Doctor's Appointment

Handsome's six month doctor's appointment was on Tuesday (11/13). His stats:

• 16 pounds 12 ounces (48%)
• 25.5 inches (25%)
• ~17 inches (75%) (his head circumference; I can't remember the exact measurement, but I remember the percentage)

She said he was doing really well. He is apparently slightly ahead of the curve as far as motor skills go. He is actually crawling and starting to pull up and this is a little early for that. She told me to buy Aquaphor for his dry skin and said she didn't know about the safety of any particular hair product (had to ask since his hair is getting wild).

Whenever the doctor came in and laid him down, he was ok at first just looking at her. And then he tried to turn over and she wouldn't let him because she needed to listen to his heart. He wasn't too happy with that so the screaming began. Whenever I picked him up he was ok, but after that he just wouldn't be happy with the doctor holding him. Another time we had to put him down on his back again and when she let him turn over and start crawling he was ok. Maybe he just feels more in control of things when he can crawl away.

He got four shots and of course screamed through the whole thing. Again, as soon as I could pick him up, he was ok.

The doctor HIGHLY recommended that we get the flu shot for him, but I declined. I don't know if I should have. I've done a lot of research on it and I still don't know what to do.

Reasons for getting the flu shot:

• It can save his life if he would have otherwise gotten the flu - can be deadly for infants.
• Don't have to worry about leaving him at the gym with other children.
• Don't have to worry about travelling to Texas on a plane with a bunch of potentially sick people.
• Very few known cases of actual adverse reactions to the flu shot.
• I would feel VERY guilty if he ended up with the flu and I didn't get the shot for him.
• I ride the train and DH goes to school so we could bring the virus home.
• Texas has been reported as having a few flu outbreaks.

Reasons for not getting the flu shot:

• The shot has been shown to be less than 40% effective in infants even if the correct strains of the flu were chosen for the shot.
• The shot is very likely to contain mercury, and the levels could be in toxic levels.
• No one has tested long term effects of getting the shot.
• No one states why six months is the youngest age to get the shot.
• He has to get two shots a month apart just to make the vaccination somewhat effective.
• It is effective two weeks after the last shot which wouldn't protect him for the trip to Texas anyway.
• He stays at home all day so he's not around other children or people often.
• He is breastfed.
• The protection provided from the vaccine is only temporary.
• Don't know if he is allergic to eggs.
• Only started being recommended for six month olds three years ago and no reason stated for this except that the flu is deadly for the young.
• The state we live in has not been reported to have any outbreaks of the flu.

I don't know why this decision has to be so difficult. I just hate putting something in his body that could possibly harm him with very few benefits.

What should I do?!