I should start by saying that I was raised Catholic. The concepts of reconciliation and absolution are completely ingrained in me. I grew up going to confession at a beautiful monastery where Father Francis, an elderly monk, held my hand as we walked the grounds, and I asked for forgiveness for my transgressions. I always felt great relief and unconditional love after our time together. Unfortunately, Father Francis passed away years ago, and I haven’t been to confession since. My spiritual beliefs have evolved and changed over the years, but the idea of forgiveness is still critical to how I walk through life. There are things I have done for which I know God forgives me. However, I’m pretty sure that I will never forgive myself, for my transgressions are embodied in a beautiful seven-year-old who tells me daily that I am “the best Mom in the universe.” I know the truth. And someday, so will he. All of these “unforgivable” actions were done with the best of intentions, but we all know what they say about “good intentions” and “the road to hell.” I am admitting here for all the world to see: I gave my son Autism. I did it. Me. And no one can ever take that away.
So . . . how did I give my son autism? I wish I could say it was one thing – one thing that I could take back that would make things neat and easy, but it wasn’t. It was mistake after mistake, assault after assault. The following are the biggest mistakes I made to which I attribute my son’s descent into autism. I’m going to provide links that are easily readable and understandable that contain links to the research rather than providing links to the research itself. A simple Google search about any one of these topics will provide more information than you could ever want. Here goes . . .
1) Ultrasounds – I had at least five while I was pregnant. I was assured that they were completely safe. Heck, you can get them in malls, so I assumed they were pretty benign. Wrong! While I didn’t get ultrasounds in malls, I didn’t research them either. Ultrasounds have, in fact, been implicated in autism among other neurological disorders. While there is no definitive “causal link,” enough has been found to warrant further research and precautionary measures. According to this article, “Research shows populations exposed to ultrasound have a quadrupled perinatal death rate, increased rates of brain damage, nerve cell demylienation, dyslexia, speech delays, epilepsy and learning difficulty.” Sound familiar?
2) High-fructose corn syrup – I drank Coca Cola every single day while I was pregnant. I was so incredibly nauseous and it made my stomach feel better. Fast forward a few years and Coca Cola Classic was found to have one of the highest levels of mercury due to HFCS of any product tested. I didn’t eat one bite of fish during my pregnancy for fear of mercury. While I didn’t know there was mercury in the Coke, I have to be honest and admit that OF COURSE I knew that eating and drinking junk wasn’t good for my baby.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/292982-foods-containing-mercury/
http://www.iatp.org/blog/2009/01/high-fructose-corn-syrups-not-so-sweet-surprise-mercury
3) Lortab/Acetaminophen while pregnant – I have Fibromyalgia. It is painful normally, but it was practically unbearable while I was pregnant. My OB prescribed Lortab telling me that it didn’t cross the placenta and was perfectly safe. I was in so much pain that I wasn’t about to look into this further. I trusted my OB thoroughly and needed to feel better.
Again, did I honestly think that this was good for the baby? Of course not. Lortab is a Category C drug which basically means that not enough human testing has been done to qualify it as safe, but based on animal studies, there is reason to believe that it could be dangerous or problematic. I couldn’t find any specific links between Lortab and Autism, but common sense dictates that this was not good.
4) Pitocin – Two of the ultrasounds I received at the end of my pregnancy revealed that my water was getting dangerously low, so my OB felt we should induce labor. After several hours of not making progress on the Pitocin drip at low levels, the hospital encouraged me to sign a waiver allowing them to increase the Pitocin to illegal levels. Now, I know this seems absurd, but at the time, I was in incredible pain and was told by hospital staff that it was perfectly safe and was used at these levels all over the country. According to them, Montana just has a very low cap on the highest level allowed. I had Pitocin for 36 hours. Here is an explanation from an excellent article on that explains the potential risks associated with Pitocin:
“In either induced or enhanced use of Pitocin, the blood supply, and therefore the oxygen source to the uterus, is greatly reduced. With naturally-paced contractions, there is a time interval between contractions allowing for the baby to be fully oxygenated before the next contraction. In induced or enhanced labor, the contractions are closer together and last for a longer time, thus shortening the interval where the baby receives the oxygen supply. Reduced oxygen to the baby in labor has life-long consequences on the baby’s brain function.”
5) C-Section – George Malcolm Morley, OB/GYN has done extensive research regarding C-Sections and autism and has concluded that, “A baby born by C-section is 3-4 times more likely to have autism.” His theory is that it is probably due to ICC (immediate cord clamping) and there are really good reasons to think he may be right. There are so many different elements that play a part in C-sections, however, that it is really hard to determine exactly which specific aspect is problematic: anesthesia, maternal immobility, labor trauma, cord clamping, post-op drugs or lack of friendly bacteria due to bypassing the vaginal canal are all suspect individually. It is easy to see how a combination of all of the above could have a negative impact.
Because I had made the bad decisions about the ultrasounds that led to the bad decision about the Pitocin that led to labor trauma, I ultimately had to have an emergency C-section. I can’t believe that there are so many women who choose to deliver via C-section for cosmetic reasons – I won’t elaborate on this one. Ick. I’ll be honest; I am still a little bitter about this. I really wanted a natural childbirth. My husband and I took the classes; we practiced at home. Thirty-six hours of drug-induced hell, and I still ended up with a C-section. And not just a regular C-section: it was such an emergency that I had to be anesthetized via general anesthesia, even though I had an epidural in place.
6) Antibiotics – Oh boy. Where to begin? I have so many mixed feelings about antibiotics. Here is what I know: My son was exposed to antibiotics while he was in distress during labor. He was then exposed for the first two weeks of his life via breast milk. He then received five courses of antibiotics before he was a year old for chronic ear infections. While this is bad cumulatively, the one event that stands out for me, and literally makes me feel sick, was a single dose of Augmentin when he was six months old. At his six-month “well” visit, he was diagnosed with his second ear infection. He received vaccinations for seven different diseases despite being ill, and we left with a prescription for Amoxicillin. Six days later, he had developed an upper respiratory infection and the ear infection was worse. Because the Amoxicillin hadn’t worked, the pediatrician prescribed a course of Augmentin. After one dose of this drug and within 24 hours, my six-month-old baby had 35 acidic, liquid bowel movements. The skin literally peeled off of his bottom in sheets. I had never seen anything like it at that time, and I haven’t since. The pain that he was in was beyond description. I called the doctor and she changed the antibiotic to yet a different kind. So he had three different types of antibiotics in his system within eight days. This episode was the biggie. His gut was never the same after that. Nothing was.
Here is what everyone should know about Augmentin: Augmentin has been implicated in autism. It is comprised of Amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium. When it is manufactured, the clavulanic acid is fermented which involves large amounts of urea/ammonia. Even a small amount of ingested ammonia can potentially cause gut and brain inflammation. I strongly urge you to do your homework before using this drug.
If you will notice in this link, this study was released in January of 2005. My son was prescribed Augmentin in January of 2006. This was never mentioned when I was handed the prescription. However, if I had been a Thinker back then, I could have quickly Googled “Augmentin and autism,” and I would have made a very different decision.
7) Vaccines – I really don’t even know what to say about vaccines other than to say that if I had it to do over again, my children wouldn’t have received a single one. Of everything I did wrong, if I could have my pick of one thing to take back, it would be the shots. No question. Shortly after my son turned three, we left the idiot pediatrician that led me down this trail of terror. The new MD looked at my son’s blood work and heavy metals testing and informed me unequivocally that my son was vaccine injured and that he had never been a candidate for immunization. She said that because of my fibromyalgia and the fact that autoimmune disease and digestive disorders are pervasive across both sides of our family, he never should have been vaccinated. Add in the birth history and the fact that he had severe jaundice and a cephalohematoma that took more than six months to resolve, plus rashes, severe reflux, chronic rhinitis and ear infections along with eczema, it should have been very apparent that his immune system was not functioning properly. Vaccination REQUIRES a properly functioning immune system to work, which may explain why he has ZERO titers to the diseases he was immunized against. According to the CDC and the vaccine inserts, children should not be vaccinated if they are sick or on antibiotics. My son was sick and/or on antibiotics for almost every single round of vaccinations. People, I know what happened to my kid. I KNOW. I watched it. Ginger Taylor has been compiling studies for years that link vaccines to autism. That list has now reached over 60 studies.
Another word – Don’t bother making comments arguing about vaccines. I won’t post them. I am fully aware that there are children with autism who weren’t vaccinated. I am not suggesting that vaccines are SOLELY responsible for EVERY child’s autism. I KNOW, however, that they caused irreparable damage to my son’s immune system which ultimately led to his autism. There. Done.
8) Acetaminophen/Paracetamol — My baby received an incredible amount of this red, liquid death. Acetaminophen shuts down the production of glutathione, the body’s #1 antioxidant. Glutathione is absolutely critical in the body’s ability to rid itself of toxins. So basically, one of the absolute worst things you can do is to give a baby acetaminophen when they get vaccinations or when their body is trying to fight an infection. The nurse at my son’s pediatrician’s office literally dosed him with acetaminophen at the exact moment she stuck in the needle. When the ear infections and stomach pain and fevers started as a result of the vaccine damage, I gave him acetaminophen to alleviate his pain. Are you starting to see how all of these horrors interlace? One problem requires a solution that creates another problem that requires a solution that creates another problem, etc. For more information regarding acetaminophen and its link to autism, click here.
9) Fluoride – Fluoride probably pisses me off more than anything else on this list, because I am convinced that the fluoride program is one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated on a population in the history of mankind. If you ever have some time and enjoy history, Google “the history of fluoride.” It reads like a Dan Brown novel and would be completely entertaining, if it weren’t for the fact that children are being brain-damaged by the very water they drink. I’ll let you do your own research for the nitty-gritty, but here are the basics: Fluoride contains fluorine. Fluorine is only slightly less toxic than arsenic and is more toxic than lead. It is also a carrier molecule. It loves to combine with other materials and create even more toxic situations. It also can cross the blood/brain barrier. So if there is circulating aluminum in the body from say, oh, I don’t know, vaccine adjuvants for instance, or if there is lead in the joints of water pipes, the fluoride can attach itself to these toxins and escort them right across the blood/brain barrier and into the brain. According to the National Research Council, 36 studies have linked fluoride with reduced IQ in children. Here are some great links to fluoride information:
http://slweb.org/ftrc.html , http://www.fluoridealert.org/ , http://nofluoride.com/ , http://www.earthclinic.com/fluoride_questions_and_answers.php
Here’s the kicker. This is the part where I bang my head on the table, pull my hair and yell, “Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!” like Chris Farley on SNL. We didn’t even HAVE fluoridated water. I actually purchased it and gave it to my son ON PURPOSE. My pediatrician told me that he needed it because our water wasn’t fluoridated. I bought “nursery water” that came in cute little plastic bottles with pictures of Bert and Ernie and Cookie Monster on them. I also gave him prescription vitamins – Poly Vi Flor – that contained fluoride. After all of this, we still ended up with over $4,000 worth of dental work by the time he was five. This dental work required general anesthesia that contained — yep, you guessed it — fluoride. Fluoride is also in many pharmaceuticals, including the antibiotic Cipro – drops used for ear infections — and Diflucan – the yeast killer we used off and on for years. How in the hell could I make sure that I didn’t give him toothpaste that had fluoride in it because it was poisonous, but give him fluoridated water? If you want a good scare, read the label on a tube of fluoridated toothpaste sometime. Ingestion of only half a tube of that candy-flavored fluoridated toothpaste could be fatal to a child, and yet we fluoridate our water supply. It is criminal in my opinion.
I can think of many more things I did wrong that I am sure contributed to my son’s health crisis. I will mention diet, toxic cookware, benzocaine teething gel and toxic building materials but won’t elaborate because at this point, common sense should dictate. I am writing this to try to hit the biggies that people really need to research to make better decisions than I did.
I am already anticipating three different responses to this post:
Response 1) There will be people who read this and think, “Good grief, woman. How stupid can you be? What you did borders on child abuse. OF COURSE your child has Autism.” And to that, I have no argument. You are absolutely right. And good for you for knowing better than I did.
Response 2) Some of you will read this and know exactly how I feel because your story is very similar. To all of you, you have my deepest, heartfelt sympathy. While we will always have our mistakes to live with, the best thing we can do now is to share our truth and our story to help others.
Response 3) There will be people who feel pity for me because I have not been able to make peace with myself for my role in my son’s health crisis. You will feel compelled to reach out to me with kind messages imploring me to forgive myself. Please . . . don’t. It won’t do any good. I am not fishing for forgiveness, and while I know you mean well, it won’t help me. If you really, REALLY want to help, take five minutes and send this blog to everyone you know – especially those who are pregnant or have babies. Implore them to read this blog. No child should have to endure what mine has endured. No mother should ever have to experience the kind of torturous guilt I live with every day.
The mistakes I made were, by and large, recommended by healthcare professionals. That is no excuse. My son’s health was MY responsibility. I could choose to follow the recommendations or not. Even a small bit of research would have changed the outcome for my son. There are women, as we speak, who are on the way to the doctor for their second or third ultrasound. There are mothers dosing their babies with acetaminophen before their shots. There are expectant moms being hooked up to Pitocin drips. Some moms are administering unnecessary antibiotics for yet another ear infection and haven’t made the connection that their baby’s immune system is failing. There are also many, many mothers who are hearing the following words for the first time, “Your child has autism.” Help them.
I truly believe that my son’s autism was preventable. Think. Research. At this point, you can’t afford not to.
~ Mountain Mama
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i am an adult male, 43, with autism. i cannot hold a job or keep a relationship. my family life is a disaster. no one understands why i act the way i do. i am far above average intelligence but i cannot get along with people. i am prone to fits of rage. i have most of the classic symptoms. funny thing is that my brother is the same. he will not admit autism but he is an autist. i firmly believe that this was done to us by our dentist when we were kids. we had to take fluoride tablets because our water wasn’t fluoridated. we both also had mercury fillings. i sometimes find myself staring off at nothing and realize that i was also thinking of nothing. just staring and i usually have little idea of how long i was staring. i can’t stand loud noises unless i make them. people just drive me nuts and i avoid them. life is not good. thanks everyone in the dental and fluoride industry, you ruined my life and i don’t forgive you!
We need to include Ultrasound as a factor for autism. Epidemiologically, and by dosage level, it fits the puzzle. There are few studies, “paucity of data”. Yet lab animal studies do show autistic behavior and physical damage to the neurological system following ultrasound.
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You did a great job. Thank you for your honesty and sharing, you are helping a lot of people. I’ve sent this out to others and reposted on Facebook. People will learn from you.
I’d add cellphones to the list. Know of an alternative doctor in CA that says cellphone use affects the brain of their baby in the womb. He used the term “frying.” Don’t know if that is true, just passing it on and something to consider.
Dear friend,
You are the beloved mother of a beautiful gift from God. Children are trusted to us to care for and love and teach to love God. They don’t come with instructions, they’re not all ‘perfect’, and there are many things that are far beyond our control or understanding. No one faults you for the condition of your son, so please forgive youself. He is perfect just the way God intended him to be. And so are you. Today is Good Friday. Jesus died on the cross for all of us. He has paid the price. He loves you.
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I made many of the mistakes you made. I have 4 daughters, 3 so far have symptoms on the spectrum. Have you heard of Neurological Reorganization and do you have a practitioner in your area? It is a program of rebuilding the brain from the bottom up for damaged brains. I am doing it with 3 of my kids and finding great results. The kids go through the phases they missed, the reflexes they still hold on to, fetal patterns and many other things to rebuild their brain. I hope you are finding help to repair the damage that has been done. I am Catholic too and encourage you to revisit confession, it is so freeing, God’s mercy is there for you. Check out the story of St Faustina and Divine Mercy. It is life changing. and God bless you on your journey. I hope it is not over where this blog ends, I’m sure its not.
One of the biggest things that jumped out at me was your mention of your Fibromyalgia. Did you know that a huge number of people that have Fibromyalgia have Lyme Disease? I would get tested by a Lyme Literate MD ASAP. I just found out I have Lyme and gave it to my four children, one who is “on the spectrum” and was never vaccinated during pregnancy. Even vaccinated kids can have Lyme Induced Autism, of course their immune system can’t handle the barrage of vaccines if they are already trying to fight Lyme. It is essential that you find a Lyme Literate MD to do testing because anyone else will not be able to effectively test you. Visit http://www.lymeinducedautism.com/ betterhealthguy.com/ http://www.ilads.org/ to start learning about the Lyme and autism connection. Some kids are recovering by effectively treating Lyme.
On another note, I agree with Maria about confession being truly healing. I am also Catholic and I know I wouldn’t be able to do anything without my faith at this point. It’s no coincidence that you remember so vividly how confession was healing as a child. Divine Mercy Sunday, which is next Sunday, would be an amazing time to go to confession! It is the BEST time to go, google Divine Mercy and St. Faustina as Maria already mentioned.
God bless and have a happy, healing Easter!
Susie
I would like some more information on the brain development program you are talking about….my daughter is 7 with Autism.
The human body will always try to heal if you are able to remove obstacles in the way.
Many symptoms connected with autism appear due to inflammation in the brain tissue.
Organic food/diets as suggested above, GASP etc/no chemical exposure will help remove whats in the way for healing.
Id like to add something not mentioned:
A damaged body needs a lot of nutrients and in order to get this into the system you need to start juicing with a masticating jucier. Spinning ones, changes the electronic properties in the material and cannot heal degenerative diseases.
Cheapest one Ive worked with and a long lasting one is Champion juicer.
http://www.championjuicer.com/
apple/carrot – 50/50
green juice – romain sallad/beet leaves/beets/celery/wheatgrass/1 apple etc
They now have a option to juice wheatgrass.
Detox with bentonite clay.
Make sure you have enough B12 with your greens or take a good supplement.
This might also be of interest for people living in states where medical marijuana is accepted;
http://www.cannabisinternational.org/index.php
Dr Max Gersons therapy is helpful for all degenerative diseases;
http://www.gerson.org
To all parents that have children with the diagnose autism/aspergers/AHDH etc -
do not put blame on yourself since you didnt have the knowledge when damages were caused.
Do not become victims due to that lack of info/knowledge – please heal yourself and your children since there is a symbiotic connection between mother and child:
Forgive me – I didnt know what I did.
It takes a lot of work to reverse damages in the body but as soon as the body is allowed itll do a remarkable job.
As far as polio vaccines mentioned in posts – many of the people getting polio got it from the ones vaccinated since they were inoculated with live virus!
Pesticides and polio gives appr. same symtoms and theres a connection;
http://www.vaclib.org/sites/harpub/overview.htm
http://www.vaclib.org/sites/harpub/pol_all.htm
Children in India who gets the oral poliovaccin which was banned in USA gets polio-like paralysis:
http://digitaljournal.com/article/323371
Polio vaccines were also contaminated with the SV 40 virus – between 1955-1963 – found in cancer.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/updates/archive/polio_and_cancer_factsheet.htm
Love and light to all hard working parents in your effort to heal your children and yourself.
Thank you so much for posting. What an excellent help to others. I would just encourage you and the other mothers with autism. There have been tremendous improvements with autism and other health set-backs using a strict plant based “healing diet”. If you haven’t seen it already, watch the documentary “Forks over knives”. I took my family off of ANY dairy and meat products and couldn’t believe the results after a few months. Your body can heal itself and recover from A LOT. If you need a good cook book that can help you make the transition, look up the life changing cook book: “The Two Sisters Cook Book.” http://thetwosisters.com/?product=from-the-kitchen-of-the-two-sisters-2nd-edition-2
Don’t ever give up hope for healing…
Just wanted to say thank you for sharing your story, the information is important enough that it needs to be told and talked about. – Eric
Thanks for your story. Have you seen the TED talk about Autism and actual brain diagnosis? Very interesting. My brother was vaccine injured. And this would have been very important info.
I did not gain any pearls of wisdom watching his presentations.
I am sincere in asking what it is you found so important?
Respectfully.
BB
Or, response #4…Wow. I will make sure never to do any of those things to my kids.
I learned all those things you listed before I had kids, but I had to do my own legwork. It was stories like yours, or Ginger’s and countless others that REQUIRED me to question everything. I will share. It could save another mom or dad from this guilt and heartache and maybe your story will save a life or two.
I’m so proud of you for not only looking at your decisions honestly, but for sharing your experience with the world. Thank you, and I will absolutely honor your request and share this with others.
As a health professional, I wish there was a way that I could somehow undo all that is done wrong in my profession. Some days I am embarrassed to say that I’m a nurse. Embarrassed because everything that you wrote is true. I know it is true. I have seen the damage time after time in so many ways. In a profession where medical research is touted, real findings are not accepted if they are against popular belief. Those of us who seek truth in actual research know that doctors choose what they want to believe…and it’s not based on research….not all the time. God help me to know how to be that person that can shine a small light of truth and help parents make decisions that are truly informed.
This is a wonderfully written, powerful article, and I thank Mountain Mama for it! I have two children and first started them on Dr. Sears’ alternative schedule, but the more I researched the more uncomfortable I became the vaccinations. It blows my mind that people would post that vaccines don’t cause autism, and that there are children that have not been vaccinated and have autism. It is all too easy to believe doctors and the media as it takes a great deal of time to research these issues thoroughly. There are so many chemicals in our world, and each of us is genetically different. THINK!!!
This book is a must read!
Rachel Carson knew what we unfortunately have come to understand much too late for our families to be spared so much pain and suffering, and over 50 years ago!
And many still try to discredit her today because she presented an inconvenient truth of enormous proportion, that man was harming and destroying all living things with chemicals etc, by assaulting all things natural, as God created them, in a most unnatural assault.
Her warnings were and are ignored, and this is not acceptable on any level.
Peace,
Barbara
The Poisoned Earth:
‘On a Farther Shore,’ by William Souder
http://www.amazon.com/On-Farther-Shore-Legacy-Rachel/dp/030746220X
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/16/books/review/on-a-farther-shore-by-william-souder.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
On the bookshelves of many a contemporary environmental journalist looms at least one canonical text she’s hesitant to read. For this reviewer, it was Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” among the gloomiest books ever written, an unrelenting catalog of crimes committed by man against nature. But after reading William Souder’s engrossing new biography of Carson, “On a Farther Shore,” I returned to the book and discovered its central message to be — depressingly — timeless. Substitute organic pesticides and herbicides with the endocrine-disrupting compounds found in everyday household items or the creep of chemicals used in hydrofracking, and you may experience the same hair-prickling alarm felt by Carson’s readers 50 years ago.
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I don’t expect this to last, but did feel the need to step up.
I am sorry for every one of you out there dealing with special-needs children.
I do not agree at all with many points; however, I love that these differing opinions are out there for people to find. I’m not sure anyone knows the answers to most of these questions, and everyone can find evidence to back up their beliefs (I have a dozen research reports that state vaccines do not cause autism…as you have a dozen that say they do.)
I am a firm believer in educating yourself. It’s hard; there’s so much information out there, and lots of it looks good, but is crap. But it’s all there. How can one make an *informed* decision if the information is never shared? I encourage everyone to research as much as you can, and then make a decision. And realize that there are people just as smart, just as concerned, just as loving a parent who do all the same research and end up with a different answer. As long as the work is done, and the decision is an informed one, then it is the right answer for you. Which may not be right for me.
My only caution/concern is referring to Autism and all the increased number of kids being diagnosed as an “epidemic”. That’s not to say that it’s “okay” or “just life”–it’s not okay, and I don’t believe people need to “just deal”. But the increased numbers are not actually coming from an increased number of kids ‘getting’ Autism; over the years, they have drastically expanded the definition of Autism-which greatly increases the number of people whom now get diagnosed.
That is just another piece of information for the puzzle. I have a different disorder, one with equally puzzling questions as to ‘why and how’; but I also see that not only has the formal name of my disorder changed over the years, but its’ definition too has been broadened.
Give me a break. Ask any special ed teacher if there are more children like this and they will tell you “yes”. Go into any school nurse’s office, they are about pulling their hair out trying to keep track of all the children with problems and on medications (and I’m not talking about just children with autism). I honestly cannot believe, however you feel about vaccinations, that there are STILL people who believe that children always had this much brain damage and this many chronic health problems. Seriously, what is it going to take?
Just stop a minute. I have the exact same history of pregnancy as you. Only add 10 years of insane infertility treatments leading up to the pg, a bout of breast cancer and double mastecomy only 7 month before I suddenly “accidentially” got pg after being told it would never happen and giving up. Took antibiotics during pg. She landed in NICU with wet lungs. Went home 4 days after birth, and with 8 hours she started running fever. We rushed her back to the hospital. Spinal menangtis. 3 weeks in level 3 NICU with the micro-preemies, (she was a 9 pounder) and massive IV antibotics, we finally brought her home but her gut was ripped up. I could not breast feed due to have no tits do to the cancer…She if FINE. I made so many mistakes with her formula and diet. But she is FINE. Lots of friends, great social skills, straight As. I so feared that all that WE had been through would cause austism, but it did not. So, there must be something more, and you SHOULD NOT shoulder the blame. I am lucky, but so are YOU. You also have a beautiful child. Just a different set of challanges. Please see that this could NOT be your fault, as you never ever INTENDED to do your child direct harm. Seriously, if I have the EXACT same set of variarables in my pg and infancy of my oldest as you do, then the correlation is not there. It is not the CAUSE. It is simply the deck you were dealt. This will distroy you if you are not careful. Please feel free to email me directly if you like.
Just because your child is, as you say, FINE (and, frankly, I know lots of people who say their children are “fine” when those children have life-threatening allergies or asthma), does not mean that the correlation does not exist. That’s not the way it works. There are many people who smoke all their lives who do NOT develop lung cancer. Contrarily, there are some who never smoke who WILL (like my own father, for instance). Does either of those facts mean that smoking does NOT cause lung cancer? NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! It DOES mean that there will be both lucky and unlucky people. Wise people will avoid smoking altogether on the chance that they will not be among the lucky.
Mountain Mama is sharing her experience in the hope of reaching the wise people who will listen and not assume that they will be among the lucky. She’s changing the world. I, for one, think that not only will that not “destroy” her, it will give her a strength she never knew she possessed. I am extremely proud to be her friend.
Love this. She’s lucky to have you as a friend. Too many people say, well, I’m fine, so you’re crazy. You’re right, that’s not how that works. My kids MIGHT have been fine had I vaccinated them, but I’m not about to take that chance.
This is a tragic story, which moved me to tears. And it is possible, or perhaps likely, that some or all of those listed actions caused or contributed to your child’s autism. But it is also clear that you had the best intentions throughout, and were doing in good faith what you had learned in prior experience, which is the best we can do.
Spreading the word so others can avoid the pitfalls is a good, constructive action. Self-forgiveness is also VERY important.
Guilt should only be applied where it is useful, to get your attention when you have gone astray, so you can correct course. In prolonged and toxic doses, guilt can be as harmful as these chemicals and procedures were.
The remorse/grief may not go away, but with conscious love and the growth of wisdom it can become a beautiful well of compassion and healing. The heart can heal.
I also paved the road to hell with good intentions. As an RN, I did everything my OB and NP’s told me to do, as a Public Health RN, I shot him straight into autism with every vaccine on the schedule dosing him (of course) with tylenol as I went.
My son was delivered at 35 weeks, breech and c-sectioned. He was doing fine in the NICU until he was dosed the Hep B when he stopped breast feeding his lips swelled and he was in there for another month.
He had progress during his years which I immediately squashed with another set of vaccines. As I watched these dips and pauses in development, with speech delays, muscle weakness and ear infections that I dosed with antibiotics monthly with no probiotics on board, I made excuses: “he is just late to talk”, “his father didn’t speak until 3″…etc. etc…
With a little research, taking the experience and knowledge I was given in nursing school, I could have figured this out. But I was stuck in a box of “others told me to do it”. Sure, I had a team of doctors and nurses telling me the putting toxins directly into my baby’s blood stream was good for him, but I should have read the ingredients in the vaccines and known better.
Everyday a voice inside my head reminds me of the damage I have done to my son and it makes me push further into helping him and others with this diagnosis. I am recovering him now and he is 6 and in typical school without an aide. He suffers daily allergies that stop him from going to school most of the time, he can get a cold by just looking at another child so he is by no means better. But I have hope and dedication to him and others that are sick.
I think of autism as a huge ocean. I threw my son into the deep off the big boat of typical life with health and happiness. I jumped into the ocean and found him drowning and am holding him above my head to keep him out of the raging water. Autism recovery with biomedical among other immune boosting treatments has thrown me a life raft. I put him in there, but I am still in the ocean holding the tiny raft afloat, sometimes it capsizes and I have to go and swim for his little body in this huge place and sometimes the raft gets bigger and lets me come aboard and play with him wrapping us both in a warm, dry blanket of health. I hope that someday I can put him back on the big boat of life so he can be dry, happy and healthy forever. Until that day comes I will never stop treading water.
Thank you for your comment. I have never heard another mom talk about what we went through, with the ‘squashed development’ because I allowed another round of vaccines, or the ‘dips and pauses’. My son was lucky in that I finally realized that his stops and starts were directly correlated to his vaccinations, and I was able to stop the vaccinations and start early intervention for speech delay and possible autism. Because of many other problems he had, similar to Mountain Mama’s child, he had an uphill battle, but no one can tell what we went through when he was young – years of special speech school, and developmental delays in physical coordination. He is now fifteen and still no doctor has ever believed me about the correlation between his vaccinations and delayed development, especially speech, but as a mom, I know what I know.
I’m sorry, but no. I am autistic and NONE of that stuff causes autism. Autism just exists. Autistic people have always existed, but this self flagellation is not going to help you or your child. What autistic people need is help, support, understanding of their issues. They do not need pseudo-science or this negative attitude. Nor do they need all of these “cures”. With the right support we can work, get jobs, get married even. There’s even non-verbal people who are out there living good lives. Talk to some of them.
Plus, no matter how hard autism is for you, it’s harder for the child. It is difficult living in a world where people do not understand you that is not build with your sensory difficulties in mind. But, instead of blame and such, how about we try to create this world, eh?
You are one strong and brave Momma to admit to yourself–and then write about this to the world! I so commend you! So sad….but such good research that you share so clearly and concisely with anyone who will listen.
You are correct and well read on everything that you mentioned and if your words help “save” the next baby, the next birth, the next pregnancy then there is some good to come from your experience.
Truly regret is only a good thing when we allow it to help the woman coming in the next generation or when we allow it to change us.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU for posting…..you feel like a dear sister to me..I learned so much the hard way too.
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This made me cry for you as we’ll as myself. My oldest daughter is autistic and there are so many similarities to the things you did that I too let happen to my child. I will never be able to forgive myself. She is high functioning and actually works in a nursing home with the elderly. i never thought we would get there. She is on job 22 at 22. Lots of trials a tribulations. Best of luck to you and yours.
One item overlooked, which is surprisingly hazardous: Radio frequencies and powerline frequencies. Cables embedded in the wall or floor that you sleep adjacent. WiFi routers, radar, etc. For long, I thought that was paranoia, but having studied this much, I find it well explains formerly inexplicable diseases. See book by Paul Brodeur (NY Times author). See Milham book.
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Wow thank you for writing this! I am a fellow Montana girl, I love in Polson and I’m expecting my first child in 7 weeks! Thankfully I was raised by a naturally minded mother who never let the dentist give me fluoride treatments and gave birth to me naturally at home. So from that I have always been more aware and researched natural alternatives. So far my pregnancy had been pretty good. I have had a few ultrasounds, 2 Tylenol for a bad case of Pleurisy (even though they wrote me a prescription for lortab there was no way I was taking that!) and very little caffeine other than some English tea with my mother. We have a midwife and I’m planning a water birth. I can’t thank you enough for all that extra data, really had no idea about the ultrasounds
Hi: I was interested in what you said about the fact that you have fibromyalgia. Have you been tested for celiac disease? There is a link between both. Recent studies have found that celiac mothers have 350% greater chance of having an autistic child.
I have two autistic nephews and my family also has a history of autoimmune disorders including celiac. It does sound like the perfect storm, the genetic link to autism and a toxic build up during his early years.
Jean
thank you VERY much for posting this.
Meant to write that I was surprised at the tears flowing down my face from this article. Again, beautifully-expressed. I truly hope that many of my friends will read. I hope that knowing YOU and sharing with us your son’s life might greatly influence another family’s for the better….multiply THAT times the speed of social media and smile. Give yourself some love, wonderful Momma!
Mountain Mama – Oh how I wish I could take away your feelings of guilt and culpability. Since I can’t I will only say THaNK you for such a powerful and well-researched article. I don’t often share on Facebook the things I read and believe in as the majority of my friends don’t want to go down the path that could lead them to be one of those “granola moms”.
. But you, Mountain Mama – made the cut. Grateful and humbled by brave Mommas like you. Grateful for a naturopathic doctor who suggested one simple book 16 years ago that started me down this path of education and is the reason my kids have hardly seen a regular pediatrician. Humbled that in spite of that, I could be writing the same article. Keep up the amazing work you are doing in spreading knowledge and fighting the sickness that makes up our great country.
Thank you! ❤❤
Many blessings to you and yours, ❤❤❤
Keri – Connecticut mother of 4; childbirth doula and lover of knowledge
What is the book that changed you?
Yep! I blame myself, too. For trusting doctors to know what’s right, and not doing my own research. For not realizing the 8 “silver” fillings I had had in my molars since childhood were leaking mercury into my body for years, and probably poisoning my unborn child, and later, my brewastmilk. For not questioning the giving of vaccines when my child had ear infections. For not realizing he had a problem with milk from an early age – probably the cause of his colic (my drinking milk while nursing him), ear infections, and later the cause of his eczema when he weaned and started drinking milk himself.
I was starting to trust myself when he was older and I made the eczema/milk connection, and stopped giving him milk, finding that taking that out of his diet worked a lot better at stopping eczema than the steroid cream his doctor gave us. Of course, I made that discovery a little too late, and still trusted the dr. about those vaccines – the ones my son received “while you’re here” for an ear infection – no need to wait – your son is just on antibiotics and that steroid cream.
If nothing else, my younger children benefited from my mistakes – I had the mercury fillings removed before my second child was born, didn’t vaccinate him or his sister with every vaccination on the schedule, and they have generally had a healthier diet thanks to their brother. Still, I totally wish I could get a “do-over” for my first pregnancy and the first 2 years of my son’s life.
Oh how I, too, wish I could get a do-over for my son’s pregnancy & first 2 yrs of his life!!! Ive mostly buried all these emotions/feelings that come when re-visiting his story and replaced it with an intense focus on everything recovery. It has served me well & thankfully my son is doing amazing. But anger rears its ugly head when Im confronted with situations that remind me of what happened to him-most recently Lil brother doing Kindergarten HW. I set him up at the table & read the directions. I helped him start his sentence & told him I’ll be right back to help him finish writing it. When I hear,”mommy I’m done” & look to see his cute little phonetically spelled words in his grammatically correct sentence written neatly on the lines, with spaces & all…..I start to cry!!! It’s a reminder that his brother had SUCH a hard time learning to write, wasn’t even writing words, nonetheless sentences at his age, would need my constant presence by his side just to stay focused on the task and before that was even possible much time was spent learning how to just sit & attend to an activity, any activity. I KNOW my younger son was spared a whole lot thanks to his older brother. I KNOW that I wouldn’t be a thinker today had I not been through all of this. And with that I take comfort. But still. I hate that all of this had to happen to my son for me to be the informed, thinking, natural parent I am today. That is probably why I am (we are) so adamant about getting our stories out there. BC all we want is for others to “see” things the way we do without having to go thru what we’ve been through.
I know how you feel. My son has Aspergers – he’s 21, one of the first waves, but I was savvy enough to not trust vaccines, but gave them to him anyway, out of fear of having him taken away from me for medical neglect (difficult situation with the father). Many of those things you did, I did not do, but he still has Aspergers, and I’m still wracked with guilt, when I let myself think about it. I have achieved some level of peace with the idea that I did the best I could with the knowledge I had then, but it doesn’t always help.
Meanwhile, I’ve become a naturopathic doctor and have learned all sorts of ways to help kids with ASD, and have recently become an intense student of genetic differences in methylation and associated biochemichal pathways in autism. As a naturopath, I have learned to look for the cause – and the puzzling thing about ASD is that hundreds and thousands of kids are exposed to the same things and DON’T get autism, but ours do. And these genetic polymorphisms make sense of why that is. So far 100% of ASD people tested have some version of these polymorphisms, and with your history of Fibro, likely you do too. Since you are now a Thinker, get busy looking up MTHFR, and see if there’s anything you can do to UNDO the autism. The treatments aren’t difficult – usually some B vitamins and some food avoidance, but they can make the world of difference. I like MTHFRsupport.net for a website. It’s cutting edge work, new advances all the time, so do your homework before starting anything. That’s what I’m doing, and for the first time since he was diagnosed, I’m feeling some hope.
Best to you, you’re one gutsy woman to look so frankly at yourself!
To the last comment from the ND. . . Have you seen the link between Lyme and autism?? Especially in mom’s diagnosed with fibromyalgia? Just wondering. I also, think autism can be reversed in some cases.
You should check out http://www.lymeinducedautism.com/. Tami Duncan has done so much work around lyme and autism.
Thank you for this article. You have done a great job of articulating every probable contributer to many of the health problems around. I don’t know if you have heard of CEASE Therapy. If not please have a look. http://www.cease-therapy.com
Wishing you the best.
Can we republish this blog on our site please?
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It is thanks to people like you who tell parents about the harm that vaccines and other medications do that we realise we need to do our own research instead of blindly following what the medical profession tell us. That is why my kids werent vaccinated. And why I question medical treatments. Thank you. And I am sorry for your experience with your son.
This is a courageous and heartbreaking article. This is also a very similar story to my life with my first son. I shared this on FB, and I wish every parent would read this. <3
Hey there…as I read your article….my heart was overwhelmed. I feel your pain and anguish in every word. I have two daughters …they are 17 and 20 now…and they do not have autism….but your story could have been mine. My oldest had group b strep that went sepsis…and she almost didn’t make it….she was on a stringent antibiotic regimen. Goodness…..I am not a health nut and advocate. If I knew then what I know now….neither of them would be vaccinated…….no ultrasounds…no fluoride….no hfcs……no silver fillings…..no sunscreen,…….oh goodness the list goes on and on. I tell people the FDA is not your friend….and it surely is not! I think every thing you said is absolutely true! I also think that sunscreen and lack of natural vitamin d play a huge roll in autism. I try to share with my parents…..without overstepping my legal boundaries. It is crazy how we know the truth…and yet we have to walk on eggshells…and tow the red tape line in school……putting the best interest of the kids aside. I have parents that feed their kids nitrate ladened hotdogs every day….and although I warn them….they choose to not listen. Between the CDC and the FDA……we are doomed if we remain ignorant. I believe that they want us sick…..we are worth more to them sick ….healthy and well people are not profitable. Sooo thank you for sharing you story……it was very brave of you!
You missed one on your list of psosible responses.
Response #4 – Massive facepalm. Do you make your son wear a tinfoil hat as well?
Since you openly admit you’re only allowing comments that agree with you on this board, I wonder how many #4′s you’ve had to quietly delete?
Your tragic story is tragic. Your blind faith in the doctors and OB’s lamentable and a very common source of pain. Your passionate writing about how to check doctors recommendations, ask questions and insist on making an informed decisions is defintiely a story that needs to be spread throught the community for all dealings with health professionals. Good luck and God bless you and your son.
This is how I feel about my first 2 babies. I gave them all the Tylenol, vaccines, antibiotics etc. I was one of the damn “sheeple”. But you brought up even more things I didn’t even know about! I’ll admit I haven’t researched autism much. I was very careful with my third pregnancy because I refused to endanger my child after all I had learned. And I am very lucky all of my kids are (so far) healthy. You have given me even more things to research and I will spread the word. And I hope you know how important this (wildly candid) post is
hugs!!
I don’t know. I have mixed feelings about this piece. While it certainly does provide some education, to link every facet of every misstep or intervention during her pregnancy as a possible link to autism almost borders on flaggelation (if she’s going to make religious references.) I feel for this mother. I truly do. I have a child who could possibly fall on the spectrum but the post reads to me that if she had, “played God,” perhaps she could have prevented her son’s autism. She could have decreased the odds maybe but not certainly (at least where it regards involving every possible culprit.) Maybe I am missing the point. Prepare to the best of your ability and get educated. Certainly make decisions based on that education but realize that you can not protect against every possible outcome. The unexpected does still arise. For that there is grace.
I don’t have children with autism so I don’t know anything on the subject, but just Health in general, I agree with everything you said. I applaud you for writing this. A chuckle came out when you said ‘google fluroide. the history reads like a Dan Brown novel.’ Wish more people would fight this issue. What am I saying, wish they would fight EVERY issue you talk about. Sharing for you
Excellent post! I didn’t read through all the posts but wanted to give you a few more links to autism research. I don’t know if you already know about this Dr. but she cured/fixed/reversed symptoms of her son’s autism through diet. Her research is very interesting – all in the gut – http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/12/dr-campbell-mcbride-on-gaps.aspx
http://www.doctor-natasha.com/gaps-book.php
And have you heard of the Feingold diet? Not direct to autism, but they focus on eliminating foods with preservatives and many have had great results in health & kids behavior.
I also have stopped using antibiotics when the HUGE bottle just didn’t look right to me – my instinct said it was too much and I started researching antibiotics for ear infections. Since I’ve stopped using antibiotics my son hasn’t had an ear infection!
I also don’t do flu shots. Here it is Feb and except for one solid cold a few weeks ago, we’ve all been healthy!
Thank you for writing this, I’m sharing it!
Thank you for telling your story. I vaccinated both of my kids, had Pitocin with my first one, took antibiotics for a kidney infection with my second and now I am a grandmother. Thinking back I questioned the doctors, refused treatments I thought were not warranted, I tried to check into the safety of medications and did what I could at that time.The internet has made so much more information available, including your story. I researched with my daughter during her pregnancy and she has decided not to allow vaccines, and to do what she thinks is best. I am grateful to you for sharing your story as it has made such a difference for her to see how important these decisions are. I pray that you will have peace, and that you will be blessed with the knowledge of the countless lives you are touching with your story.
I am sharing this everywhere I can. I could have written this whole thing. Dang.
It’s hard to know the truth, and see other avoid it. But don’t beat yourself up for not knowing. Only when we walk through the wrong path are we able to lead other down the right one. Nothing done to the wise woman is wasted. Speak the truth, The truth does set you free, release. God says his people die for lack of knowledge, so you are saving lies by speaking the truth. Some smart people will read and research and make educated choices that will save their children’s lives. Some will disregard and keep trusting Uncle Sam and big pharma, but when the stuff hits the fan, they will remember your words. I am with you. I’ve seen the transformation, pre-shots and after. I see the toxins in dyes, fluoride, and chemical compounds that are fed to american kids. I’ve see autism come on a perfectly fine child, like overnight after his shots. I’ve done the research, the only people who will disagree haven’t read. With autism 1 in 18, sooner or later the world will wake up. Until then, hold your head up, keep talking, and I will too;)
Thank you so much to have the guts to stand up and tell others of your experience. The more people we have like you hopefully will get the masses thinking for themselves and taking responsibility instead of being lead by big pharma/medical/dental professions who continue lying and deceiving the public.
Just because you don’t have a piece of paper that says you are a professional health worker some people don’t want to believe what you say but you are a mother/parent and as far as I’m concerned you know more about your child than anyone with all the qualifications in the world. We are so easily lead because we believe the governments are looking after us and would not cause harm intentionally. How wrong we are….
You have my full support!
Oh dear sweet Mama,
I feel ya, I’m guessing I have a similar personality to yours so what I say may fall on deaf ears but I did many of the things you did and none of my 3 boys have autism. Hang in there.
Because of you and the other strong women out there who are willing to share their mistakes and struggles, my daughter is vaccine free, strong, and healthy. Because you and other mamas out there sacrificed everything so that I could find my way, I am beyond grateful! Every day I wake up knowing I have to fight for her, and fight against doctors, nurses, and family. And I will fight forever to make sure she stays strong. I can’t imagine what you are going through but I can’t thank you enough for what you have done for me.
My daughter has Autism, she’s now 15. I did none of those things. NO ultrasound, NO meds of any kind while pregnant, NO pitocin or any other drugs during labor (I had natural child birth), NO c-section, NO antibiotics, NO vaccines, NO acetaminophen, NO teething drops, NO floride. I ate a very natural healthy organic diet with no high fructose corn syrup, I nursed her for 3 years, never gave her any sugar. I was very informed and went against all of this mainstream medical stuff, and opted for a mid-wife at a birthing center. When I first got pregnant and told my dr. what I wanted she balked at me and laughed and said, “Trust me you will want all of this” I said, “You are wrong, and I walked out and never went back. I THINK YOU ARE COMPLETLY RIGHT!! All of this stuff is BAD. Dr. Oz just posted hundreds of over the counter meds, practically all have acetaminophen.
We have had every genetic test they currently have available, all have been negative. So what caused her Autism? Probably so many more factors. My personal opinion about what causes Autism is everything you listed, plus general pollution in everything we consume, breathe and touch. There was a recent study that shows that there are 500-700 toxins in the baby’s umbilical cord when they are born. The Industrial Revolution of the last 100 years or so has poisoned everything, they dumped everything into the water ways. The nuclear waste dumping into water etc. Our bodies are programed to adapt and change with nature to stay alive, but we can’t keep up with the fast changes. Did it come from me? I took floride drops as a child, lived next to a freeway for 5 years in the 60′s before smog control, I had a mouth full of mercury filled fillings (now replaced), I ate canned tuna while growing up, was it still in my body, did I pass it on? Was my husbands sperm affected by something? The genetic research continues, they might find something down the road. But why the high numbers of autism rates, no matter where you live? Ever walk in to Best Buy and smell the toxins, I can’t stand to be in there for more than 5 minutes. All of our clothes and fabric on furniture is poisoned with fire repellant that doesn’t even work, etc., I don’t go to the mall, b/c every store smells toxic. Thanks for posting about the poisons that doctors push without any hesitation!
Not sure how this would explain all the cases that did not do the above. For instance i live in Sweden none of what u talk about is here really but autism is?
Your information is valuable but doesnt make sense in the big picture. I know having an illness it is nicer to blame myself than feel the powerlessness of the random hell of fate. Not sure what is true for u. I am sure however your child is loved since you are so
Thoughtful. My heart as a parent, as a person with a chronic illness is with u. Guess we will just do the best we can
I feel your pain as a mother of a kid who is in the autism spectrum but I can’t agree. I’m sorry that you feel the need to blame yourself. I did none of these things and yet my kid’s brain is not wired the same way mine is. With other children, I had ultrasounds…there was even a c-section…. no autism spectrum.
Yes, I believe autism can be caused by environment . Every thing that happened to that poor child could have caused his autism. Bu I look at most of the comments and can not believe how people still thing vaccination cause autism. The research was discredited and no other research has been able to make a connection. When our child is sick and there seems to be nothing you can do, you want to blame something. At least this mom is blaming herself for not researching more into her sons illness. There is probably not one thing that caused your child’s autism. We live in a country of mass produced food, medicine and house hold goods. As a society we pay a price for our lifestyle.
Thank you for writing this. I am a childbirth educator, and I think I am going to have to step out of my own comfort zone and give this blog to my students. It will certainly create some controversy for me, but it seems I should be willing to take that on for the sake of the first time parents who have no idea about the minefield they are navigating, often with blindfolds on. Thank you again, and thank you that despite your own struggles you took the time and effort to reach out and try to help other families avoid this tragedy.
Lilly
As a childhood educator, will you also share with your students that the minefield can not always be navigated through. Yes, I did some of the things mountain mama refers to but I also learned through genetic testing that my daughter lives with autism due to a chromosomal abnormality that had occurred before I even knew I was pregnant. I don’t want to see a generation of expecting parents be so scared to hurt their child and feel a lifetime of unresolved guilt for something we do not always have control over.
Thank you
I want to first say that I understand the guilt, i do. I do think that some things do play a part in this ‘epidemic’.
I do wonder about the countless ear infections that my daughter had, she was born premature, I did vaccines but I spaced them way out …but Florida is strict so I had to get them for daycare.
I have (undiagnosed at the time) Autoimmune disease. My husband has Autistic family members popping out of the woodwork. Due to that alone I belive that my daughter has a genetic predisposition to ASD but it is not set in stone.
I have a 10 month old son that I did the same things with….he was slightly premature. I was high risk pregnancy due to age, autoimmune, and other stuff.
He seems to not be sick all the time but he is not in daycare.
He has the same odds of being on the spectrum as my daughter 50/50…….(due to the exact same genetic predisposition as my daughter)
I can’t blame myself for my daughter’s ASD and I can’t worry about my son, what will be will be…..
Florida is strict, but vaccinations are not required. You can easily get an exemption. And this is where people are so very ill informed.
Great advice on what to avoid in this article. The Weston A. Price Foundation is a God-sent on what to do to have a healthy thriving baby based on centuries old wisdom from traditional primitive peoples who were resistant to the diseases of civilization. This wisdom was largely abandoned in the modern world for several reasons but none of them good.
http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditions-Book-Baby-Child/dp/0982338317/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1361639157&sr=8-11&keywords=weston+price
http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditions-Challenges-Politically-Dictocrats/dp/0967089735/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y
I have no words. Just tears. For you, your son, and me and mine…
I will try the GP CLO.
Blog shared. Twice in fact .
Wow! I agree with basically everything on this list. Fluoride is poison. And it’s unnecessary. Acetaminophen is another poison. But it’s hard to convince people of this in an overmedicated nation. Unfortunately, vaccines are basically necessary evils in our overmedicated nation, and our culture makes it very difficult to avoid them (unless you don’t plan to assimilate and send your kids to school, etc.). So, I read Dr. Sears’ book about vaccines, found a doc who let me give them to my kids one at a time, once a month, and I prayed for the best. Hope I did the right thing. So far, so good. Yes “common sense dictates” that this isn’t good, and that’s not good, etc. And it’s so true. We just don’t trust our guts often enough. I mean, to me, common sense dictates that the aluminum in vaccines is NOT something you want to inject into your kids. But the FDA and our doctors and all of the pharmaceutical companies, of course, insist it’s fine. But, again, common sense dictates it’s not. It just doesn’t feel right to put this in my babies’ bodies. But like I said, I opted to vaccinate one shot at a time, once a month, and I prayed for the best. Same thing with my thyroid meds during pregnancy. I had thyroid cancer and had a total thyroidectomy prior to my pregnancies. I basically have no choice (unless I go the unconventional route) but to take thyroid replacement therapy every day for the rest of my life since I have no thyroid anymore (something I’m kicking myself for because if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have had my thyroid removed, but that’s another story for another blog). I take Synthroid and did so throughout both pregnancies, and I took it in high doses since, again, I have no thyroid, so I’m not just supplementing an underactive thyroid, I’m completely replacing it with Synthroid. It’s supposedly category A in pregnancy, yet I read it can be linked to mental retardation. WTF??? Makes NO sense. And, again, common sense dictates…BUT, I really had no choice. My body won’t function without thyroid replacement therapy, and my pregnancies certainly wouldn’t have gone well without it. Ultrasounds are another scary topic. Their overuse and link to autism and other problems makes perfect sense, though. They are imaging tools. Therefore, they emit radiation. Period. We tend to forget this. And we tend to forget how terrible radiation is because our docs order imaging tests left and right—they seem to just prescribe radiation so freely, as if it’s NOT dangerous, toxic, or carcinogenic. It’s baffling. Now, an ultrasound isn’t going to emit as much radiation as, say, a CT scan, but it still emits radiation. And having had a history of miscarriage, I had a lot of ultrasounds. Looking back, I’m not comfortable with the idea of having exposed my babies—and myself—to that much (now seemingly unnecessary) radiation. But, again, praying for the best here. And what a slippery slope the whole Pitocin/epidural/C-section thing is. I, too, was told my amniotic fluid levels were low with my first child at 37 weeks, so my doc started talking induction. Looking back, I think it was BS. I’m not saying I was lied to about my levels, but I did some research afterward, and while a low or decreasing amniotic fluid level isn’t uncommon at the end of a pregnancy, it doesn’t necessarily merit medical intervention of any kind, either. However, I believe doctors use this as a “medically necessary” reason to induce. It just makes life easier for them. They can pencil an induction into their schedules rather than be awoken by a call from you at 3 AM. Luckily, my son came all on his own, 2 weeks early, and I delivered him naturally. If he hadn’t come that early, however, I know my doc would’ve been pushing for that induction. With my second baby, my doctor wanted to induce me before my daughter was even late! He tested my amniotic fluid level with her, too, but it was normal, yet he was still trying his damnedest to induce me, saying she was getting “too big”! I’m so glad I fought him tooth and nail and refused to subscribe to the notion of induction. And she was 8 lbs., 10 oz, by the way. Big, yes, but hardly “too big”. I knew I did NOT want Pitocin. I knew about the risks involved and I also knew it would be a slippery slope and that Pitocin contractions would be so bad that I’d NEED an epidural to deal with the pain, and, worst-case scenario, before I knew it, I’d be having a C-section. No thanks! In the end, I delivered her naturally, too—no induction, no epidural, nothing. C-sections are so bad for so, so many reasons (except for when the baby’s or mother’s life is in danger, of course), and I think the benefits of the “friendly bacteria” picked up in the birth canal (which is, of course, bypassed during C-sections) is highly underrated. Newborns’ immune systems need this bacteria and I wonder if a lack of it maybe sets the stage, in combination with other things, for a less than ideal start to one’s life. Newborns also get “squeezed”, for lack of a better expression, as they come through the vaginal canal, which helps get rid of a lot of fluid and mucous. This is another thing C section babies miss out on. Makes me wonder if this, too, interferes with a healthy start to one’s life. Interesting and immeasurably important stuff. Too many people are in the dark about too many things—and by no fault of their own, really, just due to blindly trusting people they’re *supposed* to be able to trust in terms of their pregnancies and their children. Thanks so much for writing this and for bringing so much awareness to these subjects.
Both the article and the replies are very moving. But, just to inform young mothers who may not know, it’s not hard to get a vaccine exemption even if your child is in public school, except in Mississippi and West Virginia. All other states have religious and/or philosophical exemptions as well as medical. I asked for one when my daughter started kindergarten, and the school office had a big stack of them under the front desk. I filled it out, and they’ve never said another word about it in the past seven years.
I’m just one more who feels guilty, I had two ultrasounds, one because I got pregnant when I hadn’t had a period in three months, making it hard to estimate when I had gotten pregnant. The other because my baby much later was in a transverse position, and they weren’t sure there was still enough amniotic fluid in the placenta. Those both sounded like good reasons at the time, but I no longer trust anything a medical professional says.
I also wound up with an emergency C-section, after which it was discovered that there was a “true knot” in the umbilical cord, which was cutting off oxygen during contractions. So my baby was asphyxiating both during and between contractions, and probably would have died without the C-section. I had been in excruciating pain for hours, she had raised her arm above her head, and was stuck in the birth canal. For me, the C-section was a godsend, a relief from the agony, and it saved my daughter’s life. I will never know if it contributed to her autism. I didn’t have Pitocin, I was already nine cm dilated when I got to the hospital, and couldn’t even have the usual painkiller. But they ultimately gave me another one. I deeply regret many things I did, but don’t know whether allowing that contributed to her autism or not.
I gave her Tylenol for teething pain, which caused her horrible pain. I did not give it to her for fevers, even though the nurses advised me to. I called the company and learned that our PUR filter did not filter out fluoride, which I regretted. I have had arguments with my dentist brother, who thinks fluoride in the water has prevented millions of cases of cavities, gum disease, and complications attendant on them. I told him it causes bone cancer and is used in rat poison.
It was the shots which did in my baby. I had said I didn’t want her to get the hep-B shot at birth, and had gone to her pedi a month before she was born only to say I didn’t want her to get it. But they gave it to her at midnight without asking permission, and she reacted with encephalitis, four days and nights of endless screaming. I let her get the DTaP at 2, 4, and 6 months, not knowing that it doesn’t work at all in two-month olds, not well in four-month olds, and in many it doesn’t ever work at all. She got pertussis at a La Leche League meeting at 8 months old, gave it to me, and, while it was bad for both of us, it wasn’t dangerous, and we both made a full recovery. She had started saying two words by 18 months, uh for up and uff for dog, both of which words were erased forever as soon as she got the DTaP booster at 18 months. She was diagnosed with autism at 20 months, and didn’t say another word until 34 months old. She is in a special autism class in public school now, at nearly thirteen years old, and is very low-verbal.
If I had it to do over, I would not let her get any shots. They are much more dangerous than the diseases they are meant to prevent. At this point in time, it’s all about the money, and your child’s life and health are worth standing up to the medical and school authorities, and just saying no. Beyond that, I would recommend keeping young babies in quarantine at home with as few caregivers as possible if there is any pertussis in town during his first few months. That’s really the only way to protect him in the only months when the disease might be dangerous or deadly for him, since the vaccine is so ineffective, and doesn’t protect 30% of older kids or adults who get the Tdap.
Wow! I did not realize it wasn’t hard to get a vaccine exemption even if your child is in public school. I thought you’d just have to home school you children if you wanted to go the no-vaccine route. Thanks for that info! And I am APPALLED that a hospital gave your newborn a hep B shot without your consent, and I cannot believe what happened to your baby as a result. I’m so sorry you and your baby had to go through that hell. I was adamant about making sure my children did not get that shot. It’s really disgusting that these “professionals” we’re supposed to trust our lives—and our children’s lives—with do these things to us. I had my water broken by my doc without my consent. I was fully aware of the dangers of breaking your water in labor and the possibility of it leading to a C-section if labor doesn’t progress within 24 hours, and I was scared to death of that. Luckily, my son came appx. 12 hours after my water was broken. My doc also stripped my membranes prior to breaking my water—again, without my consent. I had no idea what he was doing, and it hurt like hell, and there was a LOT of blood. Totally freaked me out. NOT what I needed during labor with my first child, as I was already scared to death. I felt extremely violated by my doctor after this. Thank God, it all worked out fine, but if it had gone in another direction, it could’ve been disastrous. I am so heartbroken to hear about your daughter. It is beyond devastating. I have a 29 month old and a 13 month old and they’re both seemingly OK so far, but I know we’re not in the clear just yet, so I just continue praying for the best and continue to keep a close eye on them and their development.
I applaud all the parents who managed to avoid the vaccines…and who “managed” the folks who pushed them.
at the time i did not know anything untoward about vaccines, and was sadly still someone who had grown up believing that medically educated people surely knew better than I.
Some vaccines were much spaced out, and some missed entirely due to frequent illness. (now am greatful at least for that).
However, in many jurisdictions it is freakishly difficult to avoid a vaccination, and often if the Public Health Nurse gets the idea it is being avoided, there (appears) to be huge pressure, intimidation and harrassment to do so. We had a case where there was a rash reaction to one vaccine, I talked to the drug company, and they were adamant there should be NO more of this vaccine. I took him to Pediatrician who had a titre (?) test done to determine how much “reaction” (sorry cant recal the specifics), his system had. He was already two or three times higher than a kid who had the entire series. So, obviously, there were NO more of that vaccine.
So…I gave letters, outling drug company instructions, Pediatrician instructions, result of titre to school, and to teachers, and to Public Health Nurse, strongly refusing the next rounds of this vaccine.
I think he was about Grade four at the time, so old enough to “hold his own”.. Wouldnt you know it, his teacher took the letter, and told the Nurse “no vaccine”. My son said “no vaccine”. the nurse admitted she had her letter, but INSISTED he must have the vaccine. He was old enough to adamantly refuse. Oddly enough, he had said to me that morning, what to I do if the nurse insists. I told him to refuse. but he was still worried, as he said, “you know some adults”..Well, I told him if it came to that, scream, or tell her your parents would be getting a lawyer. Well, he did not have to go that far, as he had the teacher backing him up..BUT
I, next day started getting phone calls from the Public Health INSISTING I must have him vaccinated. Even though I went over the letters with them, etc. So, at first I started out just telling them my concerns and saying I would get back to them, if things changed. Well, I got more and more phone calls, and finally from the Head Honcho for the Distric Public Health..and very intimidating (implying Social Services would be showing up, etc)…
In a flash of what in retrospect I can only call inspiration…. I started talking all Kiss Assy to Head Honcho. Thanked them for explaining it all to me. Told them no one else had been so clear. Told them now I understood. Told them i would go immediately to my Pediatrician and have it done. So kind of them to take the time. I have no idea why that got them off my back, but I never got another phone call…
For more info on vax exemptions, check out this site: http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requirements.aspx
I downloaded the religious exemption form, printed one out for each of my boys, filled it out and submitted it in place of the immunization record card along with the rest of the documents & papers the school collects at the beginning of the schl yr/registration. They accepted it no questions asked. About 2 weeks later I get a call from the schl nurse saying that she was updating the childrens’ files and she did not see the “vax record card” in my sons folder. I told her the religious exemption form should be in there but I would make another one and send it in to her anyway. About an hour later she calls me back saying that she found it-it was stuck btwn the other papers. Then, (lol) she calls me the next week again for the same BS reason saying she couldnt find it in my younger sons folder either. But this time she put me on hold, and VOILA! she had found it by the time she came back on the line. Hmmm…
No more phone calls or issues after that. For the most part, I have to say, my sons schl is really good about everything. But it makes one wonder-could it be that they are told to do this as a “last minute attempt” to try to intimidate a parent into thinking they may not accept the form. About 5 yrs ago, I would’ve never thought such a horrible possibility. NOW?!?! I wouldnt put it past ANY of the “big establishments” to go so far as to do something like this AND MORE AND WORSE!!!!
here’s my opinion:
http://motherhoodblisses.blogspot.com/2012/07/vaccines.html
I think I did every single thing you did with both my children. Between the two of them, every single thing you listed. I am so grateful the outcome was not the same. My boy, who is 23 now, had reactions to his vaccines, and I begged the doctor to do something different. My boy also had augmentin, super ear infections, and not just different kinds of antibiotics but prophylactic antibiotics. Pitocin, emergency C’section. He is a very intelligent, gentle soul, sensitive. My daughter has Downs Syndrome. Every ultra sound, and test imaginable. She did not react to vaccinations. I purchased water with flouride and gave her flouride tabs. You are not alone in being duped by the medical system. Some of us just had better outcomes. I don’t know why. I wish I had known then what I know now. Who knows the extent of damage my and all of our children might suffer as well, without anyone having a real understanding.
Excellent article, very well written. A must read for any parent. Or anyone for that matter. Everyone can learn something from this. I will share with as many as I can. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. Much Love.
Dear Friend who wrote this article, Thank you for writing. I learned from this. You’ve received a lot of feedback already, so you may not even read this, and I, sadly don’t have time to read all the comments so maybe someone else has already said what I’m about to say. Either way, I hope that you receive God’s forgiveness and additionally, that you can forgive yourself.
Please forgive yourself and enjoy the highly sensitive, and I’m sure sweet, boy that God has given you, free of guilt. To say that you cannot forgive yourself seems to say that you are somehow a higher authority than He is. Jesus is the great high priest, confess your sins to Him and no other priest is needed to forgive you. Also, He gives wisdom when we ask. Ask Him, Seek Him.
Much Love,
Jesus Follower
I understand your guilt, I too poisioned my child with flouride drops first then pills. I vaccinated my son without reguard and I am a helath care professional (although the schedule was much less 24 years ago than it is now). I was lucky though my son has done well but did have to have heart surgery for a congenital defect when he was 2 which was difficult. He is just about to graduate with a masters in Mechanical Engineering and is a professional road cyclist ( he did not let his heart defect keep him down). I am not bragging or trying to make any of you feel bad, like I said I was very lucky considering all the antibiotics he was on as an infant related to complications from his heart defect. The reason I am writing is as a health profession I have now awakened to the health hazzards that modern medicine inflicts on our population, and I am in a position to change this for many. I am an RN in my husbands chiropractic office and encounter people daily with advice about hazzards such as vaccines, mercury, flouride, prescription drugs etc…etc. I hope I can help others avoid the path you took with your son. BTW I was so proud of my son a few weeks ago his university told him he could not register unless he got another Dtap vaccine. He researched what he could do to avoid it and he claimed a religious exemption and was able to avoid another toxic vaccine. I am happy he understands these dangers so when he has children he can make the correct decisions.
Omg, my heart is breaking for you. I had to stop reading after the antibiotics one. After having a kid, I can’t handle thinking about children suffering. I cannot imagine being in your shoes but you are getting the message out and that’s important. And I would be very tempted to sue someone if I were you, which I know may not be the answer, but it would probably make me feel better. All these people giving out life-damaging advice and drugs should be taken to court though! Something should be done to get them to stop. You were only doing what the majority of people in your position would do. But some of us have woken up to what’s going on and it’s up to us to spread the word. Thank you.
My son and I have a very similar story and I feel exactly the same way. I vented this to my husband just a few days ago and he reminded me that it was a fair assumption that we could trust our doctors. Of course, I don’t trust them anymore and I don’t do anything without researching it. Thank you for sharing this. Tears streamed down my face as I read, because slowly I’m piecing together what happened to my son. It’s such a complicated puzzle. I knew the ridiculous number of antibiotics my son took wreaked havoc on his gut, but I didn’t know Augmentin was so much worse than the other antibiotics he took. I’m appalled. He regularly alternated between amoxicillin, augmentin, and rocefin (sp?). I feel sick. He had the same rash and diarrhea. Sometimes the diarrhea lasted for weeks. Why did no one seem concerned?! I remember calling down to the pediatrician’s office so many times about this and I was told over and over again not to worry. I would like to think someone will learn from my experience too, but so far no one wants to even hear about it. Apparently, we’re all supposed to keep pretending that the emperor has clothes on, but he doesn’t. He’s buck naked.
I put the peices of my son’s puzzle together one cold, snowy winter night in January of 2007. He was 28 months old and 4months into EI with zero progress. After a few months of digging for answers, it hit me all at once that night like a huge gust of wind pushing my car as I drove across town at 6pm by myself with a bundled up toddler & newborn to an unknown health food store searching for gluten free dairy free food to feed my son for dinner THAT NIGHT. This sudden burst of anger was the fuel igniting the fire on the candle whose flame burned bright it lit up the path I would wind up following on 5yr long journey leading us to healing and recovery for my son today at 7yo.
Autism is treatable. Recovery is possible. Never give up hope!!!!!!!
Please don’t be offended but … Might I ask if you’ve spent the same amount of time studying God’s Character as you’ve spent researching what may have caused your child’s autism? God offers us peace that transcends all understanding, and sometimes all we have in this life is to trust that God knows what he is doing. Romans 11:33 Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and His ways past finding out. This verse helps me to try and accept the unacceptable situations that life inevitably has for us all. You are the mother that God chose for your child and he didn’t make a mistake in placing that babe in your care. More important than why or how you child has autism is that God knew every hour and every breath of you and your child’s life. Read Philippians – Paul was a persecuted of the church before he trusted God. He said, “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” I just want to encourage you to stop looking behind and “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called” us.
You make me weep. Thank you for having the courage and compassion to write this. Through your words, I will also find absolution.
Love.
This makes me so sad and it is still going on every day. People generally think they are doing the right thing because they have been advised by the “so called” experts. But it is all just a guessing game and much of it is corrupt science. We need to trust nature and stop messing with the miracle of our bodies and reproduction. I wish we could do away with all of it. I think we are weakening the human race and there will be more sickness than ever. Who cares about the flu or chicken pox, I can deal with them, but I can’t deal with the permanent damage that drugs do. $2 billion already paid out in “proven” vaccine injuries by the US government. Stick with Mother Nature and don’t trust anyone who has something to gain by interfering with her.
Great to have some of these opinions posted on http://thinkpinion.com which is a website to share opinions about anything and everything with anyone!
Thank you so much for this article. It definitely took a lot of courage and reflection to share your story so I applaud your strength.
Education is the most important weapon we have in this day and age in which we are inundated with ads and products by companies that don’t have anything but profits in their interest. It’s so easy to believe in and swallow when it gets presented in a flashy tv ad or in shiny packaging, but taking the time to research and learn is worth it for ourselves and our families and friends!
Thank you again so much for sharing your story with everyone! I know I will!
Thanks for this! I hate vaccines. They played a big part in my sons autism
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Awesome article. Thank you so much for taking the time to post this.
Hey, you just did what the doctors and health authorities recommended. How were you to know that it was wrong? With the wisdom of hindsight it is easy to beat yourself up over it. I hope you can forgive yourself – and certainly providing all this information will do an incredible amount of good to help others avoid the pitfalls.
My brother suggested I might like this website. He was entirely right. This submit actually made my day. You cann’t imagine simply how much time I had spent for this info! Thank you!
Thank you, I appreciate all the info I get from Thinking moms, I don’t have a vaccine injured child but with another baby on the way I’m trying to do right by this baby while thanking the Lord that my first child is doing well. I want to run screaming every time I learn new info, like about high fructose corn syrup. Anyways, I’ll pray for you and your family and thank you for writing down your story.
Hello Moutain Mamma, well, first thanks for posting this. I hope it gets shared and enlighten many moms to be.
The most important part of my message – you can actually do something to try and repair some, if not most, of the damage. Have you researched your options ? Chelation is not the only way to get rid of heavy metals. You can give your son bentonite clay baths. You can use supplements like chlorella, or homeopathy. Acupuncture and diet can help tons. You are a Thinker now so I will let you research these… I will post only one link because this one is less known, you can reach out to an Upledger practitioner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-0aYkPbono&feature=youtu.be
Good luck and thanks for the post !
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Mountain Mama,
I am a “mountain mama,” too…in Colorado. Just curious where you are located because I have an idea about the heavy metal detoxing. You mentioned above that your little guy is too weak to go through chelation therapy. I went through mercury poisoning and elected to use acupuncture to detox my body. Not just any acupuncturist has the ability to do this, though. (**I mean absolutely NO offense to anyone that may be an acupuncturist. This is just my research findings and personal experience.) There is a specific method called the NAET method (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique…Dr. Nambudripad is an MD, RN, Ac, DC, CNT and the developer of this technique). You can check into the method at naet.com or feel free to contact me by email with specific questions at mfrazier_healthfitness@yahoo.com
My specific therapist is in Colorado, but they are located through out the nation. You will be able to locate providers through the website I mentioned above.
God bless you and your precious family. Know you will be in my thoughts and prayers!
This is very painful to read. I was also harmed by medical ignorance, as a baby and as an adult. I know how devastating it can be, especially when the doctors and people in general, including friends, don’t believe you. The system of denial is firmly entrenched, but stories like yours will help a generation start to wake up. I thank you for sharing your story and I will pass it on.
I have read that the Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates helps restore a lot of autistic kids back to health. I think people are more resilient than we give them credit for, and we can heal. I don’t believe the damage is permanent, as the body/mind/spirit has amazing regenerative powers. I wish you and your son the best on your journey of healing.
LOVE this. Thank you, so much, for writing. it! Sharing now!!!
I love you. I have felt this way a lot. The responsibility is mine also. I love your openness. Know we have made mistakes, but out of love. But we shall over come, we shall be strong.
I see that you have been deleting responses from people who disagree with you, so I don’t expect this one to last very long, but I just wanted to say this: there is SO much that we don’t know about Autism. New research is being done linking it to genetics. Many families with many different lifestyles and choices have children with Autism. As tempting as it is to find blame, even in yourself, try and accept the possibility that you may never know why your child has autism. It is a waste of time and emotion to blame yourself, and it affects how you mother your child. Forget about looking for blame… look to the future and look at your son. Have fun with him. Be the mother to him that he thinks you are.
Annie, with all due respect, there are so many children out there who are screwed up healthwise in some way or another that there is no way there can be that many “bad genes” out there. You also need to do some research on how gene mutations occur – all genetic change is environmental, it has to start somewhere, and yes, there are things you can do, to some extent, to control expression of genes. A few years ago my daughter was a complete and utter wreck. At five years old, she never slept, never stopped moving, destroyed anything that she could get her hands on, screamed in pain for up to an hour, and landed her infant brother in the hospital because she picked him up and threw him. You cannot “have fun” with your child when every moment of your home life is like living in a war zone. It is not a lack of love to look for solutions to these very real and serious problems, it is just the opposite. And yes, to figure out the solution, you have to figure out the cause. ABA does not help the children like mine whose brains are so fried from damage that they are too spaced out to pay attention. Fast forward to five years later. Chelation has been the best thing that we could have ever done for her. She is not “cured” probably never will be anywhere NEAR “cured, but she is no longer aggressive. She is happy and comfortable most days (unless she gets a food she cannot handle, by the way, she now AVOIDS certain foods that she knows will make her sick), and our home is peaceful enough that I can homeschool her (couldn’t do that before, she was so out of control that I sent her to school as a way of getting respite because she was so extremely difficult to deal with every second) as well as my other children. We were even able to have another baby last year because she is no longer violent. I am so tired of you people with your high functioning kids who can get by with an IEP, and aide, and a little bit of ADHD medication preaching to us about love and acceptance. Part of loving your child is getting them to a point where living is tolerable and enjoyable, for them and the rest of the members of your family. There is a family in Oregon whose son so severely self-injures that he leaves his face a bloody pulp – the only thing that has helped him is medical marijuana. I guess you should just go to their facebook page and tell them that they need to learn to love him better. I get so tired of you “just love them” people. Like I said, if your child is that high functioning that you can talk down to those of us who are not so lucky, then you are blessed. Leave the rest of us the hell alone to try and figure out what hurt our children so that we can ameliorate their severe symptoms. It isn’t about “blaming anyone” it is about helping our babies feel well and function so they CAN be the best they can be.
If it was all Genes, or even “mostly” genes, I believe humans would have been “bred” out of existence.
Natalie’s advocate, your experience sounds a little like my family’s, except that my sister is now an adult (32) and the only thing that has helped her somewhat is a GFCF diet. Her violence toward us was SO bad in her/ our teen years that I remember my mom saying, “She’s going to kill me.” Words cannot describe the mental anguish of having lived in a home where your parents loved you, yet there was continual violence. She’s lunged, pinched, bitten, etc.–all of us, except maybe my father–more times than I can count. She has spent hours screaming/ screeching. My family couldn’t do much of anything because of her.
Would you be willing to correspond with me at my given email address, katiecrystal23@yahoo.com?
I totally sympathize with your sentiment…others are trying to be nice (I think…usually), but the truth is that they have NO idea what it’s really like. And vaccines are justified with “Would you rather she be DEAD than autistic?” People who ask that don’t understand that when you live with daily violence that almost no one has figured out how to help, wondering if a family member may severely hurt another family member–yet unable to kick the violent one out of the house because you’re worried about HER well being too–it’s a living death.
you are definitely not alone, believe me. most women in your situation would have done the same and listened to the doctors without thinking that they should do some research. i can think of only 1 friend who i know is looking things up before making a decision. none of the others does and i will have them
read your article that will safe some children’s health i m sure. (sorry, my english is not perfect)
Response #4) What about genetics, people?? Seriously- all of our kids should have come down with this terrible and preventable travesty by now if what yer saying is true. Plus I skipped most of the things on this stupid list… except for with my one son who ISN’T autistic. Why would you rather site useless unscientific ‘studies’ than open yer eyes and see that (real) doctors are finding new genetic chromosomal links to autism every month! I gave my kids autism too- It carried down from my X chromosome and passed onto two of my little kids with Y chromosomes. And I’m fine with that.
Most people agree that there is a genetic link that PREDISPOSES some to become autistic. That doesn’t mean they will. There may be a few rare cases where a baby is born with autism and that’s it.
As for citing (correct spelling) studies, who is to say what are useful and what are not? How many studies have *you* seen on vaccines or ultrasounds that weren’t funded by those who produce those very things? And doctors “finding new genetic…links…every month”? Can you point us to evidence of that?
Autism is a serious, lifelong disability. (For someone who has a child diagnosed with “autism” who is in fact only mildly disabled, I’m happy for you. That doesn’t discount what is true the majority of the time.) Sometimes (often?) affected individuals never learn to speak and never outgrow using diapers.
Add to that the fact that this is an epidemic, that the rates continue to rise, and that while people cite “environmental poisoning,” they’re vehemently defensive of procedures that come into question…we’ve gotten nowhere fast in the past 10-20 years. How would you propose that we care for these children when the rate is as low as 1/10? What if the autistic individual has NO siblings when his parents are too old? What if they are ill or have small autistic children of their own that they are trying to help while fielding attacks from a violently angry autistic person–nearly every DAY?
There is every reason in the world to try to find out what is causing it. We can say “genetics” and all stop having children (because surely, there aren’t that many who can’t find it somewhere on their family tree by now), or we can continue to look at other factors.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am NOT confident in the state’s ability to provide care to all of these people if the economy slides any further down the toilet. People need to spend five minutes doing some serious thinking before offering up paeans about how quality of life is so much more important than finding the cause–something we don’t apply to ANY other tragedy.
It sounds like you are not blaming yourself but blaming health professionals that you listened to. When investigating you need to research both sides and not just look just look at Google for answer that you WANT to hear. Things need to be taken in moderation. Yes, too much fluoride will kill you, but also too much water will. Fluoride is a natural mineral found in the body and is naturally in water. It is now just titrated to the optimal level now. Sometimes it is less than the natural water and sometimes it is more. Giving your child the appropriate vaccine “may” contribute to autism, but not getting vaccines could kill your child. You are correct in wanting to take control and research your options. Bring your research to the health professional and hear their side of the story. I urge you to do the same in treatment for your child’s autism.
I think if you read closely, she DID hear a practitioner’s side of the story. Two practitioners, actually. The first one told her to do all the things that made her child very sick. The second one told her the truth — which she already knew — that all those things were bad for her child and should not have been done and now must be undone to the extent possible. Parents who have been down this road know all too well that mainstream pediatricians are trained to unquestioningly promulgate a public health policy that is unsafe for the individual, and to be reflexively dismissive of any contrary ideas (bullying and expelling non-vaccinating families from their practice being a prime example). After the damage is done, because as it turns out one size does not fit all, most pediatricians are uninterested in questioning conventional wisdom or admitting and learning from their mistakes, both of which are necessary first steps to remediating autism and its medical co-morbidities. Mine never even bothered to look at the labs we had dutifully copied to her when we started DAN that showed zero good bacteria in my child’s gut and high levels of heavy metals.
There is no reason on earth to go to a practitioner to “hear their side of the story” unless that “side” includes experience in recovering sick children with autism. Thankfully there are caring doctors who have been forging their own paths in this arena, and parents are increasingly free to vote with their feet when selecting who may be entrusted with the care of their children. Imagine how much better off we would all be if the myopic AAP took this list to heart and made sure their members knew as much about BBB permeability, mitochondrial dysfunction, environmental toxicity, and gut dysbiosis as do the Thinking Moms.
Also, I had 2 kids at home with midwives. I had no ultrasound with the first and breastfed for a year. She had regular vaccinations. She has a life threatening peanut allergy. I had one ultrasound with my son, also breastfed and uncircumcised. I delayed his vaccines until 6 months and then caught up one at a time. He’s about to turn 4 and he has never gotten sick enough to require an antibiotic.
What an amazing heartfelt post that was written perfectly. My son has apraxia, not autism, but because there are so many similarities between these two disorders, I read as much about autism that I can get my hands on. I am a Thinking Mom too! I believe apraxia is on the spectrum and that *something* prevents these children from getting full blown autism. Yes, I am grateful that my son only has apraxia and not autism. I know you mamas are faced with so many other challenges. I am breaking the mold with this disorder and doing biomedical intervention even though at this point, I don’t feel like it is the popular choice in the apraxia community. I also take precautions with vaccines, antibiotics, and Tylenol. My story with pitocin, vaccines, antibiotics, eczema, and ear infections match yours. I am bookmarking, facebooking, and tweeting this article because it is nice to have all of these key points in one place. Anyone that I know who is pregnant or has a young child will get this article forwarded to them. Thanks for spreading the word!! http://www.jakes-journey-apraxia.com
Hi – I have a son with apraxia too. He just turned three. I have the same feelings about apraxia and autism being related. I always spaced out his vaccinations and then I finally found the thinking moms when he was about 15 months and stopped vaccinating. I would love to learn more about the treatments you are doing. I’m just starting the thinking mom journey so besides vaccinations, I’m afraid I’m making all the other mistakes. Thanks!
I am a speech pathologist and many of my apraxic kiddos have autistic traits. Severe adhd also presents with autistic like symptoms.
Being a professional I heard a lot of the vaccine stories. It made me research and when I had my own kids I was able to avoid almost all of these things on the list. Once in awhile a client will ask what I think and I point them to the research and local chirocpractors in the area.
Have you tried the paleo diet? It’s been known to cure autoimmune diseases. Thanks for the advice, but don’t blame yourself.
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ZOMG…. I don’t have any children but I feel so sad reading this. If I were in your shoes, I would never stop beating myself up till the day I die. Thank you for sharing, and I am sharing your post with everyone. If anyone benefits from this, then there will be One Less. I hope your child reaches recovery someday.
None of my 7 kids have autism, and I have made most of the mistakes in this article, but you know what? I totally agree with you. I do think my errors definitely contributed to the dairy allergies and asthma that one of my kids suffers from, the digestive issues another has. I understand and share your guilt, and I think you are making a beneficial and productive use of it.
These things you list are dangerous, and they are implicated in other childhood diseases and syndromes as well. It is a problem when we just blindly trust the “professionals,” especially since medical research has one of the highest rates of fraud of any of the sciences.
I agree. And I am sick of the “well, would you rather your child be DEAD” argument from these professionals. Of course not. That argument is just a strawman that the professionals use to deliberately kivk suffering parents who come to them asking for help for painful symptoms in their child or relief from a home life that is a minefield feel guilty for daring to ask for help. “Oh, your child threw your baby and gave him a skull fracture? Be grateful! Some people have had to bury their children and death is ALWAYS the worst thing that can happen, so unless your child is six feet under,, we will have no compassion for your child and you are just a whiny brat of a parent who should be grateful your child has a pulse. I have had enough of that. Wanting your child to be out of constant chronic PAIN, as well as have a decent home life, is not a “first world white whine”. I get sick of people who act like it is. There is no reason children today cannot be both alive AND thriving and without BOTH chronic health conditions and life-threatening infections. The medical community doesn’t see it that way, but it is possible. Choosy moms choose life AND quality of life.
I’ve already quoted you a couple of times on FB. You could not be more right, Natalie’s advocate. We need to give our online acquaintances the benefit of the doubt–I suppose they really do mean well–but having a violently autistic older sibling, I have heard many unthinking comments. For example, in relation to the vaccines: “Would you rather she be DEAD?” First of all, anyone who asks something so naive has never experienced the LIVING death of a sibling doing everything but trying–yes, trying to kill you…your mom telling you that she spent the day fending off the sibling by holding a chair in front of her (yet, heartbreakingly, saying “Hopefully I’d let her hurt me before I’d hurt her,” foregoing any self defense against a strong 17-year-old or so)…sibling screaming BLOODCURDLINGLY for hours…family not able to go anywhere…
Second, what thinking person accepts that in a country with (so called) great medical care, it is okay for death or severe autism to be the only 2 options? No matter what, you DON’T question the medical care, even if your family is going through hell.
If the medical field doesn’t want to come under fire, maybe they should come up with a cure for all of this. Maybe they can’t, but any thinking person would understand, then, why families like mine have little use for them.
Sigh. I am thankful to the Lord that my sister is MUCH better after being put on a GFCF diet at 23; yet my heart aches with how restricted my parents’ lives are still, and is heavy with the burden of what we will do when my parents are gone. The unending heartbreak these families go through makes me cry out for Christ’s return and righteous reign.
I had my children in the 70-80′s and didn’t vaccinate them then because I watched a friends child almost die from his pertussis vaccine. I did have to have them vaccinated when they were 5 to go to school because of state law. (and got yelled at by my doctor) but I figured a 5 year old with a 35 lb body and 5 years of developing natural immunities would fare better than an 8 lb baby new to this world. It worked for me. Pitocin is evil. They used it on me (for the convienence of my obstetrition) with my last baby and he was violently expelled I almost ruptured my uterus and he was a blue baby. couldn’t oxygenate his blood because the foramen in his heart didnt open. One month in Cleveland’s neonatal unit. Our medical system touts itself as the best in the world…bullshit.
Glad your kids were okay! For your information–for any friends who need to know–there are exemptions in every state. MS and WV were the only 2, last I checked, that allowed medical exemptions ONLY–other places it isn’t that difficult.
Honestly, if I lived in a state where it was difficult or where they were particularly hostile, I would either move or homeschool. I know that “It’s not that easy,” but neither is losing a child or living with a severely brain damaged one.
Thank you for this article and it’s honesty. I live with this every day as well, knowing the choices I made caused my son’s autism. But, the main reason I like your article is because it goes into the many causations that contribute to autism and I get tired of getting stuck in the camp of parents who think vaccines cause autism….yes, they can, but it is only one of the many toxins we expose our unborn and children to and most of us battling autism understand this.
I am in camp 2 as well. Just like you, the first person to explain to me that I have a vaccine injured child was a thinking doctor. Going down that research rabbit hole resulted in many nights curled up in a ball howling into my pillow after putting my babies to bed. How can I have done this to him? It is ironic to me that the acceptance/genetic crowd accuse us of just looking for something to blame. Heading down the path of biomedical forces us to face and acknowledge every bad decision we have made in order to begin untangling the mess we made of our children’s health. We know painfully well where the blame goes. No one will ever be able to absolve me. One day I will have to explain all of this to my son and beg for his forgiveness. Maybe when he is healthy and happy I will be able to let all of this go. Right now I feel like he is mostly better because of the interventions we have done for him. He is in a regular K class with no IEP and many friends. His motor delays are mostly a thing of the past. And then we get slammed with a rash of nosebleeds and I think about how he still can’t digest fructose after 4 years on GAPS, and I ask him to pick up his room and he bawls, slaps his own face and insists that everyone hates him and he wants to kill himself. I feel hallowed out all over again. Fighting for him and righting these wrongs takes all that I have. Someday I will be brave enough to suffer fools by telling his whole story. Until then I am grateful for you TMR moms and posts like this.
hihim to hhim to pick up his room and he bawls and slaps his face and screams that
everyone hares him and he wants to kill himself and I feel hollowed out all over again.
children’s health.
Thank you for this article. People think I’m nuts for blaming the ultrasounds for my son’s speech delay, but I know they caused him harm. My OB group treated me as “high risk” because I was 39 when I became pregnant, so they had me get six ultrasounds before I was six months along. One of these was 45 minutes long. Then I learned my OB group and my local hospital has a 48.7% c-section rate & I ran for the hills. Literally! I switched to a midwife group 90 minutes away and never had another US during that pregnancy or the next. I nodded all the way through your post- I had natural (waterbirth) childbirth, if it’s sold organic- we eat organic, we delayed cord-clamping, we drink as fluoride-free water as we can find, our kids are unvaxed. But those ultrasounds… I can’t believe my OB group thought they were so safe. I saw the difference especially when my daughter was born. Totally alert, making eye-contact the day she was born. She’s far more interactive with everything and everyone around her than my son was. We do live close to a major road, and we’re in a town with poor air and water quality. But still… We plan to change that as soon as we can. I especially appreciate that you blame ALL of the things, not just vaccines, for causing damage. Do I blame vaccines for autism? Yes. But there’s so much more that ALSO causes harm. People need to see that if we care about one, we need to care about them all.
Thank you for being a voice for hundreds of thousands with the same exact story. Allopathic medicine tries to make a 1 to 1 relationship with disease. This does not happen in the real world. There are constant, multiple, small factors that lead to all disease.
Now, IF you had known all of these factors, and still proceeded as you did, then you could feel guilty. Because you were going with the best of your knowledge, you cannot feel guilty. You can be mad as HELL at those that are supposed to be in the know. This epidemic is wiping out a generation.
My colleagues think that I am crazy for our organic, non-vaccinated way of life, but when the stuff hits their fan, who do they come to? Me.
Have you looked into the benefits of bentonite clay detoxing for autism? Thank God, my 4-year-old son has been leading a healthy life so far, but even so, I give him a dose of bentonite clay in a glass of water each morning. It removes environmental toxins, heavy metals, pesticides and helps the immune system by balancing out the body’s PH levels while removing unwanted viral and bacterial pathogens. It doesn’t taste like anything, just a bit chalky. Look into it…
http://www.naturalnews.com/026508_clay_autism_environment.html
Clay-based “detox” drinks have been found to contain high levels of arsenic and lead, which pose particular dangers to children.
Can you please provide a link to the articles you have read? From my understanding, a reputable company like Yerba Prima sells food grade bentonite in liquid form and it’s perfectly safe, but there have been some cases of companies out of the UK selling powdered non food grade clay with misleading information on the label concerning how it can be used.
Maybe you already mentioned it it how old was your son when he was diagnosed?
He was almost 3.
I wanted to affirm you. You have taken a tragedy and used it to inform others. I know parental guilt–I have my own. I does seem that there is a difference, an empowerment in taking accountability. I was actually put off by responses chastising you for guilt and minimizing what you have shared. Thank you for giving moms research lines to follow—very important. You preach it sister!
“I gave my son Autism. I did it. Me. And no one can ever take that away.”
Stop kicking yourself! Much of the current research shows that autism is a multi-factored developmental defect that affects the number of “minicolumns” or “microcolumns” in the brain’s structure. Their development is apparently controlled by several genes (and you are not to blame for your genes unless you somehow picked your parents for their genomes). These brain structures begin to develop in the first trimester.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortical_minicolumn
That is MONTHS before birth … MONTHS or YEARS before any of the medications or vaccinations you are blaming yourself for giving to your child.
Genetics cannot overcome lifestyle but lifestlye can overcome genetics! The developmental delays you speak about are most commonly an EXPRESSION
….EXPRESSION of our genes and therefore can be affected by these “environmental factors’ mentioned in this moms blog as well as others. I agree, she should not kick herself yet appreciate her honesty. She acted on professional advice! Having said that, her awareness is essential as recognition is the key to resolution!
I agree Susan. I am tired of people using the broad brush of “genetics” to discourage us from helping our children and instead encouraging us to let them rot.
What a shame you are forcing yourself to suffer guilt over a range of normal activities that have no link to autism. So many of the things that were done during your pregnancy were to optimise the health of your child – I know you would not have preferred a stillbirth to a child with autism.
I can see that parents of autistic children try everything they can to explore the causes and help their children. Looking at all those everyday factors in normal life won’t help your child, though.
There is no link between obstetric ultrasounds and autism – or antibiotics – or coca cola (there is more mercury in fish), or acetaminophen, or fluoride, pitocin, c-section. Why punish yourself like this? It doesn’t help anyone.
Knowledge is power, please educate yourself for ignorance is not bliss as we have come to learn the very hard way, through our children’s immense suffering and struggle that did not have to be.
ONLY Jesus Christ was meant to be put up on the cross for He died so we could live.
God never intended anyone to suffer so, and that includes the way our children and families do.Amen!
Yes – ignorance is not bliss – that’s why I have read lots and lots of the research in this area – not just news stories or abstracts but the actual studies – what they measured, what they found – and I understand that the things this mother tortures herself over are just not true.
By all means love the children God gave you, do whatever you can to help and develop them, but don’t spread misinformation about the very things that can save the lives of children.
Didn’t God give us brains and judgement to develop science and medicine, for our own benefit?
Yes! God gave us free will to think.
I pray that you would do so with more clarity,
and that you gain the wisdom you clearly do not posses at this time.
Too many people are telling the same thing concerning preventable injuries to their precious children and families. and there is no way that all are collectively lying.
Some respect for grieving mothers/fathers and their families would be greatly appreciated.
God loves all His children and He weeps for those who have been harmed by great evil
Thank you for sharing. I have a son with 2 different disabilities; neither are autism, and in the beginning we were searching for answers as to why; and at one point found ways we could potentially be responsible, especially my husband. In the end, we gave it to God and realized He doesn’t make any mistakes, there was a reason for my sons diagnosis and once we came to realize that God had already created my son before I was even pregnant, a huge weight of guilt and dispair were lifted. Our son is a gift from God; the gift that was created for us. We do not have as much control as we think; He has it all. I understand your theory, and it is great information to share, but I believe that your son was already created before you concieved him. God has a plan, and we may not always understand it, but we just have to trust Him. You are now reaching out and educating others about what we all believe to be safe because professionals told us they were; maybe this was part of His plan. I pray some day you find peace and are able to forgive yourself.
Just wanted to say thank you for writing such a truthful article. Yes I have shared this on my facebook, because it’s so honest.
OMG your story sounds so similar to mine! I am sooo very sorry to read what you experienced as I know how utterly tormenting it can be to blame oneself for our child’s health. It is hard enough to deal with autism but to feel responsible for it is a dark dark place that I can relate to. After years of immersion into the biomedical program it seems so completely obvious but at the time we thought we were doing all the best things.
My situation was similar to yours and I too was tormented by the idea of “if only” and could barely sleep at night during the two worst years racked with guilt and regret…if only I hadn’t had the flu shot at 6 months pregnant, if only I hadn’t had 6 amalgams removed the year before I got pregnant, if only I hadn’t had 6 or 7 ultrasounds (low fluid like you), if only I had talked to my acupuncturist on natural ways to induce and not just started off with Pitocin, if only I had declined the Hep B shot (son too overloaded with pitocin, epidural and pain meds – yes I subcombed to pain meds after 32 hours but why did someone just encourage me to battle it, I actually wasn’t in that much pain but they scared me that my labor would be so long etc? Why all the encouragement to take it? And why didn’t I get a midwife or doula who would have coached me not to???? ), if only I had realized my son’s inability to latch-suck was significant, if only I had insisted they take care of his high risk jaundice immediately instead of letting them send over a bili-blanket 12 hours later, if only I had stopped eating gluten and dairy when my son developed colic, eczema, agitation and spit up too much, if only I had supplemented my low breast milk from a milk bank and not given formula, if only I had used a modified vaccine schedule, if only I hadn’t given Tylenol after every vaccine, if only I hadn’t let the pediatrician dismiss my son’s constant sickness (colds and infections continuously), his eczema, his echolia, his 4 hour daily temper tantrums, if I hadn’t taken a year to go against that same useless pediatrician to remove milk. On and on and on. So obvious, right?
Brutal to live with the thought that if just some of these factors had been eliminated maybe he and we wouldn’t have gone thru the horrible and sad situation we did. I am so sorry that you felt this to and send a big hug to you. We did our best that we knew at the time. Cold comfort I know.
I am with you on this. And I did some of these things because my daughter also has down syndrome. And to top it off, I was warned my a family member to not vaccinate, but the docs told me how much MORE necessary it was because of her diagnosis. I blame myself and would not have even dared to consider forgiving myself. However I believe that Jesus forgave me, so I need to let it go in order for love and healing to reign. My daughter may well understand later in life. I will understand if she chooses to not forgive me and I may well have to go through this process again. Hugs and prayers for peace and heart /soul healing……
THANK YOU!
I have my first dental appointment tomorrow for my son. And I feel confident now to say I will not use fluorinated toothpastes.
And on a side note… People looked at me crazy when I said I didn’t want a routine ultrasound…or a pretty picture of your baby inside,……. Just to make sure baby is ok. Not on my watch. When X-rays were discovered it was the latest fad to do.
I’m not crazy..yay
I will email my mama friends this link and a wireless thank you hug for you.
An old friend pointed me to this article. I don’t think I fall into the camps above though, some of those risk factors I have exposed my children to, some not, we have not seen autism in our family. I read this because my friend has clearly devoted her life to healing her children and I do care very much for what she has to say, I respect her. I have a 4 year old, and twin 15 month old daughters. I fall into the camp of people that are stuck between what our public health clinics issue on the safety of vaccines, and what parents are saying about vaccine injury. I was in the public health office, preparing my twins for their 12 months shots I finally vocalized why it is that I just can’t reconcile why I am sitting in the clinic. I bring it up to the nurse, and i say that the part that I just can’t stop thinking about is how passionate these moms are…how vocal, unrelenting…I just can’t get it out of my head. After studies purport safety, over and over again, one needs to ask, why parents would, in droves, be reporting this, documenting it and seeing it in such numbers…smart, educated, attuned parents. If vaccine injury did not exist, and the studies were true, we would see this slowly go away but no….it increases and resonates further. It just won’t go away. I can’t understand who this isn’t haunting to. What I do know from my own experience is that studies on the population do not describe the individual. What I’ve learned from this is that parents are listening. I don’t know that we will be back at the public health office.
I don’t agree with the pitocin or ultrasounds. I have super high risk pregnancies the must be induced early and I end up with close to 30 ultrasound a pregnancy and enough pitocin to drown a fish. Non of my children are autistic, in fact they are all highly intelligent with above average IQs.
So don’t beat yourself up about those. Now you can heal and reverse autism. Chelation treatments, cod liver oil, raw foods, green smoothies, high dose vitamin c, probiotics, coconut oils will all help.
Bless your heart…
Hello, i have been reading this all night after i put my 1.6 months old son.i al so sorry for the bad things happening to your precious children.my son is healthy so far.we are trying to eat organic all the time and i have made changies in cleaning and using toxins free product but it is so hard to keep up with it.
Aout the vacs.i have been giving them to him but now i feel so wrong and so i should probably stop that even if we are at the last shots.he never had any reactions but there too many kids had bad experience with them.i wish i can make my mind and stop that vac.is there any info if the vac.helped anybody????
Thank you. Because you are willing to inform us, more will be saved.
I know you mentioned Ultrasound, but in case anyone is left who thinks this is a good thing for a unborn child’s brain…developement..
mabye this will convince them..
it is, apparently, useful to stop sperm production in men..(imagine what it stops in a brain?)
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-sonicating-sperm-future-male.html
Quick clarification: It says in the article above that the findings relate to specific therapeutic ultrasounds using heat, not diagnostic ultrasounds.
What was said about acid reflux? I couldn’t find it why do all babies have that
Having been your best friend for the last 5 years…I have to say….I am so proud of this post. I know you’ve done everything… and our sons are mostly recovered and I love us for this. You are amazing. Let’s keep going… xoxoxxxoo
What a brilliant and brave article. Thank you for baring your soul to help others. I also agree with the commenter who added GMOs and toxic cosmetics to the list. In answer to your shampoo question, I use liquid castille soap with a few drops of olive or jojoba oil added to the bottle. Works great for kids’ hair.
Dear Mountain Mama,
I’m going to attempt a #3 response:
I heard/read somewhere that the vibration for guilt is a 20 – I don’t remember all the other vibrations for emotions but that one stood out for me – in comparison they said that Mother Theresa vibrated at a 700 and Jesus at a 900. If you can’t forgive yourself for you sake maybe you can forgive yourself the your son’s mother! He deserves a mother who vibrates at the highest possible level! My thoughts are with you!
On another note I’m an OT who work in Early Intervention – I haven’t vaccinated my kiddos due to being aware of the link between vaccinations and autism from my years of working in schools – now I attempt to inform parents who have children who are borderline autistic or have speech delays, motor delays, ear infections and let me tell you it is not easy because they have so bought in into the system. I am the only one among my colleagues who doesn’t believe in vaccinating. I have to be careful not to antagonize the MDs in the area or risk losing my job and therefore my ability to serve these little children.
I practice Integrative Manual Therapy and we have great success helping autistic children heal. I take classes at Institute of IMT- you might want to check them out. There are therapists practicing IMT all over the country. Good luck on your journey!
I was 23, uneducated and trustworthy of professionals when 10 years ago my son at age 4 was diagnosed! I have read researched, blogs and books every week for much of these years…and you put it out there in the most real terms. When I gave birth, information was not so easy to come across, there was no google, not many studies into Autism and well…Internet was only just becoming popular…there certainly wasn’t Facebook or the like! Nowadays, there are NO excuses, to do your own research first…read articles etc. WE are all to blame!…parents, doctors, OBs, families …everyone! I have friends that are causing this now to happen to their children, they won’t listen to me, they think im paranoid, as their kids are just 1, 2 and so on…I wish I had someone there to make me think twice, all those years ago…keep spreading your story, for the truth in all our modern medical practices…is out of CONTROL.
Hi! Interesting post. Have you heard of gut and psychology syndrome? Or the GAPS diet? I think it would interest you. The diet/nutritional protocol heals the bowels and brain, lessening or completely diminishing the symptoms of Autism, along with several other diseases. And yes, it does work! Check out healthhomehappy.com where Cara s daughter no longer carries the autism diagnosis, or google “sam autism video” for the proof of the diets power to heal on video!! I think you will find great hope! There are too many success stories for it not to work. But trying is believing
Thanks, Laura. The GAPS diet is well-known here at TMR. Some do that one and others do something similar. Many have gotten some relief from them, but it’s important to keep in mind that everyone is different and what worked for one will not necessarily work for another, especially when it comes to diet.
Oh WOW
I can so relate to so much of this unfortunately. I am so sorry for you and your child and for me and my children and all the other mothers, children and families impacted because of the failures of our medical industry and our culture where we are encouraged to follow blindly without thought or caution.
Thank you for writing this. Do you have links and more information on the association between fibromyalgia and autism? I don’t suppose you have/had endometriosis also? This fascinates me in a way that is akin to watching a train wreck. I am going to follow your blog since we have an amazing number of “coincidences”.
I respect that you have taken a different path than the Catholicism you were raised with and learned about the beauty of forgiveness. I have to say that my Catholic faith has been my rock and path of salvation throughout these difficult years. I pray the best for you in that regard, that you may find a path and faith that enfolds and leads you to Jesus and to the love of our Father in heaven. Thank you again.
I have blamed myself for almost 2 decades. I can’t believe it’s all still happening. Think about this though…We were not the ones who were supposed to know. We mistakenly thought our medical providers did the research. We are making a difference by telling our stories. People are listening like never before.
BAM, yep I’m #2 and I know how you feel cos this is my story too.
Thank you for sharing. No matter what has happened up til now, we can change their future and thank goodness we have found a healing path to change the ending of the story that could have been.
Our story is similar. But we have made lots and lots of progress by going on the GAPS diet. It is hard and strict. But man it works!!!!!!!! My daughter ended up being allergic to gluten and corn and it took us a year to figure it out. My story is on my blog if you care to read it. I encourage you to buy the GAPS book and think about it. You will have to buy it online and it is a bit pricy, but worth every penny. God bless your family as you find ways to heal your precious son and forgive yourself. Emotions are closely tied to disease and pain in the body. Not many people believe that, but I do. Many times by resolving hte emotional pains and problems, physical healing follows. You may want to consider looking into Emotional Freedom Techniques for you and him. Many times if you heal the mother, you also heal the child in this reguard.
I gave my son autism with ultrasounds and a mercury containing RhoGam shot.. Plus my heavy metal burden he soaked up like a sponge.. I feel deeply for you and commend your honesty.. Keep shouting it and never never never give up
Wow. All I can say is thank you so much for posting. Reading your story along with everyone else’s has helped me in making the decision to no longer vaccinate my children anymore. I have a 4 month old that hadn’t started her vaccinations yet, and she won’t. I have been going back and forth in my mind, and very uneasy about getting my children vaccinated ever since 2 (out of 8) of my children had bad reactions to being vaccinated..This isn’t my first time hearing and doing so much research about vaccinations and seeing so many bad results. I’m progressively choosing to buy organic when I can and introduced fermented foods and using probiotics in our smoothies, along with using aromatherapy as well. I really appreciate your openess. I’m in category 3 as well. God forgave you, so please, forgive yourself. A lot of your decisions came from not knowing or understanding, not deliberate. We are always harder on ourselves. I’m glad to hear that your son is recovering and doing better now….((hugs))
Oh, please, PLEASE don’t give more vaccines if 2 of your children’s bodies have already said NO! Presumably they have successfully fought off the ill effects…you don’t know what will happen with the other 6.
Please read Neil Miller on vaccines…and always, always follow the money trail.
(As an interesting aside, there are probably a number who scream that the “anti” side is making money just as much as the “pro” side. The illogic here is that you just don’t get that much money convincing the public NOT to buy a product.)
don’t be in a huge rush to blame yourself for giving your son autism…PLEASE! there are very few of us who have had children that haven’t taken in some or all of those items/tests. the “certainty” that they cause autism may exist in portions of the internet, but among doctors, there are few that are convinced they are the cause.
Why? I can’t give all the answers, but for sure, there have been too many who for too long have taken those things and never had an autistic child.
you are taking on a burden for yourself that is unnecessary and harmful not only to you but your child and family. it will burden you down and you have have enough to do without castigating yourself for something that is not proven AT ALL!
work with those who are trying to help you and your child. for now, it really doesn’t make any difference how he got his autism. especially if it is going to drag you down with guilt. GOD knows the whys. leave it with Him and move on…please. for your and your child’s sake.
Martha,
With respect, you are doing exactly what Mountain Mama asked people not to do. Everything she has said here she can back up with research and data. No, it’s not conclusive, but to dismiss what she says in this blog is to COMPLETELY miss the point. The point is that if you DON’T do those things, you are much more likely to have a healthy child. And isn’t that what we’d all like? Good odds on a healthy child, rather than poor ones? You would be wise to listen to her.
It definitely DOES matter “how someone gets their autism.” If it’s a toxic insult, then correcting the toxic insult may help the child get better. But even more importantly, if it’s a toxic insult that you know about, you can help others to learn by your example by speaking your truth. I’m incredibly honored to be Mountain Mama’s friend. I think what she has done here will help heal a very sick world.
Martha,
I can’t disagree with you more. Yes, it DOES MATTER how children get autism and I want to thank Mountain Mama for her courage in sharing her story. THANK YOU for telling the truth, however painful it is, I believe you know what you are talking about, you’ve done your research, you’ve compared your experience with other mothers of autistic children, unlike Martha who probably hasn’t researched any of this. Incidentally, Martha, don’t expect any doctor to admit the truth to you, nor will the AMA for obvious reasons. I have two grand children who have not been vaccinated and will not get vaccinated for these reasons. My daughter-in-law’s cousin has a child with autism. He was a normal developing toddler, talking well, until he received his shots. Then, within a week after, he stopped talking and was eventually diagnosed with autism. That mother KNOWS what caused her son’s autism.
Dear Mountain Mama, Wow what a story and I wish you didn’t blame yourself so much. We’ve all lived through similar un-realities in that we believed what wasn’t true and trusted those who weren’t to be trusted, even if they are only the vehicles through which these ideas/beliefs are planted in us, and they are victims of the system as well. I grew up with a medicine cabinet full of prescriptions. My father died from cancer when he was only 54 when I was 8 months pregnant. That was after 9 years of ‘hell’. I put my beautiful baby daughter on fluoride drops because my doctor told me to as we are on a well; and vaccines and formula on and on so many things I did and agreed to. Now I wish I had known the truth about the dangers. While I was worrying about little things that didn’t matter I wasn’t researching the important things I was giving to/doing to my children and the things I let happen to my parents – it makes me heartsick when I think about it. I’m so sorry about your son and I hope that he is able to heal and have a wonderful life as I know there is much hope for children with autism, especially when they have moms like you! I would be honoured to help you share your story and your book on Incredible Healing Journals if you would be like to do a short interview with me. Please contact me anytime. Thank you for your article. Best, Lisa.
My son was suspected to have a heart defect because of a medication given to me right before conception. I had an ultrasound every week, from 18 weeks to 37. Now I am terrified. They did the weekly ultrasounds to check for heart failure because he had a pinch in his aorta, which happened to not exist after his birth.
I was sent your link from a friend, read it and am reminded of the ineptitude of our traditional doctors. I am so glad you are talking about your experience and sharing what you have learned. Wondering if you have heard of or checked out Dr. Buttar at the Center for Advanced Medicine in Cornelius, NC? I am visiting the clinic for a month and see children come in every week for treatments for Autism. Dr. Buttars’ son had autism and is now vibrant and healthy. He is approaching disease the correct way and acquiring amazing results. Hope this info helps, and all the best to you and your family.
With your list I’m surprised 95% on the population doesn’t have autism. I understand your frustration, my nephew is autistic and of coarse we want to know why, but scaring people out of getting vaccines isn’t going to help. Vaccines have saved millions of lives. Ultrasounds have saved lives by diagnosing conditions that would have killed a baby, but because they knew about it, they were able to treat it. Because of antibiotics, I was able recover from a severe case of pneumonia while I was pregnant. Of coarse eating healthy is going to be better for you than sucking down soda. The difference between my children who had fluoride in their water and those who did not is vast, the ones that had fluoride growing up have much stronger teeth. Unfortunately some kids just get bad genes when it comes to teeth so no matter what you do they will need extensive dental work. I’m sorry for your struggles with your autistic child, I know they are real and are difficult, but rejoice in him and know that The Lord love him, and you, no matter what.
No. Vaccines did not save millions of lives. That is just completely wrong and 30 seconds of research on government sourced mortality rates for the past 150 years will show you just that.
They are every bit as useless as the author’s story demonstrates they are dangerous.
And to the author – this is right up there with being one of the best posts I have ever read on this topic. And I have read a lot.
Meg, have you seen the CDC statistics? 1 in 88 children have autism, with 1 in 54 boys. That number is from 2008. The projected number based on the current increases is ONE IN NINE children by the year 2018. Scared yet?
By the way, our home has been 100% fluoride free for over 2 years. During that time, not one cavity. Our teeth are just fine. Please do some actual research on the topics above before spouting off such ignorance. The author has spent countless hours learning about the history of vaccines, the truth about fluoride, and the dangers of antibiotics, among other things. Your comment reveals that you know VERY little about these issues.
Meg, it doesn’t follow that “everyone who ______ or whose mother ______ will become autistic” just because there is a link. Most would agree that there is a genetic link in the sense of a PREDISPOSITION to develop certain conditions. Some kids get cancer–most don’t. Does that mean we should ignore factors that we are being warned may cause cancer, just because “We know hundreds of people who did that and they’re fine”?
But a genetic predisposition is only part of the story. Lifestyle is the other side of the coin. Those who have genetic predispositions must be 10x MORE careful. On the other hand, there is always the first child in a family to develop autism, to have cancer, etc.
To be honest, telling someone that “scaring people out of vaccines isn’t going to help” is not responsible. You need to make sure you understand any benefits as *well* as risks before you say that. If you believe what the traditional medical field and only the traditional medical field tells you, discounting any other professionals or parents who’ve had a different experience, you are probably reading in the wrong place.
Thanks so much for your post. Have to say I know exactly how you feel. It is incredible how many of us feel responsible for our children’s autism. I had a revelation the other day when I realised its not actually my fault – it was like a burden lifting. Yes I still feel responsible on some level, but the burden of guilt is lighter. And I hope that you also ease up on yourself. On another note re the birth experience – we did CEASE birth drugs detox for our son and (after some strong reactions over 8 week period so not easy to live with e.g. peeing indiscriminately which he does not normally do and piteous crying for no apparent reason, again not usual for him) I saw a big improvement in him as a result. His eye contact became so much more ‘functional’. He now checks in with me with this eyes when he wants something. Beautiful. The CEASE 2 protocol is working beautifully for us – also done vaccines and now candida. Its slow progress, but it IS progress. You may already have done CEASE but thought it was worth a mention. My thoughts are with you and I wish you peace of mind – for me the intensity of your feelings of guilt shows just how deeply responsible you are as a mother. You are not to blame. That is the real truth and I hope you come to believe it. with love.
I’m in response group #3, but I understand your feelings. I just want to give you a perspective of a sibling with an older brother who is autistic. Growing up, everything was always all about Jeff – and I definitely resented my parents for this at times – especially moving half-way across the country for my senior year in high school for Jeff! But now, at 32 years old, I have realized what Jeff has done for me and my family. I am super close to my parents and all of my siblings and Jeff has given us all a different outlook on life. There are so many of my personality traits that I have because of Jeff. I am super observant – noted by almost everyone I meet – because I have to try to see things before Jeff does. I am also super patient, calm and easy going because you have to just take things as they roll – otherwise everything would be way too stressful.
My point is that you should try to look at your son’s autism as a gift. I know that is hard and sounds crazy, but if you have a more positive outlook, every little thing gone wrong won’t seem like the end of the world! Jeff has made a big impression on so many people’s lives!
By the way – my mom didn’t have any ultrasounds, didn’t drink soda and had a totally natural birth with my brother – but we did have fluoride in the water and he was vaccinated. He is severely disabled with autism (has 2 full-time staff working directly with him for his safety and the safety of people around him). So, I know you don’t want to hear it, but please don’t blame yourself! It’ll only cause undue stress and you don’t need any extra stress!
I’m not sure which group I’m in, so suffice it to say, I’m sharing this far and wide. I have no autistic children, but after reading this and having found and read much of the same research as you over the last few years, it’s only by the grace of God that they aren’t. I wish you peace and know that your confession will save.
I just want to say that if you have fibromyalgia, you may actually have chronic Lyme disease. The symptoms of Lyme are the same …. AND, most importantly, there is a very high correlation between Lyme and autism in mothers that have had Lyme before and during their pregnancies. You need to check this out, as then you and your child could be properly treated! Look up IGenex labs and ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Disease). I am an RN and have a child with Lyme….. It’s very real!
You ladies are amazing Moms. In no way would you purposely hurt/endanger your children. You were just uneducated because you trust your Md’s FDA etc its sad as hell that we can’t. Thanks for sharing all this information. The water thing baffles me, such CRAP! What great Moms beating yourselves up over stuff you can’t change but you are now changing the world informing us all and helping researchers with your vase knowledge and personal experiences. Thanks and you are all great Mom’s
I gave my son severe autism as well. Thank God I figured it out pretty early, began early intervention, and now at age (almost) twelve he is almost fully recovered. From the time he was two I began helping other families who have children with autism but also have been trying to educate as many people as possisble about causation and prevention.
Thanks for sharing! I’m a natural/try-to-be organic momma but had no idea about so many things you talked about. The acetaminophen and fluoride segments were so informative!
My heart is with you. I knew a lot that you didn’t know when you were pregnant, but I didn’t know the research behind it. I just want to say one thing…it’s easier said than done to have avoided the things you took for granted to be safe. We know more everyday. We aren’t scientists nor physicians…we are mothers with sick babies..pregnant and worried….hungry and thirsty and nauseated. I think it is up to THEM to put the facts together and be honest about the dangers we aren’t told about. Maybe you gave your child autism, but in fact, it’s only by virtue of your being his caretaker. Our society is doing it by not “connecting the dots” and by demanding that mothers be subservient to the Pharma agenda and big business. God Bless you, dear mom. I’m a Catholic mom, too and you wouldn’t believe the fight I endured to even DELAY vaccines and remain part of the Catholic school system…and I had a journey with my children –but that’s a story for another day. Peace be with you.
I have to share with you what jumped out at me while reading this post. I certainly believe all of the things you listed can add up to big problems for a child with an already compromised gut (and therefore a decreased ability to detox), but the real thing that jumped out to me was that you have Fibromyalgia. I belive Fibromyalgia, like Autistm and many other illnessed/ailments, to be something we are more susceptible to when our guts are not optimally functioning. If the mother has an unhealthy gut, the child is very likely to as well, even if all factors had been perfect through his gestation and early childhood. I guess I say all this in hopes of it alleviating some of the blame that you place on yourself.
I am really intrigued with the Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campell McBride, as it explains how all diseased truly do begin in the gut, and offers advice on healing your gut.
Anyway, I thought this was a wonderfuly written, heart felt story and I believe all of the information you have listed to be something every mother-to-be should be aware of, so she can limit these exposures should she desire. Thanks for this post.
Thank you for writing this.
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I am no fan of synthetic hormones, but the issue with giving oxytocin during Labor is that if a mom is to get an epidural, that will shut down her oxytocin output and fetal distress will be the result. So, if there is that type of anesthesia… oxytocin must be supplemented, but I would submit that bio-identical oxytocin be used (not synthetic oxytocin) and that inappropriately high levels not be used.
Then perhaps that would indicate that women shouldn’t be getting epidurals, either, don’t you think? If one drug starts this cascade of interventions (though, I’ve heard that it most often starts with the Pitocin and then the mother wants an epidural because the contractions are unnecessarily hard), then why start with the first one unless absolutely necessary? Why is that women have to fight NOT to have epidurals?
You’ve got a pretty comprehensive list of potential factors in your son’s autism. Another factor that you may not be aware of is oxalate toxicity. Given that you have fibromyalgia, it is likely that you have too much oxalate in your system, and the research shows that this toxin will cross the placental “barrier” and be stored in baby’s tissues as well. Oxalate is also linked to autism. Check out this site http://www.lowoxalate.info and consider joining the yahoo group Trying_Low_Oxalate. This is a real help to kids with autism – but it could mean healing for you and your fibro too. I had two kids who were rapidly developing some nasty disease processes, and I was referred to this site for my daughter (who was diagnosed by our naturopathic doc with oxalate toxicity) and I now have two healthy kids… We’ve been eating this way for 4 years – and I (who thought I was too sick to see my kids hit adulthood) am now healthier than I’ve been in decades. I wish I’d known about this before I had my kids – they could have avoided the illnesses they had to go through, and I could have been a better mom to them because I wouldn’t have been so sick.
Mountain Mamma- Thank you for this post. And yes, I will repost!! I’m sure you’ve looked into it already but if you haven’t, I’ve heard many stories of parents healing their children of Autism by chelating the mercury and metals out and healing the gut. Chelation protocol by Andrew Cutler here: http://www.noamalgam.com; and gut and immune system healing through Dr. Natasha Campbell’s book, “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” available on Amazon. She actually cured her own son through this diet. I’ve heard Cutler say that 75-80% of Autistic children will GREATLY improve through chelation and many recover completely. Big Texas hugs.
Thanks, Joanna. We tried AC chelation for a while about a year ago, but my son’s immune system just wasn’t quite strong enough yet. It’s a catch 22…the metals make him sick, but he’s too sick to handle the detox of getting them out. I am continuing to look into GAPS..we have been on a restrictive, organic diet for 4 years and are getting closer and closer to recovery every day. Thanks so much for your input and for reposting.
I know it’s so hard on the body. I’ve been on the protocol myself for 5 mos. Are you familiar with Diotomaceous Earth for heavy metal detox? Or even Pascalite Clay? We use Pascalite for so many things. Anytime my 3 year old starts to get sick, I put him in a clay bath. We recovered Pnuemonia and an ear infection this way without antibiotics. Also excellent for bug bits, eczema, or any other skin condition. It draws toxins and poisons right out. And, I pack Pascalite in my gums where I’ve had Amalgam tattoos. The mercury is reduced from when I started noticeably on dental xrays and my gums have never been healthier. I was told there is no way to get mercury out of the gum tissue without cutting it out but the Pascalite is working. Here’s a link on DE for metal detox: http://www.westonaprice.org/environmental-toxins/mad-as-a-hatter and here’s a link for Pascalite http://www.pascalite.com/ or http://www.discountremediesinc.com/
That’s a pretty good list and it applies to many of us! There is one very important factor that is missing: Wireless radiation. I know it is how I gave my daughter autism. Check out the report from Martha Herbert, MD, PhD professor of neurology at Harvard medical school and Author of The Autism Revolution. If those credentials don’t get you to take this seriously, I don’t know what will.
http://www.bioinitiative.org/report/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/sec20_2012_Findings_in_Autism.pdf
We adore Martha Herbert. Can’t wait to read this. Thank you.
Very well written and well said. I congratulate you for having the courage and strength to write this. What you have learned needs to be shared with all the moms in the world so that they can research for themselves and save their precious babies. Thank you for putting this out into the universe. You are a stronger woman than most and you will change people’s lives with your bravery and honesty.
Thanks, Rachael.
NaturalNews has a lot of great links for help healing & reversing autism. Here is just one, http://www.naturalnews.com/031872_autism_healing.html If you type in Autism into the search bar on the site, it will give you pages & pages of information. I think it’s a great site & I hope it helps.
Thank you, Nikki. We have been at biomed and homeopathy for years now. My son has actually lost his diagnosis as a result. Natural news is a wonderful resource. I look at it everyday and am an avid listener to natural news radio.
I totally know where you are coming from, I blame myself all the time for my little man developing autism. Firstly, because I have psoriasis so an autoimmune condition and secondly because I was naive to a lot of things I now know could have added to him becoming autistic – antibiotics, vaccines. I wish I could rewind the clock but I can’t unfortunately. I now just have to try everything in my means to make his quality of life and my family’s the best it can be. Hopefully, it will get better. I wish your child a hasty recovery.
Blessings and lots of energy for healing being sent your way, Marie.
Thank you for your honesty and connecting the dots for me
I’m in Group #2. I have encountered too many of those “Group #4″ parents one commenter mentioned to even begin to try to convince them otherwise. You just made your full confession. Te absolvo (yeah, like I have that power; and my Latin sucks, so if it’s wrong, forgive ME!). You can’t turn back the clock. I so wish I could… AND, that Lortab? Full of acetaminophen . Massive glutathione depletion. You’d have been better off shooting heroin! Not that I sanction that as pain relief for pregnant moms, of course! But honestly, pure codeine without the fillers, pure morphine, either would have been safer for your baby! And your liver… Hugs, Mama. Group hugs!
Yep. Sorry to hear you are in group 2 Sue. Thanks for reading.
There will be a 4th response. Those who think you are insane. No, they don’t know the cause of autism, and it’s certainly not those things. Admitting that those things caused autism would make me have to take responsibility for the things I’ve done to my children at the advice of “experts”. In fact, you are further endangering your son by not giving him vaccines and antibiotics.
I, for one, am so immeasurably thankful I spent my entire first pregnancy online, learning, delving deeply, and THINKING. That’s when I became a real Thinker. I found it hard to stand up for these new ideas, to really believe them in my core, though. I had my first in a hospital (with pitocin, because my water had broken a whole hour ago and I still wasn’t 5 minutes apart), got him vaxed (though not on schedule) for 9 months, had fillings replaced by a conventional dentist while pregnant (that’s the one I really beat myself up for!), etc. But I knew I wanted to avoid unnecessary ultrasounds, chemicals, and antibiotics like the plague. I knew enough to ask about food allergies, and start really researching that avenue. That’s when I decided no more vax (none of my other 4 children are vaxed), no more toxins, no more hurting my babies!
I’ve still made mistakes since then (like refinishing a 70 yr old wood floor, sanding with my 9 month old third son in the room, then learning that not just paint but FLOOR finishings also had lead in them, and sure enough his blood lead levels were incredibly high), but I’ve managed to avoid most of them, and kept my children with awful immune systems from succumbing to something like autism. I’m still plenty guilty about the allergies, and the teeth problems resulting from the lead poisoning, but I understand that it began with my grandparents, so I give myself some slack. And being that the asthma has been in complete remission since beginning a Traditional Foods diet 2 years ago, I feel like I’ve been doing good work in my children to counteract all of the mistakes.
It sounds like you’ve done a lot of learning from DAN! I hope you are learning about orthomolecular therapy for your son, powerful probiotics and enzymes, and are doing everything you can now to reverse as much of the damage as possible. It doesn’t have to be permanent damage, or at least not at the level of his worst point. I encourage you to heal him, and offer any support I can while you are on that road. If you’d keep me in your thoughts as I begin chelation of my children (via Andy Cutler’s protocol) in a couple of weeks, I would appreciate it!
Thanks, Jessica. I will keep you in my prayers. My son is doing pretty well now…in a typical 2nd grade classroom with no aide. DAN and homeopathy and changing the way we eat were life-changing. Have fun with AC…get lots of sleep now, you’re gonna need it.
My story is similar. My son is doing much better now. Raw dairy and raw eggs in shakes With raw honey and Weston Price way of eating helped along with probiotics and lots of therapy. My heart goes out to you and all like us. It was hellish many times on this journey. I wish you could publish this article you wrote. I will pass it on.
So glad to hear your son is doing better. We follow a lot of Weston Price here, including Fermented CLO/butter oil. I love Weston Price. I wish I could publish this too. Do you know anyone? LOL
Thank you for sharing your story. The ailments with in your families as well has to do with Genetically Modified seeds, all in our foods. Fibromyalgia’s main cause is all the aspartame, and other tames. Get off this crap. The best movie that covers this is called Genetic Roulette. It’s on Vimeo. Watch it, share it with your friends and loved ones. If you’ve seen Food Inc, this movie dives right down to the cellular level of understanding. Then start throwing away all those generic cheap foods. Always buy organic. Once you see what these chemicals are doing to our bodies and children, it will all come together with all the research you’ve posted here. My son had a small amount of Austist behavior, once I went organic, there is none. He’s a completely different child. Take Care
Thank you for your post, Stephanie. We have been organic for years and have seen great improvement as a result. We grow our own food in the summer from organic/heirloom seeds. It makes such a difference.
Oh dear where do I begin
First off she should not blame herself. Even if her choices resulted in autism this was not her intent. Secondly the big point that stands out to me is that 4 of her issues are pregnancy related.
If you have a difficult pregnancy, it is by the nature of the beast that you will have had repeated ultrasounds, antbiotics (in some cases like hers), cesection (used in emergency births like hers, she mentioned fetal distress), and pitocin. So while you can easliy link all four of these to contributing to her child’s autism the question still remains did they? Without these her child would most likely still be autistic? Why? in my opinion from the distressed labor that she mentions. The brain is the most fragile organ in a fetus/newborn. Sadly people do not realize how common brain injury is and how often it can not be diagnosed till years later because the issues only become apparent as the child gets older and more is expected of them. So to lump this 4 thyings together as a cause for autism is unfair. If she had an easy uncomplicated pregnancy/birth there would have been no need for any of these interventions. Still I totally agree that antibiotics be used sparingly with any patient and they the do have a greater inpact on the baby than they would an adult. Regardless they are not something I would use with abandon. I also would not blame them entirely on her child’s autism with the other vairables she has pointed out.
As far as vaccines I modified my children’s schedule. I spaced them out BUT having a mom who caught polio as a child and lives with the issues from that I would never be able to not vaccinate my children. I know the risks of both sides so I have made my decision from my life experience and seeing my mom suffer from a vaccine preventable disease.
My whole point of my response is that I think this mom is trying to find fault where it may have just been a combination of terrible things that happened to his brain at birth. Had she not had any complications at his birth or during her pregnancy my resonse to her post may be different.
Also just for the record. My first son was born with severe brain damage. Had he not been diagosed at birth we would have never known he was affected. He developed normally from birth to age 2. It wasn’t until he was expected to do more that is where the delay’s surfaced. Had we not knew it was coming I too would have been thinking “what happened at 2 ?”
I also want to add your (the blog writer’s) birth story sounds exactly like mine 3 days of labor and emergency csection for failure to progress after 3 hours of pushing. (((hugs))) The entire thing was a nightmare
We only then found out he had brain damage a huge strokes. A lot of this isn’t taught in birthing classes and that is why mom’s like us feel robbed. I wish I had more of a clue going in to childbirth. We don’t see the harder births on Baby Story or even from our own doctors. They don’t want to scare us but it leaves us all terribly unprepared.
I am so sorry, Stephanie. The birth story is something I have a very, very hard time revisiting. One day, I will tell the whole, long, sordid story. It never should have happened. Prayers for your son and your family.
A tragedy of errors, Mountain Mama. Thank you for the article, and peace to you.
The world is a better place when we share; feel free to share your guilt with those who deserve it – those who knew then and know now the possible effects of all the treatments and procedures you mention, yet continue to propel the paradigm – and remain silent about the dangers.
Agreed. Totally.
Wow. Thank you for this post. While i don’t have a child with austim, i also did the lortab/coke/high pitocin, etc. while my daughter is definately different, i feel in my heart and sole if i would have given her a single vaccine, she would turn. I am thankful to moms like you who point all this out and led me to my road of research and education on various subjects. i do want to get her tested for heavy metals but don’t know how to go about that. But thank you for your honesty and this post. it really resonated with me for some reason and made me look back on my own pregnancy and all the stuff i thought were fine or considered safe. Unfortunately for me, i have a genetic condition so ultrasounds are a must for me to diagnose it and have testing done, like CVS and amnio. but you can bet after reading this post, when i get pregnant again, i am avoiding everything you mentioned to the best of my ability. Thank you for being so strong. And while i know it is hard to not blame yourself, you did what you thought was right at the time. Please don’t beat yourself up. While you cannot change the past, you can change the future, if even for one person, and that is something to focus on
Thanks for reading, Tara. As for heavy metals testing, the hair test is probably the safest and least invasive. The lab that many Moms use for this is Doctor’s Data. You will probably have to have someone knowledgable interpret it for you, as the results you get don’t necessarily reveal the whole picture.
Thank you for responding. I am going to look into it! Thank you so much.
i just checked with Doctor’s Data. Our dr. needs to order it i guess. so next time i take my girl to the dr. i will ask her to order it for us. will they usually grant this request or only if there is a need for it? the price is reasonable. Thanks again for your help.
A brave post that will help others.
After living with my father, a polio survivor, I’m not sure I agree with “no vaccinations” ever. The ravages of some illnesses make them worth the risk.
But here is the big idea that I get slammed for whenever presented;
Maybe not everyone should have children if they have genetic challenges themselves. I know that sounds harsh but if people were honest with themselves, and considered what their genetic “gift” to their child would be, we could save many children from suffering.
One statement that gets me in your post “because of my fibromyalgia and the fact that autoimmune disease and digestive disorders are pervasive across both sides of our family”. Genetically compromised babies are more prone to a whole host of ills.
We chose not to have our own biological children for these reasons. Although we were able to adopt a daughter, and have beautiful grandchildren, the lack of our own children pains us to this day. Ours was not a choice for many people. I’m just suggesting it might be one thing to consider before generating a new life.
I believe if you have a child, you should do everything in your power to help them be healthy in the long term, and your post will help in that quest.
Thanks for sharing.
My mother also lives with the hell from that disease. Unfortunately we are seeing a resurgence now and it is terrible.
My mom is now 65 and she has the life of a disabled 90 year old from the damage. I hope your dad is doing better than she is. ((hugs))
First, EVERYONE of us has genetic challenges….some we know about and many more that we don’t know about. Suggesting someone NOT have children because they may have “genetic challenges” is cruel and downright mean.
Second, vaccines are NEVER good…EVER. “The ravages of some illnesses make them worth it”…. Not true AT ALL! You mention your father is a survivor of polio….were you aware of the fact that you can’t even GET polio unless you have a calcium deficiency????? That’s right….you must FIRST be deficient in calcium in order for polio to have a chance. Now, wouldn’t taking calcium be a better option than injecting your body with POISON???? You CANNOT POISON YOURSELF TO HEALTH!
I did 14 years of research before I found out that I gave my son autism, thanks to vaccines, fluoride pills when I was pregnant and antibiotics for the endless ear infections.
Dorothy – Your comment in reply to Glenn’s is ignorant and immature. People who have a host of risk-factors should take a good look into what they may pass onto their child. It’s not “mean,” its a smart decision to look at the illnesses they could possibly cause a future child. That is also a reason why the have genetic counseling.
And clearly you have never met persons with the diseases’ vaccinations prevent. I personally feel your arrogance to not vaccinate puts the greater community at risk, but I won’t mock or attempt to belittle your opinion.
And most importantly, you are your own “group.” One who ridicules people for their own opinion and attempts to belittle them, while trying to impart “knowledge” on diseases you have never studied nor know about. I have no problem with people believing what they want, but your reply is childish and uneducated. Glenn made a thoughtful and heartfelt comment and deserves the same respect, you would hope to receive yourself.
This is your opinion and I respect it. I ask you to respect mine as well, I have done my own research and made decisions based on what is right for my children. I would never force on you what I do. I will however share my experience in this journey as well.
Actually, you CAN poison yourself by too much of a good thing. Ever heard of orthorexia? Or kids dying from drinking too much water? Or having too much iron? It happens. Your attack on Glenn was uncalled for. Having enough dignity and respect for life in sacrificing your own desire to have children because of your medical history is respectable. There is a MAJOR difference between having bad acne and having neurofibromatosis or something of the like. If something is 100% genetic, then maybe someone shouldn’t be so selfish in their desire to have a child that WILL be miserable. Maybe they should love a child that was given away like Glenn did. I respect that choice and so should you. Glenn’s response was out of love…yours obviously was not. Thank you Glenn. I do not know what you struggle or what your life has been like to make this choice, but I think your choice was respectable…and I know it was hard. I wish their were more selfless people like you in this world.
Respectfully Glenn, polio was “eradicated” by 2 things: 1) banning DDT and 2) changing the definition of was counted as polio. The vaccine had little or nothing to do with it. The polio defense is made of sand. In fact Mr. Gate’s vaccine is causing paralysis (“polio”) in India. My father-in-law survived polio and his father died from it. But even then the figures were something like 1 in 10,000. Austism is 1 in 88 or less.
I know of a family with multiple severely handicapped children, and I will be honest–I don’t know what they were thinking (the parents are no longer together, and the kids are being raised by aides).
However, this is an intensely personal decision: severe disabilities strike where there is NO family history, and others who may have siblings who are handicapped have families full of children who are just fine. There are other factors to consider, such as maternal age (particularly with Down Syndrome–if a mom chose to have more kids in her 40s, and they had Down Syndrome, that wouldn’t necessarily need to affect her [neurotypical] daughter’s decision to have biological children in her 20s-early 30s). And sometimes we can be fairly sure that there were environmental causes also.
For those of us who are conservative, the idea of how we will care for all these disabled adults is a little stressful; however, it’s probably a drop in the bucket compared to whole families and generations on welfare (to say nothing of the war). We’re a financial mess anyway.
I am also in group #2 and unfortunately have run into a group #4. Parents (and pregnant moms) who roll their eyes when I post things like this. Head in the sand, it won’t happen to us mentality and can’t convince them otherwise. Sad to know what it takes to change their minds…
Montana Mom,
Your entire family needs to be tested for the MTHFR Gene.
http://www.nwhealthcare.net
Type MTHFR in the search engine
Ellen, we have been tested. My son and I do have the MTHFR mutation. I wish I would have known about this before he was born.
It sadly extremely common.
I was tested at 9wks gestation, found to have MTHFR mutation & factor 5 blood clotting disorder. Was put on daily Lovenox injections, baby aspirin, good prenatal a w xtra iron, and 800mcg of folic acid. My OB did not prescribe the correct protocol & didn’t even know (at the time), that the high dosage synthetic folic acid was probably more harmful than helpful. But guess what? He made sure to send me for monthy ultrasounds in the first trimester to monitor placental blood clots. And weekly ultrasounds in the last trimester to monitor possible spontaneous placental abruption.
Two yrs later pregnant w his Lil brother I was a little wiser, stronger in my convictions & less anxious about adverse outcomes, I refused so many ultrasounds and had prob half the amount I had w my first pregnancy. This time my OBGYN also more knowledgeable, prescribed metafolin as opposed to synthetic folic acid as well as omega/DHA supps.
FFWD- my older son developed autism. My younger son was spared with only severe ezcema.
Hmmmmm….makes u think, huh?!? Well, we all know that’s a good thing now don’t we!!!
Yup, fellow #2 here. Pun intended. I gave my son autism and I take responsibility for it 24/7. I also tell people not to pity me, I’d much rather they BELIEVE our explanation and share this info that now flows through me like sun through a window. Now, I’m off to share this. Thanx Lovey…<3
Thanks for sharing, Diana. We can change the world if we stick together.
I share your guilt…but I didn’t do half what you did….me one sonogram…natural childbirth..organic food I raised…where I went wrong…VACCINES…I have been screaming for 18 years now…what hurts me most, people who didn’t hear me all those years are now in my boat…I pray your message gets out…keep screaming…someday someone will hear you.
Cheryl….I know your heartache. I wish I never again had to think, “I told you so.” I just want it so desperately to stop. I will never stop telling our story. Thanks for sharing yours.
Wow…I feel sick to my stomach by how much I have poisoned my own children (ages 12 & 9) My oldest was, soooo sick for 2 years as a baby–we loaded him up all the time, SOOOO many antibiotics at a young age. WHY does the government allow these toxins to continue to be allowed in injected, and produced and passed as helpful? I DON’T understand this! So frustrating. And 12 years ago..there was not the level of information available for support. Unless you knew to ask or dig or have caution, like me, you’re assuming the “professionals” are doing everything they can for the betterment of our children! Ugh. I am so sorry for what I have put my children through!!!
I love you.
I forgive you.
I thank you for the countless children writing this has saved.
Love you too. XOXO
#2 here! Tears in my eyes, knowing I made the same horrid choices. Our son is not officially on the spectrum but has horrible tantrums and rages, speech problems, processing disorders, and other learning disabilities. We can only know so much until we are forced to dig deeper, which is unfortunately usually in response to catastrophe. I hope posts like this can help new moms make better decisions.
Wow…as sad and horrible as this is, I have to agree with your insights and findings. I had my children over 20 years ago and back then, I refused any ultrasounds. The doctors office always pushed for them. They would say things like, “But what if somethings wrong with the baby?” to which I would respond, “and???”. So thankful I didn’t comply. I also put off immunizations for months after the “recommended’ time. I even stopped giving them and had to get a special letter from the Health department to admit my child into school. It’s all about big bucks for the pharma companies. Thank you for this well written page.
Thank you. I am trying to get pregnant and while I knew of about half of the toxins you mentioned I learned MUCH more. So thank you. You might’ve just saved a future life.
Your comment just made everything that we do at TMR worth it. Thank you so, so much for this.
Please have yourself and your child tested for Lyme from a LLMD.
Hi Crystal…I haven’t had myself tested, but my son DID contract Lyme from a bite when he was 4. He tested positive to a Western Blot through IGenix and we worked with an LLMD for over a year. We still treat Lyme issues, but using homotoxicology/homeopathics with a different practitioner.
I have so much respect for you. Your bravery at opening your mind to see the truth. This is why so many don’t consider these things to be harmful to us. The fear and the guilt of , “I could possibly be wrong?” We want to believe everything our Drs. (drugs etc.) and marketing (chemicals) in this country do and say is the gospel truth and if we don’t do it we’re the ones wrong or bad. These concepts have been pushed on us since birth (big money marketing and advertising) and we have been brain washed. It is like coming out if a cult to see the truth! And those still in it condemn you!
Carry on strong Mama! I applaud you. I am sharing this with every young mom I know, on FB and saving this for future reference.
I have sixteen yer old twin daughter’s and a two year old son. My daughter’s were given every vaccine on the market – sometimes under duress – even gardisil and the chicken pox (varicella?). One of my daughter’s suffers from depression, anxiety, an eating disorder and quite possibly a mild form of aspergers. I find guilt in all that I’ve “done” to create this mess for her, however, you have to forgive YOURSELF. My son has had no vaccinations, no antibiotics, I avoid HFCS like the plague, and our whole family is better educated and better fed! I am sorry that your son has autism and I hope that with time you will forgive yourself <3 thank you for your bravery in this "confession". It is good for the soul.
Thank you. I have fibro too. My son has apraxia. I thought I did enough research in the beginning and delayed the vaccines. I talked with the “experts” and they told me my fibro would have nothing to do with my baby’s system. Thank you for helping me not feel crazy! Thankfully I found you guys before he got his MMR and the rest of his shots. He will never get any again! But I’m realizing it goes so much deeper. I just gave him a breathing treatment, an inhaler and cough medicine without even thinking about it because that’s what I’ve always done for myself. Looks like I need to find some more answers fast!!
Hi Bridget. So glad you are here. I’m sure you probably already know, but the organization Cherab is a wonderful resource for apraxia. Also, LuvBug and Saint have helped heal both of their asthmatic children through the use of diet, supplements and homeopathics. Feel free to friend them on Facebook and ask for help.
You perfectly describe “the perfect storm.” So many of our children are being exposed to the perfect storm . . . you are not alone. But your courage to talk about it will spare others. Thank you.
You were a victim of trust and lies. Today lies prevail – they are coming
from DC and elsewhere.
Our USCCB (Catholic Bishops) pushed Obamacare through which is a disaster
for multiple reasons. The Bishops should have helped us defeat him in 2012
but they did not do their job from the pulpit. Of course they should have
done the same in 2008 as even then it was known that he was a pro-abort.
We were taught to trust professionals: doctors, clerics, etc. Hopefully your
article will awaken many to the evils that prevail.
I can relate SO much since my son was exposed to at least half of all you mentioned with autism as an outcome. Now our family is in the process of ‘undoing’ the damage and taking complete responsibility for our health rather than simply trusting health ‘professionals.’ Hinds sight is always 20/20, eh? For me, I totally take responsibility while not taking ‘blame’ for my child’s autism. The difference is taking responsibility motivates me to research, make lifestyle changes, and press forward with hope for recovery. On the other hand, blame can immobilize us with depression and feelings of guilt/helplessness. I know as moms we straddle the fence between these two internal experiences. Perhaps one day we’ll understand why we were chosen to walk this path. Meanwhile, SHARING our stories no matter the responses is the #1 best thing we can do! So thanks for sharing, so boldly and honestly. I admire you and pray only the best for your son and family!!!!
Exactly. Thanks so much for your kind words. Praying for recovery for your child and peace for you and your family.
Ok, so my comment would actually be a combination of a few things plus an entirely new 4th one that you didn’t mention. I admire your blog and have certainly forwarded several entries to my Facebook wall. This one however I will not! This one has actually changed how I feel about you to a certain degree. Not that you will ever read this or even care? I’m a mother of 4 non vaccinated, non fluoride drinking, homeopathic using children. I’m also an RN. My perspective is different than yours on many levels. I’m also a Christ Follower and many of my closest friends are former Catholics that have converted to many other religious beliefs. There are times when reading your blog, I have felt so many close connections to you! This time, not so much. Not bc of all the numerous risk factors, no no no it goes much deeper than that. To possess guilt for inflicting something you would also need to show malaise or INTENT! You ma lady did not INTEND for any of this. While I agree with many of the risk factors you listed, I also know thousands of women that followed the exact same course as you and do not have children with autism. (I used to work with a midwife!) I left OB work bc of my refusal to vaccinate infants or assist with circumcising boys. In doing your research you HAVE to have come across the fact that eating a Dorito or a hotdog could have yielded the same results. When doing ANY sort of clinical trial of ANY kind! If a person develops any kind of symptom or disease they have to list every single thing the person ingested as a possible risk factor! If you had drank ice tea every day, you would have found an article labeling that a potential cause for autism as well.
Thank you for the truth. That is exactly what other parents need to hear. I am also Catholic and I have blamed myself for years but I do know that God can make good out of the bad and make the impossible possible. You are a part of that right now by sharing this information with others. God bless.
Thank you, Anna.
Boy, did I dodge a bullet! Aside from the Lortab, your story is exactly mine with our son. Including the highest levels of Pitocin the hospital staff had ever seen, 28 hours of labor, a c-section, etc. Coke, Tylenol, ultrasounds, 9 ear infections before he turned one, vaccines…every single thing! We even bought flouride water because we’re on a well. My son is the healthy one of our two children! My daughter has PANDAS/PANS, a compromised immune system, etc.
I look forward to a time when their children will not be faced with so many questions and uncertainties. God Bless Them All.
Malia, my son has PANS and a compromised immune system as well. It is just so hard to watch your child be so sick and know you played a part, isn’t it? Well, we are Thinkers now and we have a chance to help others. Thank you so much for posting.
Thank you. Thank you for your honesty and your knowledge. The information that you and the others writers at Thinking Mom’s Revolution have given to me over the past 6 months has changed mine and most importantly, my daughters’ lives. I have 3 girls, one is a week old, and because of you guys, I am 100% sure that I am making the right decisions for them. So again, thank you, for everything.
This made my day. Thank you so much, Natalie. I am so glad that we can help.
Oh, Mountain Mama…I can so relate. I worked in vet clinics before and during my pregnancy. I was doctor prescribed antibiotics and painkillers, even given a Xanax by my doctor during pregnancy. Three ultrasounds, no pitocin because the c-section was planned (not for cosmetic reasons), 2 different antibiotics given to him from day one to day eight to “treat” the reaction to the hep B vaccine I didn’t know he’d gotten, more antibiotics (including Augmentin) for the first year and a half for preventative measures so he “wouldn’t catch something else” while dealing with severe allergies…the list goes on.
No judgment here, only heartbreak for our unwitting ignorance and the doctors’ willful ignorance.
Can you believe we did these things? I know you are shaking your head right along with me. Love you, sweets. You’re one of the smartest moms I know.
I love your boldness. I am a family chiropractor in MN, and one thing I preach to my clients is to QUESTION everything. In fact, we are hosting a round table discussion with young moms soon, and I will definitely be sharing this information. Thank you for speaking truth.
Thank you so much. Please do share this with them. I really hope it helps.
great post!
Group #2 here – and as an added bonus, also raised Catholic. I know first hand that forgiving yourself for your transgressions is so incredibly difficult.
You are doing everything you can to wake people up and make them THINK, hoping to prevent other children all over the world from suffering the way that your child (and all the TMR kids) have. People ARE listening, they ARE asking questions and making different decisions for their children, based on the information and the awesome forces of nature here at TMR. If it helps at all, know that the work that you are doing through TMR, the soul-bearing, truth-telling, educating the masses – THAT is your penance.
xoxo Allie
Thanks for your kind words and reassurance.
Hi Mountain mama
I feel your pain and angst. i too had very similar experiences before, during and after pregnancy. Two boys with autism (both born via emergency c-section: Prolonged labor, followed by induction with Pitocin, fetal distress, etc.) Typical daughter born via natural delivery. Undiagnosed Graves Disease (autoimmune thyroid disease) that nearly killed me due to cardiac issues about 8 months after my first born son was born, however misdiagnosed at least 2 years prior to pregnancy. Having said all of this, something struck me when you told us, “Add in the birth history and the fact that he had severe jaundice and a cephalohematoma that took more than six months to resolve.” Both of my boys were born with jaundice due to Rh incompatibility, regardless of having RhoGam injection during pregnancy to prevent any type of jaundice in my baby. They also were treated for it, although no follow up to check for rebound jaundice…BUT have done research on the subject and it turns out excess Bilirubin (even with bili lights) causes everything from CP to autism (often co-morbid), despite reassurance from med professionals. Please consider researching the following area: Kernicterus and/or BIND–Bilirubin-induced Neurological Dysfunction, which is milder and results in primarily what we call autism (i have difficulty with the generality of this label). The following link is a good start:
http://www.nature.com/jp/journal/v25/n1/abs/7211157a.html
Dr. Shapiro is a leading expert on the subject of BIND and Kernicterus.org has this website on the subject:
http://www.kernicterus.org/
Peace and God Bless
wow. Reading.
-Goddess
Wow. Thank you so much for posting this. I plan on reading tonight.
Good list, but there are 2 HUGE pieces of the puzzle left out…GMO foods which were introduced into our food supply in the mid 90s….hmmmm….same time Autism #s began to explode. You mess with the genetics of our FOOD and theres bound to be issues. Also, all the chemicals (many neurotoxic) in our cosmetics and cleaners. The chemicals that are put in products designed for babies (lotions, shampoos, etc) is criminal.
Agreed. I only use vinegar and baking soda to clean with now. We use coconut oil instead of lotion. I’m still looking for a good shampoo. Right now we are using fragrance-free California Baby, but let me know if you know of something better.
Have you tried the Shea Moisture line? I use their products on myself and my three kids. Totally natural organic fair trade and junk free. And they work beautifully and can be found right at target. Check them out.
May God have mercy on us all.
May God provide cure for all who suffer and struggle from these preventable atrocities.
May God make this madness stop already.
Amen.
Thank you for the frank post. Most my college years have been spent on studying autism and I am still not satisfied. Probably because autism is a group of symptoms, not really a disease we can say “that’s it!” I think all around the spectrum is a confusing, frustrating thing. I would ask if you’ve considered the GAPS diet?
We don’t do GAPS…although I have been looking into it. We removed all foods that he tested positive for in his ELISA. That was 4 years ago, and his gut is in pretty good shape now. Thanks for reading, Dawnal. I agree. It’s not one thing, it’s the toxic load that is the problem.
Thank you for posting. I will share.
I felt the need to write to you because i was in tears halfway reading your article. I have a 7 month old baby who, thank God, is very healthy. She is healthy because I was not. My parents never did any research when I was a baby. They blindly trusted their doctors, as you are expected to do in Greece (where I was born). If you dare question a doctor you might even get kicked out of the practice. Doctors often insult and demean inquisitive patients. It’s their favorite past time. Because lets not forget that doctors think of themselves (or used to anyway) as demi-gods. As a baby i received all vaccines available in the 80′s, as well as at least 4 courses of antibiotics per year, every year of my life until I was 17. Sick, weak, exhausted, depressed and suicidal, without the will to live and no doctor could find anything wrong with me. After 5 years of my own research, determined to get well, determined to live my life, tired of feeling like a young soul trapped in the body of an 80-year old, I tried everything alternative that was available. 10 years later, after detox cures, homeopathy, special diets etc etc, I felt for the first time what it’s like to be normal. Because of this experience, as soon as I got pregnant I vowed never to let anything similar happen to my baby. I began to research vaccine safety, and was shocked by the amount of polarization, taboos and criminalization of inquisitive parents. I am to this day unsure how to proceed with the vaccines. I thought of giving my baby some of them and leave others. The doctors I’ve spoken to seem to be awestruck when I tell them what I want to do. They seem to think it’s not my right to decide anything on the matter. One of them told me, “you either go with the government program and do them all, or you don’t do them at all.” That’s it. No choice. No questioning. No information. No room for doubt on an issue that is so controversial. I am furious at the doctors that prescribed antibiotics for every single sore throat I had as a child. For every single flu and cough. When I was 16, I read in my high-school biology book that antibiotics don’t work on viruses, only on bacteria. Immediately I started thinking, so what about all these times I took antibiotics without the doctor testing me to check if I had a viral or bacterial infection? I just destroyed my bacterial gut flora (no talk of probiotics in the 80′s-90′s) without knowing it and without anybody telling me how antibiotics could harm me. The reason for all this is ignorance. A bottomless pit of mass ignorance that it seems we were all deliberately thrown into. Our lives are our responsibility and it is also our responsibility to end the ignorance, spread the knowledge, help as many of us as possible out of the pit. So thank you for sharing. Thank you for shining the light. May your message reach many inquisitive and brave souls.
I am so sorry that this happened to you, but so happy that you could offer your baby a better experience. Thanks for sharing your story…I’m sure it will resonate with other readers.
Sometimes No is the answer and I think the doctors you have spoken to have unwittingly given you the answer… do no vaccines
Oh my goodness! your story is so much like mine it hurts… The good news is that we found many things that worked!!!
I usually write in Spanish, but you got to know this. My little girl had the augmentin at birth, got yellow afterwards, got the pitocin during labor and had the acid bm’s and horrible cramps you described. Vaccinated (ugh) she became a Dracula from a 50′s movie after the pneumococcal vaccine. It was so bad (she could not handle any light without screaming in pain) that she wore special glasses that people with occular albinism do. She was dx’d as severely autistic right before her 3rd birthday. What worked for us: going 100% organic (now we grow most of our own stuff) zero junk, no plastic, the Low Oxalate diet plus its support supplements b6, mg, BIOTIN (the antibiotics kill the critters in our flora that make biotin for us!) plus the regime given by her doc (zinc, mb12, enzymes etc.), AND High Dose Cod Liver Oil.
The CLO was a gamechanger for us and has been for several families I know where augmentin is involved. I was giving a talk at a conference in Poland (I was an RDI consultant) and met there a prof of pharmacology from Belgium (where I also live) . We went out to visit Warsaw and have lunch together and after telling him our story he told me that my child had developed “hepatic encephalitis” after the augmentin at the birth clinic and that it was the reason my child had autism. I could feel the floor open up and be swallowed in a dark hole, don’t know how I didn’t faint. He continued with his explanation and told me that I had to be careful and give high doses of omega 3′s or she could be at risk for oppositional disorder. I had at that time at home the definition of “opposition”!
To make it short, went back home, opened the bottle of CLO from Green Pastures and gave 3ml (full dose is 2ml). In a week, I had a child that was cooperating, calm, happy, dancing! My jaw dropped. We had to stop for 2 weeks while she had surgery for strabismus (the surgeon was afraid it would cause her blood to be too liquid) and the opposition returned. Back went the CLO and my sweet baby showed her true face again
I posted this a while ago in Spanish, now it’s been at least 2 years since we introduced the high dose and happy to report that she’s doing excellent! She’s 13 now, 8th grade with no problems, and word says she has a boyfriend 
We could not know how much harm we were causing, and you do have to forgive yourself but now we know that there is a way out … My girl has been the best teacher for unconditional love, and now years past I’m sure that everything happened for a GOOD reason. You too.
Hi, Patricia. I am so glad to hear how well your daughter is doing. We use the Green Pastures CLO/Butter oil combo and love it. We are LOD too. Berries….who would have thought that berries could be damaging to a child? I am so sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with Augmentin too. I can’t believe it is still on the market.
Thank you for sharing your story. I have not read all of the posts, and not sure if this was mentioned already. Raw Goats milk has been linked to curing autism, not sure if you already drink it (I can’t recall the documentary that I saw that, but it was one of the more popular foodie ones). Not the stuff you buy on the shelf at the store, straight from the Goat. Goat milk is also one of the foods mentioned in the Bible. We have ours delivered to our house by a local farm in PA.
God Bless.
I’m in group #2. Thank you for writing this, I feel the same way. Hugs mama xox
Great job articulating the ‘problems’. As the adage goes, “when we know better, we do better.” You may have just saved a child’s life with your honesty and humility.
Thanks!
I guess I am no.2 as I was a new mom and really had no idea.I USE to be a SHEEPLE BUT no more.Your list could be my list.Almost identicle.I hope the brain damge is reversible or some of it.I keep moving forward.It’s been 10 years of biomed and traditional therapies.Phew! I’m exhausted to say the least.Fo you nay sayers just do yourselves a HUGE favour and do a little research or you may end up in the autism club or worse.Thanks for speaking the truth.All those things combined was what did my son in.I hope your son is doing better.I know some treatments helped my son go from severe to moderate on the spectrum.God Bless! Jds Mom
The point of all of what we do is to save a child ~ save a family…Mission accomplished! Love you!
I did it all too…
“My son’s health was MY responsibility”….
yes, and no. I am sure you have run accross/maybe even yourself/or at least read about, medical persons/social workers who have implied/stated that if a parent does not administer such and such they are negligent and might risk aprehension. It is a constant struggle to fend off/assess where they might have a “point”/figure out how to evade their “suggestions” without risking ….”more interest”
I’m in the response # 2 group- sending you hugs!!!
Thank you, angela.
I don’t think my response will fit into any of your three categories. The title of you article attracts attention, and entices people to read not only your journey, but your warnings, advice and hopefully help to the millions of parents of a child on the spectrum.
I am a mother of a daughter who lives with autism. As I write that, four years later, it still brings tears to my eyes. I have been asked countless times if I feel guilty and reassured countless times to not feel guilty and to be truthful I never really have. I have looked back on all the choices that I made while pregnant and during her first years of life and I believe that I made the best choices at the time. Truth be known if we really knew that any, or all of the things you mention were the cause of autism then you my friend would win the Nobel peace prize!!!! Right now we are all still searching for answers and I am not saying I disagree with any of the things you listed but I also know that “at the time” I needed those ultrasounds because I needed to know how my baby way doing – if she was progressing and at times if she was even alive… So did my NINE, yes, 9 ultrasounds give my baby autism? Who knows, but I know that she at least lived through my pregnancy and she is a beautiful , intelligent little girl now – Autism, or not. Developmentally delayed or not, I still have my sweet girl. Do I hate it???YES!!! Do I wish Autism had never entered our lives! OH YES!!!!
Thank you for putting forth some generalized theories and making people aware. I think this has been a good way for the parents of kids on the spectrum like myself to share a portion of their journey.