Doctor Change

Wow, I'm terrible at keeping up with this blog.  Is it too late for New Year's resolutions?  I think mine will be to update this blog at least once a week.  I also want to re-vamp the look a little bit. 

I really want to post about this before I forget everything that happened.  Several months ago, we got sick of our pediatrician.  He was the same one we had had since Noah was a baby but lately, I've just grown tired of him coming in and leaving within minutes and we can barely get a word in and the nurses in the office hasn't been as nice lately.  Just generally, this doctor was a recommendation and while he wasn't terrible, I think we can find better.  So I went on a search.

A friend recommended another doctor so I called and she wasn't accepting new patients, but her partner in the practice was.  So I booked an interview and it went pretty good and decided he was by far the best out of all the doctors I interviewed and possibly a step up from what I had, so we made the switch.  The first well visit at 6 months went ok.  There was a sick visit in there with the nurse practioner which went great.  Then came her 9 month visit. 

First he told me that her weight % has gone from 28% at 6 months to 12% at 9 months and that's a cause for concern.  We talked about feedings and I told him that I nurse her 3-4 times a day and she gets 6 oz at daycare.  He said that didn't sound like enough and I should consider supplementing with formula.  Formula?!?!?!?! 

I think at this point, he could have said anything else and I probably wasn't listening or caring.  I was so ticked off that he mentioned formula.  First, what about the 100+ ounces I have frozen, why couldn't those be used?  Second, how about suggesting ways I can increase my supply?  It was clear from there where he stood on the issue or more importantly, he had no clue how I stood on the issue. 

In the end, she was diagnosed with an ear infection, probably from the virus she had a few days earlier.  He figured she probably lost a little bit of weight with that and said he would re-evaluate her weight at 12 months. 

After I left and was able to clear my head a bit, I started thinking of all kinds of things.  I wasn't even able to explain to him that regardless of whether he wants me to do formula, or rather use the breastmilk I already have saved it, she won't take it.  We have a hard time getting her to sit and nurse or take her sippy cups (yes, she takes sippy's now).  I couldn't imagine trying to get her to do more.  She loves her solid foods.  And we always give her her milk first, then solid foods, so it's not like she is filling up on the solid foods and not having enough room for milk.

So I got home and started putting her weight into some charts I have at home and it came up a little different.  That's when I realized that there are 2 growth charts out there.  One from CDC and the other from WHO (World Health Organization).  The CDC one is based on both formula and breastfed babies and the WHO one is based on only breastfed babies.  Basically what they realized is breastfed babies plateau off after about 6 months old.  They still gain weight just at a much slower pace than the first 6 months of life.  In 2010, the CDC endorsed the WHO chart basically saying it was more accurate. 

I didn't even think that this could be the issue since our original pediatrician always used the WHO charts and I made the poor assumption that this one did too.  So wrong.  So when I plugged her weight into the WHO charts, it said 25%, that's basically no change.  She is totally fine.  So that's when we made the decision that this doctor had to go.  But who else???

My friend who had recommended the other doctor in the practice reminded me that her doctor does use WHO charts and even though they are in the same practice, they are not the same.  So I had David call and come to find out, she was available if I just told them I was recommended from a current patient!!!  And regardless now that I'm a current patient, I can switch with no issues.  So we have yet to meet this doctor yet.  We have an appt next Wed to get Emilee's ears rechecked and plan to discuss other stuff with her, including her weight "problem".  I hope this is an awesome doctor and we can stay with her for many years to come.

I'll try and update more often, but for now, I must get back to working!!!