I am suprised at the number of requests on here that are for questions that I think could and maybe should be answered by your child's pediatrician. Doesn't anyone take their child to a doctor for well baby check ups and medical needs? While this is a great resource, I wonder why more Moms and Dads aren't picking up the phone and calling thier Doctor? That's what they're paid for. While I know MD's aren't God and can't answer everything, I do respect that many of them spend alot of time in school and studying, and have way more experience than any Mom I know.
All of your responces were very interensting. I am spoiled because every time I have called my pediatrician with a question the front office grabs him or has him call me right back. But, only the best for my child! Thank you all for making me aware of how frustrating it is to be on hold, I will be a better nurse by making sure my patients are gotten back to quickly. And while yes, most of the questions on here are just advice, I am suprised at some of the questions that I think are more urgent. And as a mom, I would think a good mom would sense the urgency to seek medical help.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I think it's good to connect with others who have or had children with the same health issues. Doctors don't always call back right away, and it's nice to just so a quick post to calm me, especially on Sundays when the clinic is closed. :-)
S.
What you're witnessing is, in part, a result of the messed up health care system in this country. Maybe more mothers would call their child's pediatrician first if 1) they had health insurance or 2) had a dr. who would field queries over the phone rather than take the CYA approach & recommend making an appt. I won't even go into the issue of our current economy.
Honestly, this is like a high tech return to the "village" we used to lean on for support with raising children. This forum is great for new mothers who tend to freak out at the slightest raise in temperature or first fussy night. It's more interactive than books & from what I've seen, offers a great diversity of opinion & experience.
Both my Mother & Grandmother are dead & my beloved Mother-in-Law lives in another state, which leaves me without a real support group for information. This forum is great for helping Mothers connect and not feel so alone in the mysterious world of infants & toddlers & children.
I hope you can accept that this site is not intended to replace a Doctor's advice but to help Mothers determine when a Doctor is necessary. Quite often those 8+ years of medical training have nothing on the years of 24 hours a day/7 days a week experience gained by a mother of 4.
I do agree that your doctor is a wonderful resource, but if I called my doctor everytime I had a question I would be sitting by my phone ALL the time waiting for their call back. There are a lot of things that other moms have been through that they can give advice on. Lately, whenever I call my doc for any question, they say "We need to see you" and I have to shell out a co-pay to have the doctor say "This is normal, just wait it out". I think doctors are worrried about lawsuits, so err on the side of caution. Yes, doctors are a vital resource, but moms who have been through it can give great advice too.
Doctors are great when they call you back, sometimes trying to get a straight answer from them is a little hard. I personally have never talked to my own pediatrician over the phone when I call her office I usually get a call back from her nurse or office assistant. Doctors don't get paid for phone calls only appointments. I did well baby checks through 3 years of age but, since an office visit costs me $115 per visit I found it more cost effetive to just have vaccinations given at the washington county health center. They give your child a once over before giving them the vaccine to make sure there will not be any adverse outcomes they can forsee. I hope this explains why I feel this site is such a great resource. I do not use this site for medical advise either, it's a resourse to find better healthcare for my family. Reccomendations from other parents who have had previous experience with health care professionals.
Amen, Sister! You finally wrote what I've thought a million times. Most Dr's offices have a nurse help line that's fast and free, and they'll answer simple questions and tell you if you need to see the pedi.
Hi S.,
You have a point and checking with your pediatrician would be my number one priority, however, I think in the case of Mamasource, parents are looking for input. Hopefully, hearing others experience helps them alleviate some of their fears in child rising. One would hope these inquiring parents are not depending upon the advice from this source rather than going to their child's doctor. I think that often times people are intimidated by the Physician. In this case maybe they need to switch to someone more user friendly. I would never hesitate to quiz my MD, but I am not intimidated by their position either.
Thanks for making this point, however. It is a good one.
J. S
Hi S.,
I just looked at old e-mails and found this old one I hadn't looked at yet. When I saw your request I just had to reply. Better late than never.
I completely agree with you. I say the same thing every time I read about mom and child health issues, "why don't they call the doctor?" The problem that I have experienced with doctors is NOT my pediatrician but my physician. My pediatrician ALWAYS calls me back ASAP even when it is after hours or on the weekend. They always try to handle the issue over the phone versus trying to squeeze my child in. They also have me call back if my child is not getting better or take him to the hospital. If I haven't called back because things went well, they ALWAYS phone me w/in 3 days to check in.
My physician advice nurse ALWAYS says, "that sounds like you need to come in and see the doctor." It always ends up costing unnecessary money. The doctor never does anything and never knows how to resolve the issue. Because of a slew of incidents in 2006, I have lost COMPLETE confidence in MY PHYSICIAN and their staff and I don't go to see them anymore. When I am ill, I worry more about making an appointment with them than the seriousness of my illness. I prefer to go to urgent care instead of subjecting myself to the neglegence of my doctor and their staff.
I have COMPLETE confidence in our pediatrician and find it sad that other people have had bad experiences. It's difficult to be a mom, but to have a sick child to boot is worse.
Thanks for posting your request. I had wanted to do the same.
Having now raised two girls, I can say that most of the questions I had did not require the expertise of my pediatrician. While he was helpful a few times, my interest in looking for alternative viewpoints and treatments led me to research with other parents and resources that best suited my philosophy and children's needs. For instance, when my 2 month old was getting cold after cold, my doctor (not a parent himself) suggested, upon picking up my 3 year old from preschool to scrub her in the tub before letting her near the baby. Not only was that impractical, but I was concerned about the message it sent my older daughter. Also, he had different ideas about antibiotics so I stopped turning to him when they had illnesses that I could predict he's suggest them. All this led me to find ways that encouraged their own immune systems to work for them. Ultimately, learning to trust oneself is the result of taking on more responsibility in the decisions about one's health.
can't speak for everyone, but personally:
too many misdiagnoses (later figured out with friends/reading/randomly overheard tidbits in the paper/etc.), lifelong
too many doctors, same from both genders, who wouldn't listen to me or were threatened by my intelligence
clear history of medical "science" thinking women were messed up men and children were to be managed for adult convenience
too many obviously unscientific medical teachings preached to me
but probably most importantly, doctors are trained to see everything as a problem to be solved. much of what I love to read here is that with a quick question, moms can find out that--even if their kid has a problem that does need a medical solution--other moms and kids and families have had the problem, too, and here's some ways it was dealt with ... and that makes it so much less scary to face (the situation at home--and a doctor, if one is necessary)
what a fast way to get an incredibly diverse set of opinions from people who really care and often have done significant study (in life or class or reading)!
And to be frank ... I used to work in medical statistical research. Doctors don't know SO much more than a layperson with an interest in medical reading, and certainly not too much more than a nurse pracitioner, unless one gets into arcana. If you have an area you have studied and you understand biology pretty well, you are likely to have a better grasp than a non-specialist about your area of interest. Plus, you won't have $100,000+ of education you are trying to subconsiously justify to yourself by clinging to what you were taught there.
Doctors are very useful. But one needs to be informed of the full range of ideas, or we would all end up with surgery for a trigger finger (massage, two hours, solved). And lots of the advice from lots of moms is, Go see a doctor. So I'm sure it all works out.
I don't think mamas are asking for advice in place of seeing a medical practicioner. It's more along the lines of checking to see if they are over-reacting to their child's condition, looking for other points of views and treatments, and reassurance that other moms have gone through the same thing. I have seen many requests receive the response that they should see their doctor to be safe and I am sure many times a private message is sent to that person with more detail and recommendations to see a professional.
This forum is a great place for support especially for those of us with only one child and no immediate family around to turn to. It's all new and scary, yet you don't want to be looked by your child's doctor as a hypochondriac or paraniod parent.
Personally I hesitate to trust a doctor's impulse when they are looking for a quick fix. Let's say they have seen 20 children in the past two weeks with certain symptoms. You bring your child in and mention one or two of those symptoms and the immediate assumption is that your child has what the others have and they get the same treatment as the others. By asking other parents, it helps to bring up questions of what else could be wrong. Sometimes a couple questions can bring a doctor back on track of diagnosing your child instead of already assuming they know what is wrong and just looking to prove they are right. And western medicine isn't always the right solution. I have seen too many alternative treatments work and work well, that I would like to know what people have tried so I can keep them in mind when I am faced with a similar situation.
When it comes down to it, I think a parent knows if their child needs to be seen by a doctor right away and will take them in. They aren't going to let another mom on here tell them to not take their child in to the hospital or doctor and I can't imagine another mom saying that in the first place.
Though I do believe the lines of communication between parents and pediatricians should be open, I also believe that often times the advice of other parents can be valuable. Any good doctor will tell you that he or she does not have all of the answers since not all babies are made alike. Parents should consider the information and/or advice received before proceeding forward. I'm both a mother and a nurse and understand the value and need for the medical and community holistic approach.
S.,
Ahhhhhhh haaa hahaa! You are so funny. Hey, if I waited every 6 months before asking a question during a well baby check or had to sit on the phone on hold and hold again and wait for a call from the doctor just to ask the doctor a question my girlfriend with three kids knows the answer to and can tell me in one minute Hey, I know who I'd choose. Yeah, yeah there are many questions that are urgent and should be asked by the doctor right away, this is true this is true. And doctors are making it a little easier with the online communication, but you know what my doctor does when I ask a question, she just looks online and then prints out the information from a website anyone can get to. I know a mom that had a list full of questions that have kept her up at night worrying that given the option of a quick ask from mamasource there could be one of those "Ah ha" moments where she says oh yeah that makes sense. Anyway, I see you are in the nursing field yourself and I wish you a good career because we need good nurses.
Hope to hear from you soon!!
G.
