This is a sponsored post for Cars.com. As always, my words and opinions are 100% my own.
When you are shopping for a new or used car, the process can be daunting. Everywhere you look you will find different information. All of it can leave your head spinning and wondering what to believe. I understand the frustration, so I want to help by giving you some simple steps to follow to find the right car for you.
First things first, do your research. If there is a car you want, check out and learn everything about it. One resource that I like is Cars.com, it has a wealth of information that will let you do your due diligence and make an informed purchase. They even have a Video & Reviews feature where you can see extensive reviews for all different makes and models of vehicles.
Don’t worry that you will be seeing some bogus reviews, they shoot straight and you will see the good with the bad. They are not going to hide bad reviews, performance records or anything else. This is one of the reason, you should check their site out. So dive in and do your research, the more information you have, the better decision you will make and not have buyer’s remorse. What you will have, is the best car for you at the best price. That will make you and your wallet feel great!
Don’t get stuck going to just one dealer. I know there are mega dealers that have huge inventories of many makes and models of vehicles, but that does not mean their prices are the best. Try checking out other dealers for the kind of car you want, this will help you get a baseline price. With that in mind you can easily get the best price, because you know what you should be paying.
If you are shopping for a used car, checking out different dealers is a must. One of the most important things to take into consideration is the mileage. The higher the miles, the more wear and tear the car has, and that affects the price. Don’t try to guess the value of a used car based on the mileage, because that is not reliable. Visit a few different dealerships to price similar used cars, this will arm you with the knowledge you need to show the salesperson you are informed and ultimately get you the best price.
Don’t rush, I know you may be chomping at the bit to get your car, but take your time and do your research. There are so many types of cars available with different features that making a rush decision will probably leave you with regret. When you finally make your decision, it is one you should feel right about. A car is not something you are going to buy every day, so make sure it is what you really want and need.
Enjoy the journey and follow these simple steps to find the right car for you at the best price. A little research goes a long way, especially when you are shopping for a car. When you break it down into steps the process does not seem so stressful or complicated. Knowledge really is power, the power to put you in the driver’s seat when negotiating a deal and driving your car off the lot.
Are you looking for an easy way to create stunning graphics that will help make your blog posts pop? If so, let me tell you about some great graphic design software I discovered that makes it amazingly easy to edit photos, create graphics, logs, event invitations, collages, banners for your social media channels, hero images and more.
It is called FotoJet and it is free to use. To make things really easy, their site puts a massive amount of templates and resources at your fingertips. Tired of trying to navigate graphic design software that is so complicated all you get is frustrated? Then you will love FotoJet, because with just a few clicks you can get professional results even if you have no experience. That is because everything is user-friendly and effortless. You can try it for free for yourself right now. There is no registration or downloading required.
I was checking out the site recently and was playing around with some of their templates. I made these Save The Date examples to show you how easy it is to start with one of their designs and change it up to fit your style or the style of a client.
Both of those designs above were made using one of FotoJet’s templates. I just switched out backgrounds, fonts, colors, graphics etc. It was a lot of fun and I could easily undo anything I did not like.
Here are some graphics I made recently made to go with some of my blog articles.
Both of the above images started with a free stock image and I added overlays, frames, texts and other effects to dress them up.
Best of all, the free version gives you many options to create the graphics, flyers, collages, headers and more you need. You will be amazed at just how quickly you can create beautiful Hero Images that will make your posts pop and get shared and pinned all over social media. That means your blog traffic will increase and isn’t that what we are all looking for?
Add text and overlays to your photos or stock images, make graphics for your YouTube videos, create channel art and so much more for free with FotoJet. Check out their tutorials and resources to get your creativity flowing. If you want to do even more, they do have a membership that is less than $3 a month when paid annually. Or pay just $4.99 a month.
We have great news because FotoJet is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win a One Year Premium FotoJet Membership! Thank you FotoJet for my complimentary premium membership and for sponsoring this amazing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. Open to US residents.
FotoJet Premium One Year Membership Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
I love watching the birds at my feeders during the day, at night we have the pleasure of seeing southern flying squirrels, which is really cool! I have used a lot of bird feeders over the years. I want to share some of my favorites that have stood the test of time and can be found all around my yard.
Watching the birds brings me a lot of joy and provides me with thousands of photo opportunities which is something this hobby photographer loves. These are my 8 favorite bird feeders:
This fun-shaped feeder comes in red and green. I use the red but red and green would be perfect for Christmas since they look like ornaments. They are low maintenance and supposed to be squirrel and small animal proof. They are better, but not foolproof. I have some pretty smart squirrels and frankly, as long as they do not break the feeders, I don’t mind them coming in for a snack. Even if they do manage the tough task of removing the top, this feeder has not broken. That is a huge plus as plastic feeders don’t stand a chance!
It is easy to fill and holds 6 cups of black oiled sunflowers very well. I have a few of these and they are out all year-long in the frigid, snowy winters of Upstate New York and hold up well. The birds really like them and they are one of my most flocked to feeders in my yard. I just noticed Amazon has the green feeder on a super sale now for only $5.98. I am picking up a few more because I like color and I can always find more places to use them on my property. I think they would make a nice gift for teachers at the end of the school year. I guess I should get a few more.
This feeder is one I bought when shopping with my young sons in our local garden center. It adds a whimsical touch to our yard. It does not hold as much as the ball feeders and it is a little harder to fill, but not terrible. The birds really like this feeder and I think it might be the contrasting colors that make it stand out. The little legs add a perching area for the birds coming in for a snack.
This is a feeder with a huge capacity of 2.5 lbs. I like this feeder because of its large capacity, if I have to be away for a day or two, I know the birds can count on this feeder. It can feed many birds at once which is great, because we have many birds that dine at our house.
I love these metal feeders almost as much as the birds do. I like the colors, they remind of colorful houses in the Caribbean. I hang them off my porch which may occur for my only issue. The squirrels can, with a lot of work, pop out the plastic seed guard and perch. They are very tough and I have been able to pop them right back, but I think if they were not in such an easy area for the squirrels to reach them, it would not be an issue.
They are so easy to fill, the red and blue hold a nice amount of seed. I just love the look of the bright colors among my home and gardens. Red is the largest, then blue and yellow is the smallest.
I like this feeder because the seed guards and perches are screwed in Even though we have squirrels dropping or flying by for a treat, they cannot remove them and happily snack from the tray on the bottom. It is very attractive and is a beautiful addition to our yard. This is another feeder I will be buying a few more of.
Along with black oiled sunflower seeds, I like to put out Nyjer or thistle seed and since they are so tiny, they need a special feeder. I have used sock feeders, but they are hard to refill and can get moldy. I wanted something better. I found the Droll Yankees New Generation 8″ Finch Flocker fit my needs.
This feeder is very well made and allows for several of our colorful finches to eat at the same time. An internal seed baffle directs seed to an additional seed port located at the lowest level of seed to ensure that the feeder empties completely without allowing seed build-up. It is easy to fill and holds 1/2 lb. of seed. It has a manufacturer’s lifetime warranty against squirrel damage.
If one is good, two is better, right? My birds seem to think so! The Stokes Select Double Suet Bird Feeder has a metal roof and room for two suet cakes. It looks nice and gets a lot of traffic. Stokes also makes a larger cylinder style that I may give a try. If you feed suet, check these out!
I will not get into hummingbird or oriole feeders now, I will let you know about those in an upcoming post. Let me know what your favorite bird feeders are.
I know, When Jesus Was A Green-Eyed Brunette may sound like a weird title for a book but what a book it is! Max Davis grew up with a church that turned him away from God. Everything was not allowed, no Christmas Trees, no music in church, no TV etc. It turned him off so much that when he met the woman who would later become his wife in high school, he told her flat-out he would never go to church with her. Ah but he did, what he found was something completely different, there were instruments, there was singing and it was about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. It changed his life.
Since that time he has come to understand that Jesus is very much alive today and still does incredible things, sometimes supernatural things, through us! This book is hard to put down. It is especially helpful for those who are hurting and weary from worn-out religion and aire longing for a fresh touch from the living Jesus. This book will make you laugh, cry and come face to face with Jesus through the heartwarming and miraculous stories of Jesus appearing in ordinary people. This reaffirms that Jesus is fully present in us and our everyday circumstances, especially in difficult times.
I have a lot on my plate right now as I am sure most of you do. Yet, when I received this book, I could hardly put it down and could not wait to pick it up again. The stories spoke to me, they even mirrored some things I was going through or struggling with. They also were a welcome reminder that Jesus is very much alive and the Holy Spirit lives in us from him. In a world that can be bitter and hard to swallow at times it is nice to know that at the most opportune time we can be touched by Jesus through anyone, even a stranger in the coffee aisle at the supermarket. It also reminds us of the way we are blessed with the presence of Jesus in us and what a gift that is!
Would you like a chance to win a copy of this inspirational and uplifting book? Just enter the giveaway below.
Giveaway:
When Jesus Was A Green-Eyed Brunette Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.” Open to US Residents.
Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
“This post was developed in partnership with Pfizer as part of an Influencer Activation for InfluenceCentral.”
I know many people who struggle with depression. It can be very difficult for them to even complete the smallest tasks and in the worst stages to even get out of bed. It is very hard to watch someone you care about go through this because you know that they have so much good to contribute to the world.Thankfully we are now very aware of depression and understand that there is help available.
Millions in the United States suffer from depression and 1 in 15 adults have reported experiencing one major depressive episode in any given year. People can feel overwhelmed, alone and hopeless when dealing with their depression. Treatment for depression often includes a number of approaches such as talk therapy, medication, peer support, and a personal wellness plan.
However, even with all that, it can be hard for some patients to stick with their treatment plan. The results of a recent survey found that 70% of patients being treated for depression or another mental health disorder would appreciate some type of mobile tracker to monitor their moods, treatment,progress and more. The good news is that with all the advances in technology there are tools that can help patients as they manage their depression.
Recently, I was selected to test an app developed by Pfizer called the Moodivator. Pfizer consulted with psychiatrists to create this helpful tool that goes along with a patient’s treatment to provide motivation in a simple, effective and mobile way. The Moodivator lets patients track their mood,set goals, establish routines and more that may assist them and complement their treatment. The app is easy to navigate and use, you can see a video about it HERE.
The app is free and can be downloaded for iPhones at the Apple App Store. I downloaded it recently and was amazed at how easy it was to begin using. I liked that you could easily enter your mood and then add details of why you feel that way. You can also set goals for yourself. They can be things that you need to achieve that day or long-term goals.
You are able to enter and keep track of important work, personal or family tasks as well. There is also a reason that you enter for your goal so that you can remember why it is so important to achieve. Having an app like this on my smartphone makes it easy to see how this can really help someone who is taking baby steps to make positive changes and get more out of life.
If patients use the app consistently it canprovide great insight to them about why they feel certain ways and perhaps notice a pattern that can even be shared with their care givers if they choose. The mood tracker is a simple sliding scale so it is easy to adjust and record mood changes throughout the day. They may notice that they experience sadness at a certain time every day and may find it is triggered by the same thing every time. That knowledge can help them identify and eliminate triggers that will help them break that cycle
“The Moodivator app is not a treatment for depression and does not take the place of your doctor’scare or advice. This app also includes information about a prescription treatment option for depression.”
When you hear the words financial planner, do you wince a little? If you do, you are not alone. I wince too and so do most of us. The negative feelings and dread most of us feel when thinking about meeting with a financial planner usually stem from a past negative experience or uncertainty about what to expect. Are we saving enough? Do we have a plan for retirement that is sufficient? Are we investing wisely? Are we totally off track and headed down the wrong road? All these questions and more run through our minds. For most, facing them and finding out the answer can be terrifying. That fear causes many to go through life without a clear financial plan and ironically, that is what we should be more afraid of.
Maybe you have met with a financial adviser and when they started talking it started sounding like Charlie Brown’s teacher, “Wah,wah wah, wah wah” and you totally tuned out. I totally know that feeling. There are so many things most financial planners throw at you and so many decisions they want you to make that you end up feeling so frustrated and decide to take some more time to decide what to do.
Having a simple, clear plan can give you so much confidence. How do we get there? I discovered a very different financial planning service, one that understands why most dread meeting with a financial planner more than getting a root canal. SUM180 makes financial planning simple, affordable and even fun for everyone, wherever they may be on their financial journey.
The process with SUM180 was so different from anything I expected. With my full life, being able to input my information at my own pace and receiving my financial plan online in a PDF was amazing! Their site is very easy to navigate and entering my information was simple. I had my latest tax return handy and it did not take long to input my information. In a short time I received an email that my plan was ready. I did not have to become a financial expert or have degree in finance to understand it, everything was clear and easy to understand. Their 3 step approach is simple and does not make me feel overwhelmed. All I need to do is focus on the three most important steps at a time and that makes me feel empowered.
SUM180 is a subscription based, affordable financial planning service and if my circumstances change at any time during my subscription year, I can create a new plan for free! I have to tell you that having a clear, easy to understand plan in place makes me feel so much better. I feel much more in control and not like I am winging things. Before I did this, I was so uncertain, always wondering if I was making the right financial choices. With my financial plan, I have the confidence and clarity to see exactly what I need to concentrate on to reach my financial goals.
I am most surprised at how easy and painless the whole process was. If you are putting off meeting with a financial planner for the same reasons I was, trySUM180, get the tools you need without the overwhelming financial jargon you don’t. SUM180 has a special, limited time promotion where you can save 50% off the current product price when you use the code SPRING50.
I would love to know what you think if you try their services. Please just leave me a comment letting me know.
This post has been sponsored by SUM180. I was provided with product at no charge to sample in exchange for my review. The options expressed in this post are my own. I am in no way affiliated with SUM180 and do not earn a commission or percent of sales.
Tired of fumbling around trying to find the right key? Hate that big bulky key ring with sharp jagged keys sticking out of your pant’s pocket or sliding all over your purse. Would you like to find a better way to streamline those keys?
Well, if you answered yes, I have the answer! Isn’t that good news, when it can be so hard to find a solution or answer to many of life’s questions, I am going to give you this solution right now! How awesome, then you can spend the rest of your day finding answers to all the other unanswered questions floating through your mind.
KeySmart Pro is the answer to taming that messy, cluttered key ring of yours. I could tell you so much but you know if a picture speaks 1,000 words this video easily has to speak thousands more!
Pretty cool don’t you think. You can see all KeySmart has to offer on their website. I love my KeySmart Pro! Let me know if you decide to tame that messy key ring with KeySmart Pro.
I was provided with product samples to facilitate my review.
If you are trying to conceive you might know what it’s like to find out you were not successful. You may even know what that feeling is like month after month. Can you imagine if you found out what you had going against you was your brand of personal lubricant? You may be surprised to know that many lubricants contain a spermicide, not exactly the best thing for couples trying to conceive! I have good news, Conceive Plus® fertility lubricant can help increase your chances of getting pregnant naturally! Conceive Plus® is a trusted brand recommended by hospital, doctors and fertility clinics globally since 2008 in over 60 countries! Considered one of the World Leading Fertility Lubricants Conceive Plus® is FDA cleared and now available in the United States! from just $14.90, click HERE to see where you can purchase it.
This over-the-counter lubricant is not just for couples struggling to conceive but for all couples tying to get pregnant. Conceive Plus® is available in both convenient pre-filled applicators and also in a multi-use tube bottle. The pre-filled applicators can be used up to 15 minutes discreetly before then use the multi-use tube together with your partner. Conceive Plus is different than other sperm friendly lubricants because it contains Calcium and Magnesium ions, these are essential for the process of fertilization and actually help increase the chances of getting pregnant, naturally. This fertility friendly lubricant is isotonic and has a controlled pH that is safe for sperm, embryos and the entire fertilization process.
Click HERE to read the Success Stories of couples who used Conceive Plus®. For more information on the product you can visit the manufacturers website. This lubricant is a great value with a price of about $14.90! To find out where you can purchase Conceive Plus® click HERE. You can follow Conceive Plus® on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.
If you have just started trying or have been trying for a while, Conceive Plus® fertility lubricant can help increase your chances of getting pregnant naturally! Now available from selected online retailers from just $14.99.
SASMAR Conceive Plus® sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine.
Are you trying to conceive? You want to make sure you are in optimal health before trying to conceive a baby. Getting a physical, health screenings, taking care of weight issues, making diet changes and more can stack the odds in your favor for conception. Read on to find out what you should take care of before trying to get pregnant.
Schedule A Pre-Conception Visit With Your OB/GYN:
See your OB/GYN for a pre-conception visit to get an evaluation of your overall health prior to conceiving. This visit should include STI screening and frank discussion of genetic disorders, problems with previous pregnancies, chronic health conditions and hereditary factors that may cause pregnancy complications. You should also discuss any birth control you have been using and the discontinuation of it.
Make sure to go over all medications you are taking and the safety of them with your doctor. Go over even over the counter medications and herbal supplements to see if they are safe. Ask your doctor about your weight. Being underweight or overweight can affect your chances of conceiving and also lead to pregnancy and childbirth complications. It is best to achieve a healthy weight prior to conception. Have your doctor recommend an exercise and diet plan to help you achieve your target weight.
Visit The Dentist:
Get your teeth cleaned and take care of any pressing dental issues. Pregnancy is no time to be sidelined by toothaches and dental problems. Prevention is key. Have cavities filled and take care of any other procedures you need to. You also want to have a thorough cleaning. Did you know that women with gum disease are four to seven times more likely to have an underweight or premature baby, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dental Association? So get those pearly whites and gums in top condition before conception.
Evaluate Your Diet:
Clean up your diet and eliminate soda, sugary snacks and other empty calories. Start eating fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy. Be sure to review with your doctor the list of foods women should steer clear of during pregnancy. Fish is good but some fish like swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish should be avoided during pregnancy and conception due to high levels of mercury. Fish with low mercury levels like canned tuna, catfish, shrimp and salmon should be limited to 12 oz. a week.
Start Taking a Prenatal Vitamin with Folic Acid:
Start taking a good prenatal vitamin with folic acid. Make sure your vitamin is patented to provide true cellular delivery of nutrients. If not you are wasting your money and can be hurting your health. Most vitamins do not provide cellular delivery of nutrients and essential vitamins and minerals. Do your research and make sure you are taking a vitamin that is doing more than just passing through your body. Ideally you want to begin taking a prenatal supplement at least 3 months prior to trying to conceiving.
Detox Your Body:
Stop drinking alcohol. Since we don’t actually know what a safe level of alcohol is in pregnancy or exactly when during pregnancy alcohol might have its most severe effects,” says Myra J Wick, M.D., medical co-editor of Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. “If a patient is actively trying to conceive, I recommend that she not drink at all,” she adds. The same goes for marijuana and other illicit drugs. If you wouldn’t give it directly to your baby, make sure it’s out of your system before pregnancy.
Stop smoking and this includes your spouse! Smoking cigarettes can detrimentally affect both a woman’s and a man’s fertility. Smoking can damage and lower sperm count and motility. Smoking also can cause early menopause, increase chance of miscarriage, lead to low birth weight, premature delivery and more. Second hand smoke is also detrimental so quit smoking before conception and stay away from second hand smoke.
Studies are conflicting regarding the effects of caffeine on fertility and pregnancy. It has been linked by some studies to miscarriage. If you want to be safe, you should try to limit your caffeine intake to no more than 200 milligrams a day. Remember caffeine is found in more than coffee or tea. It is found in soda, energy drinks, some medications, chocolate and other foods.
Detox Your Home:
Get rid of toxic chemicals in your home. There are many everyday products that people use every day that contain hormone disrupting chemicals. Chemicals that can cause infertility, miscarriage and birth defects. Remember these chemicals cross the placenta and it is best to rid your home of them before you try to conceive. You will want them out of your house after baby, so just get them out now!
Almost all antibacterial soaps contain Triclosan- a hormone disrupting chemical. Dishwasher detergents, laundry soaps, all purpose cleaners, bathroom cleaners, bleach, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, sunscreen, make up, first aid products and more contain toxic chemicals and carcinogens. Do some research and find out what you have in your home that is not safe. Replace these products with safe and healthy solutions.
Get Familiar With Your Body:
Start charting your cycle, you can do this with several online sites that make charting your cycle very easy. I used one with my last pregnancy and took my temperature every morning with a basal thermometer. I also used an ovulation predictor and both were on target and we conceived that month. It is best to know your cycle so you know the optimal time for conception. The better you know your body will make your chances of uniting that egg and sperm more favorable.
Eliminate Stress:
Relax-do not stress about getting pregnant. I know this is easier said than done especially if you are having a difficult time. Try to relax using whatever means works best for you because it will help your mind, body and spirit be at their peak for conception to occur.
If you suffer from anxiety, adhd, depression or other issues you should see a health care professional if you do not already. Pregnancy can make these conditions worse and having professional support is important. Also as I mentioned above you will want to discuss any medication you are taking and the safety of continuation during pregnancy.
Don’t sabotage your chances of conceiving by using a lubricant that can harm or hinder sperm. When choosing a lubricant, choose wisely. Many lubricants on the market can impede sperm and contain spermicides. Using a sperm friendly lubricant like Astroglide TTC™ that is specially formulated for couples trying to conceive. Astroglide TTC™ supports fertility with adjusted pH levels, compatible osmolality and a consistency similar to your own egg white cervical mucus.
Each package has 8 pre filled disposable applicators making supplementing your natural fluids and enhancing your comfort easy. Astroglide TTC™ also contains galactose, which is found naturally in semen, as well as fructose, the main source of energy for sperm. . Astroglide TTC™ is the best value compared to any other competitor on the market with a retail price of $12.99!
Going through the list above will give you the best chance for achieving pregnancy. Do you have any tips to share? Is there anything you did that helped you conceive? I would love to hear them in the comments.
Astroglide TTC™ sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine
So unless you’ve been under a rock, you’re well aware of the measles outbreak that started in Disneyland and has now spread to 121 cases across the U.S. Doctors, the American Academy of Pediatrics, CDC, and more are urging parents to get their children vaccinated.
This has created a storm of opposition from the anti-vax parents. Seemingly unconcerned with what they deem a mild or non-serious illness, they are defending their rights not to vaccinate. They feel they are protecting their children from autism which they believe is caused by the MMR vaccine. The study that perpetuated the myth was retracted and deemed junk science. Regardless, they remain steadfast in their decision not to vaccinate despite increased concern of a measles epidemic.
I thought I would research the answers to questions that people have been asking regarding all this debate. So let’s look at what perpetuated the notion that the MMR vaccine was causing Autism?
We need to go back to 1988, when a doctor in the UK by the name of Andrew Wakefield published a study with just 12 child subjects. The children were brought to his clinic suffering from diarrhea and/or abdominal pain. These children were said to have a history of normal development but subsequently lost certain skills. When Wakefield was gathering their medical history, he asked the parents when their child received the MMR vaccine and how that correlated to their loss of skills. Based upon this data, Wakefield believed there was a connection between the vaccine and autism.
However, there was no objective scientific data to back his theory up, it was based on the recall of the parents. Given that some of the vaccines were administered as much as 9 years prior, there is reasonable concern about the accuracy. What is even more troubling, is that Wakefield, claimed that the bowel dysfunction was caused by the MMR vaccine which then caused the autism, even though 4 of the 12 children in the study experienced behavioral disorders prior to the bowel issues. This fact alone refutes Wakefield’s theory.
There was also no control group, a critical omission casting more doubt on his findings. A good standard of science, is that the findings can be replicated in a separate setting. After sharing specimens with colleagues at the Royal Free Hospital in London, Wakefield’s findings could not be replicated. His study was later retracted from the Lancet where it was originally published.
The doctor’s troubles did not end there, a paper in the Journal of Molecular Pathology written by Wakefield in 2002, was found to be critically flawed. A recent study in the British Medical Journal found no rise in incidence of autism in children who received MMR as compared to those who did not. The authors also showed that in autistic children (both ASD and classical) the age at which a child received MMR did not affect the age at which the diagnosis of autism was made.
So why then do some parents so vehemently claim that the MMR vaccine caused their child’s Autism? Autism is most often first identified in toddlers aged 18-30 months. Since the MMR vaccine is administered just before this peak age, it causes some parents to link the two together. There is no medical evidence to support this. Extensive reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conclude that there is no proven association between MMR vaccine and autism. Dr. Wakefield has since lost his license to practice medicine.
So what does all this mean to the anti-vaxers? Are they changing their stance? No, they are not and they are just as steadfast in their decision not to vaccinate. Many claim that the diseases that the vaccines have eradicated are not that serious. Really? This assumption is based on what? Their opinion? The AAP does not take the stance that the diseases are harmless. In fact they warn parents of the risks and urge them to vaccinate their children. Some pediatricians are refusing to treat the children of parents who refuse to vaccinate. They do not want their patients to be exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases in the waiting rooms. There are also many calling for a ruling that unvaccinated children not be allowed to attend public school.
I wonder what these parents are going to think in 15 or so years from now when their daughters and sons are dating and moving toward marriage. Have they thought that their sons could contract mumps and be sterile? Or that their grandchild may suffer debilitating birth defects or be stillborn because their mother contracted measles during pregnancy? Have they thought that far ahead, or do they plan to rush out and try to get their child exposed to these illnesses so they have natural immunity?
Will their pregnant daughters live in constant fear of contracting Rubella? Will they suffer the grief of losing their baby or caring for a child with severe birth defects stemming from a medical decision based on flawed science? Will their daughters rush out and get immunized to protect themselves after seeing the results of primary Rubella infection in unvaccinated pregnant friends and family members? Who knows what they future will hold for them. It’s scary to think about.
While many are still touting unfounded fears linking vaccines to autism, Autism Speaks chief science officer Rob Ring, has released a statement saying vaccinations cannot cause the disorder — and telling parents to vaccinate their children.
So why do they say the measles is a harmless childhood illness? The majority in the anti-vax movement were born after the vaccine, so they have no first-hand experience. Prior to the vaccine, measles killed 500 people a year in the U.S. Measles infection caused 48,000 people a year to be hospitalized and 4,000 experienced encephalitis, a dangerous condition that causes the brain to swell and caused 400-500 deaths.
Measles is one of the most infectious diseases because it’s airborne and lingers in the air causing it to spread quickly. People can spread the disease for four days before they develop any symptoms. Highly contagious, 90% of people not immune will contract the virus if exposed.
So how do you feel on the issue? Let me know, but please keep your comments respectful.
Hello, I’m Carolyn! I am a PR Savvy, WAH Mom to 5! I love Photography, Baking, DIY Projects, Crafts, Cooking and making memories with my family. I love sharing reviews and giveaways too!
