I think we're supposed to have some injections very early too... but they can be deferred to the 4 month stage, by which point I'll feel better. MiL can't remember if DH had any reactions or not, and obviously as he was a tiny baby he can't either; I'm going to assume not because you'd remember a reaction, right? But DH has a big problem with a lot of allergies and I can't help but think that maybe the (non-consented) extra drugs his mum was given at birth could have been a factor for some of them, especially the anaesthetic ones. Nut and latex problems are common, and the latex one isn't that strong; DH needs to wear the gloves for a few hours for a rash to start.

TBH, I'd rather have the vaccination and then breastfeed: that way my baby has the antibodies and can be immunised properly in later years. Don't think that's going to happen though!

Caro, after a very rude boss (I was sent home from work, then she rang me up annoyed because I called in sick the next day: could I not see she needed the workers and what was so wrong with me anyway?) I do my best not to call in sick any more - although I rarely called in sick and have never taken sick leave because I wanted a day off. I have to be unable to get away from the loo to call in sick. My mum took the attitude that if she kept me off school for a cold then I'd spend too long at home, so I'm used to working through illnesses (she even sent me in with a broken arm and it was days before I got an X-ray!). I now get grief from patients if I'm not at work due to illness: I work in an hospital and so just have to stay well away from the wards if I'm feeling under the weather now.

Infant mortality rates have dropped partly due to allergy understanding, but I do think that there's been an increase in allergies. I think it's because many things that aren't allergies are called that now. Many children don't like XYZ and before the parents would have not given it to the child for a few years, now it's an "intolerance" or an "allergy", when in fact the child's system is just not ready for that food (yes, I have researched this!). Not that I think you should feed someone allergic to something that food, just that maybe we should leave it a bit. It's also due to movement of people: for example, many lactose intolerant people come from now-cows-milk cultures, thus never knew that their grandparents were lactose intolerant... because they never had lactose after they were weaned.