Don’t Assume You Know Me, Mama

So you think you know me, right? I’m that home birth mom. You think you’ve got me all figured out: I shop at Whole Foods, I wear my baby, and I don’t vaccinate my kids. Well, I do love me some fresh organic artisanal delights from Whole Foods. I do own a sling, a Bjorn, and an Ergo, and I loved using them all. But you got that last one wrong.

I AM a vaccinating mom and I’m proud of it.

Opting out of vaccinations is a wildly controversial topic, and I’ve heard and seen both sides of the subject from my friends, my Facebook feed, and my own research. Vaccination rates among home-birthing parents are typically lower than the national average, but the two are not necessarily linked. Just because I made one choice that falls outside of the mainstream does not mean there is some parenting domino effect. Each of my choices has been measured, well researched, thoughtful, and individually chosen so that my children’s health and well being comes first.

My husband and I are very careful about making thoughtful decisions for our children. Our home births were the best decisions we made, and we would choose another home birth in a heartbeat (but don’t hold your breath, Mom!). A home birth is a safe choice for moms who want to honor birth as a natural experience, not a medical event. I was thrilled to not have the unnecessary interventions that often occur during hospital births, and I stand by my choice. And when it comes to vaccines? My husband and I did our due diligence here, too. We read many books, spoke to our pediatrician, and figured out what felt safe and right for our children — which is to vaccinate them against diseases that could harm or kill them. I chose home births for my children because I believe it was safest and best for them and for my family, and I choose to vaccinate for the same reason.

So please don’t think you know me — yet.

We are in this parenting thing together. I am all for being supportive of you and your choices, and I hope you will be of mine. So please don’t think you know me until you’ve asked, because I (just like you, mama) am more than meets the eye. So wanna grab some coffee and talk?