Thread by @unvaxed

When I was pregnant, I asked my #antivax parents to get the #whoopingcough #vaccine to protect their grandchild from it. They refused. We got in a big fight & there were lots of tears on both sides.

I told them that #whoopingcough can be deadly for infants & a person can be contagious with it before they show symptoms or know they have it.

I told them the CDC, AAP & my OBGYN recommended any caregiver in regular, close proximity to the baby should be #vaxxed against #whoopingcough. They also recommend the #flu shot, but I wasn't due in flu season and didn't want to have that fight too.

1 of my parents' #antivax arguments has always been that babies' immune systems can't handle so many #vaccines (false), so I thought they might #vax themselves to help protect the baby, but no.

They argued that they didn't want to "inject themselves with chemicals" & couldn't believe I was asking them to get #vaccinated.

They asked, wouldn't my baby be protected b/c of the #tdap #vaccine I got in the 3rd trimester? I said, yes, partially, but it would be even safer for baby to be surrounded & cocooned by people who were also #vaccinated. Better safe than sorry.

They told me I was being ridiculous. Was I going to ask everyone the baby came into contact with if they were #vaccinated? For strangers, no, but I didn't plan to let strangers hold/touch my baby. And I COULD ask strangers if they're #vaxxed, b/c what do I care if I offend them?

As for our friends, they're not #antivax. I bring up #vaccines in conversation regularly. I rant about Jenny McCarthy every New Years Eve. Our friends agree with me & trust science. Being #antivax might be a friendship dealbreaker on my end.

And I have no problem asking our friends if they're #vaccinated, because they all have kids & understand that I ask because I'm trying to protect my baby. #parenting #ittakesavillage

In the end, I couldn't convince my parents to get the #whoopingcough #vaccine & they said if that meant they couldn't come see the baby, they understood. But it's their first #grandchild & I didn't want to do that to them.

I talked to my OBGYN about protecting my baby from #whoopingcough, b/c my parents refused to #vaccinate. She said vaccinating is best, but if they won't, then wash hands & use hand sanitizer every time they hold the baby. And no contact if they feel even a little sick.

My parents agreed to that and even offered to wear masks around the baby.

People on #parenting message boards were very hardline about the issue. "No #vaccine, no visiting," they suggested. That's not helpful. My baby deserves #grandparents & aside from the #antivax thing, my parents are actually really great grandparents.

I'm glad my OBGYN was able to offer a safe solution, though she stressed that #vaccinating was still best. I'm not giving up on my parents. As long as they're still in my life, I can pass on fact-based science about #vaccines to them. Maybe by my 2nd kid, they'll be convinced.