Vitamin K, Hepatitis B, Erythromycin eye ointment

with my first baby we only got the eye ointment solely because i tested positive for GBS so i didn’t want to risk an eye infection but im thinking of declining all 3 this time around (still waiting for GBS results) . my first is almost two and is doing incredible in every aspect, only vac i got with her and for her was Tdap @ 28 weeks didn’t really have a reason to get it i just felt like what the heck ill get something just bc i did feel some pressure from society at that time. i’m more confident in my decision now that i see her development.

I will be doing all of the above

With our first we declined both Hep B (it’s for a sexually transmitted disease; if you’re clear of it, baby definitely doesn’t need it), and the eye ointment. Evidenced Based Birth has great articles on it and, if I remembered correctly, it found that using colostrum in baby’s eyes is just as effective as the preventative ointment. I had planned to do that and forgot in the craziness of the hospital and my girl was fine without either. We did do Vit K though. Not sure if we’ll do it this time around or not. I’d do a clean oral Vit K supplement instead of the injection if anything due to the black box warning. You can always look up the insert and side effects for it if you haven’t already.

@Melea it is also passed by blood not just sexually transmitted.

@Briana true, but the chances of them coming into contact with infected Hep B blood is EXTREMELY rare.

Hi! I’m getting the vitamin K shot for sure. The black box label that people worry about was for intravenous use which is not how babies get it. Only 1 baby has ever been recorded to get an injury from it. And if there is a brain bleed, it’s already too late to get it then. I won’t be getting the other two because I don’t have any risk factors that would necessitate them.

We did them all and will do again for baby #2. The risks of complications from these three are very low and the risk without them is scary. I chose to err on the side of caution with modern medicine for these. Nearly didn’t do the eye ointment but otherwise just did the other two.

I should also clarify that baby will get the hep b vaccine at their first doctors visit for us. I just don’t want it right after birth

I think your post should speak for itself. Are you to trust strangers on the internet with no medical background, or professionals who implement all three because they are safe, evidence based practices that save lives? Pros: your child will have greater protection from illness, infection, and hemorrhage by selecting all three Cons: your child’s eyes will look a little goopy for a wee bit, but it goes away FYI: erythromycin is NOT just for STDs and GBS. There is a LOT of bacteria regardless of how you give birth and where, so it is recommended to ALL babies. I gave birth last week and opted for all three, despite never having had an STD and testing negative for GBS. My baby had a little bit of bruising from the delivery, but this healed up in a matter of days, all thanks to vitamin K. Word of advice? Get your medical information from medical providers you know, not strangers, because you don’t know their credentials or motivations.

I did it with my first and plan to do it with the next baby !

Declining all three based on my own in depth research. I fully understand getting an online consensus but I also will always advocate for doing your own research. I’m sure you’ll be doing that as well. Everyone makes choices based on their own agenda including medical professionals. There is plenty of data and information out there on what’s necessary and what can be optional depending on the situation.

With our first who was a preemie, we got the vitamin K, but waited on the hep B shot until he was about 4 months old. His pediatrician suggested, but didn’t pressure us. Left it up to us. One thing that made me want to get it for him was that we were traveling out of the country in a few months, and she said that although the risk of him getting it is low, if you’re abroad and something happens where he might need hospital intervention, other countries might not practice the same standards as US, and he could end up contracting it that way. So, by then we trusted our gut and gave him the shot. But it’s totally up to you as parents. Research pros and cons and trust your mommy gut when it comes to your baby and do what you feel is best. Nothing wrong with waiting until you know for sure.