Knoxville here we come!

[KoalaMommy]

So I guess we're moving to Knoxville. DH decided out of 3 jobs, that was the one he wanted.

I've enrolled my girls in Montessori school already and we're bidding on a house in West Knox.

Who are the good peds around? We're delayed/selective vax.

Any good hospitals for birthing? home is not an option for me.

How do exemptions work in TN? The school accepts religious exemption, but we've done some of the vaxes and aren't likely to do most of the others.

TIA

[hapersmion]

So I guess we're moving to Knoxville. DH decided out of 3 jobs, that was the one he wanted.

I've enrolled my girls in Montessori school already and we're bidding on a house in West Knox.

Who are the good peds around? We're delayed/selective vax.

Any good hospitals for birthing? home is not an option for me.

How do exemptions work in TN? The school accepts religious exemption, but we've done some of the vaxes and aren't likely to do most of the others.

TIA

Hey, maybe the house you're bidding on will be in my neighborhood! :) There are a bunch for sale here (Gulf Park, off Cedar bluff).

We go to Dr. Green at Trinity Medical. He hasn't given us trouble about delaying and skipping vaxes, and seems fairly knowledgeable about breastfeeding as far as I can tell.

I don't know about hospitals - all the ones my friends have been to didn't sound very nice to me. :( But there is a free standing birth center if that's an option for you - Lisa Ross Birth and Women's Center. We were planning to go there with my first if he hadn't ended up breech. It was definitely more hands-off than a hospital, if not as flexible as I'd want nowadays. :)

We haven't tried the exemption yet, but from what I hear you just turn in a form. You don't have to mention that you've done some vaccines, that's confidential with your doctor, presumably.

[KoalaMommy]

Great thanks for the info. Is anyone else out there? I remember from before there was a pretty active group or set of groups in the area.

I'm going to need help finding raw milk and locally grown organic food as well.

Any other docs out there?

We aren't looking in the Cedar Bluff area, we thought we had a house on the other side of the highway, but I'm not sure now that we've had the home inspection...

Anyone know about hospital births and good docs? I'm too medically complicated for a birthing center or a home birth. They won't take me at the farm. Heck, the hospital near where we used to live in TN wouldn't even take me, I had to drive to Nashville. This time, I think that's a little further than I want to go.

[Carita]

www.knoxmoms.com is a great resource

raw milk - i think it is illegal to sell and i don't know any connections, but welcome!!

[EarthyKDEMama]

As far as good peds go I can really recommend Dr. Russell Rhea @ Pediatric Consultants West. I love this guy. He's really into alternative meds and he's just fine with us not vaxxing. As far as raw milk goes, this might help you find what you're looking for, not sure as we don't drink cow's milk :)
Hope it helps: http://www.realmilk.com/where5.html#tn
There's not very many birthing friendly hospitals around here...so good luck with that one. I've had three little ones and had to fight constantly for what I wanted with them.

[mamamillet]

If you are looking to live out west I would second Dr Rhea. North knox has some good docs as well. Hospitals--My suggestion would be St. Mary's in N. Knoxville. There are several drs that deliver there --hopefully someone else will chime in with names.
Which Montessori school? My son went to one we loved for 5 years and we just switched to a great magnet school this year for 3rd grade. Good luck with the house buying--there are some really great neighborhoods all over knoxville!

[hapersmion]

They have a place where you can order raw milk "for pet consumption only" at the farmer's market in Farragut. It's on Saturdays at the Renaissance shopping center.

There are several other farmer's markets, depending on where you end up living, and some of the stands have organic stuff. There's one on Kingston Pike a mile or so from campus, Tuesdays and Fridays, and there's one downtown at Market Square, I think. There's also a co-op downtown somewhere... And there are lots of natural food stores here and there. Kroger even has a really good organic section, I can almost do all my shopping organic these days.

For doctors, we go to Dr. Green at Trinity Medical. He's okay with skipping and delaying vaccines, seems fairly foreskin friendly.

Hospitals... I didn't really like St. Mary's when I was there for my external version, but I don't think I'd really like any hospital at this point. :) From the birthing experiences of my friends at other hospitals, it's probably your best bet around here.

[jupiemom]

Hi there...
I had my last baby naturally at Park West. It was awesome. I had an OB who knew I wanted natural and was really, really encouraging. The nurses all knew and the head nurse on duty was a former doula so she understood in a big way. I also hired a doula myself. In fact, I checked in in the morning, and the nurse and my OB told me to go back home if I wanted to do this naturally - if I ended up hanging around the hospital all day they would end up having to interfere. So i did and came back later...had the baby in 3 hours. Nobody batted an eye about the no circumcision. The nurse laughed when I kept the baby in the bed with me and said "oh that's the best thing for him" I kept waiting to put up a fight about something but really they were pretty accomodating. Only thing is my OB did not want me to deliver squatting, which sucked.

[southerngal247]

I live in Maryville, and we have a 6 month old dd that so far we have declined all vaccines, except the Hep B we let her have 5 days after birth, under pressure from our pediatrician. We since then have done alot of research, and aren't sure if we are just going to delay vaccines, do selective vaccinations, or decline entirely. The last visit to the doc, we were told to catch up on all shots, or find another doc. For those of you who mentioned Dr. Green at Trinity, and Dr. Rhea at Pediatric consultants, do you know if they are taking new patients? We are desparate to find a doc who will respect our views and wishes as parents. Any advice or recommendations would be sooo greatly appreciated.

[LaffNowCryLater]

We like Dr. Rhea in Knoxville. He is cool with any vax schedule and is foreskin friendly :)

[LaffNowCryLater]

I live in Maryville, and we have a 6 month old dd that so far we have declined all vaccines, except the Hep B we let her have 5 days after birth, under pressure from our pediatrician. We since then have done alot of research, and aren't sure if we are just going to delay vaccines, do selective vaccinations, or decline entirely. The last visit to the doc, we were told to catch up on all shots, or find another doc. For those of you who mentioned Dr. Green at Trinity, and Dr. Rhea at Pediatric consultants, do you know if they are taking new patients? We are desparate to find a doc who will respect our views and wishes as parents. Any advice or recommendations would be sooo greatly appreciated.

Try giving Dr. Rhea's office a call :691-3335 they might take your dc b/c she is an infant.

[emptytank2000]

Welcome to Knoxville! I am not going to be of much help to you, because I vaxed my daughter. I can tell you though that Ft Sanders is not the place for a natural birth. I ended up flat on my back with an IV the second I walked in with dd. I have also heard great things about Parkwest hospital, so you may want to check into that. I hope you love it here!

Brandy

[KoalaMommy]

I live in Maryville, and we have a 6 month old dd that so far we have declined all vaccines, except the Hep B we let her have 5 days after birth, under pressure from our pediatrician. We since then have done alot of research, and aren't sure if we are just going to delay vaccines, do selective vaccinations, or decline entirely. The last visit to the doc, we were told to catch up on all shots, or find another doc. For those of you who mentioned Dr. Green at Trinity, and Dr. Rhea at Pediatric consultants, do you know if they are taking new patients? We are desparate to find a doc who will respect our views and wishes as parents. Any advice or recommendations would be sooo greatly appreciated.


Dr. Rhea takes new patients, but a warning, you will wait FOREVER. I have never been in and out of the office in less than 2 and a half hours. And that's to see Dale, the not at all crunchy nurse practitioner. If you want Dr. Rhea, well, just plan for a LONG wait.

I'd go to Dr. Shults if I were you, every one (crunchy or not) who sees her raves about her, and she'll take new patients 6 months or under.

[wyovol]

I can tell you though that Ft Sanders is not the place for a natural birth. I ended up flat on my back with an IV the second I walked in with dd. I have also heard great things about Parkwest hospital, so you may want to check into that. I hope you love it here!



DS was born at Ft. Sanders and I had a good experience, but I had a typical epidural birth. I didn't try to fight "the system". :wink I don't know what it would be like to have a natural birth there.

DD was born at Parkwest and I had a natural birth with no hassle from the staff. She was born shortly after we got to the hospital so there wasn't a lot of time for them to push stuff on me. But my overall experience was much better at Parkwest. If I choose to have another hospital birth I will pick Parkwest again.

[LaffNowCryLater]

Dr. Rhea takes new patients, but a warning, you will wait FOREVER. I have never been in and out of the office in less than 2 and a half hours. And that's to see Dale, the not at all crunchy nurse practitioner. If you want Dr. Rhea, well, just plan for a LONG wait.

I'd go to Dr. Shults if I were you, every one (crunchy or not) who sees her raves about her, and she'll take new patients 6 months or under.

Dale is OK too IME. He has tried to retract before but has not the last time. He is OK with our vax schedule and he even advised us waiting out ds2's EI insted if taking the antibiotics. I do like Dr. Rhea though but have no problem seeing the NP.

Last time we had an appt. we did wait forever and when I finally got called back I told them I had to go to get dd from school and they made sure I got in and out in time.

I am more willing to put up with some stuff b/c we have crappy insurance and some of the other cruncy docs don't take it. Our insurance is changing soon though so maybe we will see then.