Just curious, wanna make sure my kiddo will live if I don't take her to her well-child appts. 
No, but really. Sometimes I get a little nervous when we don't go. We haven't been since she was a newborn and then once at a year.
Do you go? Why or why not?
I'm such a teacher-pleaser! Secretly, I sort of love to go just to hear how well DS is doing. (I also loved teacher-evaluations when I was teaching because I like to get A's... and there isn't any other time I get 'grades' anymore. DH mocks me. I'm working on it.)
But, honestly, besides that, not to sound super-judgy, but I get the feeling from my pediatric nurse friends that the well-baby visits are more important in the cases of little ones with ...shall we say, less than attentive... parents; the parents who don't get that something might be going on if kidos aren't reaching basic milestones at a certain point, etc.
I think if you are observant of your little one, then it probably doesn't matter as long as if something seemed wrong, you would A.) notice, and B.) take her in.
I am thinking just now that DS is going through the process of a immune-disorder diagnosis. He's been to all his well-babies. Its not like they caught this sooner because we took him in. We are catching it now because I saw a problem and took him to the Dr.
Wait. Just thought of one another benefit of the visits besides nursing my ego; DS LOVES going to the Dr., which has helped through all this (but our Dr. is awesome; check-ups are very long visits and she spends most of it talking to him). I wonder if all these visits/tests (blood draws- ick!) would have been more difficult if his Dr. was more of a stranger he only saw when he was feeling icky.
wow, I really overused the ()s here!
Yes, we go. I like to get the updates and someone to check them over. She has "knock-knees", I'm told but the dr was able to show me that it wasn't a problem and she'd out-grow it. I could see she was pigeon-toed, but I'd never thought twice about it. What if she'd needed something to help her with that? The symptoms of them needing help are subtle and I may have missed them. I don't love spending the money to take the kids that I believe are healthy, but it's a drop in the bucket over their lifetimes.
We go but I'm like Jes h, I really like to hear the "Your DS is so healthy, happy, and amazing!" Plus I get an accurate weight (thought it might be cheaper for me to just go out and buy scales to weigh him at home!).
I've often though about this, whether WBV are really worth it (beyond my emotional fulfillment!). To me they are simply for the relationship with our doctor. I think it's good for DS to occasionally see and talk to his doctor, to get used to checkups. I never actually taken DS to the doc when he's actually NEEDED to go simply because he's very healthy. As long as you keep an eye on your child's health and don't ignore warning signs, perhaps WBV aren't all that important....
Originally Posted by sere234 
To me they are simply for the relationship with our doctor. I think it's good for DS to occasionally see and talk to his doctor, to get used to checkups.....
Totally agree! We go, on a somewhat spaced out timeline. E had trouble with weight gain early on, so we went at 2wks, 3wks, 4wks, 2mos, 4mos, 8mos, 14mos, and we'll go next week at 19mos. It is really nice to hear we're doing an awesome job!
We do well baby visits...first and foremost b/c there are things that the doctor checks that one wouldn't necessarily notice at home. For example, a hydrocele...my spouse is a physician and does well baby visits and found a hydrocele on a kiddo (a fluid filled sack in the scrotum). Now, that's not something that a parent would probably notice unless it was distending/distorting the scrotum--and it's also something that has to be addressed.
I do WBV. I like to know how much my kiddo weighs, and how well he's doing. I also like to be able to brag about the fact that he can list a whole slew of words that rhyme with "blue" at only 3yo!
Yes, I think they have value. I am not a doctor. I don't want parenting advice. But our ped sometimes notices things that I don't and I appreciate it. Mostly she just praises us.
I also think it is absolutely vital to have a relationship with a ped when kids are little. I want someone I trust and know if something bad happens.
We went for the first year and then it just kind of ended without us having talked about it formally or anything. I think we just didn't find it neccessary any more. At almost 4 she was diagnosed with asthma. So, in hind sight, I'd take the child every 6 months instead of on their schedule which was like every 3 months or 1 month, can't remember now.
i think the usefulness is a few things, yes i do think they could notice things that even very smart very attentive parents might not be on the look out for. and i think that helping your kids get use to happy visits with doctors is valuable, similar reason for them to start seeing a dentist when it is just a hello check up.
No. Our midwife did the first few WBV at our home, so I guess we were never really on the ped's radar. I kind of blindly assumed the pediatrician's office would call and let me know when he was due for a wbv, but those calls just never came and I didn't know the usual schedule.
I did take him in a few times that first year anyway due to my own concerns or an illness, and at one of those appointments they suggested scheduling a wbv at 18 mos. I agreed and took him in. Afterward, I felt it was a bit of a waste of our time, and it bothered me that the nurse tried to retract his foreskin for no reason. (She claimed she wasn't going to retract but I'd prefer she didn't meddle with his penis at all lest we risk injury...). All in all, especially since we are non-vaxers, I don't feel they're necessary for us at this time. My policy has been to take him in only if I really have a concern...but he's pretty darn healthy and we honestly haven't had a need to go there in the past 1.5 years.
We don't do them. We went to the child health nurse/midwife drop-in clinic for the first 8 weeks to get her weighed but nothing since then. I can see the value of having a relationship with your doctor but we all see the same doctor so I don't consider that an issue for us.
Always do them. 1. Because my kids are never sick and won't see an DR. otherwise 2. Both have small heart issues. Nothing serious but I want that looked at. 3. DD1 had foot problems and her doc said she would grow out of it. She did but I still like the once a year look over.
Again my kids would never see a DR otherwise, they never get sick. No sick days from work for me... EVER!
Aside from the fact that I enjoy them (our doctor is great, and DD loves her, too), I go because I'm a complete hypochondriac over my child, and I love getting the certification that she's okay - especially the parts of her that I can't really see, like her heart and lungs.
Yes, we do. I like to have the regular weight checks and such (we don't own a scale). I like knowing that my ped knows something about our family and the kids specifically so we can be known quantities when they do get sick. And I like to keep an eye on the ped so I know how I feel about her practice. Plus we do vaccinate, and while they do "vaccine only" appointments, it doesn't really make sense just to do those except when we're doing something off-schedule.
. Afterward, I felt it was a bit of a waste of our time, and it bothered me that the nurse tried to retract his foreskin for no reason. (She claimed she wasn't going to retract but I'd prefer she didn't meddle with his penis at all lest we risk injury...).
I guess this really depends on providers. My nurses would never have any reason to be looking at that area to begin with. Our doc does the exam with baby on mom's lap and just undoes one side of the diaper and looks in for a second then closes it. He never touches anything like that.
We bring DS to a natropath for his well baby visits. I think they were 6, 9, 12 and 18 months.
I like having someone else check for things I may miss and I feel like I learn so much every time we go. Natropathic medicine has so many aspects and I love getting their input on what to feed him, boost immune system and so much more that I wouldn't think/know about otherwise.
Its actually a collage we go to so our Dr changes every 6 months as they graduate but I feel like they have the most up to date info and lots of passion! Plus its wayyyyyyyy cheaper!
We bring DS to a natropath for his well baby visits. I think they were 6, 9, 12 and 18 months.
I like having someone else check for things I may miss and I feel like I learn so much every time we go. Natropathic medicine has so many aspects and I love getting their input on what to feed him, boost immune system and so much more that I wouldn't think/know about otherwise.
Its actually a collage we go to so our Dr changes every 6 months as they graduate but I feel like they have the most up to date info and lots of passion! Plus its wayyyyyyyy cheaper!
That's really cool! I wonder if we have something like this near us?
Basically I stopped going because I kept getting flack for not vaxxing.
I would love to hear that she is doing well though.
Sounds like a lot of you like your docs! That's cool!
We have yet to find a doctor that we can feel comfortable with.
The knowing the doctor thing seems kind of strange to me. Why does this matter? (Just curious??? Perhaps if they get really sick???)
We like to know our doctor because that way I get the sense that she is aware of the trajectory and history of our DS's growth and wellness...she knows our "story" and we don't have to explain every time we go. For example, I've had some concerns about my DS and his speech--at his two year visit I know we'll talk about the progress he has or has not made and what steps (if any) to take next. Since we discussed this at his last appt she will better be able to gauge how/if there has been adequate progress w/o my having to discuss the entire past year of development with her. Also, if DS gets sick enough to need a sick visit it is helpful to him and to the doctor to have a pre-existing relationship...and it's easier to get in to see her for a sick visit--we are less apt to get farmed out to an urgent care or ER.
The knowing the doctor thing seems kind of strange to me. Why does this matter? (Just curious??? Perhaps if they get really sick???)
I take my son to well baby visits for the same reasons others have mentioned - because I like to hear how well he is doing even though I already know :) And to get to know the pediatrician. Wishin'&Hopin' covered some of my reasons for this above, but I wanted to also say that I wanted to have the chance to look around for a ped I could TRUST before having to deal with any illness/issues. For instance, if I was pressured to vaccinate, ANYONE in the office threatened my son's foreskin, or for any reason did not "click" with the doctor and trust her motives and intellect, I would look around for someone else. Someone I want on my side if (heaven forbid) my son ever has anything that needs to be addressed. Not someone I mistrust and feel I have to fight every step of the way. Or worse, someone I don't even realize I probably shouldn't be trusting with my son's health until it's too late. I do NOT inherently trust someone just because their name is followed by "MD"...
Follow Mothering