16 pounds 9 ounces

"Mom, whatcha doing?"

"Oh, taking pictures of me!"

What a good boy! Little guy had his six month well baby appointment today. Dr. S. gave him a clean bill of health and the OK to start solids after we get back from vacation. She doesn't want us to wait too long after that or else he may develop texture aversion and that could cause feeding issues.

He got a shot and an oral vaccine. Greg and I discussed vaccines and our plan is to do a delayed vaccine schedule for Wesley from here on out. He'll still get them all, just a little more spread out. I just feel that to load a tiny body up with four (or more!) immunizations at the same time is a little rough on an immature immune system.

Additionally, there have been some questions raised recently about a link between vaccines and autism. Now, most research does NOT show a link, but we would rather error on the side of safety and we would like to vaccinate in a manner that has the least potential for side effects. I've done some reading and have found an alternative vaccine schedule that we are going to go along with from Dr. Bob Sears...

Dr. Bob's Alternative Vaccine Schedule

2 months - DTap, Rotavirus

3 months - Pc, HIB

4 months - DTaP, Rotavirus

5 months - Pc, HIB

6 months - DTaP, Rotavirus

7 months - Pc, HIB

9 months - Polio, Flu (2 doses)

12 months - Mumps, Polio

15 months - Pc, HIB

18 months - DTaP, Chickenpox

21 months - flu2 years - Rubella, Polio

2 years, 6 months - Hep B, Hep A

3 years - Hep B, Measles, Flu

3 years, 6 months - Hep B, Hep A

4 years - DTap, Polio, Flu

5 years - MMR, Flu

6 years - Chickenpox

12 years - Tdap, HPV

12 years, 2 months - HPV

13 years - HPV, Meningococcal

A couple quotes from Dr Sears' website (http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/) regarding delayed vaccine schedules...

"The most common situation I hear about is a parent who has already given their baby the 2 and/or 4 month shots, and now wants to switch to an alternative schedule. Make a copy of my alternative schedule and cross off everything that your baby has already had, no matter when it is due on my schedule. Then at your baby’s next checkup continue with whatever is due according to my schedule. This most likely will be DTaP and Rota, then Pc and HIB a month later.

What about the shots that your baby already had at 2 and/or 4 months that are NOT on my schedule until later during infancy or childhood? The two shots this mainly applies to are Hep B and polio. If your baby already had polio at 2 and 4 months, you would not get any more until 2 years. If your baby only had one polio shot, you’d pick up the next one at 12 months.

As for Hep B, you will notice I don’t usually give this until age 2 or 3 years. If your baby has already had 2, then you would just wait to get the third between age 3 and 4. If your baby has only had 1 Hep B, get the second at 2 ½ and the third at 3 years.

At six months you would just get DTaP and Rota, then at 7 months HIB and Pc. By nine months, you would skip polio because you’ve already gotten it at 2 and 4 months. You may get the flu shot though. At 12 months get mumps, but NOT polio again since you already got the 2nd dose at 4 months. At 15 months it’s Pc and HIB, and at 18 months it’s DTaP and Chickenpox. You continue on from there according to the schedule."