Category Archives: Parenting

A compendium for my expectant friends

Posted on by
5

Our oldest grandson born to our oldest son and his wife in 2012.

Dear Friend

I’ve got so much on my heart to share with you. I’ve been working on presenting information for new parents, especially moms, since 2013. I’m not sure I’ve got the presentation exactly right. I don’t know everything. I struggle to adequately share the passion of my heart. Sometimes I feel I might be too passionate. I don’t want to alienate new parents, but perhaps I have.

It’s just that the stakes are pretty high. Listening to the wrong advice can impact our whole life. I try to avoid giving advice. I urge new parents to investigate and understand everything – from car seat safety to medicalised births, and all procedures that are recommended for new babies. Don’t take anything for granted, especially when there are major industries involved.

Since my first baby was born I have been passionate about breastfeeding, one of the most empowering acts a woman can do.

The wonders of breastfeeding are far-reaching and well documented, yet, despite what we know, the actual breastfeeding rates are quite low. Woman are not getting helpful information or the support they need to be successful in breastfeeding their babies. I truly don’t believe it is a failure on the part of women, but a failure on the part of our culture and society. Many times a new mother’s attempts to breastfeed can be complicated by standards of care for pregnant, laboring, and new moms. Misinformation abounds in our society. If every mother and father fully understood how breastfeeding impacts life-long health and well-being, they would be far more committed to searching out information on how to be successful. Listening and following the wrong information could sabotage your best attempts in breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is a learned art. Breastfeeding is best learned from someone who has been successful at breastfeeding, has helped other mothers reach their own goals for breastfeeding, and has enjoyed the process. All five of my babies and all six of my grandchildren have been breastfed. My daughter-in-law has told me many times that I need to write a book for young moms who are trying to navigate the world of motherhood.

Here are some of my blogs I’ve prepared for someone just like you. I pray you will browse, check out my sources, dig a little deeper, and come to your own conclusions. I am always available to discuss anything. I try to keep an open mind and dig for the truth. I share with you because I care about you and the health and happiness of your future babies.

Our oldest granddaughter born to our second son and his wife in 2010.

Many friends have shared information with me along my journey of motherhood which began in 1982. I am thankful they did. Motherhood is perhaps the most difficult yet most significant job we will ever have in life. I’ve never met anyone who wanted to be a bad mother. I’ve never met anyone who wanted a miserable baby. Yet I’ve met many mothers who face profound discouragement and when they trace back their journey they often find it was because of poor advice they were given early in their motherhood career. I pray you will find strength in your motherhood journey and have wisdom to discern what is best for you and your baby.

Blessings,

Becky

Here are some suggestions on places to start on specific topics. You could consider it something like a table of contents in a book.

Author: Becky Hastings, wife to John for 36 years, mother of five naturally born breastfed babies, grandmother of six, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a volunteer breastfeeding counselor since 1993, Becky is devoted to helping parents, especially mothers, make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies.

Dear Soon to be New Mom

Posted on by
3

Dear mom to be,

I’m older than you; probably a lot older. I even have children who are older than you. You know many people like me and you take our words with caution – because we can’t possible know or understand your reality. You might be bombarded with well meaning advice.

I pray you will take a few minutes and try to understand my heart. I truly want only the best for you. I am older, but I have learned a lot in my many years and would love to share what I have learned with you – both from my mistakes and from my learning.

I’ve always tended toward being a trusting person. I have been duped many times because I put trust in the wrong place. My life was forever changed when I made the choice to anchor my trust in Jesus Christ alone. My wholehearted desire to seek a growing relationship with Jesus, my Savior, has led me to investigate all the decisions I make differently, especially for my babies.

When I was a very young expectant mother, God brought several wise women across my path who provided input and wisdom beyond my years. They urged me to investigate:

  • Childbirth options and drug free childbirth;
  • Drugs given to women during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding and what impact they might have on the developing/new baby;
  • Procedures common for childbirth and newborns like episiotomies and circumcision and whether they were the best thing for long term health;
  • Routine standard of care procedures for newborns and babies like vaccines, vitamin K injections, and prophylactic eye ointment, and if they were safe and beneficial for newborns.
  • Breastfeeding and how to be successful – learning through the vast experience of other mothers.

I totally believe in your ability to be an amazing mother. However, there are forces at work in our society which are going to make it a lot harder for you to achieve your own expectations. There has never been a more difficult, more confusing time to be a mother.

When I was younger I couldn’t imagine a world where harm would be done to babies just for the sake of making a profit. Unfortunately, as I have learned more about the world, I’ve seen it happening in far too many arenas; confirmed by far too many moms. I don’t enjoy being skeptical and suspicious, but as a mother who desires only the best for her babies, it pays to be vigilant about everything.

Most parents are quite concerned about car seats, mattresses, diapers, and other basic baby items. I encourage you to be even more vigilant about the health choices you make for your baby. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t wait until you are in the hospital or doctor’s office to investigate the many routine procedures they now perform on newborns or recommend during pregnancy. Don’t be afraid to hold a different opinion than the doctors or nurses. They probably have blindly accepted the information put out by the CDC. Their position and the pressure of insurance companies requires them to adhere to “routine standard of care” procedures, but that does not mean these practices are best for you and your baby. There are many highly intelligent members of the medical community who actively question and disagree with a lot of standard of care practices.

Making choices that go against mainstream recommendations can be a scary road to travel. I believe God gives mothers basic intuition on how to protect their baby and my desire is to nurture your intuition so that you can be a powerful advocate and warrior momma, doing everything you need to do to protect your baby from anything that could cause harm.

That is why I write. I am passionate about healthy empowered moms with healthy babies. I don’t make money! I have been researching many of these topics since I was newly pregnant 35 years ago. I have linked many of my previous blogs about these topics throughout this text. I encourage you to take a serious look at this information. I’d love to discuss any aspect of mothering with you. I realize you may make choices different from mine, and I respect your right to those choices. However, I urge you to make fully informed choices. Investigate, ask questions, dig deeper. Your baby will thank you.

All my love,

Becky

Author: Becky Hastings, wife to John for 36 years, mother of five naturally born breastfed babies, grandmother of six, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a volunteer breastfeeding counselor since 1993, Becky is devoted to helping parents, especially mothers, make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies.

Woman to Woman on Motherhood

Posted on by
4

Just part of the family. Full family get-togethers become increasingly difficult!

Originally published on January 2017

No longer in the stage of life of having small children – with all the joys and tasks they create – I now have the blessing of grandchildren! This allows me time to think about the significance of motherhood and seek to encourage moms in the most important role they could ever have. Seeking wisdom through the Bible daily, God sheds light in my heart and I desire to share this light with others.

Peter speaks directly to leaders in chapter five of his first letter, “Shepherd God’s flock. Not for the money, but eagerly.” These words powerfully impacted my heart one morning. Who are these words directed to? Leaders. Who is a leader? Parents are leaders. Mothers are leaders. We are entrusted with the leadership of our children.

What does it mean to shepherd a flock? I’m no expert in sheep, but my guess is the obvious things – take care of them. Make sure they have safe food, a safe place to eat and protect them from forces that might attack and harm them. David is a great example of a committed shepherd. He tells us that he actively protected his sheep by killing a lion and a bear. He didn’t abandon his sheep. He didn’t expect anyone else to come in and do his work for him. He was ready. He was alert. He was practiced. He attacked the enemies that sought to attack his flock.

We also read many of David’s psalms and we know God asserted that David was “a man after God’s own heart.” David was certainly not perfect. He committed adultery and murder and sought to cover it up. He married many wives and didn’t have a great track record as a father. However, God continues to affirm that David’s heart was directed toward God. I believe part of this comes from his occupation during the boredom of looking after his sheep. Let’s face it, when you are looking after sheep, there are times of boredom – when everything seems to be going well. David used this time to exalt in God. He wrote down praises to God and he memorized them. He used his down time to extol God and bask in who God is.

As mother-leaders we are to be prepared to actively protect our flock – the children we are blessed to bear and raise. We can also use the times of boredom to dig deeper into knowing God, knowing His word, memorizing His word and exalting God in our lives.

In 2017 we need to know exactly what dangers our sheep are facing. We need to have an awareness of the very real dangers in our world so that we can expose them and help our children avoid being consumed by the enemies they will encounter. I don’t believe we are called to push for a better world, or even hope that there will be a political solution to the evil we see around us. But, as a vigilant shepherd, as a mother today, we seek to protect our babies. God has entrusted them to our care; we must be aware and warn them of danger. An alert shepherd will investigate potential danger before advancing to a new area. Shepherds should be able to understand, point out, and explain the reason a particular path holds danger.

For me personally, as someone who has been blessed to get support and information that enabled me to have natural births and breastfeed the five children I was blessed by God to bear, the world of childbirth and early parenting are close to my heart. Knowing how empowering the act of giving birth naturally was for me, knowing how empowering the act of nurturing a baby exclusively at the breast is, and watching with delight as baby grows and thrives on breast milk alone is an unparalleled experience.

I believe the enemy wants to rob women of this empowering experience. Further, the enemy seeks to sow discord in the hearts of children and break the bonding process experienced easily through natural birth and breastfeeding. I am not trying to criticize anyone who has had a different experience, but the reality is, bonding is more difficult when there are complications in childbirth and when early breastfeeding is a struggle. These are not insurmountable challenges, but require much more effort and determination to get through. As a breastfeeding counselor for 23+ years I have seen women overcome incredible challenges to successfully breastfeed, but my heart aches to watch completely unnecessary complications develop because of lack of support, or poor recommendations to unsuspecting women.

I believe the medical establishment has so medicalized the childbirth experience that most women are deprived of the support necessary to watch their body give birth. A woman is designed to give birth and her body is the most amazing part of the process. Our modern medical practices often unnecessarily complicate the process and serve to DISempower women of their biological strength. Again, this is not meant as a criticism to specific women, who generally do the best with the situation they face, but to the system. Medicalized births often lead to increased trauma to both mom and baby and can make breastfeeding more difficult. Additionally, standard hospital practices, such as early cord clamping, routine vitamin K injections, eye ointment, and some of the well meaning advice given by staff can adversely impact bonding and breastfeeding. Medical personnel who are ignorant of breastfeeding can create many obstacles for a brand new mother trying to get breastfeeding off to a good start. Routine circumcision of male newborns can seriously impact breastfeeding – yet mothers are not warned.

As a breastfeeding counselor, nothing hurts my heart more than watching innocent, but ignorant, parents, blindly follow medical or cultural advice and end up actually harming their own child. They do not intend harm to their precious baby, but the system has ensnared them into decisions that are not in their baby’s best interests for lifelong health.

How? The list is long. Giving pregnant women vaccines which are known to harm the developing baby, giving many ultrasounds in pregnancy, routine birth practices (such as routine inductions or quick C-sections) designed with the doctor or hospital in mind but which put baby at greater risk of harm, vaccines given to baby, circumcision, allergy shots for children, Tylenol, screen time for babies and children (more addictive and damaging than some drugs), GMO food, processed foods, blindly trusting public schools or curriculum, Disney movies, etc.

I was once in darkness about most of these things. I didn’t know how harmful they were. But, having researched and now understanding the danger, I can no longer blindly continue these harmful practices for myself. As an “older women” I can no longer stand idly by and watch younger women get sucked into very dangerous fields where the enemy stands ready to devour both them and their young lambs.

So, I must speak out and warn others, despite the risk of being dismissed as crazy, or ridiculed by what I point out. I am encouraged by Paul’s admission of craziness,

“For if we are out of our mind (super crazy), it is for God, and if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels, us because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all died. And He died for all that those who live, no longer live for themselves, but for Him who for their sake, died, and was raised.” 2 Corinthians 5:13-14

Peter warns us that we need to ‘”Be serious. Be alert. Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith.” 1 Peter 5:8-9

This is why I started this blog. Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing.

Author: Becky Hastings, wife to John for 36 years, mother of five, MIL to two, grandmother of six, passionate follower of Jesus Christ. A full time truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our present day world can be challenging, God’s timeless truths in the Bible are my guide.

Reasons for Circumcision

Posted on by
2

Botched circumcisions are a reality. Circumcision, which should more appropriately be referred to as ‘complete foreskin amputation’, as performed in the US on infants, often goes wrong. You might not have heard about it. Parents don’t talk about it. Boys and men experience so much trauma and pain that they rarely discuss it. Yet it is a reality that has negatively impacted the lives of thousands. Circumcision is a risk. It is a risk to lifelong sexual satisfaction; a risk of functional use of a healthy specifically designed part of the body. And there is a risk of death – far more often than parents are told about.

“The hundreds of boys I have seen who needed surgery to repair problems caused by their circumcisions are real. The men who lost more parts of their penis than the foreskin are real. The thousands of adult men saying they wish they hadn’t been cut are real. Not recognizing that circumcision is harmful is either ignorance or denial.” Adrienne Carmack, M.C., urologist https://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/for-professionals/complications/#anchor-02

Please inform yourself of exactly what the procedure entails BEFORE you are in the hospital faced with the question of whether to keep your son intact or not. This is elective surgery. It is a choice for parents to make, yet often parents are not fully informed.

I urge you to dedicate at least 2 – 4 hours researching circumcision before you make an irreversible decision for your son’s genitalia. If you still decide to do the surgery, at least you will make an informed decision that you won’t later go back to and say, “I wish I knew better before I had made this permanent decision for my son about his genitals.”

The most important thing for you to do right now is to decide why you might want to have this surgery done to your newborn son.

The most common reason given for circumcision is because they want their son to look like everyone else, so they won’t be teased or embarrassed. The truth is ALL penises look different – whether intact or cut. Over 80% of adult men in the world have intact genitalia. Many experts in the US now admit that there is no need for circumcision and recognize it as purely cosmetic surgery. Because of that, insurance doesn’t always pay for it, and many parents are now skipping the procedure. As a result, fewer and fewer infants in the US are having this cosmetic surgery so the locker room issue will not arise. In 2010, the CDC reported that 41.70% of baby boys left US hospitals intact! Would you endorse cosmetic surgery on your young daughters genitals or breasts to conform to other girls? Could we give our sons the same consideration?

Some moms want to circumcise their newborns because they don’t like the way an uncircumcised man looks. Maybe their son’s future wife won’t have that same opinion. Intact men are satisfied with their genitals. When asked, most intact men say they would rather face teasing than have their forsaken amputated. Adult men will have the opportunity of having a circumcision – with true informed consent – if they desire.

Other people opt to circumcise because of the religious connection. In the book of Genesis, Abraham was told to circumcise all the males in his household. When Jesus was eight days old, his parents took him to be circumcised. This procedure, given to the Jewish nation before running water, was symbolic in nature and had no value except to mark someone as a Hebrew person that placed their faith in God. Biblical circumcision was a cut. A small blood sacrifice; a mark on the skin. It was not a complete amputation of the foreskin. Only a very small bit of the excess foreskin was removed. It never involved forcibly tearing the protective skin away from the glans (head) of the penis, which is adhered at birth like a fingernail is to a finger. Additionally, there are many New Testament examples that clearly show us the need for a blood sacrifice has been finally fulfilled in Jesus’ death and circumcision is no longer necessary. See Galatians 5 & 6 or look up circumcision in a concordance.

Here are a few links that I urge you to look at BEFORE making any kind of irreversible decision for your precious son.

There is a lot of discussion on whether a baby can feel the pain of this traumatic surgical procedure, or if that pain makes a difference in his life. Anesthesia … http://www.drmomma.org/2008/11/the-effectiveness-of-anesthesia-for.html?m=1

Why did circumcision became so mainstream in the US? These excerpts from medical journals from the late 1800’s and the 1900’s provide the answers. http://www.drmomma.org/2007/05/circumcision-brief-history-in.html?m=1

This EXCELLENT video, Child Circumcision: An Elephant in the Hospital, looks at the topic through both a review of scientific literature and a discussion of the human cost of the procedure, this presentation explores these questions from the perspectives of the child, the adult survivor, the parent, and the practitioner. Ryan McAllister, PhD, is a parent, a biophysicist, an Assistant Professor of Physics and Oncology at Georgetown University, and also a volunteer who supports parents and families. Over the last 10 years he has been studying the medicalization of childbirth in U.S. hospitals.

The actual procedure: An infant’s penis is very small making such surgery difficult and delicate. There is a very small surgical field and no way to know how the penis would normally grow, which can and does result in devastating outcomes. In fact, some men have painful, tight erections because too much foreskin is removed in infancy. Any parent considering allowing such a surgical procedure on their son should at the very least, watch a video that shows what happens during the procedure. This video is a US style circumcision using a plastibell device. [Edit: the original linked video vanished so I found another one. It is age restricted so you will have to click on it to watch on YT.]

From a nurse…

…the first circumcision I saw was in nursing school. I asked the doc if he would use something for pain. He said, “No, topical meds won’t be enough before hand and if I give him injections I’ll have to give 9-12 injections, which will make the pain worse at first. No, it’s better to just do it quickly. Get it finished. Apply topical pain relief and give him to his mom to nurse or feed.”

The nurse took the baby back to mom after he had stopped crying. She told mom, “He did great…” and mom smiled. She never knew what the experience was like for her son. It was heartbreaking. I asked the nurse how she felt about it and told her I felt sick. I was shaking. She said, “Yeah it’s one of the worse parts of the job…” and that was it. She walked off. Later she told me she wished it didn’t happen and her own son was intact. I said, “Well, yeah, because you’ve seen it happen – how awful it is. These parents, here, never see behind the scenes.”
Alicia J.

I hope these resources help you get started in learning about the details of making this important decision for your precious son. This is my second blog on this topic, you can read my first blog here.

Edit: I just found 2 more thorough sources of information published by GreenMedInfo on this topic:

Ji, Sayer. “Infants Deeply Traumatized By Common Medical Procedures, New Study Suggests.” GreenMedInfo – The World’s Natural Health Resource, 30 July 2016, www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/infants-deeply-traumatized-medical-procedures-new-study-suggests-1.

Quine, Spoony. “The Foreskin: Why Is It Such A Secret In North America?” GreenMedInfo – The World’s Natural Health Resource, 2 July 2015, www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/foreskin-why-it-such-secret-north-america.

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.

10 Not so frequently shared facts regarding Circumcision

Posted on by
6

Circumcision is a very hot topic. So hot, in fact, that many parent health forums on Facebook completely ban it from discussion and all posts using the word are deleted. Discussing the genitals of males seems to elicit strong emotion from all angles. For this reason, I believe a lot of people have never really taken a serious look at the discussion — have never investigated the true facts for themselves. My toddler grandson was able to get away from his mother during a diaper change at a church social gathering and enjoyed the freedom of walking around naked. There were several young fathers who noticed him and remarked amongst themselves, “He must be European.” Between them they had seven sons. They totally accepted that the American way is to cut off the foreskin.

1. Circumcision practiced today is NOT the same as Biblical circumcision. Firstly I want to address the actual word. The word circumcision is a familiar term to Christians and people familiar with the Torah or religious practices of Abraham’s descendants. The use of the word in our modern context is not at all the same. The procedure performed on infants today, predominantly in the US, should more appropriately be known as foreskin or prepuce amputation. Many people refer to it as genital mutilation.

Language is critically important in this discussion. The practice introduced to Abraham was not the same practice performed in US hospitals today. During Abraham’s time no one could imagine the complete amputation of an infant’s foreskin. This is part of the reason that ancient artistic depictions of the infant Jesus show him to be intact. (http://www.drmomma.org/2009/11/jack-black-on-circumcision.html) Of course the fact of Jesus’ circumcision according to the Jewish law was never questioned, but the procedure was one of a slight cutting of the foreskin which left the appearance of an intact organ. Biblical circumcision was a cutting of the foreskin, not a cutting off of the entire prepuce.

2. Rate of death from the modern practice of foreskin amputation is approximately one infant every two days in the US. According to those who have researched documented cases of death where the stated cause is circumcision, approximately every second day a baby boy dies as a result of circumcision complications. The actual number may be far higher, as circumcision is not always listed as the cause of death. Deaths may be attributed to a secondary cause such as infection or bleeding, which would never have occurred without the surgical procedure of cutting off the foreskin. Parents are rarely warned that there is a real risk of death from the trauma, or from the bleeding.

MORBIDITY: Deaths from circumcision and its complications are estimated at 229 per year based on a ratio from a British study. There are about 178 times the number of circumcision deaths than schoolyard violent deaths each year.   http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/bollinger2004/

3. The US is the only country with high rates of routine infant foreskin removal. Prevalence of circumcision in other countries according to the WHO is ±30% of the total male population. Parents in the US are completely oblivious to the rate of circumcision throughout the world.

“The strange truth is that the U.S. is the sole country in the world where a large majority of its male population is routinely circumcised at birth for non-religious reason.”

“The neonatal circumcision rate peaked in the U.S. in the late 1960s, at around 80-90%. Since then, the procedure has been slowly declining—in part due to the skepticism of parents who no longer place blind faith in the medical establishment and in part due to the profession’s own writings.”

https://matthewtontonoz.com/2015/01/05/why-is-circumcision-so-popular-in-america/

Good news: “The intact rate among newborn males in the U.S. has increased from 15 percent in 1965 to 44.5 percent in 2006. This is an increase of 294 percent.”  http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/USA//

4. The positive role of the foreskin. The foreskin is an organ that the majority of men in the US have not experienced. “Removing this healthy, vital, fully functioning organ from a non-consenting person will forever change the sexuality of this future adult man and his partner.” The intact foreskin provides external protection, self-cleansing, internal self-protection, immunological protection, antibacterial function, coverage during erection, erogenous sensitivity, sexual functions, and self lubrication. Foreskin removal deprives a man of these benefits. http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/functions-of-foreskin-purposes-of.html

5. There are no health benefits from routine infant foreskin removal. Circumcision has no justifiable benefits and is in fact harmful – from pain and suffering to surgical botches to reduced maternal-child bonding and interfering with breastfeeding. Medical authorities throughout the world consider circumcision medically unnecessary and unethical. Botched circumcisions can cause trauma for boys and men throughout their lives.  https://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org

6. Blood loss is a serious risk of routine foreskin amputation, especially for infants. Parents are not adequately warned of this danger. Losing a small amount of blood results in a significant loss of a baby’s total blood volume. “An eight pound baby only needs to lose 1 ounce of blood to hemorrhage, and just 2.3 ounces to die as a result of this blood loss. It can, and does, occur at a frighteningly quick pace.” Smaller babies are even more at risk. http://www.drmomma.org/2010/05/death-from-circumcision.html

7. Baby Foreskin is a highly profitable commodity. Infant foreskins are sold at considerable profits for scientific research, vaccine development, and other consumable uses. Details of the many uses and how to harvest the highly valuable fibroblast cells are discussed here. https://vactruth.com/2017/09/28/foreskin-used-in-vaccines/

8. Baby boys should be like their fathers/brothers/etc.? Performing a surgical amputation is not justified because of a surgical amputation performed on the infant’s father, siblings, or other males. Most of us were taught as children, Two wrongs don’t make a right.

9. Male infants are not able to give informed consent AND the experience is painful and traumatic. The most popular surgical procedure performed on male babies is profoundly stressful, provides no medical benefit, and can impair breastfeeding and thus long-term health, yet it is completely cosmetic.

10. There is no current Biblical imperative for Christians to circumcise their infant. In fact, the imperative is to love and treat others the way you would want to be treated. Part of the parental role is to investigate every single medical procedure recommended for your baby and ask questions. Any procedure that provides an income stream to hospitals, doctors, and research labs is going to be promoted. Get the facts. I encourage you to read the entire letter Paul wrote to the Galatians, especially chapter 5 and 7. Here are the highlights:

“But if I still proclaim circumcision … then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.” 

“I wish that those who are pushing you to do so would mutilate themselves!”

“And even those who advocate circumcision don’t really keep the whole law. They only want you to be circumcised so they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples.” 

“For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters. Rather, what matters is being a new creation.”

Galatians 5:11, 12; 6:13, 15

“Cutting off a functional, protective, and sensitive body part is a far-reaching decision that the vast majority of Europeans believe should be left to its owner when he becomes old enough to understand the consequences. Despite the recent, backward-looking statements by U.S. medical organizations, more and more Americans are beginning to agree.” Morten Frisch, M.D., Danish epidemiologist

“Genital cutting and the amputation of a healthy, functioning body organ from a non-consenting human being is a severe violation of human rights. If we did such a thing to a dog, we would be charged with animal abuse.” http://www.drmomma.org/2010/07/biblical-circumcision-information.html


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. 

 

Vaccines

Posted on by
5

Welcome to my information page to help you explore the health benefits and safety of vaccines, especially for babies and children. Every parent wants a healthy happy baby. You will find a lot of conflicting information available today on exactly how to achieve that goal – a healthy HAPPY baby. I’ve been researching this topic – HAPPY babies – for over 34 years and have learned a lot along the way from thousands of mothers and babies, books, and experts.

I urge you to take all the time necessary to find out if vaccines, and any other recommended standard medical treatments, are going to ensure that your baby is healthy and happy. If you are still pregnant you might like to explore how labor and childbirth can have a longterm impact on your child.

Bringing a precious new life into the world is one of the greatest thrills and responsibilities we may ever have in our lifetime. Nurturing a human being over time is an enormous privilege. Congratulations on taking the time to think through some very important issues. I have supplied links below to some of my compilations for new parents, grandparents, and anyone concerned about the health and safety of babies. You could think of this as a table of contents in a book. Feel free to browse in whatever order works for you. I’m always open to ideas of how I can improve my delivery of information, so feel free to make a comment or send me a message.

START HERE: First Shots Recommended for all babies born in USA:
Vitamin K in Brief
Hepatitis B Vaccine
My Dear Friend – it’s about vaccines
Preparing to Vaccinate
The CDC Vaccine Schedule – How Many SHOTS?
Especially for pregnant woman/couples:
Pregnant? Who Do You Trust?
WARNING for Pregnant Women
To My Newly Pregnant Friend
MUST READ for Pregnant/Potentially Pregnant Couples
Information Everyone Should Explore:
Shots for Babies
Vulnerable Brains
240 Doctors Question Vaccine Safety
The Shocking Truth about aborted human fetal cells in vaccines
How Do I Research Vaccines?
The CDC USA Vaccine Schedule
What Do I Say to My Doctor?
Tetanus Links
It’s Not Just Autism
Vaccines and Childhood Cancer?
Which Vaccines are Safe?
What About School?
Real Stories of Babies Harmed by Vaccines
Healthy Babies Don’t Just Die: Gunner Wayne Bohn
It Wasn’t the Truck: Connie’s Grandson
Healthy Babies Don’t Just Die Part 2: Johnny Bloem
Healthy Toddlers DON’T JUST DEVELOP AUTISM: Josiah
How Many Shots?: Luca
Delayed Selective Vaccines: Colt Barham
It’s Just a Tetanus Shot: Christie’s son
A Heartbroken Mother’s Story: premature baby dies after Hep B vaccine
Especially for Christians
Calling all Christians
Health, Jesus, Vaccines: do they go together?
The Shocking Truth about aborted human fetal cells in vaccines

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.

Be Bold, Share Truth!

Posted on by
2

I overheard an expectant father mention that his first baby was due in September.  He was excited about picking up a large package — a gift in anticipation for the arrival of his new baby. We happened to be exiting the post office at about the same time.

I boldly started a conversation with this total stranger by asking his permission: “Would you mind if I shared some unsolicited information with you?”

He answered, “Sure.”

So I started, “Please research vaccines before you agree to give them to your new baby.”

And you know what – HE WANTED TO KNOW MORE! He asked questions. He was receptive. He was APPRECIATIVE. He wanted to get the name of my website. He wanted to take my card. He was 100% supportive of his wife breastfeeding and wanted to share information about our local breastfeeding support group with her.

He totally understood that fact that there are some irregularities between the pharmaceutical industry and our government which might not be in our best interests, and was not at all offended by my approaching him. He was THANKFUL.

So, GO FOR IT. Look out for new parents. Take the bold plunge. ASK them if you can share some important information with them. Get their permission and approach gently. Parents need to be warned about the risk and potential harm of the recommended vaccine schedule.

Every parent genuinely wants the very best for their children, but they don’t have all the facts.

Becky on stageBecky Hastings, a wife, mom, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, health promoter, breastfeeding counsellor helping moms for 22+ years, and someone who seeks to research, understand and share truth so people can make wise choices in our crazy mixed up, deceived world!

Shots for Babies

Posted on by
1

These are the actual shots that were prepared for a 16 month old who was “behind” on her vaccines. She was given all these vaccines on the same day: DPaT (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), Hib (Haemophilus influenza type B), IPV (Inactivated poliovirus), MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), Varicella (chicken pox), Hepatitis A, and PCV (Pneumococcal conjugate).

Parents unquestioningly line up their children to receive this many shots. It is routine for the doctor’s office staff to inject this many needles using both arms and both legs of baby while holding them down with force. Some babies and children actually die within hours or days after this chemical assault injected into their body. Many have serious immediate reactions which may have lifelong negative impacts. Other children seem to be ‘fine’ but return to the pediatrician’s office over time with ADD, ADHD, autism, diabetes, and various other illnesses, and they continue to be injected with yet more vaccines – all on the CDC schedule – but no one connects the dots. Referrals are made to occupational and speech therapy, and children are diagnosed with speech or developmental delay, and autism and many other auto-immune conditions or allergies.

Rarely do parents, or doctors, stop to ask WHY?

Please educate yourself, and all the pregnant or potentially pregnant people you know – BEFORE they face this many injections for their precious baby at one time. This schedule has never been studied in combination and US children are sicker than ever.
Read more about Navigating the Vaccine Information.

 

Becky Hastings, a wife, mom, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, health promoter, breastfeeding counsellor helping moms for 22+ years, and someone who seeks to research, understand and share truth so people can make wise choices in our crazy mixed up, deceived world! Sometimes I share recipes and homespun teaching videos.

 

Identifying Vaccine Injury

Posted on by
4

Some symptoms of vaccine injury are obvious.[1] Others are not. If you or anyone you know experiences a baby or child death soon after vaccines, there are some tests that can be done to determine if the death is connected to vaccines. Evidence of an association is required to pursue a case with the Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation program and there is a strict time limit for claims – two years for deaths and three years for injuries.[2] These tests are briefly described further down along with a link to the Parents Guide: What to do if Your Child Dies After Vaccination, Guidelines to Autopsy Medical Tests Parents Immediately Should Require (Guidelines) [3].

Some babies/children demonstrate immediate behavior changes including illness, pain, fever, or seizures soon after receiving vaccines, sometimes within minutes or hours. Other babies/children may demonstrate a decline over time, may develop allergies, neurological impairment, gastrointestinal disorders, or other auto-immune illnesses. For the injuries that develop over time, vaccination is often overlooked. Because the CDC and others promoting vaccines are adamant that ‘vaccines are safe and effective’ tests and research to examine a possible link between vaccines and illness are often denied.

Many vaccine injuries can take months to become apparent. If you must give vaccines, for any reason, please read this or this before you take your baby/child for injections, so that you can prepare to offset any possible negative impact. It is highly recommended to keep a health journal before and after vaccinations and list all allergies, food intolerance or aversions, unusual behavior, sleep patterns, skin conditions, gut status, etc. Small things mean a lot. Keep copies of all medical records. Ask for a copy of the record after all visits to a doctor.

Adults may be able to sue vaccine producers for vaccine injury [4] and you can probably sue for injury to your pets, but because of the 1986 Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, you cannot directly sue the vaccine manufacturers or those giving the vaccinations when a child is killed or injured by vaccines.

While most doctors of the past 50 years are not trained to acknowledge or identify vaccine injury, many are learning through experience to identify vaccine injury. Parents are also extremely in tune with their baby and are able to recognize even subtle changes in development after vaccines. Videos of your baby/child provide excellent proof of neurologic impact from vaccines.

For many, the worst-case scenario is for a healthy happy infant or child to die soon after vaccines. These cases are often termed “Sudden Infant Death” (SIDS) or Sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC). This term is defined as the death of a child over the age of 12 months and was officially adopted in 2005 in Pediatric and Developmental Pathology after a talk from 1999 in which Dr Henry Krous asked “Post-Infancy SIDS: Is it on the rise?” [4]

One can’t help but ask, does the increase in the number of vaccines play a role in these deaths?

Before your  baby is two years old, the CDC says they need 36 vaccines against 14 different infections, delivered via 24 needles, and containing 91 different antigens.

By the time children are six years old, a child receives 46 vaccines with a combination of ingredients that has never once been tested for safety. Could this increase have anything to do with this unexplained devastating new childhood diagnosis of SUDC?

If a baby/child dies soon after vaccines it is very important that the correct tests are done including tests for CRP (C-reactive protein), liver enzymes, cytokines panel, brain tissue samples and more. See this comprehensive Guidelines for details of all medical tests and information on attorney recommendations. [3]

“With the current practice of injecting several multi-valent vaccines [often as many as 9 separate vaccines] into an infant or toddler during the same office visit, some recipients’ central nervous systems (CNS) apparently become overloaded and/or the brain suffers dramatic injury from multiple neurotoxins and other toxic chemicals crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB); others experience severe allergic reactions to one or more of the vaccine components. Encephalopathy or anaphylaxis can occur with fatal results.” [3]

Parents are usually in shock immediately after the sudden death of their baby/child. The government will often perform an autopsy, but the parents need to know “they have every right to request the pathologist perform post-mortem blood and tissue assays/analyses” as described in the Guidelines. [3]

“Parents may need an attorney’s legal help and/or intervention to get the proper tests performed. Nevertheless, parents have every legal right to request an autopsy be performed, including certain tests looking for toxins, similar to what is done in drug overdose deaths. Parents also have the right to request storage of samples for future tests that are developed as new scientific discoveries are made.” [3]

Chances are, if you are reading this, you or a loved one has personal experience with an unexplained death after vaccines. This is an incredibly difficult time and the agony can be multiplied to learn that a procedure you follow for your baby/child, in the interest of keeping them healthy, is one that could potentially have caused their death. My heart aches for the thousands of deaths of babies and young children every single year soon after their vaccines, and I pray these parents will find the answers they need, and will be able to help educate other parents on this subject.

Becky on stageBecky Hastings, a wife, mom, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, health promoter, breastfeeding counsellor helping moms for 22+ years, and someone who seeks to research, understand and share truth so people can make wise choices in our crazy mixed up, deceived world!

 

[1] Heartbreaking Stories of Vaccine Injury. Link Accessed 07/04/2017. http://vaccine-injury.info/about.cfm

[2] Link accessed 07/04/2017. http://vaccinelaw.com/lawyer/2016/03/25/Filing-a-Claim/5-Things-to-Know-if-You-Have-Suffered-a-Vaccine-Injury-_bl24192.htm

[3] Link accessed 07/04/2017. Ericsson, Norma and Frompovich, Catherine J. Guidelines to Autopsy Medical Tests Parents Immediately Should Require an Autopsy That Includes Certain Tests. ©2012. https://vactruth.com/2012/08/21/autopsy-medical-tests/

[4] Link accessed 07/04/2017. Rapport, Jon. Victims of Vaccine Damage Can Sue Manufacturers in the U.S. It’s happening now. http://www.robertscottbell.com/government/victims-of-vaccine-damage-can-sue-manufacturers-in-the-us-its-happening-now-by-jon-rappoport/

[4] Link accessed 07/04/2017. Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_unexplained_death_in_childhood

 

Vulnerable Brains

Posted on by
2

“The early environment for a human infant is particularly important. In fact, the most vulnerable time for a human’s brain development in terms of environmental impact is from the period of birth and for several months after, in this fourth trimester. It is in this time that a human needs to avoid serious stressors, and it is when nurturing is so critical. There is a continued need for protection throughout childhood, of course, but the closer to the day of the, the more important affection is.”[1]

Does it make any sense to inject known neurotoxins into a baby on the first day of life? Or at 3 months? A babies’ brain is in such a critically vulnerable state at this time and needs to be protected. It is the parents most critically important role – to protect their babies’ brains. Every procedure must be evaluated in the light of the impact it could have on the very vulnerable brain.

Babies routinely receive three doses of the Hepatitis B vaccine which contains 0.25 mg aluminum as aluminum hydroxide starting on the first day of life, again at one month, and six months.

Babies also are routinely injected with Vitamin K within hours of birth. There are two brands of vitamin K.  Hospira, contains 9 mg of benzyl alcohol as preservative which damages the liver and contributes to the high frequency of infants who develop jaundice within two days of birth. The other brand, Amphastar,  contains polysorbate 80 and propylene glycol. Both are seriously dangerous neurotoxins. Polysorbate is known to open the blood brain barrier and when given in conjunction with aluminum, the hazard is drastically increased.

Many researchers are now suggesting that giving mothers vitamin K in during pregnancy provides protection and is far safer than subjecting every baby to a Vitamin K shot at birth (which carries a black box warning due to risk of side effects).[2]

In the rare circumstances when vitamin K is recommended, “oral Vitamin K is as effective as injectable Vitamin K and its usage is recommended in our country to reduce complications and costs of parenteral therapy.”[3]

Please research the risk versus benefit of ALL medical procedures recommended for your precious baby – especially in that critically important 4th Trimester – or the first 3 months of life.

Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, and 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. 

[1] Fallon, James. The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist’s Personal Journey Into the Dark Side of the Brain, New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2013. p. 98. Print.

[2] Motohara K, Takagi S, Endo F, Kiyota Y, Matsuda I. Oral supplementation of vitamin K for pregnant women and effects on levels of plasma vitamin K and PIVKA-II in the neonate. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1990 Jul;11(1):32-6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2388129

[3] Malik S, et al. Comparative study of oral versus injectable vitamin K in neonates. Indian Pediatr. 1992. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/1428134/