A pregnant pause

Dear mothers-to-be,

You are carrying the most precious cargo in the universe, and you know it. 

You've seen the events of the past few years and understand that when it comes to your and your baby's health blind trust is not an option.

Something different is needed now. 

More of you are deciding you're not willing to just take a cocktail of cold and flu season vaccines because you're being told it's the right thing to do for you and your baby.

You're stopping. You're thinking. 

Because not so long ago the world was handed a vaccine, was clubbed over the head with “safe and effective”…and, well…

So, if you're feeling a little more cautious now about injections that were once considered “standard,” that's okay. If you feel a little more wary of the word “vaccine,” that's okay. Go right on thinking it through.

It's sad to feel that trust has been broken and that what's truly safe is not so clear anymore.  

But broken trust can become a powerful opportunity. We get shocked into realizing that we are the ones who need to take responsibility for our lives. Much as we might wish we could go on auto-pilot — because it's easier — we suddenly see that we need to do the work of gathering the knowledge that will help us protect ourselves, because we just can't leave such a precious thing as our own lives, and the lives of our babies, to others.

So, go get your own answers. And whatever you learn, don't underestimate the power of your motherly intuition. Tune into your heart, your inner wisdom — what's the right thing to do here for you and your baby? 

If in the end, you decide you really do want that vaccine bundle, it's your choice and you own it. Don't take anyone's word for it — you go and find out what you think about it. Once you've done that no one will be able to make you feel badly about your choice.

If you've taken the time and energy to think your decisions through for yourself, you have won. You've refused to give away your power of choice, your brain, your right to ask questions, your freedom. 

You know what's truly “safe and effective”? A mother who knows the power of a pregnant pause.