"well visits" for kids who are always at the Dr

[*mama moose*]

I'm not really a medically minded person. We don't vaccinate, we avoid ABX and unnecessary medication, etc. But we've always done the "well visits" anyways. With my first because I was a "nervous mommy" who wanted a little reassurance that everything was ok, and with my second because she had a ton of food intolerances, eczema, rashes, etc. and we used her well visits to sort of figure it all out. Well, now my oldest is 3 and my youngest is 1, and I am SICK of well visits! My oldest has asthma that has her in and out of Drs and ER (hopefully not this year!!!) all winter long, and my youngest, while she outgrew most of the intolerances, has a severe tree nut allergy that has her allergist keeping tabs on her. So while I feel the well visits are especially pointless for us (it feels like, "oh Hi I saw you last week, your kids are fine, thanks for the 20 dollars!"), I feel like I CAN'T just not go and only take kids when they are sick like I've seen some moms on here mention. I'm not sure how my Dr feels about not doing well visits, and I'm scared to bring it up for fear we will lose our amazingly awesome Dr when we actually need her this winter. We do have an allergist, so she handles most of the asthma and allergies now anyways, but I'm still nervous to lose our Ped BECAUSE they both have chronic conditions, even if they do have a specialist for those issues.
She is awesome about no vax, shes only asked me one time to even "consider it" (when we thought ODD had Chicken Pox, she asked if we would vax YDD, we said no, that was the end of it.), shes very pro-breastfeeding, shes just a really nice Dr in general. But I KNOW my kids are growing fine, shes obviously watching them develop since they are there what seems like every 2-3 months anyways, and I really REALLY don't have the 20 dollars to spare at the moment, you know??
So whats your take? What do other non-vaxing mamas do about the well-visit?

[SandraS]

I'm a selective/delayed vax mama, but we still don't do well baby visits. Pointless, IMO.

I take the kids when I see blood or bone. Period. And that's what I start every Saturday saying!

[amandaleigh37]

We dont' do most of them. I did take DS in for a 1-year and a 2-year check-up, just because I dont' want anyone to ever say I never take him to the dr....

If you're at the doctor for a sick visit, why not just ask "Is it ok if we skip our next WBV since we've seen you so much lately?" Maybe there are things they check at the WBV that they can do then... I dunno? Or maybe she'll insist you come back and happily collect your payment

[pixiekisses]

We don't do them.
We're at the hospital so freakin' much with our one SN child, that when we're not there because we have to there is no way I'm going to the doc with any healthy child.
If it's not a matter of life or death, we staying as far away from docs/hospitals as we possibly can. And our docs at the hopsital completely agrees with us on that, so does the ped. (Whom we hardly ever see.)

[peainthepod]

We do them because I live in a state with draconian, scary vaccination policies. We're non-vaxers and he's my first, so I'm a little paranoid. After his one-year visit I'm going to find a naturopath and just start going when we really need medical care. WBVs are for selling vaccines, in my opinion.

[Mrsboyko]

We don't stick to the wbv schedule either. It seems that everytime we go in for a well visit, we have to come back the next week becasue she got sick from the waiting room. Last year I was determined to put off her 2 y/o visit till she was sick so I could combine them all into one. She was born in Nov and wouldn't you know we didn't end up going in till Feb becasue she amazingly didn't get sick last winter. It was wonderful.

DS is 5 months. He has been in at 5 days, 2 weeks (he was jaundiced and I wanted to be sure we were all good), and 3.5 months (he had bronchitis). i plan on bringing him in sometime in Sept, befor the flu/ winter sickness starts up, for a wbv if we aren't in for anything else around that time, then not agian till his 1 year-ish check.

Generall at a wbv they check for the milestones that should be happening at the age, tell you what milestones should be coming up, and ask if you have any concerns. They may check for some physical things (limp when walking, smile tilted significant'y one way or the other, eye lazyness) but that is all stuff they can se at any time.

[queenjane]

Why would you do "well visits" every 2-3 months if you dont vax?? Thats what those "two to three month visits" are FOR.

If you really feel you need the well visits, at most go once every six months. I think once a year (like, for a yearly physical) is plenty, though we dont even really do that. But i think once every six months to touch base with your doctor is fine, and once your kids are a little older, go to once a year.

I'm surprised your doctor hasnt told you you dont need to go that much. Its really pointless.

[heidirk]

If she's that awesome, why don't you just talk to her about it?

not trying to be simple, but she sounds pretty levelheaded, and if you explain it to her the way you did to us, she might surprise you!

[fairymom]

Originally Posted by Mrsboyko

They may check for some physical things (limp when walking, smile tilted significant'y one way or the other, eye lazyness) but that is all stuff they can se at any time.

this isn't always caught at well baby visit thou- my ds 4 had a "lazy" eye at his 1 yr and the dr didn't think it was serious or at his 15 mnth- I had to bring him in speacial and point it out/ask for a referal. He had terrible vision in the one eye and needed glasses. if she had taken my concern serisously at the WBV he could've avoided needing eye surgery.

I say trust your mama gut and go when you think you need to not when they say you should.

[MommaKitten21]

I had my son last July (homebirth) and just for my peace of mind took him to a one month checkup, and maybe a two month wbv. After that, he has never been to a doctor (now a year old) We are a no vax family, and my son has never been sick at all even through winter. If he does get sick or something, i will probably take him in, otherwise, I just don't see any point into going just to have to defend my choices to his ped.

[NicoleS]

I'm confused - shouldn't the WBV be slowing down for you now anyways? I know our doctor does one at 15 months, 18 months, 2 years, and then annually after that unless there's an issue (my middle DD is going next month at 2.5 years to sort of keep track of her SPD and make sure she's continuing to grow properly - we've had a lot of eating/food issues and weight loss problems). And the 15 month one doesn't seem to be standard for all docs, some skip that one as well. IMO, I could never NOT go to the doctor except for when they are ill - my kids just don't get sick enough to take them to the doctor but once in a blue moon. But if we were going once a month for an illness reason, or if we got ill shortly before we were due for a WBV, I'd just see if the doc would combine the WBV with the sick visit and save us a trip.

[kirstenb]

We did all of DS's WBV up through 12 months, but we didn't do the 15 and 18 month visits, and still haven't gone in for the 2 yo WBV. In the past year he has gone in a few times for various things so I didn't care that we didn't do those visits. I'll probably try to get him in before the end of the summer just to make sure everything is normal.

[NicoleCS]

Originally Posted by heidirk

If she's that awesome, why don't you just talk to her about it?

not trying to be simple, but she sounds pretty levelheaded, and if you explain it to her the way you did to us, she might surprise you!

I agree - I think it's so very important to find a Dr. you can openly communicate with and who respects parents and parenting. Our Dr. is a family dr. who sees our whole family - I also think this important.

[kwilki8]

My dd hasn't had a well visit since she turned two, mainly because I already feel like we're always at the doctor--she sees two specialists and saw her ped twice last year for illness. I did go ahead and schedule a well visit for her this month for a couple of reasons--one, she needs an updated physical for daycare/preschool, and two, I wanted her ped to be up to date with her progress since one of the specialists released her a couple of months ago.

[snoopy5386]

Well...they should be significantly slowing down now - 15 mos, 18 mos, age 2 and then only once a year after that. For once a year it is no biggie to take them.

[Kidzaplenty]

No matter the age, I only take my children in annually for a well check. And usually I just incorporate it into a sick visit check if they have any issues at all. The reason I do the annual checks is because the doctor's office must update their information at least every twelve months. And if I have not brought the child in in over twelve months I will not be able to get an "emergency" (meaning same day) appointment in case of a problem (I will have to "schedule an appointment" which could be a week or two away).

It is not that they are trying to punish us (I have heard that before) but that they reserve the "best" times for those that are regular patients (thus our annual checks to make us "regulars").

I do not do the monthly visits for my babies, and have never been questioned for it either since they know we don't vax.

[1growingsprout]

Originally Posted by Kidzaplenty

No matter the age, I only take my children in annually for a well check. And usually I just incorporate it into a sick visit check if they have any issues at all. The reason I do the annual checks is because the doctor's office must update their information at least every twelve months. And if I have not brought the child in in over twelve months I will not be able to get an "emergency" (meaning same day) appointment in case of a problem (I will have to "schedule an appointment" which could be a week or two away).

It is not that they are trying to punish us (I have heard that before) but that they reserve the "best" times for those that are regular patients (thus our annual checks to make us "regulars").

I do not do the monthly visits for my babies, and have never been questioned for it either since they know we don't vax.

This is what I found out. We need to stay on 'active' status which means being seen in the past 12 months. I may be looking for a new ped as this office is moving toward 'requiring' full vax of all patients.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Non vaxer and ds hasnt had a wbv since he was 4 months when I stopped vaxing. DD gets one a year and ds will now as well for school but if not for that I probably wouldnt take them in to many germs in a dr office.

Both my kids go to the dr several times a year for sickness though so we are active patients there. Just not for wbv.

[becoming]

We don't do well visits. My littlest has some respiratory problems and severe eczema, so he goes to the doctor at least once a month or so anyway. My older two are never ever sick, and neither of them have been to the doctor in probably a year or more. I'm not neglectful about their health -- if they have a worrisome symptom, I take them in to be seen immediately -- but I don't see the point in exposing them to all the sick kids/germs in a doctor's office just to be told they're fine, and like you said, thank you for the $20. I really think you'd be surprised at your doctor's reaction to stopping the WBV. I would wager a guess that half or more of her patients don't stick to the WBV schedule if she's as laid-back/open-minded as you say she is. We never discussed WBV with our (amazing) pediatrician, and he's never said a word about us not doing them. I think it's pretty much understood that, if you don't do vax, there's no point in WBV.

[BroodyWoodsgal]

My girl has had all her first year well visits...BECAUSE I don't vax. I get the heebie jeebies every time I hear about someone getting a knock at the door from CPS, because somebody reported them for non-vax (medical neglect ) and so, I found a FREAKIN AWESOME family doc before DD was even born and have taken her in for all her visits.


We're not doctor lovers around here...we have homeopaths in the family and use a lot of remedies when we need them...but mainly we're just huge fans of good food, proper water intake and rest when you need it and that seems to keep us healthy.

I really used well visits as more a social outting than an actual doctors appointment...our doc is unbelievable and someone we LOVE to see and chat with...so it hasn't been excruciating to go....

THough, I must admit....now that they want to start scheduling her for her "second year" well visits I'm like "uuuhhh REALLY?" - I can't believe how much kids go to the doctor! It's CRAZY! But we also found a natropath we love to pieces, so we might end up just using her from now on....when our son is born he'll have all his well baby visits too, with the same family doc as DD.

Look....I understand the want not to go....but for a mama who loves UC, No Vax and doesn't like government workers feeling the need to poke around her life and kids....I'd rather be able to "prove" by "their" standards, that no, in fact, my children are NOT medically neglected. I know it's paranoid thinking...but people think that I'm crazy and dangerous for not wanting anyone present for my laboring/birthing and that I'm a menace to society for not vaxxing...so, I'd rather be able to shut down any "inquiries" with a well respected doctor who backs me up and understands that my choices are all based on research and sound information and that they are a valid choice for me. I didn't want to mess around with a doc who would ever be caught dead saying "Well, I told her to vax, but she didn't want to....I told her it's dangerous, but hey, you know, it's within her legal right to say no. I don't think it's right...but I'm not the parent!" - so, i found a doctor who instead says things like "I'm glad you are commited to not vaxing, I really don't like vax and am always glad to meet parents who have done their research" and things like "Hey, if she's going to drink milk that is not human, I'm glad you are at least trying to give her raw goats milk...do you need any information on where to get it?" and "Good job mama, it sounds like your birth was amazing!" - yeah....he's my effin' HERO!