[MerelyGod]

I'm due in about two months and I haven't found a pediatrician yet. Can anyone recommend one in the Grand Rapids area (I'm willing to drive a bit though, if need be).

I plan on co-sleeping, extended breastfeeding and will not be vaccinating and would like to find a ped who is at least OK with this (would love to find one who supports these things).

I'm not so concerned about the co-sleeping and extended breastfeeding - if they don't like it, I just won't mention it. I don't want to be hassled about the vaccine issue everytime I take the baby in for a check up though.

Thanks!
Natasha

 

[honeybee]

Hi Natasha!

Welcome, and check out our Grand Rapids thread! I wanted to let you know about the resources available around here for a bf mom. There are several LLL groups in the area. The leaders are available for free support and help. Each group meets once a month, and we always like to see pg moms planning on bf! Having a group of moms around to support you is very helpful! You'll also find many cosleeping, some non-vaxing moms at LLL meetings. You may already have access to a group, but if not feel free to pm me for more details.

Spectrum Health has a free warm line for telephone help with a LC. They also sponsor a free bf support group that meets every Thursday at 12:30. It's held in the Healthy Communities building on Michigan Street, across from the new Grand Valley medical building. You do not have to be affiliated with Spectrum in any way to use these services. That group tends to be mainly new moms. The two LC grandmothers who run it are quite helpful and wonderful ladies who bf all their own kids once upon a time.

I don't know that our doc would be the best fit for you or not, but I thought I'd reply since on one else has yet.

I have a family practitioner in Sparta, which is just north of Grand Rapids. Is that anywhere near you? She was perfectly fine with us delaying the varicella vax indefinitely. She is pro-vax in general, though, and I don't know how she responds to no vaxing at all.

She is quite supportive of bf. I don't think we've ever specifically mentioned that we cosleep. It's never really come up. She stays neutral about parenting practices (but I think she's secretly AP, lol!).

She was also my doc when I was pg. She recommended a routine u/s, but we said no. She explained her reasoning at one appointment, but after that respected our decision and did not apply any pressure. She also never suggested induction until AFTER reaching a full two weeks overdue, and even then was willing to talk to me about the edd being off rather than using scare tactics (baby was born 1/2 hour before reaching 2 week marker, so it was a moot point). So, even if she doesn't agree with the no vax, she may still be respectful of your decision, so long as she knows it's informed.

I hope some of that helps! If you want contact info for my doc, feel free to pm me. Congrats on your pg.

Melissa

 

[KalamazooMom]

I know of a couple people down here in the Kzoo / Portage area. But this may be farther than you want to come. Are you on the South side of GR? If so it might not be too far.

 

[mama2j&t]

i am not sure if this is the right name, i've got a call into my friend, but i think it's dr. lake. it would be in cascade - the cascade rd exit off of 96. on kenmoor i think.

my pediatrician is janelle stutzman. its an mmpc office on clyde park. i *love* her but she doesn't know we are not doing anymore vaxing. ds is 16 mo and hasn't had shots since 4 mo and won't have anymore. i just haven't done any well baby visits and so we haven't had the conversation. i believe the office is extremely pro-vax. my friend said she was booted (by another dr in the practice) when she wouldn't vax. i am thinking of going in soon to just find out whether or not we are going to have to find a new dr.

i'll be sure to post here if they kick us out

 

[KrisPlusFour]

I see Jeffrey Johnson on Michigan street, in the AF Associates practice. He's a family doctor, and AMAZING! I am tandem nursing two toddlers, we don't vaccinate the toddler at ALL, we co-sleep and we don't do well baby visits. We see him when we need to, and he's the warmest, most accepting man there is.

There are some things he HAS to say... like, when Avianna first came home, she ONLY wanted to sleep on her belly (she had reflux). I admitted that to him, and he says "You KNOW I'm supposed to tell you not to do that, right?" I said "Yes" and he says "Ok, I did. Now let's move on!"

I'd recommend him 110%. Good luck!

 

[gr8tfulmom]

I asked this same question at my last mw appt & she gave me a couple of names. I have not contacted either but mw stated that they are the more "open" peds she knew of concerning non-vax, non-circ, bfing, etc. I need to get a hold of them and check them out for myself - Lisa Hoekstra F.P. and Jennifer Battiste F.P. HTH

 

[Mylie]

I recommend a Family Practice in Sparta called Applewood Family Medicine...They are affliated with Butterworth and wonderful....My son's(and mine too)doctor was Brenda Zook..She is a very nice person and very thourough..And she actually listens to you without judging..She took my crunchyness and respected it..She is a mom too.We don't live in Michigan anymore(yet)but she was out doc for 13 years and I would probably very seriously consider moving back if I ever had another baby just so she could deliver it... :LOL

 

[honeybee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mylie I recommend a Family Practice in Sparta called Applewood Family Medicine...They are affliated with Butterworth and wonderful....My son's(and mine too)doctor was Brenda Zook..She is a very nice person and very thourough..And she actually listens to you without judging..She took my crunchyness and respected it..She is a mom too.We don't live in Michigan anymore(yet)but she was out doc for 13 years and I would probably very seriously consider moving back if I ever had another baby just so she could deliver it... :LOL

Hey, Dr. Zook is my doctor, too! That's exactly who I was talking about! If I could get her to come to our house to deliver the next baby, I'd do it, lol!

Melissa

 

[MerelyGod]

Thank you everyone who responded! I'm so glad to finally have some names to work with. I am on the south side of Grand Rapids, so Kalamazoo is doable although obviously something right in GR would be easier. I'm definitely open to doctors in the Kalamazoo area though.

I'm sorry it took me so long to respond. I've got some nasty virus thing on my computer so I'm trying to stay off the internet until we get it taken care of.

Honeybee, I would love some information on LLL meetings in this area. I'm on the SE side of town. I'd PM you, but I'm not sure how, although I guess it's probably not that difficult, so if I don't hear from you, I'll figure it out once we get this computer fixed.

Thanks again for all the suggestions! The pediatrician thing has been bothering me for months. I'm relieved to finally have some offices to call.

Natasha

 

[MerelyGod]

I know this is a really old thread, but I just wanted to post to let everyone know we decided to go with Dr. Johnson. Dr. Zook was second on my list, because she's farther away, but we never made it to that point - I went to a "meet and greet" with Dr. Johnson and decided not to even bother looking into any other doctors (OK, so maybe I'm a bit lazy about stuff like that, but I did really like him).

We've seen him twice now that the little one is here and I think he's WONDERFUL. His only comment about the vax issue was "medically I disagree with you, but we'll just agree to disagree" and then at her 2 week checkup he asked why I wasn't vaxing (but in a conversational manner), and after I told him he said "well, I'll have some information for you at your next visit, but I just give you the information, you're the parent and you have to decide what to do with it."

So thanks Kris, GREAT recommendation!

Also, gr8tfulmom, I wonder if we had the same midwife? I saw Gail Heathcote and she gave me those same names when I asked.

I'm still trying to get my act together enough to make it to one of the LLL meetings!

 

[mama_at_home]

Hi there! We might be moving to the GR area and we are looking for a pediatrician as well. To be honest, I don't even want a pediatrician, but I guess we should have one just in case. Do doctors even exist out there that are anti-circ? That is a really high priority for me, then supportive of extended breastfeeding, non-vaxing, etc. Should I just contact LLL and ask if they know of doctors like that? Thank you!