Parenting Unvaccinated: My Difficult Journey Post-Birth

In life, we’re faced with numerous decisions, especially regarding our children, which feels particularly weighty. 14 years ago, I made a deliberate decision not to vaccinate my children. Sitting in the waiting room during my oldest son’s vaccine appointment, I felt a sense of unease. The concept of being unvaccinated was unfamiliar to me then; I hadn’t realized there was an alternative option. It might seem naive, but that’s how the medical system operates—often making us feel like there’s only one path forward, with no other choice available.

Back in 2010, when my son was 2 years old, I deeply questioned the rationale behind vaccinations. Sitting there with my perfectly healthy, vibrant baby, about to inject him with what seemed unnecessary, I was confused.

As a young mom, I had never thought to question this before—it was just something everyone did. When I shared my concerns with my husband, he welcomed my feelings about the whole situation, which was comforting because everyone else seemed to think I was crazy.

At that moment, I was simply a mom trying to protect her baby, and my motherly instinct was stronger than ever.

Despite my doubts, I proceeded with the shots that day—I was already there, and it seemed like the right thing to do according to everyone else. However, after that visit, seeing my perfectly healthy baby develop a fever (which doctors assured me was normal, but I knew it wasn’t), I made a firm decision.

That was the last time I took him for vaccinations.

My husband and I continued to have two more babies, and we chose to decline vaccinations each time. This decision was always challenging in the hospital birth setting. Despite facing eye rolls and judgmental stares for our choice, it wasn’t until our youngest baby, born just 5 months ago, that we encountered harsh words and actual scare tactics.

Right after giving birth to my son back in February, while I was still in the delivery room with my legs open and not even cleaned up yet, they immediately tried to vaccinate my perfectly healthy baby. It was the most absurd and shocking thing I had ever witnessed. Within seconds of my baby’s arrival, my husband and I had to repeatedly assert to the nurses that we did not want any eye ointment, no bath, and absolutely, under no circumstances, any vaccinations.

As parents, my husband and I were met with extreme rudeness and disrespect. It was as if our decision to prioritize our son’s well-being was viewed as endangering him. The refusal to administer the vitamin K shot was particularly contentious; they simply couldn’t comprehend our choice. I was bombarded with every scary scenario imaginable about what could happen to my baby. Imagine being a mother who has known loss, only to be told that my baby could die simply because I declined a shot.

The younger version of myself might have been terrified, but now I am confident in my decisions. I refuse to accept one-size-fits-all medical advice that treats everyone as identical.

Asking me once if I wanted vaccinations and refusing would be one thing, but that’s not what happened at all. Right after my baby was born, I was lying in the bed while they were weighing him, and I heard my husband telling them no to everything. Then they came to me and asked, and I also told them no.

Here I am, trying to cherish those precious moments with my newborn baby, when a midwife is in my face, listing all the dangers of not giving the vitamin K shot. Over the next few hours, I repeat to several nurses that we do not want the shot, feeling like a broken record. After finally getting cleaned up and settling into my room, I thought it was all behind us, only to be confronted by two nurses coming in to start the discussion all over again.

They brought in a paper for me to sign stating my refusal of the vitamin K shot. The nurse remarked, “Well, I sure hope nothing bad happens to him.” I looked her in the eye and responded, “Oh, nothing bad will happen to him, in Jesus’ name.”

As I explained how my other children were unvaccinated and in good health, she rolled her eyes, showing no interest in hearing my perspective. Instead, she insisted that I sign the paper indicating my refusal of the vitamin K shot against medical advice.

We had numerous nurses come into my room, persistently bringing up the vitamin K shot—it felt unreal.

My husband and I were questioned, harassed, and met with disapproval multiple times, but we remained steadfast in our belief that we were making the best choice for our beautiful, healthy baby. I am proud that we stood our ground.

The experience has made me reconsider having a hospital birth again. While I appreciate the familiarity and resources of a hospital setting, I strongly feel that parents deserve to be heard and respected, regardless of where they choose to give birth. No parent should be made to feel that their decision is wrong unless it poses harm to their baby.

To any parent out there questioning vaccinations, trust your instincts and don’t hesitate to go against the medical norm if it aligns with your beliefs. Remember, it is your legal right as a patient to be treated with dignity and to receive care that respects your personal beliefs, cultural practices, and spiritual values.