Can I just vent about my ped?

[Kristen Jorgensen]

She's a mainstream ped but pretty amenable about alternative things like not vaxing, etc. Some times I go and feel great about our visit mostly but then some things I really feel like she's just placating "us" natural folks.

For one I strongly suspect that she doesn't really understand the whole EBF thing although she doesn't say anything about it per say. Then today I got some blood results back for dd who we had tested for food allergies (incidentally the IGE test showed negative on all foods however I KNOW that she has an allergy to soy she's had two *very* strong reactions to it now, one step shy of anaphylaxis) but her ferratin levels showed low. Ferratin is the stores for iron. We had it tested b/c she truly has such a difficult time sleeping. She's 18 mo.s old and it's not uncommon for her to only get 45 min.s of napping time if at all and then very interrupted sleep all night. I try for a long nap knowing that it helps with the night time sleep but to no avail. She seems literally jumpy and has seemed so for a long time.

Anyway, long story long ;) her some how low ferratin can affect sleep. Her levels are low. So Ped suggested an iron supplement. Nurse calls back telling me to take an over the counter iron supplement. I call back later asking about Floradix iron+herbs b/c I know that it is from a natural source, more absorbable and less constipating.

Nurse calls me back to say with a sort of inflection in her tone that sounded an aweful lot like "oh brother we don't know why you fruity people insist on making things difficult"..."Dr. X looked at the ingredients and said you can take it if you want to but you'll need to take X dosage."

It just irks me b/c a lot of natural minded moms see this ped and I always feel like in the office that she's "supportive" of my natural ways but I *always* end up having a bitter taste in my mouth after our visit like there's something she's not saying.

I miss Dr. Rose.

[Anna]

Just wanted to send out that I hear you! It would be so nice if they were actually *partners* in the process. It can be so frustrating.

~Anna

[Karen Davis]

So sorry you have this experience. It is especially difficult after having a doctor you really liked. We have had to move around so I have changed doctors a lot. Rarely have I had really good ones in terms of being amenable to natural practices (and I am not even that natural compared to many here but enough to cause doctor friction). One thing I have noticed is that the nurses can be more or less than the doctor. So it could have been the nurse that added the irritating inflection - maybe even just irritation that she had an extra step to do. Not that it makes it that much better.

One thing I learned was to focus very heavily on the outcome. In other words, you got what you wanted - savor the victory. I know it is hard. I don't like confrontations or having someone make me feel like I am being difficult when I am just looking out for my kids. But if you can get the preferred outcome, that is the most important thing.

On another note, I was so totally jazzed to go to a new dr (Kanelos - thanks ladies) and have the amazing experience of being listened to as a parent. I think the nurses there rather enjoy that amazed and dazed look on the parents faces as we nearly faint in joy that our opinion is regarded as worthy of their interest. I am so used to going in armed for battle and all shields up.

[Cindy]

I think I know what ped you are talking about. I left that office after going there 2 years for my first daughther. I took my home birth baby there one week after her birth and they were pushing formula becausing the Dr. couldn't figure out why she wasn't nursing. All I needed was a Lactation consulted and never gave the formula. We go to Northgate Family Medicine (in concord) and never have had a problem yet 704-788-1134 and I don't vaccinate

[Kristen Jorgensen]

That's so frustrating and it's such mixed signals especially when they have had lactation pamphlets out front. It's stuff like that that really confuses me and leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I'll have to check out the practice in Concord. It's a further drive for me though. What can you tell me about the Concord practice? How many Dr.s and any feelings re: how they feel re: EBF and holding off on things like antibiotics, etc.?

[Kristen Jorgensen]

Where is Dr. Kanelos? Is this Dr. with Northgate?

[Cindy]

We use Dr. Harrison but there are 2 other great drs. as well in this group. They are a family practice and also do some OB for low risk moms. I use antibiotics as a last resort and they treat there patients this way too. I have a child with many health issues and this office has work with my child and with all the doctors she has been refferred to. I have nothing bad to say except they won't give out birth control, so I can't use them as my GYN. We have been there for two years