Breastfeeding and Vaccinations

I was pondering what to write about this week, when a good friend sent me the below link.  It’s an article which discusses a study that has experts recommending that breast feeding mamas, delay breast feeding after vaccinations. http://vactruth.com/2011/04/05/experts-recommend-delaying-breastfeeding-until-vaccinations-have-taken-effect/ 

The study itself (http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/vaccination-proponents-have-suggested-breastfeeding-should-be-delayed-order-prevent-immune-f) claims that breastfeeding after vaccination, in particular the Rotavirus vaccination, lessens the potency of the vaccine. 

I have a problem with this.  First of all, though they only tested the Rotavirus vaccine, which happens to be an oral vaccine; but the interpretation, allows for inference that breast feeding lessens the potency for all vaccinations.     

Since the Rotavirus vaccine is given orally, it does stand to reason that taking something by mouth (like breast milk) soon afterwards, could alter it.  Most medications when taken orally, can be altered by taking certain foods or other medications soon after. 

The Rotavirus vaccine contains disabled live viruses.  One of the many wonderful properties of breast milk is that it contains antibacterial and antiviral components.  Its very mechanism is to weaken and/or destroy foreign pathogens.  So, it stands to reason that breast milk would lessen the efficacy of the Rotavirus vaccination.

But is this a bad thing?  I don’t believe so at all because the breast milk is also going to greatly reduce the chance that the child will get Rotavirus to begin with.  If the child does contract Rotavirus, he/she will be able to fight it off thanks to all the immune properties in breast milk. 

I opted to not give my daughter the Rotavirus vaccination for the very reason that I know my breast milk will protect her and help her to build up her own immune system.  Plus, one of the main concerns from Rotavirus is that the child will become quickly dehydrated.  However, breastfeeding children have a much lesser chance of that happening since breast milk is easily digested, easily absorbed and readily hydrates the body. 

I would be remiss, if I didn’t, at this point, delve a little into the vaccine debate. As a first time mom it’s something with which I struggled.

I agonized with the decision about whether to vaccinate my baby or not.   I read so many books and so many internet studies and even talked to a lot of parents.  I researched both sides of the coin.   So when I brought my daughter in for her 2 month check up, I actually left the building without her receiving any vaccinations.  (I had declined all vaccinations at the hospital when she was born.)  However, I also left the doctor’s office crying.  I had to sign a paper stating that I refused vaccinations for my daughter and that I was completely responsible for all consequences (I don’t remember the exact wording as that was 19 months ago, now.  However, that was the gist.)  Before that, the pediatrician had given me a whole lecture and told me that I was basing my choice on emotions rather than on facts and that I was greatly putting my daughter at risk of serious and deadly illnesses that are quite common if she is not vaccinated.  She then handed me a bunch of literature to read and told me that she and all of her other physician friends had all completely and without any hesitation, vaccinated all of their own children.  Talk about playing on the fears of a new momma!

I cried as I walked to the car with my daughter.  On the drive home, I continued to cry.  I came home and jumped on the computer and did more research.  When my husband came home from work, I relayed everything and cried some more. 

After much crying, researching and deliberating, my husband and I decided to a do a revised version of Dr. Sears’ Alternate Vaccination Schedule.  His schedule basically breaks up all the vaccinations, so that instead of receiving 4 or 5 vaccines at one time every other month, the child would be receiving only 1 or 2 vaccines every month.  (See below for Dr. Sears’ alternate schedule*)

I then went through his schedule and made my own modifications.  I decided that my daughter didn’t need the Rotavirus, the MMR, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Chicken Pox or the Influenza vaccinations.  So to date, my little girl has only received dTap, HIB and Pneumunococcal . 

We ultimately chose this route because at the time, my mom (who lives down the street and who we constantly visit with and vice versa) was teaching at a large school where her “children” would hug, sneeze and cough all over her.  My sister was in a large inner city high school.  She, too, was always over and holding my daughter. Plus my husband was (and continues to) working two (full time) jobs.  Since we figured that there was a slight risk to some of the possibly more serious illnesses, we decided to vaccinate just against those.

So I went back a few days later to let my daughter receive her first vaccination. I cried the entire time and not just because she was crying and in pain (believe me, that was utterly heart breaking), but also because I worried about whether I had made the correct decision or not. 

The doctor agreed to let me follow this revised and split up schedule. Though, she said that there really was no reason to split up the vaccinations.  She also cautioned me that it would mean bringing my daughter to her office more often where she’d have more exposures to the sick children in her waiting room!  Also, in big giant letters in my daughter’s chart, it says “undervaccinated per parental request”.   Every time I see that, I still feel hurt and “picked on” for trying to do the best for my child.  But that’s another blog for another day.

Getting back to breastfeeding, I do have to say that the first few times my daughter was pinched with those needles, she cried and cried.  I nursed her right after and eventually that quieted her down.  However, I spoke to a mama who told me to ask if I could nurse her while she received the shot.  So the next time she was due for a vaccination, I asked the nurse if it would be ok if I nursed her while it was being administered.  I received a funny look, but the nurse said “sure, why not?”  Let me tell what a difference it made!  As my daughter was lying on the table, I took out my breast and gave it to her (being large breasted definitely helps!) and she began sucking away.  She made just a teeny cry when she was actually pricked with the needle and then nothing else – she just went on eating as if nothing had happened.  The nurse was amazed.  I felt relieved.  Every time, after that, I nursed her during the vaccination ordeal.  Ahhh, another wonder of breast feeding – it’s the all around comforter!

So not only do I not think that breast feeding needs to be delayed after the Rotavirus vaccine or any other vaccine, I believe that breastfeeding is a must during the vaccination process!  While vaccine proponents are using this study to vilify breastfeeding and are trying to scare the parents with “don’t breastfeed after a vaccination or the vaccine won’t do its job”, I’d like to counter with “Breastfeeding is the best vaccine of them all.” Don’t you agree?

*Dr. Sears’ Alternate Vaccination Schedule:

2 months
Rotavirus
DTaP

3 months
PCV
Hib

4 months
Rotavirus (second dose)
DTaP (second dose)

5 months
PCV (second dose)
Hib (second dose)

6 months
Rotavirus (third dose)
DTaP (third dose)

7 months
PCV (third dose)
Hib (third dose)

9 months
Polio
Influenza (and given every year until at least 19 years old)

12 months
Polio (second dose)
Mumps (separated from MMR)

15 months
PCV (fourth dose)
Hib (fourth dose)

18 months
DTaP (fourth dose)
Varicella

2 years
Rubella (separated from MMR)
Polio (third dose)

2 1/2 years
Hep B
Hep A

3 1/2 years
Hep B (second dose)
Measles (separated from MMR)

4 years
DTaP (fifth dose)
Polio (fourth dose)

5 years
MMR (second dose of each vaccine)

6 years
Varicella (second dose)

12 years
HPV

12 years, 2 months
HPV (second dose)

13 years
HPV (third dose)
MCV4