I'll be 29 weeks pregnant on Saturday with my first child and will be returning to work after maternity leave. A couple months ago my sister volunteered to watch our baby while my husband and I worked, we thought it would be a great idea to be with family plus help us save money to buy a house next year. Well today I found out that my sister's daughter/my niece hasn't been to the doctor since she was 6 months old and she's almost a year and a half now. My sister doesn't take her to get wellness checks or vaccinated at all. Obviously it's her choice in parenting but I'm NOT okay with my newborn being around a small child with no vaccines 8/9+ hours a day Monday-Friday. How do I tell my sister I don't feel comfortable with her watching her now?? I know it'll cause drama between us but I dont want to have to worry about my baby as much. I know childcare isn't 100% vaccinated kids but some is better then none in my opinion.
Anonymous2021-04-02T07:34:27Z
A baby has vaccines at 2 months 3 months and 4 months then 13 months then 3 years. So the fact she’s 1 and not been since she was 6 months is fine! There is a pandemic out there we don’t want to take our children into doctor surgery’s unless it’s an absolute must! The child won’t be due her next vaccine until she’s 13 months old which is of course 1 months after her first birthday but also with the pandemic things are running behind! And the doctors are fine with things running behind, schools and nursery have been closed for 1 year where I’m from and if your child was due their vaccine and you didn’t want to go out of your house and your child isnt attending school at the moment anyways the doctor said it’s perfectly fine to wait!
I think your being very bitchy about your sisters child and saying you don’t want her near your child. This is a very bad thing to say! What makes your child better than hers? What you going to do when it’s time for your baby to start nursery? Tell every single parent that if their kid didn’t get all their vaccines to stay well away from your kid???
How risky is your sister's life style. Even without vaccines - a child can only catch and spread what they have been exposed to. So - how much interaction does HER child have with OTHER children or other people who have not been vaccinated. If her child doesn't have a disease - the disease can't spread to your child.
If you start your child's vaccines on time, then the risks of this situation would be very minor unless your sister is constantly taking her child into very risky situations.
Basically, don't let her start watching your child until your child has had their first series of vaccines. This might mean delaying returning to work for a few more weeks, but that is just a minor inconvenience compared to the cost of daycare.Remember, vaccines don't stop common colds and the minor illnesses that almost all children eventually experience. (ear aches - ear infections - all those common and minor childhood ailments.)
Before making a final choice - talk to your baby's doctor about this situation and get REAL medical advice and input on the risks of the situation.
BTW - I delayed vaccinating my daughters until they were almost two. They never caught anything that a vaccine would have prevented because they was never exposed to anything a vaccine would have prevented. They are both healthy adults now.
Why doesn't your sister get her vaccinated? Is it a money issue? Perhaps instead of being confrontational, just make it a family trip and everyone is getting vaccinated day. Even adults need to vaccinate again every so many years, so find a doctor who can vaccinate the family in one trip. Just tell your sister that we decided we wanting everyone in the house vaccinated and this is when we are all going.
If your sister doesn't want to go along for financial reasons, offer to foot the bill since your sister will be helping you anyway.
If your sister still objects, then just politely explain that this is something you need her to do if you guys all want to live in the same house. Explain it positively, explain the benefits of safety for everyone involved as a precaution. Tell her that you are doing this for her safety as much for your niece and your newborn.