Two Month Shots

Last week Grace turned two months old.

I scheduled Grace's two-month doctor appointment for exactly two months to the day from when she was born.

At the check up, she was 11 pounds 8 ounces (55th%), and 22.9 inches long (77%).  In addition, she received four vaccinations.

I have always been pro-vaccination.  I understand that there are a few small (rare) risks with vaccinations.  I also understand that the risks when not vaccinating are much worse.  Babies can die from whooping cough.  I'm not going to risk that.

In addition, my mother worked for a "Big Pharma" company when I was growing up.  My mom is also the most honest person I've ever met in my life. If these Big Pharma companies are pushing unnecessary vaccines just for the money, she would know it and wouldn't fall for it.

Anyone with any common sense at all will vaccinate their child.

That being said, seeing Grace get these shots and the next two days after were awful.

When she got the first shot, her whole face turned bright red, she shrieked and screamed in pain.  And then the nurse had to do it two more times, equally as awful for poor baby.

Afterwards, they let us stay in the room for awhile so I could nurse Grace.  I'm so thankful to be breastfeeding.  It really calmed her right down and almost put her to sleep.  When we got home, Grace slept for about two hours.  "Wow," I told myself. "Some crying at the doctor, and a long nap afterwards.  These shots are not so bad at all!"

Little did I know, that two hour nap was the longest stretch Grace and I were going to get for the next 48 hours.  For the whole first day after the shots, Grace cried, nursed, slept, repeat.  Zero playing.  Zero smiling (except she did muster one slightly pained smile for her daddy of course)!  It was so hard to see her so miserable.  She would wake up crying, nurse while crying, and then whimper as I put her to sleep.  And then, she would wake up 45 minutes later to do it again.

I am not joking.  She slept 45 minutes at a time for two straight days/nights.  It was a nightmare for me, and brought back memories of when she was a newborn.  The shots were on Wednesday, and I felt like a zombie for Thursday and Friday.  Each time I set her down, I thought to myself, "She's so exhausted, this will be it.  This will be her long stretch of at least a couple of hours".  And then she would wake up crying, and we would be awake for another whole hours before she'd go down again.

I was honestly scared that these vaccinations impacted her in a way that she would never sleep the same again. (Sounds silly, but I was also running on no sleep).

Thankfully, Saturday night, 4 days after the shots, she finally gave me 4 straight hours of sleep, woke up, fed, and gave me another 2.  It was amazing, but it's not 6 hours of sleep for me.  It usually takes me a full hour to fall asleep after I've set her down.  Here's to hoping our sleep gets better (at least until the 4-month shots when we go through it all again).

This motherhood job is exhausting, but so worth it.

Also, Brian's parents came into town this weekend.  At first I was worried, since Grace was so off due to her shots.  But actually, it was amazing to have them here, and I was sad when they had to leave today. They love to hold Grace, and she loves to be held by them.  They watched her while Brian and I went out to dinner Saturday.  We treated ourselves to dinner at The Chop House. We figured, might as well do it right if we don't get to eat out very much.

At least now I know for our next round of shots, be ready for at least two off days.  And be ready to lose some sleep!