Amelia's 18-month appointment

[aliki]

Sometimes you get entrenched, and then the years fly by, and you think to yourself "why are we still here?" and "why do we continue to torture ourselves like this?" When I was pregnant with Erika six years ago, I didn't know any pediatricians in our area, so I asked my OBGYN for some recommendations. She said she didn't know any of them personally

Comments

[smittenbyu]

good for you!! It's liberating!! I did the same thing for the same reason (except the distance. We were going to a big practice because he came recommended by a colleague.) We left actually after D weaned and everything. But it felt like I was standing up for myself in my own passive aggressive way - told them we were moving! sigh.... but liberating nonetheless.

Now we are with a pediatrician who is walking distance (we actually had met him when I was pregnant and were doing pediatrician interviews and had chosen the big shiny practice) and now he has grown to having a second doctor and recently hired a PA (whom we also love). It has never been an issue getting an appointment even though he is doing really well and growing! Small can be better! But you really do need someone on your side. The world is a battle enough!

And hope little one gets better soon! :)

[filmstar]

Good for you for switching and that's awful about the fee to get your own records!! I feel like I really lucked out with my OB and our pediatrician -- both chosen off of online reviews and extremely limited lists based on our crappy insurance at the time. My pediatrician never batted an eye when James went from the 50th percentile at birth to falling off the bottom of the chart by six months, and I know that most doctors would have pressured me to supplement with formula or made me do a bunch of tests to check growth hormones, etc.

I love taking my kids to the doctor, is that weird? Christian has his first check up tomorrow and I'm actually super excited about it.

[aliki]

That's great! Finding a great doctor that is in line with your parenting skills is important. I wish we'd done it sooner. I'm not sure the practice we've found is better, but I think most practices would give me less grief than I've received thus far.

I don't even think I'm an extreme parenter!

[ellinou]

I'd say the switch was a good move. I read an article a while ago about doctors who give unwanted advice and recommendations - not about children but say if someone goes in to get a rash on his back checked or something, and the doctor starts lecturing him about being overweight and needing to eat better and stop smoking and exercise and it's like dude, mind your own business. It's not the doctor's place to judge and shame the patients, he or she should be there to answer the patient's questions and concerns, no more, no less. That's what good doctors do anyway.

[aliki]

Yes, that's what would end up happening. We'd be talking about vaccination schedule and Amelia would cry and I would pick her up; and they'd comment on that.

Or she would be in the 90th percentile for height and 90th percentile for weight (indicating an appropriate height:weight ratio) and they'd talk about reducing her milk intake.

sigh.

[kaytethinks]

That's awesome that you were able to switch. I'm jealous because in my area there is such a dearth of doctors that the waiting list to get *any* doctor is... at least a 5 year wait time. It's ridiculous.

[aliki]

5 years!?!?!?!? Yikes, I can't imagine!

[_delphiki_]

We switched practices for about a year because I couldn't stand the practice we were at being so picky about my sons being on the skinny, but healthy, side. Then my oldest developed hypothyroidism after we returned (because the other ped was 45 minutes away.) Then they complained that he was overweight- he wasn't. My older son was 90th for height and went from 10th to 50th for weight. I wonder if it's a Jersey thing to be so in one's business.

[aliki]

Yes, do they just look for problems so they feel they can diagnose and treat perfectly healthy children?

[_delphiki_]

I think so. The ped sent both my kids to a gastroenterologist and he called my ped, while I was there in the office, and told him that my children were perfectly healthy and to "please stop sending me referrals for skinny kids."

[aliki]

Hahaha!