Category Archives: Breastfeeding

A Natural Approach to Mastitis

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The following information is for educational purposes only and should not to be considered as medical advice. For medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment please consult a healthcare provider. Journeyboost is not liable for risks or issues associated with using the information on this site.

Mastitis is inflammation of the breast usually associated with breastfeeding. Mastitis can be extremely painful and may cause fever and other flu-like symptoms. Many doctors will immediately prescribe antibiotics to treat mastitis, especially when fever is present. I personally breastfed all five of our babies, each for an extended period of time, and experienced mastitis several times. Once, when our fourth baby was just under a year old, I developed a quick case of mastitis that progressed into a breast abscess that had to be surgically drained. At the time I was under a great deal of stress with a major move and three active older children to care for. I’ll spare the details, but it is something that all moms will want to avoid if possible! Breast soreness without fever or flu-like symptoms may be caused by a plugged duct and can be easier to conquer without antibiotics if you act quickly. Throughout my 16 years of breastfeeding, I ended up taking antibiotics several times because I didn’t know of other effective ways to heal.

My last baby weaned in the early 2000s and there has been a huge amount of learning and sharing of information through social media platforms and the internet since then. I recently asked for natural approaches to healing mastitis and received a treasure chest of insight which I wanted to collect and store to benefit moms who may be in need.

There are good reasons to try and avoid antibiotics unless there is absolutely no other effective ways of treating. Antibiotics are known to wipe out all the healthy gut flora. Many of us seek to eat healthy food and keep our guts healthy and whole. Wiping out our good intestinal flora with powerful antibiotics can destroy what has taken a lifetime to develop. Intestinal flora is very beneficial to overall health. Many chronic illnesses (think allergies, eczema, other skin issues, etc.) are caused or adversely impacted by ‘leaky gut.’ If you do decide you need an antibiotic, make sure to prioritize boosting your gut flora with pro-biotics, and especially with natural fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and kombucha.

The first response below provides a comprehensive framework for treating mastitis from a midwife that I know personally. Her first point – 24 hours in bed – with your baby (most of the time) is what your body needs most. The only reason to get out of bed is to use the bathroom! Mastitis with a fever is a strong signal to mom to slow down and take it easy. My midwife friend has a lot of experience and has seen the following protocol work.

An addition from the midwife:

Another commenter shares how using ice instead of heat was helpful to her:

Article on homeopathic remedies for Mastitishttps://joettecalabrese.com/blog/3-homeopathic-remedies-for-mastitis/

The commenter below recommends sunflower lecithin – which many women find helpful to prevent plugged ducts. My daughter did find it helpful when breastfeeding her first, but later realized her baby developed a rash after she started taking lecithin. When she stopped, the rash stopped. So, every person is unique. We all have to pay attention and maybe keep a journal so we can get better at listening to what our body is telling us!

Poke root, allicin (from garlic), and ingesting colloidal silver were all shared as helpful natural antibiotics for mastitis. You can get allicin capsules, but “the very best way to obtain allicin is from eating fresh garlic that has been crushed or sliced. Fresh, uncooked garlic should be crushed, sliced, or chewed to maximize allicin production.” See more on allicin here.

Even once you start feeling better, be sure to give yourself time to fully heal and regain strength. Reduce stress as much as possible. As a mom with a young baby, I enjoyed this reminder:

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow
For babies grow up we learn to our sorrow
so quiet down cobwebs,
dust go to sleep
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep

By far the best assistance for curing mastitis is a hungry cooperative baby. When babies are small they can sometimes be encouraged to suck more by standing and rocking or swaying while the breast is in their mouth. This is more taxing in terms of energy – and not possible when following the 24 hours in bed rule – but something to keep in mind if you are facing what you think might be the start of mastitis and you are eager to encourage more sucking on the breast.

Are you interested in learning more on the role and effectiveness of antibiotics? Dr Sam Bailey from New Zealand shares a. unique perspective here.

What am I missing? What has worked to help you conquer mastitis? Leave your tips in the comments below.


Becky Hastings collects information on health and tries her best to discover and share truth. By God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, I was saved, blessed with a husband of over 40 years, and five precious babies all grown up. I now get to delight as eleven grandchildren grow! Together we can help each other discover a healthy path in this crazy upside down world.

Are you Brainwashed? 

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Believing Lies

Are you open to re-thinking some things you thought you knew?

One strong signal of indoctrination (aka brainwashing) is extreme emotion surrounding a particular topic. If you find yourself unable to discuss or explore a topic, you may have been an unwitting target of propaganda and programming. In order for all of us to make sure we have not been deceived, we must be alert and open to examining every strongly held view we have. What we are searching for is evidence for all claims. Propaganda is dispersed through appealing to emotions. When our emotions are triggered we have a difficult time accessing our frontal cortex and using our valuable thinking skills.

We all hold strong views about particular topics. We can disagree without being enemies. All facts can bear the weight of examination. When we have been programmed through fear we can struggle to set aside that fear long enough to explore facts, read information on all sides of a topic, and seek to make a fully informed wise decision.

Recently I was thrilled to learn that an acquaintance I met several years ago, who continues to be a friend of a good friend, recently confided to my friend, that she has done a 180 reversal on her view of childhood vaccines. This is absolutely remarkable because she was a pediatrician for decades and engaged with me in a somewhat heated debate on the safety and reliability of vaccines on my good friends Facebook page! I must admit I was a bit rattled that a ‘doctor’ was challenging me! But I remained calm and did my best to react with grace and provide research and evidence. She quit responding with a bold statement of her absolute commitment to vaccines for herself, her children and any future grandchildren.

So you can imagine my surprise to learn that she had indeed taken the challenge to thoroughly explore the topic of vaccine safety and efficacy – and concluded she had been lied to! WOW.

My belief is that we have all been lied to. We’ve believed lies. We currently might be believing lies, but we are simply unaware of it. Believing lies in regard to many topics isn’t that big of a deal. But when parents believe lies about what will or won’t help their child to enjoy a life-time of health – that is a big deal to me! So I continue little by little to try and press people to examine their beliefs.

Perfect Parents?

Despite our best efforts, will we ever be perfect parents? What does a ‘perfect’ parent do? We are told that the best mothers will make sure to get frequent prenatal care from medical professionals. A typical pregnancy may result in 10-15 visits. OB/Gyns encourage additional procedures such as ultra sounds, glucose testing, blood tests, and vaccines in the hope of ensuring health for both. This is somewhat ironic if you think about certain tests that are done to determine if the baby may have a ‘problem’ and the mother is encouraged to terminate a pregnancy – hardly a healthy outcome for the baby. But I digress.

We are told that ‘perfect’ parents take their baby to up to 8 well baby visits in the first year of life, Good parents will OF COURSE follow all standard medical procedures advised by their doctor and government.

Is following standard medical recommendations really the best strategy for giving your baby a life time of health? Events around the world since 2020 have caused many people to question how health authorities come to adopt policies that are promoted for “health”. Many of us have been shocked at the recommendations made by health authorities and by the general acceptance of such by the public at large. Many are asking more questions. It is time for every parent to ask more questions.

Below is a typical schedule for Well Child Visits. As a mom who raised five healthy children and been involved as eleven grandchildren have arrived on the scene, I can tell you very confidently that healthy children do not need that many visits to confirm their health. I can count on one hand the visits I made to a child specialist medical professional. Medical professionals promote the well baby schedule because it insures a steady income stream for them. Young naive parents think they are obligated to attend every visit as recommended – not realizing that the medical professional is only a consultant to be used as they desire or need. Any doctor that insists on this number of visits should probably be avoided. These visits could be a method of ‘entrainment’ that keeps parents dependent on a system and unable to develop their own inner parenting wisdom.

What does a baby need? The best gift you can give your baby is a well informed parent, devoted to nurturing your instincts to protect and nourish your babies. Bonding in the early days cements into place a fierce protective instinct. This is one critically important reason you want to protect your baby during birth and immediately afterwards. Whether you choose a home birth, a midwife attended birth, or a hospital birth, you want to ensure the best possible introduction to the world for your precious baby.

A well informed parent will fiercely defend their baby from all attacks – no matter how well intentioned they may seem. New parents are bombarded with advice and information. How can you discern what is the best path for you and your baby? Are the ‘experts’ trustworthy? 

We live in a world that is exploding with information which can make it difficult to discern what information to trust. How do we cope? Question everything! Look for wise, happy parents or grandparents that have wonderful families, good health, and good relationships. Learn from role models you see around you. In order to learn how to breastfeed, find a mom who has successfully breastfed several children and LOVED the experience! Most moms have some struggles at some point in the first few months and there are many ‘experts’ that want to give advice. The best advice will come from someone who will listen thoroughly, and share facts on the extreme importance that breastfeeding will play in the lifelong health of your baby. The absolute best protection you can give to help your baby avoid illness is to exclusively breastfeed. You will find many books written on the benefits of breastfeeding. The fact is undisputed – breastfeeding is worth your serious commitment. Get help early to get it right. A birth as close to natural as possible will give mom and baby the best possible opportunity to get breastfeeding right. I personally know of moms who have overcome phenomenal obstacles to succeed at breastfeeding. You CAN DO IT!

Are you ready to begin a journey and really explore standard of care procedures that you’ve been told repeatedly “are safe and best” for your baby? Please explore my website for information on which shots might be necessary for your baby. Every parent needs to Know – AND CALL – The Shots.

Becky Hastings collects information on health and tries her best to discover and share truth. By God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, I was saved, blessed with a husband of over 40 years, and five precious babies all grown up. I now get to delight as ten grandchildren grow! Together we can help each other discover a healthy path in this crazy upside down world.

Will getting a TDaP shot protect your baby?

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Is my baby going to be at risk for developing whooping cough? Who will put my baby at risk?

The following information will help you navigate the pertussis/whooping cough shots. When assessing information that may contradict what you have been told by health professionals, keep an open mind. Seek the truth. Many times very well meaning people have been given false information and haven’t fully researched all the facts.

Did you know that the DTaP does not prevent colonization and transmission of Diphtheria and Pertussis? It only potentially reduces the symptoms in vaccinated individuals. A study done in 2000 concludes, “Vaccinated children may be asymptomatic reservoirs for infection.” http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/6/5/00-0512_article

So the vaccinated can carry and spread the bacteria without feeling sick. That is part of the reason pertussis outbreaks are occurring in highly vaccinated populations. It also contradicts the idea that a healthy unvaccinated person is somehow more likely to spread the disease. The vaccine does not prevent against pertussis, it protects against the “whooping cough” symptom that comes along with pertussis. This may result in those who receive the vaccine being a “silent carrier” which is why pertussis is so prevalent. Grandma gets her TDaP shot and still gets pertussis but doesn’t have the number one sign of pertussis (the cough) and goes and smooches your baby – baby now has pertussis. Many scientific studies clearly acknowledge these facts.

In an article entitled, “The 112-Year Odyssey of Pertussis and Pertussis Vaccines-Mistakes Made and Implications for the Future” in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, the author acknowledges: that the vaccine being given is making people more susceptible to pertussis: “Because of linked-epitope suppression, all children who were primed by DTaP vaccines will be more susceptible to pertussis throughout their lifetimes, and there is no easy way to decrease this increased lifetime susceptibility.” Cherry JD. The 112-Year Odyssey of Pertussis and Pertussis Vaccines-Mistakes Made and Implications for the Future. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2019 Sep 25;8(4):334-341. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piz005. PMID: 30793754.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30793754/

The ‘baboon study’ may be the most significant explanation of how the vaccine may mask symptoms and instead of reducing transmission – may actually increase transmission to the non vaccinated. Acellular pertussis vaccines protect against disease but fail to prevent infection and transmission in a nonhuman primate model, https://www.pnas.org/content/111/2/787

Del Bigtree from The Highwire provides a detailed passionate video illustration of the findings of the baboon study here from 14 minutes – 25 minutes.

Additionally, TDaP vaccine recipients are more likely to get other strains. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/8/08-1511_article

Those who have natural immunity after contracting the disease naturally are protected. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15876927/

Is there longterm protection for children who receive all five doses of the DTaP vaccine? Waning Protection after Fifth Dose of Acellular Pertussis Vaccine in Children. Nicola P. Klein, Joan Bartlett, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, et al. The New England Journal of Medicine, Massachusetts Medical Society, Sep 13, 2012. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1200850

Whooping cough in school age children with persistent cough: prospective cohort study in primary care states “Conclusions For school age children presenting to primary care with a cough lasting two weeks or more, a diagnosis of whooping cough should be considered even if the child has been immunised. Making a secure diagnosis of whooping cough may prevent inappropriate investigations and treatment.” BMJ 2006; 333:174 https://www.bmj.com/content/333/7560/174

So what’s a parent to do? Insisting that everyone that will come into contact with baby must be vaccinated will not offer protection from whooping cough and may, indeed, increase the risk that baby will be infected with and get whooping cough.

I believe breastfeeding is the number one immune boost your baby needs for protection against all infection. Breastfeeding is simple, but not always easy. Prioritizing successful breastfeeding means getting information and support in advance to understand and overcome potential challenges. Avoiding all nipple substitutes in the first six to eight weeks will help prevent nipple confusion and rejection by baby of the breast. The best way to become comfortable with breastfeeding is to spend time with mothers who successfully and happily breastfed their babies.

Close contact (holding, kissing, etc.) with recently vaccinated individuals should be avoided, as they are potential silent carriers, but there is no need to panic and stress. Wearing your baby in a carrier when out in public is a great way to keep baby close and protect from unwanted contact.

If baby does develop a pertussis infection, early treatment with a high dose vitamin C protocol has been highly effective. As a parent who experienced whooping cough with four of my children when they were young, I can encourage you that children do survive whooping cough.

One serious reason to be wary of the DTaP and TDaP vaccines is the high level of aluminum they contain. A deep dive into the potential harm of injecting aluminum shows that there are many possible ramifications from auto-immune disorders to neurologic (brain) injury. Parents are not given true informed consent when they are not told of the possible adverse events of injecting aluminum. The biggest question to consider is, do I want to avoid a lifetime illness, possible neurological injury, or an infection of short duration that can be treated?

Becky Hastings collects information on health and tries her best to discover and share truth. By God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, I was saved, blessed with a husband of over 40 years, and five precious babies all grown up. I now get to delight as ten grandchildren grow! Together we can help each other discover a healthy path in this crazy upside down world.

Is Rebellion Ever GOOD?

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I have a confession: I’ve been a rebel – probably all my life! God turned my rebellion around in 1980 so that instead of rebelling against Him, I began to rebel against societal norms that had led me away from Him.

I rebelled by having natural births, then home births, breastfeeding for years, questioning the morality of birth control, choosing to be a SAHM rather than pursue a career, turning off the TV, NOT watching the news, making my own from scratch, homeschooling, volunteering rather than seeking a paycheck, and most recently, not following nonsense rules…

Daily I praise God for His transforming salvation through Jesus Christ!

Rebellion can be so liberating! True freedom is righteous rebellion in Jesus! Rebels for Jesus need to unite. We are not such a small group. There are many who share our understanding. Compliance with tyranny and lies is NOT what following Jesus is about.

There is an enemy of our soul. Jesus was very clear: “the enemy comes to steal kill and destroy.” The enemy uses deception. The nature of deception is that you do not know you are being deceived. We have been blessed with a warfare manual that explains the conflict and gives us clear instructions on how to “wage good warfare.” For too long God’s people have tried too hard to be friends with the world, to follow social norms, and to ‘be nice.’ Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Our neighbors, colleagues, family members, etc are not our enemy. We have the belt of truth and the sword of the Spirit – God’s word – to expose the lies. We can stand firm in love. Standing firm is actually extremely loving. Bending to men is agreeing to lies and forsaking God’s righteousness.

If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Messiah.

We live in crazy times. We drown in information, but face a derth of wisdom. God’s word provides clear wisdom. The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. He gives freely to those who seek Him. Fear prevails because of a lack of faith. Faith will lead us to wisdom. We seek a savior for our current life situation because we want to remain comfortable. God has not called His people to a comfortable life. He has called us to a life of fearless following.

There are some bold pastors keeping their churches open. Members attend unafraid. Here is one warrior pastor who has been a missionary to the preborn for decades. He boldly declares the word of God and applies it to our current circumstances. Matt Trewhella pastors a church in Wisconsin and seeks to equip the body of Christ on his website Defy Tyrants.

In this 7 minute video he challenges a popular view that many Christians hold. You might not change your mind, but watch what he says so that you can formulate why you disagree.

There are also a multitude of medical and scientific professionals speaking out sharing facts dramatically different than what you will hear on the news or from government organizations. They risk a lot to share. One sweet gentlemen has put together an excellent video sharing his wisdom and insight. His sole goal is to help people stay healthy, yet this type of direct information is often purposefully banned — like book burnings of long ago. Dr Hotze explains in detail why the experimental liability-free gene therapy labelled as a ‘vaccine’ being pushed on the public using fear, panic, and mass hysteria is all about control, power, and money by the government and big business.

Paul urged the church in Thessalonica to test all the prophesies – or information – that they received. Is the church today doing enough digging to get the truth?

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

Compiled by Becky Hastings who collects information on health and tries her best to discover and share truth. By God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, I was saved, blessed with a husband of 40 years, and five precious babies all grown up. I now get to delight as nine grandchildren grow! Together we can help each other discover a healthy path in this crazy upside down world.

Dear Daughter and SIL

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I have absolute confidence in your body’s ability to grow a baby, birth a baby, and breastfeed a baby! You’re doing great! God created your precious baby and knows him/her well already! There was a divine spark that ignited life in you and is now growing in you!

I recently saw this  list of questions to ask midwives and thought it was a fairly good list but got me thinking about the most important questions pregnant parents should ask. I would modify some of the questions so that they require more than a yes/no answer.

One question I would add – at the top of the list is “Describe the cord clamping process”. Many ‘standard’ practices of birth are widely accepted by midwives. Midwives were once the guardians of natural respectful birth but have become indoctrinated with medical training in a similar way as doctors. Not all midwives have the same outlook on standard procedures around birth which makes it important to know what to ask about. Some examples:

Pregnancy

TDaP & flu vaccines routinely recommended during pregnancy have never been safety tested, yet because CDC recommends them for every woman for every pregnancy – no matter when they had the last shot – midwives go along with suggesting or recommending them. This recommendation has only recently been implemented – from around 2008 or so. Before that EVERYONE understood vaccines in pregnancy were a very bad idea. I’ve got a few blogs about these. Moms can absolutely refuse. Politely refuse.

Rhogam during pregnancy. This shot has caused a lot of problems for some individuals related through VaxXed story videos. Many times the blood type of the father is not even considered. If both mom and dad are rH – there is no need for a Rhogam shot either during pregnancy or after birth. I admit I haven’t fully researched the impact of refusing Rhogam for after birth when a baby is rH positive. I just accepted that when my first two babies were born, tested to be + and I got the shot – after the birth. The only ‘danger’ or risk of refusing the Rhogam after birth is going to be for the next pregnancy/baby. If mom is rH negative and baby is rH positive some of the blood may have mixed during the birth process which would cause mom to produce antibodies in the next pregnancy. It will not impact the current baby. There are health risks for mom that are generally not presented when the shot is recommended. Rhogam contains polysorbate 80 which is known to open the blood brain barrier.

During Birth:

  • What type of monitoring is done during labor?
  • What kind of movement will be possible for me during labor?
  • How do you encourage movement?
  • Under what circumstances would you want to restrict movement?
  • What type of water birth options are available?
  • At what stage of labor is a birthing pool encouraged?
  • What position do most of your moms give birth in? This is a good question because it reveals the reality of what happens – not just what they say they believe in. Standing, squatting, (my third baby) or kneeling over a chair (that’s how you, #4, were born) allow the fullest opening of the pelvis for easier delivery. Lying on a bed restricts the pelvis – my first two babies.

After birth:

  • Vitamin K. Most facilities routinely administer vitamin K nearly immediately after birth – sometimes without even asking the parents or thinking twice about it. I’ve got a few blogs about Vitamin K. Knowing what I know I would always refuse vitamin K injections, but staff are often misinformed and very pushy about this. If the staff are pushy I would have vitamin K drops on hand and assure them the drops will provide even better protection. I don’t think the drops are necessary to give, but they provide a great protection from pushy medical people. Dr Suzanne Humphries speaks to the details of vitamin K injections and drops in a video on my blog.
  • Hepatitis B vaccine on first day of life. This is one of the worst vaccines. I’ve written extensively about it. Hepatitis B vaccine is never necessary, especially when mom is negative for hepatitis B, yet so many medical people push it as if it is life-saving.
  • ‘Eye goop’. Standard policy for all babies to protect against blindness possibly caused by STI in the vaginal canal. It burns baby’s eyes and causes them to keep them closed which can interfere with bonding.
  • Bath. Timing of the first bath. Many people feel delaying a bath is better for baby. The vernix is good to soak in the skin. Any mess can simply be wiped off.
  • Delayed Cord clamping is HUGE. Quick cord clamping greatly reduces baby’s total blood volume. 1/3 of baby’s blood is still in the cord. Some birth attendants think they delay because they wait one minute. The cord needs to be allowed to give all the residual blood and STEM CELLS to the baby. Some say 10 minutes, some say until the cord stops pulsating, and some do ‘lotus’ birth where they don’t ever cut the cord but keep the cord and placenta attached for days until it naturally falls off!
  • Ask ‘what happens to my placenta‘? That’s another good question. Many women want to keep their placenta. Some prepare it and capsulize it and find it a wonderful supplement for the months following birth. I never did that, but your SIL did.

All standard procedures can be refused – but navigating the process can be challenging depending on the staff, their beliefs, and their respect for you. Many babies ‘accidentally’ are given shots that the parents have expressly stated they do not want. The best approach for this is to keep the baby in your arms – mom or dad or baby body guard (BBG) – at all times while in the medical facility. If baby needs anything the nurse will sometimes say “I need to take baby to nursery for ….” a BBG must accompany nurse for all such visits. 

Medical people hate to be disrespected. The hardest part of navigating birth is the need to be ultra respectful and polite while standing your ground! Information, research, and knowledge will all give you the kahoonas to manage this process. Having respect for ridiculousness is not my strongest character strength, but I keep trying to learn and put it into practice.

I highly recommend a very short booklet called Basic Needs of a Woman in Labor. Understanding these principles truly make labor go easier, faster and better. You can order an electronic copy with any small donation.

Birth Without Fear: the judgment-free guide to taking charge of your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum by January Harshe published in 2019 looks like a great read.

I repeat, I have absolute confidence in your body’s ability to grow a baby, birth a baby, and breastfeed a baby! You’re doing great! God created your precious baby and knows him/her well already! There was a divine spark that ignited life in you and is now growing in you! My hope is that you would not have any fear at all, but feel empowered for this process. 
Love Mom

Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 23 years Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies. As a member of a Vaccine Safety Education Coalition, Becky writes and speaks on the topic of vaccine safety.

Assaulting Babies?

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Think about all the assaults impacting a newborn baby today:

  1. Vitamin K given ASAP at birth;
  2. Hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth;
  3. 36 doses of vaccines targeting 14 infections BEFORE 18 MONTHS, never tested individually for safety, or proven safe given in combination, yet recommended by CDC. 
  4. Circumcision for many. A study following 342K boys for 9 years: Ritual circumcision and risk of autism spectrum disorder in 0- to 9-year-old boys: national cohort study in Denmark, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4530408/
  5. Tylenol given for pain with vaccines and circumcision;
  6. A mom who receives flu or TDaP vaccines in pregnancy;
  7. Multiple ultrasounds in pregnancy;
  8. Poor latching and trauma that leads to lack of breastfeeding and receiving breastmilk substitutes which lack immune boosting and stem cells;
  9. Quick cord clamping reducing the blood volume and stem cells;
  10. Giving Tamiflu to children when they are sick;
  11. Birth trauma diminishing bonding opportunity with mom.

Boy’s have it particularly bad because of #3. All these “standard of care” treatments induce trauma and unnaturally stimulate the immune system.

Any wonder there is a ASD/ADHD epidemic?

More collections of information on longterm healthy choices for our babies:

Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 23 years Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies. As a member of a Vaccine Safety Education Coalition, Becky writes and speaks on the topic of vaccine safety.

Choosing Your Baby’s Doctor

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Many parents blindly trust doctors. Others mistrust all of them. How can parents find a doctor who respects their parenting decisions even if they may differ from standard medical advice or experience?

Some parents are informed of true vaccine risks versus benefits prior to pregnancy and childbirth and are able to avoid vaccines entirely; other parents notice vaccine injury and decide to discontinue giving further vaccines. Parents who follow standard medical practice, and allow their baby to be injected with vaccines, whether bullied into it or not, often experience deep feelings of betrayal on top of the trauma of dealing with a vaccine injury. They never expected that such a ‘nice doctor’ could recommend such a devastating procedure for their healthy baby. Many parents with children injured or killed by vaccines are further traumatized by the denial of the real and obvious vaccine injury by the ‘nice doctor’. Some parents are kicked out of a medical practice for refusing to accept more vaccines for their baby.

Parents who understand the true risk of vaccines seek to find a doctor for their baby who will respect their decision, if not fully support it.

Note:
If you are searching for a doctor who will support your non mainstream ideas regarding parental choice, you might want to adopt a stealth approach. Use vague words when asking questions like, “I’m looking for a doctor who supports a more natural holistic approach to health for my child.” Many parents have found they need to keep their child’s vaccine status quiet in order to protect their baby/child from ‘well meaning’ but ignorant people who could cause unwanted complications. By keeping our family’s vaccine status close to our chest until we get to know people, we provide greater protection for our young children.

Ways to identify doctors who accept non-vaccinated children without ever pushing vaccines.

Firstly, I don’t have lists of doctors, but there are a lot of respectful doctors available. Word of mouth is probably the best way to locate a potential doctor in your area. Some good ways (not guaranteed) to find an open-minded doctor:

1) Ask on local FB groups that have a more natural/crunchy leaning.
2) Ask moms from a La Leche League or other breastfeeding support group/meeting
3) Ask about doctors at a local health food store or co-op
4) Consider finding a “family” doctor or “general practitioner” who often have a more accepting attitude of family choices.
5) Look for some labels that indicate a differently thinking doctor like ‘Integrative’, ‘Functional Medicine’, or ‘Physical Medicine’. Practices with this type of ‘label’ may include chiropractors and have a more of a ‘team’ approach to achieving health.
6) Many families find regular chiropractic visits are more beneficial than pediatrician visits.
7) One option is to skip well visits completely.
Good questions to ask:

How does Dr _____ encourage natural immunity and health in babies and children? (good answers include supporting/encouraging exclusive breastfeeding, delaying or avoiding vaccines, attention to good nutrition and avoiding processed foods, elderberry or other immune boosting supplements, good sleep and hygiene practices, etc.)

What is Dr ____ approach to fevers in babies and children? Fevers are beneficial and yet many doctors and parents rush to give fever reducers which could actually cause further harm.

What does Dr _____ think of using vitamin C in high doses? While this might not be a ‘deal breaker’, knowledge of the effectiveness of vitamin C in babies and children is an indication that this doctor has researched beyond the standard training of medical school.

A bonus question regarding childhood cancers. I’m not sure of how to approach such a question, but it is becoming an increasing concern to parents that if a child is diagnosed with cancer they have very few treatment options (radiation, chemotherapy, and/or surgery). Many parents have faced the threat or reality of forced removal of their child by CPS/DCF if they seek second opinions or alternative therapies to treat their child’s cancer. My children are now grown, but it would be wise to get an awareness of your child’s doctor’s opinion on the growing incidence of cancers amongst children, causes and best options for treatment. I pray you will never need this information.

The NVIC.org provides helpful information on vaccine requirements and exemptions for each state. There may be local vaccine truth activist organizations or individuals that you can connect with. Finding other vaccine truth activists near you can be a great resource in many ways.

Doctors are highly regarded in our culture and can play a significant role in our parenting decisions. It’s important to find a doctor who encourages you, respects your parenting instincts, and truly has your baby’s health as their top priority. Not all pediatricians have taken the time necessary to research the complexities of vaccines for themselves. They trust what their training and professional organizations tell them. I wish you well in your search for such a person. Here is an example of an amazing doctor.

Please leave a comment with your suggestions for ways to find a doctor, and good questions to ask in your search!

Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 25 years, Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies, including which vaccines to choose. Becky loves mountain biking and appreciates donations, which mainly encourage her.

Vitamin K at Birth?

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I’m not telling you what to do. But please research, read, and investigate what standard procedures will be done to your baby BEFORE you give birth. A vitamin K injection soon after birth has been recommended for over 40 years. Some nurses have been so indoctrinated into thinking it is ONLY good, and never causes harm, that they resort to secretly administering these shots to parents who refuse. The following Facebook comment is verified as being the actual statement from a nurse working in Labor and Delivery for over 30 years:

One not so obvious implication with this nurse’s ‘well intentioned’ action is that she does not record giving the injection into the patient chart. Imagine if another nurse on a different shift has the same mindset? What if baby were actually given 2 or more vitamin K shots because it wasn’t recorded?

Parents. Inform yourself. Make your own choices. But if you go to a hospital make sure you have a reliable baby body guard who 100% agrees to uphold your wishes. Don’t take any chances. A baby body guard should be incredibly strong – unbending – while very respectful, since medical personnel often get their pride wounded when someone disagrees with them. A baby body guard NEVER leaves baby’s side. It is important to designate someone to this position because a mom may not be able to perform this role in the first few hours or sometimes days, after birth. Dad, grandmother, doula, or good friend are possible choices for this important role.

Did you know….The United States Food and Nutrition Board established the adequate intake (AI) level for vitamin K based on consumption levels of healthy individuals for babies 0-6 months at 2mcg. The injection routinely given to newborns contains 1mg (1000mcg) of vitamin K1.

Vitamin K is promoted to ‘protect’ baby from very rare brain bleeds, but is the vitamin K shot completely safe?

Click to read the ingredient list directly from the packaging.

There are two versions of the shot commonly used in US hospitals. The ‘preservative free’ version is manufactured by Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and contains 10mg of polysorbate 80.

Here is the black box warning:

The other vitamin K injection, phytonadione by Hospira, Inc., contains 9 mg of benzoyl alcohol (as a preservative) which will target baby’s liver and often leads to baby developing jaundice in the first 2 days of life. Additionally, the impact on the liver may be exacerbated by the 250 mcg of aluminum in the Hepatitis B shot which is also recommended to be given to baby on the first day of life.

The black box warning for this injection.

Does it make sense to inject every single baby with something that could harm them to protect them from something that occurs so rarely we don’t even keep stats on it? 

For more information on whether the vitamin K injection is a good idea for your baby, several key aspects of vitamin need to be explored:

  • The role of injected vitamin K in thickening the blood which prevents the delivery of baby’s own stem cells to the vital work of repair, especially to the brain, of birth trauma.
  • The critical importance of delayed cord clamping (until cord stops pulsating, which may take up to 10 minutes).
  • The amount of vitamin K in the injection.
  • The other ingredients in the injections such as polysorbate 80 which is known to open the tight junctures in the brain allowing other ingredients to pass the blood brain barrier.
  • Repeated exposure of polysorbate 80 and its role in anaphylactic shock. This ingredient is in the DTaP combination vaccine given in five doses starting at 2 months. It is also an ingredient in the HPV vaccine, which has one of the highest number of vaccine adverse events reported to VAERS.

I’ve collected information with citations in previous blogs:

Vitamin K in Brief
The Vitamin K Push
Vitamin K Links

Are there alternatives to injecting vitamin K? Many moms are comfortable with increasing their own stores of vitamin K by eating lots of green leafy vegetables late in pregnancy. Breastfeeding is so important for every aspect of baby’s longterm health, and will also convey the right amount of vitamin K. If you still feel fearful of not giving your baby the standard vitamin K injection, you can choose to give baby oral vitamin K instead.

In 1992, the Netherlands eliminated the vitamin K shot in favor of administration of 1 mg oral Vitamin K at birth followed by daily doses of 25 mcg from week 1 to 3 months of age in breastfed infants (source).

In Switzerland, a slightly different oral vitamin K protocol is used, which consists of weekly 1 mg oral doses for 2-3 months.

The result of this change?  No cases of Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding  (VKDB) – even late onset!

If your healthcare provider is leading you to believe that there aren’t safe and effective alternatives to the toxic vitamin K shot, time to call them out on their ignorance.  https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/skip-that-newborn-vitamin-k-shot/

Parenting is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of our lifetime. Once an injection is given, it cannot be taken back. Please research exactly what you want your baby to be injected with BEFORE you have to make the decision. Parents need to increase their intuition and decrease their reliance on medical doctors.

Why Are American Doctors so Clueless?

The infant mortality rate in the US is absolutely abysmal, ranking in 34th place after countries like Singapore, the Czech Republic, South Korea, Croatia, and Cuba. This despite having “the best” medicine in the world—and spending more than any other country on health care to boot. It’s quite clear that Americans have a lot to learn with regards to what makes for a healthy baby.

Long-term health does not at all appear to be correlated with getting an abundance of injections. We’re missing something, and I believe that something is really fundamental and basic. Many Americans do not trust their bodies to do what nature intended their bodies to do. The human body is imbued with the power to self heal, if given adequate support.  https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/12/vitamin-k-shot-newborns.aspx

All my love,
Becky
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 25 years, Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies. As a member of a Vaccine Safety Education Coalition, Becky writes and speaks on the topic of vaccine safety. Becky loves mountain biking and appreciates donations, which mainly encourage her.

Vaccines and Eczema

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Are we going backwards or forwards? Keep in mind as you read this precautionary policy from 1958 that they were only talking about a few vaccines, smallpox, polio and diphtheria. Today babies are given 36 vaccines against 14 different infections before they are two years old. The CDC has quite a lot of information about who should NOT get each vaccine, but nowhere do they mention eczema as a reason NOT to get vaccines.

In 1958 the American Academy of Pediatrics made the following statement:

1) No child with atopic eczema or other skin disorder should be vaccinated.
2) No child should be vaccinated if any member of his family has eczema or other skin disorder.
3) Parents of children with eczema should be notified at the onset of the disease of the danger from vaccination contact.
4) If a sibling of a child with atopic eczema is vaccinated, he must be completely separated from that child for at least 21 days.
5) Forms used by state and local health departments for parents’ consent to vaccination should include an appropriate warning of the contraindications.
6) Eczema vaccinatum should be a reportable disease.
7) Patients recently vaccinated must be excluded from pediatric wards containing patients with atopic eczema, other diseases of the skin, burns or healing surgical incisions.
8) Vaccination may be recommended at 2 months of age, especially for babies from strongly allergic families.

Received December 18, 1957.
Accepted February 18, 1958.
Copyright © 1958 by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Read the abstract and access the full paper here.

It is somewhat comforting to know that the CDC recognizes there are some people who should NOT get a DTaP shot:

However, rarely have I ever heard of pediatricians expressing hesitancy about administering this shot or asking about these adverse events. Also, many times a “life-threatening allergic reaction after a dose of DTaP” is denied as having been connected to the vaccine.

The bottom line is, in 1958 eczema was recognized as a signal that the immune system could not handle a vaccine. Today, it’s up to parents to educate and inform themselves on the true risk of vaccines in order to have a healthy baby. Parents will bear all the weight and responsibility for any vaccine harm.

Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 23 years Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies. As a member of a Vaccine Safety Education Coalition, Becky writes and speaks on the topic of vaccine safety.

Addendum. Helpful information if you have experienced eczema. https://thinkingmomsrevolution.com/thinking-moms-guide-red-flags-eczema/

This 2004 study purports to study vaccines and allergic responses such as eczema, but does not use a non-vaccinated control group. They compare DPT to MMR vaccines and make ‘adjustments’ for various factors. The ‘science’ seems to be designed to squelch all true understanding of the real risk of vaccines. Studies that have compared completely non vaccinated to vaccinated children show the non vaccinated to be significantly healthier. These studies have mostly been privately funded and are not recognized by government agencies who refuse to do their own study.

In the 20 minute video below Dr Shiva Ayyadurai provides a helpful informed explanation of the modern immune system and compares it to what was known about the immune system at the time of the development of vaccines. The truth is, doctors today are still operating under the old understanding and many will not associate auto-immune disorders like eczema to vaccines.

MIT PHD Explains the Reality of the Modern Immune System https://t.co/XHZhY17RXh— Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai, MIT PhD. Inventor of Email (@va_shiva) January 2, 2020

Unvaccinated: Why growing numbers of parents are choosing natural immunity

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A new book. This might be the perfect gift for your friend who is pregnant!

Unvaccinated: Why growing numbers of parents are choosing natural immunity for their children by Forrest Maready

I highly admire the work of Forrest Maready. He lives next door, in North Carolina (I live in South Carolina). His family has been profoundly adversely impacted by vaccines, which he only realized AFTER he began to research the topic extensively. He writes with a passion to convey the truth about the benefits of natural immunity and the unintended harm caused by our widespread vaccine recommendations. As a former vaccine proponent, he understands how difficult it is to encounter and process new information that challenges your underlying paradigms.

I have watched many of the 100s of videos he has made. I also met him personally at a meeting in Atlanta and found him to be a very smart, outside the box thinker. The world needs more people fully informed and gently sharing truth. If you read his book, and share it with others, together, we will make an impact!

“If you always wanted to give someone a short, cheap, easy-to-read explanation of why you’ve chosen natural immunity instead of vaccines, I’ve got a new book on Amazon! Only $7 and will change the mind of even the most skeptical mother-in-law!” Forrest Maready

Why are more parents choosing natural immunity for their children? When I first heard that people were purposefully not vaccinating their children, I was shocked. Vaccines have been described as the most incredible medical invention of all time—a miracle of science and technology that has saved the lives of untold millions. I couldn’t believe that seemingly intelligent, educated parents were purposefully foregoing vaccines for their children, and in fact, were so convinced these medical prodecures were harming us, they would go out of their way to try to convince others. When a close friend of mine told me that his infant child was going to be unvaccinated, I thought he was completely insane. After much coaxing, he convinced me to do my own research and challenge him on his beliefs. A few months later, I had read things about vaccines and disease that I had never heard before. Things that no one—including our pediatrician—had ever mentioned. I was convinced there was a giant conspiracy to try and discredit vaccines, but after diving headfirst into recent scientific research seldom mentioned in the news, I eventually came to believe much differently about vaccines and the diseases they are supposed to protect us from. This short book will take you along the same journey I made as I transitioned from a dedicated vaccinating parent to someone who now questions whether any vaccines are actually worth the risk, even in third world countries. It barely scratches the surface of this, the greatest debate of our time, but if nothing else, will give you a clear idea as to why an increasing number of parents are raising their children unvaccinated.

I personally have seen the obvious glowing health of non-vaccinated babies and children. In fact, my husband recently commented that a non-vaccinated baby we know stands out sharply in contrast to other babies of the same age because of his bright perceptive eyes, and vibrant glowing health. While many moms are struggling with breastfeeding, struggling for baby to gain weight, and struggling with many other challenges in the first year of life – which may or may not be connected with receiving so many vaccines – the non-vaccinated babies I have encountered rarely have these issues. Moms who have personally vaccinated one child, but made a choice to not give vaccines to subsequent children, are often amazed at the difference. Doctors who have large numbers of non-vaccinated babies and children in their practise have come to realise they are by far the most healthy children.

Those who choose not to vaccinate are not endangering the world, or taking advantage of the risk and sacrifice of others (as I have been accused). The best gift I can give to the world is a vibrant innate immune system. I support the immune system with clean eating and natural supplements. I do not fear infectious disease for myself, my children, or my grandchildren. Our bodies are designed to have a strong defensive strategy to combat disease when we seek to cooperate with it, and not override it with injecting very questionable ingredients.

Those who convey a sense of shock and horror for “the children who are immune compromised and not able to receive vaccines” need to do a lot more thinking about the issue, which would take at least another whole blog to address.

Be well. Be healthy. Inform yourself. Share truth with love.

Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a life & wellness coach, Becky seeks to inspire and motivate others to find increased energy, joy, and longevity. Navigating information to achieve long-term health goals in every area of life is a passion!