How to Make Vaccines Less Stressful for Parent & Baby

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We all know how frequent babies, toddlers, and young children alike get vaccines. When you're properly vaccinated since you were born, you tend to be more immune to diseases as you grow up. There are plenty of good reasons on why you should make sure your baby is vaccinated and has completed all the necessary vaccines at their age, but it does not take away the fear of parents that their babies get hurt whenever they go to a vaccine appointment.

While parents get stressed about this, babies and children also fear about it. During the first 12 months of your baby's life, expect that your baby will be getting a lot of vaccines within that period and will often get more than one shot in every visit. 

Parents should keep in mind the importance of these vaccines and shrug the idea of having their baby go through pain off their minds. Vaccines are essential and these serve as your baby's protection against serious and deadly diseases. Although it's impossible for parents to take the pain away when they're baby gets a vaccine, here are some things to do for you and the people around you when you get your baby vaccinated to not stress out that much. 

Before going to an appointment, you must be:

• Aware of the type of vaccine your baby is getting

Once you have the Vaccination Information Sheet provided to you by the hospital or baby clinic, read on the sheet. You can also do research about the vaccine for you to be well-informed of its importance and relevance to your baby's health. However, these sheets are provided on the day of the vaccine appointment, and if you're the only one scheduled for the day, it would be hard for you to read the entire sheet and understand what it is all about. If you're curious about the vaccine that your baby is going to get, you can always check if there is an online sheet available on the hospital or clinic's website.

• Do a research of your own

Do research on the internet for more information. You can also ask or search for a recommended vaccine schedule to know what type of vaccines should your baby take according to their age. However, there are articles online that are inaccurate that have misleading information about vaccines, so you should make sure that you read articles that are credible. It may be from a health institute in your state or government-issued posts. Educate yourself with reputable sources. You may opt to read articles and information from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), KidHealth.org, or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

A lot of parents misunderstand how vaccines work and would expect that their children will not catch any sickness when they are vaccinated. Keep in mind that vaccinations are only for preventing diseases and they protect children from getting sick, which will only be effective with continuous vaccination. 

• Do your paperwork

Once you now have done your research and you still have questions in mind, note them down. You can ask all of those questions during your child's vaccination appointment. Keep a list of your questions and make sure all of them are answered by your baby's doctor. You can also ask for your baby's vaccination record from the clinic or hospital and have a copy of your own. A written record will ensure that your child has received his necessary vaccines.