[delphiniumpansy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamakay From that link: http://www.naturopathic.org/viewbulletin.php?id=29 When naturopaths start abandoning homeopathy, I'll maybe be able to take them seriously. Till then, I think they're quacks. Told you I was a snob, though.

Hmmm, that is a limited view point. Especially when they are fully licensed doctors in my state and many others. Personally, I think allergists are quacks. I prefer naturopaths. And, I just tell them no homeopathy and then it never comes up again. No problems. Also, in WA, licensed homeopaths are different from licensed naturopaths. So, naturopaths usually don't do much homeopathy here.

I am much healthier away from the dang allergists and under the care of an ND.

 

[delphiniumpansy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spero Yes, you are lucky. And I would venture so far as to say that your situation is probably not the norm. So please don't go throwing stones at those of us who do indeed have to "play the game".

Who said I was throwing stones? I have been very respectful. "Playing the game" means having to go to an MD when you don't really want to because you, unfortunately, cannot afford not to. That is all I meant. Before WA passed the laws they have, I had to make choices like this and I hated it. I did not have kids then. Glad I have kids now when there are laws protecting my medical choices. Rock on WA state!!!

 

[mamakay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellowpansy Hmmm, that is a limited view point. Especially when they are fully licensed doctors in my state and many others. Personally, I think allergists are quacks. I prefer naturopaths. And, I just tell them no homeopathy and then it never comes up again. No problems. Also, in WA, licensed homeopaths are different from licensed naturopaths. So, naturopaths usually don't do much homeopathy here. I am much healthier away from the dang allergists and under the care of an ND.

You have to have a license to prescribe drops of pure water in WA?
Are you sure about that? Why would you need to be licensed to prescribe drops of water???

 

[malibusunny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Megan~ because most of us rely on insurance coverage for medical care and not all insurances cover alternative medical providers.

Ditto this.

 

[blessed]

Somebody probably mentioned this already. Family practioners (FPs) - whether MD, DO, or physician extender such as Nurse Practioner or Physician Assistant - tend to not be uptight about vaccinations, and it's a whole lot easier to find one with a holistic approach to medicine. As opposed to pediatricians, I mean.

My family uses an FP who happens to be a DO.

 

[blessed]

By the way, NP is also the abbreviation for Nurse Practioner. And they have prescribing rights (usually under a physician supervisor) in many states.

 

[mamakay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessed Somebody probably mentioned this already. Family practioners (FPs) - whether MD, DO, or physician extender such as Nurse Practioner or Physician Assistant - tend to not be uptight about vaccinations, and it's a whole lot easier to find one with a holistic approach to medicine.

Yeah...they tend to hold wacky ideas like "Medicine is for sick people."
Our FP likes to say stuff like "It's probably just a virus. Come back if it gets worse."

 

[carriebft]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamakay Yeah...they tend to hold wacky ideas like "Medicine is for sick people." Our FP likes to say stuff like "It's probably just a virus. Come back if it gets worse."

Exactly what we love about our FP...even with our son's allergies. We are in what he calls "the investigational stage-- no need to panic or shoot him up"

I also love the poster in the infant room about colds- "treat with steam, saline, fluids and love" and then below that is a mother nursing

 

[delphiniumpansy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamakay You have to have a license to prescribe drops of pure water in WA? Are you sure about that? Why would you need to be licensed to prescribe drops of water???

Any joe shmoe can recommend you try the remedies they sell at the health food store. They cannot charge you money for that advice or put up a sign with their name on it and call themself a homeopath. That requires a license in WA state. Same with many medical and related specialties, like massage, accupuncture, etc.

And, the remedies are sometimes pills or gel (like arnica rub).

:

 

[delphiniumpansy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessed By the way, NP is also the abbreviation for Nurse Practioner. And they have prescribing rights (usually under a physician supervisor) in many states.

My midwife is a homeopath, a midwife and a nurse practitioner. The abbreviation she and others like her use is not NP but ARNP, which stands for Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner.

 

[mountainsun]

Well, we see a FP (when Needed) We do not have an ND in town, nor are most of the DOs any different than the MDs. That being said, Persoanlly I do not care for pediatric medicine, unless there is a problem. But why on earth should a pediatrician not respect a parent's CHOICE about vaccination? I mean, it IS a choice.Just like taking an anti-biotic. Would your doc DROP you for saying no to antibiotics?

This conversation seems so antagonisitc

Many mamas do not have a choice in the choice of a practitioner for their dc ~ we are all just trying to do our best here.

 

[bri276]

I do have a need for specialists for DD, so I would need a ped anyways, but I also want a doctor who can admit to the local children's hospital. I could possibly get DD seen faster in the ER if necessary, with her ped's help.

He's okay with us not vaxing. (I had to fire our first ped because she became outraged when I refused the varivax, of all the ridiculous things.) They're out there, it just takes some digging to find them.

 

[mamadelbosque]

The only doc my DS has seen is the family practitioner who I grew up with. He's a DO, and has been very OK with us not vaxing. His view is "you can always do them later"

Which is just peachy fine with me...

I don't get why you "need" a pediatrician. Kid-medicine in general can not possibly be THAT much different than adult-medicine. If your getting into something like neurologoy or wahtever, then yes, I see the point of wanting a pediatric=wahtever. But just generally?

 

[readytobedone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellowpansy If you don't want to vax, why not see an alternative practitioner?

haven't read through all the responses, but one reason would be that some people live in places where there are no DOs or naturopaths. we have a DO for DD (who is okay with not vaxing, though he does prefer selective/delayed vaxing), but if we lived, say, where i grew up, there would no such option for a non-vaxing family.

 

[amnesiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamadelbosque Kid-medicine in general can not possibly be THAT much different than adult-medicine. If your getting into something like neurologoy or wahtever, then yes, I see the point of wanting a pediatric=wahtever. But just generally?

Yes, generally it's quite different.

ETA- but no, not everyone "needs" a pedi.

 

[sphinxie]

I agree that more people would be happier seeing an ND. Many of these people can't because of insurance or because there are no NDs in their area--but, there are probably some [of those who would be happier] who could, and simply don't because they aren't entirely aware of the option.

 

[mamakay]

NDs are banned in my state, anyway.

 

[kittywitty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellowpansy So, why not see alternative practitioners and just forget MDs unless you have a need for a specialist or an emergency? Seems like it would save a lot of heartache.

They aren't everywhere. I have only seen one ND anywhere I have ever lived, and can't afford it. DOs are the same dang thing as MDs as far as I have experience with. My OBs were all DOs that were VERY interventionalist and NOT alternative practitioners by any means.

 

[mzfern]

NDs are only allowed to practice in 12 states. WA is lucky.

 

[Deborah]

The GP my daughter uses does a lot of pediatrics. Part of this is probably because the only pediatric practice in town bans kids who aren't vaxed. Some of it is because practices get filled up and then people are forced to look for another doctor. This GP hasn't had any openings in a few years now, except for members of families already in the practice.

My daughter uses the GP mostly for diagnosis. She used to use a naturapath for treatment suggestions for things she couldn't figure out how to treat herself. Nowadays she is working mostly with an acupuncturist for herself. The kids haven't needed any major stuff in a few years. In other words, they are pretty healthy. She does take the older child for craniosacral work, which seems to help with her behavioral stuff.

For an awful lot of people nowadays, medical choices are severely limited.