything in the hands of God.


Around 7:30 PM, they came in to start my IV – which btw, hurt a little worse than expected (the nurse was surely not paying attention so she had to find my vein on the other hand). We gave her my birthing plan and what I wanted to be done (My hypnobirthing class helped and made me more aware of a woman's body and gave me a brand new strength). We didn't want the epidural till we had no other option. The nurses started the process to soften my cervix and get the ball rolling.
We wanted the room as calm as possible, we started our Hill Song and Travis Greene stations on pandora. Within 4 hours, I was still at 2cm so they started up with the pitocin to try and move things along. They kept me on pitocin, increasing the dosage slightly every so often. They came back to check me by 9am the next morning, and I was only 3 cm dilated. Dr. Klien later came in and suggested that I take the epidural to move things faster, I insisted that I wanted my natural birthing process to be medical free as much as possible. Later, I told my husband to turn on the hypnobirthing cds as I meditate. Every single nurse that came in our room kept saying that they felt a sign of peace and they loved the energy. I was so concentrated during the contractions. As the contractions increased I held on tight to Tunde's hand. By 4pm, I was still 3 cm. I remember being so frustrated and disheartened that after an entire day I had barely made any progress and was nowhere near where I needed to be.
Tunde reminded me that I had to stay positive and continue to be calm, the more I am relaxed the faster the process and the calmer she would be. I knew that she felt my energy. They tried to have me turn onto my side, since I had been on my back for so long, but anytime I turned to either side or leaned back, Zuriel’s heart rate would drop. Honestly, that was the scariest part of the whole thing. Everyone kept telling me to just sleep and nap when I could, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her heart rate monitor. I was watching her heart rate like a hawk, and I certainly couldn’t sleep, no matter how much I probably needed to. At one point Tunde was sleeping and I wouldn't see the monitor, I remember shouting his name for him to get up and see and when he did he said 'Lyn we are good'. Zuriel is such a strong girl (Her name says it all, Zuriel: the strength of GOD; Oluwakemi: The Lord has kept me/ The Lord is keeping me). During this process she already started to teach me. Her heart started going higher and higher. At 8pm I was still at 3cm. I told myself this wasn't the time to give in to the enemy but be strong.


When the new nurses on duty came in, this amazing nurse told me that it was okay to get an epidural that sometimes our plan does not always go our way but I should trust the Lord's plan. We talked it through and decided what was best for Zuriel and didn't want her to wait any longer or stress her out.
At 10 PM, the anesthesiologist finally came in to give me my epidural. I was actually pretty nervous for it. He gave me the epidural, and pretty much right away I started to get hypertensive and felt super light-headed, so they gave me some oxygen. I tried to take deep breaths and relax myself. It was so funny that the anesthesiologist Andrew remembered me from the last situation that occurred in 2016. I remember his phone ringing and I told him to take all the calls he needed before starting the process. All I could think about was her, and praying she was ok. Once the anesthesiologist gave me the ep, it didn’t take too long for the lower half of my body to go numb. If you’ve never had one before, it’s a pretty crazy feeling. I didn’t like the feeling of not being able to really move my legs much (one was more numb than the other), but I also didn’t like the contractions haha, so I figured it was the lesser of two evils. I had the shakes – bad. I also didn’t know this could happen during labor, but apparently it’s pretty common.
When I realized this, something changed in the way that I was handling my labor, and the fierceness that arose astounded me. The pain was no longer my enemy but my ally, and it was preparing both my body and my mind to bring life into this world. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more proud of myself or so capable of anything. I truly believe that birth is beautiful in all of its forms – that however a mother decides or needs to bring her child earth-side is sacred, because ultimately what really matters is that she feels empowered, is healthy, and that her baby arrives safely. And finally accepting an epidural as an option was exactly what I didn’t know I needed for this birth.



The nurse then increased the pitocin. By 11:00pm I was already at 6cm and I told Tunde its happening with a big smile on my face. The nurses told me to sleep and they would check in an hour, I just couldn't sleep. Knowing how tired my sweet husband was, he went to sleep but my big bright eyes was on the monitor. At 1 AM I was at 8cm so the nurse said she would inform Dr. Klien but he won't come till my water breaks, I kept telling the nurse to just tell him to come that my water would break soon. She later came in and said its Dr. Klein's midwife that would deliver me but she told her not to come yet. I wanted to tell the nurse something (in my Liberian accent lol). When the other nurse came in at 3 AM, she suggested that I get on the birthing ball to help break my water. You are not going to believe this, the entire water sack came out and it was laying between my legs. I felt it since 2 AM but had no idea what it was. I honestly expected to feel pee running down my legs like what we all see in the movies. The nurse was so amazed, I said to her I felt this all along but didn't know what it was. She broke my waters with one swift tug and I felt the rush of warm liquid pool beneath me. It was immediate that I finally felt the urge to bear down, something that felt so intense and new to me this time. Baby’s heart rate was fairly consistent with each contraction, and we were starting to hold on tight more frequently too. I was trying to keep track of the sound of our child’s beating heart but my ears were ringing loudly. So Tunde started talking. “Her heart rate is ok,” he whispered into my ear. “It’s fairly consistent, don’t worry. She’s doing great. You’ve got this.” I remember squeezing my eyes shut and sending every ounce of strength I had to my baby. You’re so strong. You can do this. I said to her over and over in my mind. Looking back now, I know so much of the power I felt coursing through my body and into our daughter was an extension of what Tunde was sending into me. I couldn’t have done any of it without him.
She then checked and thank the Lord, I was at 10 cm! It was time to start pushing, and although I was completely exhausted, I was so ready to meet our baby girl. I knew I was ready to give it every last ounce of energy I had to give. As Tunde was right there, holding my hand, and being the leader I so needed him to be in that moment.
This was it. I forced myself to take a minute to really absorb what I was feeling, knowing that I’d see this child’s face for the first time so soon. Exhilarated, terrified, peaceful, and a little mournful too. I’d spent the better part of the past one and a half year either pregnant or trying to get.
I remember my mother's prayer points the entire pregnancy that I should deliver like the Hebrew woman, that was the same prayer she prayed in the last two hours before dropping the phone. The midwife came in. She was so beautiful that I started to smiled knowing that Dr. Klien won't boss me around. The moment I started to push was the moment I woke up. And truthfully, I think it’s the moment I felt my healing begin. The grief, the numbness, the trauma that I met with Bolu, I felt them burn with the fire that grew within me. Feeling everything allowed me to feel everything. It’s almost as if I needed to experience the physical pain that I had escaped to really embrace the emotion. This time, two beating hearts. Last time, only one. And just as it was under the silence of the first that I birthed my way into a new world of motherhood, it was under the roar of the second that I became a new kind of mother once again.



The Lord is so good that I only pushed 3 times under 10 mins. “We can see her head now,” the midwife said calmly. “You’re almost there.” "Boy, does she have a lot of hair" the other nurse said and I could see my husband's excitement as he took pictures and couldn't contain himself. Through the tears and laughs, prayers and everything in between, our sweet and beautiful baby girl was born and at 4:21 a.m. on November 7th, 2017, screaming. They finally lay her on my chest I refused to look at her, everyone kept saying look at your baby girl she's beautiful. I started to cry and refused to look at her.
But when I pulled her up on my chest and felt the ripple of her cries travel through my body a whole new world of emotions poured into me, and I was transformed. Nothing had ever felt so right as when I first felt my child’s ribs expand against mine. And as I gazed into her deep, knowing eyes I felt the love that my mother felt for me, and that millions of mothers before her must have felt too. Different than the love I felt looking at Bolu, both powerful in their own ways.
It’s funny how what seems impossible in the moment instantly melted away when I saw her sweet face. Even after 24 hours plus of labor, I would do it all over again a thousand times, to bring our girl into the world.



To my amazing husband … I thought I loved you as much as one person could, until that day. The whole experience brought us closer than I ever thought possible. You are my rock, my supporter, and I couldn’t have done it without you.
I have never felt God’s presence more fully than I have within the walls of Memorial Regional Hospital. He held the pieces of our broken hearts together as we left on October 29th 2016 with empty arms and wept silent tears of joy alongside us when we left with Zuriel's tucked safely in her car seat on November 9th 2017. Though we didn’t always feel like it was true, we know His plans for our children surpass anything we could have prayed for. It felt like the perfect happy ending to our story. But I should have known better, because it’s often those times that feel like endings that are really just beginnings. And what a beginning this was.

To all my moms out there – you are warriors!

To all my soon-to-be moms or hope-to-be-moms – you got this. Whether your pregnancy/delivery is easy or hard, it will be so WORTH IT!

Sincerely, 

Earlinda

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NEW MOM MUST-HAVES

NEW MOM MUST-HAVES

Sunday, December 3, 2017

So you just had your baby. Your body has been through the most it has ever and will ever go through (until another baby comes along). I personally think people rarely talk about the recovery process for women after birth and what to really expect in the next few weeks after you leave the hospital. 

Here a list of products to have at your house the moment you walk your brand new bundle of joy. I found these products to be most helpful in my recovery journey.

Eating well and staying hydrated. It’s true that breastfeeding burns up lots of calories! Even if you won’t be nursing, you’ll still need to nourish your body.

Eat well, have snacks on hand, and keep a water bottle by your side. 

Sleeping when the baby sleeps. Babies aren’t able to sleep long stretches of time, and postpartum sleep deprivation is no joke. People often say this advice is a cliché and it’s not possible to sleep when the baby sleeps — it is. Really, make it a goal to sleep once a day while the baby is napping. Trust me – the chores can wait. 

Being patient with your body. Let your body heal on its own schedule. Do your part to take good care of yourself and give your body a break. Manage your own expectations about how your body has changed or how fast you might lose the pregnancy weight, and remember that your body just created a beautiful miracle. 

And this is just the bare minimum! Let’s not forget that after birth, your baby will be here (!!) and she’ll need your attention around the clock — all the more reason you need to be taking good care of yourself. That’s why it’s important to build a good postpartum recovery kit and make sure to practice your own self-care. Think about what you need to feel your best, and to feel centered.

Home from the hospital for mom:

• Homemade Padsicles 

Definitely worth the time to make before you go into labor. The hospital also give you the manufacturer one. Cold packs are a must-have in your postpartum care kit because cold therapy helps soothe the pain and irritation you experience after birth. They are so cool and soothing-you will thank me for this later! I recommend that you grab as many of the perineum cold packs as the nurses will give you from the hospital because they work so well. They are are pretty bulky and shouldn't need them for more than 2-3 days after giving birth. However, you'll still benefit from some cold therapy after that point so I suggest that you make your own DIY Padsicles!

• Madela Disposable Breast Pads

I did not realize how much you leak once milk comes in. For me I go through at least 4 of these breast pads a day, but my milk supply is large. (Funny story, I prayed for a large milk supply when I was pregnant. It was on my prayer list, and my best friend and I prayed about it. It was funny when we prayed about it but God did hear and answer our prayers.

• Instant Heat Packs (For engorgement)
• Tucks Pads
• Overnight Pads and Ultra Thin Pads for during the day. (Disposable Underwear is probably the most comfortable for the first few nights. But I did use it for the first two weeks but day and night to make everything much easier for me. If you remember throw some in your hospital bag while there.
• Nipple Cream (I use both Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Cream and Boob ease) They are both good and organic
• Nursing Bras
• Fridababy Fridet the Momwasher (This is an ergonomic peri bottle that is designed to make it easier to apply water pressure. It is BPA-free and features an angled, narrow neck that makes it easier to…get the water where you need it to be. Please excuse my enthusiasm, but this is one of the single greatest products available for postpartum care. It is more expensive than a regular peri bottle – true – but I think it’s worth it to at least have one of these at home
• Detol antiseptic ( I do the old African way, I pull detol in very hot water in a bucket and sit over the bucket for few mins. This helps the healing recovering process and it ease any pain.

Don't be shy to reach out to a lactation consultant sooner rather than later for any discomfort or issues regarding breastfeeding. I took advantage the 3 days I was at the hospital, Its my first time so I needed to learn all the tips. I called them often to my room to help me out. So before I was discharge, I got the hang of breastfeeding. 

For Baby

Here are some of Zuriel's favorites. I feel like we are constantly moving her around from one of these to another. You will find once you get home from the hospital you naturally set up stations around your house. These product listed below, all have a place and a purpose that figured out with time!

•  4moms.-mamaroo (This is one of my favorite baby product so far, we keep in the living room. while I am busy with doing other things, it helps rock her to sleep when she's well fed. 
• Dockatot we just started with sleep training, this helps so much and its safe for co-sleeping. She's is not a big fan of her Halo Bassinet yet so we can place the Dockatot anywhere around the house for her to lunge and sleep in. Baby will love sleeping, playing and lounging around in this comfy, portable sleeper docking station that is lightweight and easy to take along when you travel. 
• Halo sleep bassinet-swivel-sleeper premiere series its expensive but to me worth it. We took lots of baby care classes and we are all for safe sleep. She is not yet comfort with it but once she's in deep sleep and we put her in it, she sleep for good 3 hours. I love the fact that it store diapers and wipes easier so that way in the middle of the night you don't have to be a zombie walking around.It also have lullaby music that can snoo baby away.
• Halo sleepsack-swaddle this is by far our favorite baby product, its a life saver. We swaddle her at night, with this its safe and most importantly keep her sleeping warm and cozy for few hours. I tell her a well rested parents then a happy baby :). When nothing work, this do!
• Stokke stroller I love this stroller! I took months searching for the right stroller, I needed something that she would always know that mommy and daddy are there with her during the ride. So a smooth, sturdy stroller was important to me. Plus, I love the different seating positions to adapt to for her ever-changing needs. It has front or rear facing with a five point safety harness, adjustable footrest and handle. It also has a lot of room for storage below....and once I added a cup holder on the side, its now perfection! Not to mention super easy to fold up and load into car (looking forward to easy travel time for both local and international trips.
• Boppy® Luxe Pillow with Reversible Slipcover I don't know how women nurse at the beginning without the support of this. It help with a great feed. 
• Childs-Health-Record-Keeper-Book I tried to be organized even though its difficult. I keep this in her diaper bag and use it during her pediatrician visits.
• Babyganics. Fragrance-Free Alcohol-Free Foaming Hand Sanitizer people who love you shouldn't feel offended when you ask them to wash or sanitizer their hands before holding the baby. I keep this on the go in her diaper bag, I like that the product is fragrance and alcohol free. I also use Noodle and Boo hand wash and cream at home for myself and my husband and any guest that walk in the house. 
• Fridababy NoseFrida The Snotsucker Saline Kit  This is hands down one of the must have baby product, it keep your little one's nostrils clear naturally with the Fridababy NoseFrida Saline Kit, the all-in-one stuffy nose solution for babies. Its my top 5 baby product, it make life so easy.

The stroller in the pictures are Stokke.... it’s so easy for travel, plus it’s stylish. 

I was overwhelmed with all the different baby products out there. And really you just need a handful of things at the beginning. Once you figure out your baby you will be able to make better decisions of baby products as oppose to filing up your house with unnecessary things.

Most importantly, remember to take care of yourself. Having recovery products on hand makes everything better, I promise!

                                                                                                                      XO

                                                                                                                EARLINDA

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