pediatrician... « Back to Group Discussions

[Laura87]

Do you use one?

I have yet to meet one I love. Had one I really liked in Texas but in Florida nothing. I found one guy who isnt the worst ( thats the best I can say about him). But I really feel like I get little to nothing from them. They only prescribe meds that dont really work for my son ( homeopathy has healed his allergies) and give advice I very much disagree with. So all i need one for is forms for school?

and here's my latest beef. yesterday i took my 3 year old and 1 month old for check ups ( again why?) and i think they are doing great. DS grew a few inches and gain about three lbs in a year and DD dont grow in height but gain over 3 lbs in her first month ( just like her brother). so i'm very happy but the ped say basically "you make really short fat kids!"

 according to his "charts" the should be taller and thinner. well guess what i am short and though not over weight very curvy and his dad is average to shorter for a man and heavy- so what are our kids supposed to look like?!?

 We both have slower metabolisms so we have to eat healthy  and be mindful of treats but my son eats mostly fruit, grains, meat (though i'm mostly vegan) and a very little dairy. DD eats only mommys milk. DS cant ever stop running, dancing, playing so he's super strong- like shockingly so. i am so proud of how healthy they are so who gives a **** if we are a short stocky family!?

ok thats my rant

anyone else deal with this stuff?

[daylicious]

We had a midwife for our DS' birth, so we've had all our follow up care with her (and we love her) I had to spend some time in the hospital after my home birth for a retained placenta and hemorrhage, and while there our mw was able to refer us to a ped who was on call that day, because my DS had some rattly breathing and his arms were very purple (my DH was worried and wanted to have him checked) I LOVED him! We're going to see him for the 2 month check up. He's been a ped for 30+ years, and he was just sooo kind and funny. He was so gentle and sweet with our babe. And his recommendation for our DS' goopy eye was to wipe it with a steeped chamomile tea bag, which has totally cleared it up. I love that he recommended something natural

[flavorfull1]

I am in the process of finding one, we just moved. I had one i liked before we moved to brooklyn bc he was really hands off and supportive. In brooklyn i found one that was nice but a little more pushy abt vax but still not a problem to.say no to. I saw another one in their practice and her recommendation for reflux w my six week old was smaller, shorter more frequent feedings....um, how do you do that w a bf babe? I just looked at her confused and said ok whatever. Dd nurses around the clock, it would seriously have to be every thirty min to make that happen. Oh well. Hopefully i can find someone here but we seem to go to the ped for the more serious stuff and then just smile ane nod w the other stuff and go about our business day, that ped sounds awesome!

[chiromama01]

DAY-- tell me more about the chamomile tea bag--did you use it for a clogged tear duct?? we're dealing with a clogged duct and i would love to find something to help it!

as for a pediatrician... we  have one that I really love, she's a mother of 4 and works part time so I relate to her really easily.  we go in for check ups to check height/weight/etc and we usually talk about some topic i've researched and have questions on... sick visits are rare for us, thank goodness, but even when we go for sick visits, she is very conservative with meds... i hope you find someone you like soon

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

I love my ped, and I hate most doctors. He's never said anything about their weight (mine are slow gainers), he's cool w/ our vax choice, is good w/ intact boys, is very supportive of breastfeeding AND treats parents like intelligent adults, taking time to explain the research when appropriate. I wish I could clone him. I like doing well baby visits because it helps to have someone you trust for problems. Tavian has an e. coli UTI/penis infection. They didn't retract him, prescribed an abx that's safe for me to touch (I have a contact allergy to cillins), didn't mention circ and remembered/noted that we do EC so T could provide a urine sample in a potty. This infection experience could have been so much worse if we went with random on call ped,
 

[jess in hawaii]

In the past I only took my kids to MDs for their school physicals and went to a homeopath for everything else. Here, I can't afford a homeopath or ND, so we have had to go to the clinic here (our area is poor, so pretty much EVERYONE goes there) but I have liked all the Dr.s and they are used to the crunchy factor here, so they talk about vaxing but don't push too hard and I think they are probably all anti-circ. I haven't taken Emrys yet, but I have an appt. with my favorite Dr. over there to establish care with her in case anything ever comes up.

[jess in hawaii]

Originally Posted by chiromama01 

DAY-- tell me more about the chamomile tea bag--did you use it for a clogged tear duct?? we're dealing with a clogged duct and i would love to find something to help it!

Give it a good squirt of milk and wipe it gently with a clean cloth; works for all manner of eye problems

[saudade]

Lennon is going to be seeing a Family Nurse Practitioner who works alongside a Family Practice MD in a very small practice. She was referred to us through my midwife because she has the same philosophies as I do regarding breastfeeding, out of hospital birth, no/selective/delayed vaccinations, etc. The birth center midwives and lactation consultants provide care through 6 weeks and so now that Lennon is 7 weeks, I will call to make an appt this week for her 2 month check up. (this reminded me, thanks!) This is the only one time I'll probably take her in, so we can get established and such in case we have to go in for a sick visit...I don't do well child visits, because my kids always get sick going to the doctor when they are well, because there are always kids there who AREN'T well. I pretty much only see practitioners who I know are on the same page as me with what I believe and if I were to be told stuff like that, I would just take it with a grain of salt and let it roll right off my back because I know they are wrong!   I already KNOW that if I'd been taking her into a Pediatrician, they'd be all freaking out about her lack of weight gain (she's finally gaining a little slowly...for a few weeks she was only maintaining weight). I know she is fine because the ONLY "symptom" is slow weight gain. She is healthy and perfect and happy in every way and hitting all her milestones. She started rolling over last week!

[dealic]

We had midwives, so they handled her first checkups, and then we moved away from my wonderful family doctor and had to find a new one. We don't have a choice in who we get as there is a doctor shortage here, so we had to submit our names and accept the doctor they gave us. I was SUPREMELY unimpressed by her at our meet and greet. She is older, but only started her practice last year. Our visit consisted in her lecturing us about skipping the 2 month vaccines and then failing to be able to locate my cervix for my pap test (as I hadn't had a 6 week checkup: we moved when I was 3 weeks post partum). She had to call another doctor in to find it. Yeah. I can't see us going back very often. But I can't get another doctor so we are stuck. I really miss my old doctor. He had been my doctor since I was 3 and was great: never pushed medications, hated the over use of antibiotics, was a huge breastfeeding advocate, etc. 

[daylicious]

Chiro: he said to steep the tea bag and let it cool to warm, and wipe the eye from the inside out. Also gently massage upwards on the area below the inner eye (by their nose). I also agree with Jess that breast milk would help it as well.

[Aletheia]

You might consider looking for a family medicine doctor instead.  My husband is one, and we consort with many, and in my experience, they seem to be a little ... less hyper about medical stuff, and more about care.  Our family doctor even came and checked on our home birthed baby here at home. 

Oh, and their professional organization, the AAFP, had a powerful statement at the time of the Time nursing mom cover story... I can't find it now- it was made in context of an article about the Time cover.  

[kaismum]

We just switched from a ped to a family practice DO. We have only seen her once so far for a check-up for DS early this spring. I see a doctor next to never and my husband generally is seen once or twice a year to get his meds for asthma filled. I was thinking that if we all switched to the same doc that it might be beneficial as far as having a relationship established if DH or I ever need to go in for anything. Nora hasn't been to see her yet, we've just been checking in with our midwife. We will likely go in for the two month visit in a few weeks (how did that happen already?!).

[Thursday Girl]

Laura, were in Florida? I'm in Tampa

we have a ped that I like a lot, but don't love. we've been through SO MANY!!! this one is cool with co-sleeping, is pro breastfeeding, loves Coraline's cloth diapers and doesn't give me a hard time about doing a selective quite delayed vax schedule. I do have to see a student dr first and they are always annoying. the one the other day told me how she has seen babies die in the hospital b/c they didn't get vaxed. I was trying really really hard not to laugh in her face. Even within that practice I have seen a bunch of dr's i don't like. They each have a certain day that they are on shift. I think she was my 4th.

baby up, gotta go

[southernfriedkarma]

We love, love, love our family doc.  It's nice to have a doc who knows our whole family well and trusts our decisions.  He's very pro breastfeeding and vegetarian diets and cloth diapers and intact boys.  He does suggest vaccinations but agreed with me that he delayed/alternative schedule might be easier for our baby.  There's no culture of surveillance, and the whole place is more laid back than the pediatrician offices we visited.  

[RosieL]

Karma - I'm curious..least do you mean by culture of surveillance?