how soon does a home born baby need to see a ped?

[calandal'smom]

When my ds was born we took him to the ped later that day for a well baby check up.

I'd prefer to avoid this entirely, since the midwives will do a newborn assessment similar to the one my ped did. We skip initial pku and midwives give oral K and eye ointment (i think...gosh, you forget a lot in 3 yrs.) Midwife will also check weight at birth and again at a few days PP (in my home, god love her.)

How soon do you feel is reasonable to go to the ped? 1 week? 2?

[pamamidwife]

If you're planning to vaccinate, I'd follow the immunization schedule.

If not, I'd skip it altogether unless there are concerns about his/her health.

If you do see the ped, I recommend making the very first appt in the morning that they have available, so you're not sitting in a waiting room with a bunch of germy, sick folk with your healthy baby.

[guestmama9924]

In Florida, homebirth midwives have to recommend that a Ped see the baby in the first 24-48 hours. I would say about 1/2 do, 1/2 don't. Unless there is something to check out of course. Usually, in my observation, the Ped just duplicates the newborn exam done by the midwife.

[EmmaJean]

With ds (my first babe and a hb) we went to the ped about 8-9 days after he was born for his dreaded circumcision. : But it was really nice to go and talk with the doc and get his advice about things, calm my worries about thrush and eye infections (constant goopy eyes) and his jaundice. It was just very reassuring.

But here is what he told me at our appt BEFORE the baby was born: "Usually, I like to see my babies while they're in the hospital after birth, but since you're going to be at home, I'd like to see him as soon as possible. Like maybe that day." Yeah right!!! Like the first thing I'm going to do after the baby's born is to run over to the ped. clinic so my baby can get lots of germs! Goodness. Now if he had offered to come to my house for the check, I may have considered it! But the midwives are skilled in *normal* birth and *normal* newborns. I knew that if things were out of the *normal* range, they'd see it and discuss our options.

So this time around, since it's "probably" a girl and even if it were a boy, I don't want another circ, going to the doc won't be a big concern for us. But I'd like to at least make an appt for sometime in the first month just for reassurance and ask questions, and cancel if we're feeling confident!

So basically, it's up to you!! whatever you need to feel confident and compent.

[calandal'smom]

"Usually, I like to see my babies while they're in the hospital after birth, but since you're going to be at home, I'd like to see him as soon as possible. Like maybe that day."

EXACTLY my conversation with my ped.

Only I was all ok, I guess so. So at several hrs old we packed up and in we went. Waste of precious energy, believe me.

In consideration of the fact that our babe was so new we were immediately removed to the exam room and seen asap, but still not something we will do again.

[halah]

I didn't even meet my pediatrician until ds was 2-3 weeks old. One of the questions I asked my midwife before she left after the homebirth was "know any good pediatricians?" (luckily she did.) My midwife did a newborn exam and saw him at 2 days, 5 days, and 1 week. I thought that was ample. My doc was cool and just looked him over, introduced himself and asked if we had questions. No big whoop.

Now in Florida you're supposed to go in for a hearing test within the first few days after birth. They have some test centers you can go to if you do a hb or miss it somehow in the hospital. My baby readily responds in the womb to noises so I don't think s/he's got a problem, but either way I'm trying to keep the baby home for at least 2-3 weeks again without a lot of unnecessary car trips, public places etc. I just want a babymoon.

I know my pediatrician lives in my neighborhood and I'm seriously considering asking him if he would mind stopping by on his way home to do the nb exam at my house. His mom was a homebirth midwife so maybe he'd be amenable.

[Mona]

My DD didn't see a dr until she was 8 mo old, and that was bc i thought she might have an ear infection.
No vaxing my baby, and no need for any doctors unless there is something specific, IMO.

[BowenTherapist]

we went in to see the ped at 6 weeks, so he could meet dd and do his check up. (no vacc) the midwife will do a great newborn exam i am sure.

[Plady]

We had a couple visits from the midwife but we didn't take dd to a "real" dr. until she was 6 months old. Then we only took her to a homeopath because we thought we should just check-in and get our name in his book just-in-case. He was nice enough but seemed sort of bemused that we'd come in with nothing wrong.

A few weeks later we took her to a normal ped just to check that the little bumps on her head were in fact just swollen lymph nodes due to teething. He asked us if we were vaxing and just shrugged when we said no and that was that.

Since then she hasn't been back and she's been totally healthy except for the occasional cold.

I think we (Moms) are able to tell what is and isn't a reason to go to the doctor so just listen to yourself!

[Aloe]

DS#1 9 monthsish for roseola (sp?)
DS#2 6 months for a reoccuring thrush/yeast problem
I basically agree with Mona. We finally found a cool Homeopathic MD so did go in and meet him so he could see our personalities when we were healthy. But now it is case specific. Anna

[OdessaEarthenMama]

My last 2, oldest is 22 mos, both have yet to see a doc.

[2BMamaof3]

My DD, who was born at home 2 years ago, saw our midwife for a mom and baby check up at 6 weeks. She saw the family doc at 6 months for her first shot (we waited a while to immunize). Then for a schedule after that (though we are now a year behind!!).

She's only been to the doctor once other than for shots.

2B (Tooby)

[KindRedSpirit]

ds saw his first doc at a yearish for ear infections.ddwas about 6 mo.ish for her first,we went to a naturopath as the doc for ds did us no good- she is very sensetive to stress,and we were buying our home at the time.

[cottonwood]

I had the midwives do the newborn exams for all three of my children. With my first, I took him in to the ped for the PKU. No newborn exam was done (because I did not request it) but they did their best to harass me into vaccing. With my second, I never took him to see the ped at all. With my third, I was concerned about hip dysplasia (it runs in my family) because my daughter showed possible signs of it and I wanted a second opinion from a doctor, which confirmed what the midwife thought.