We’ve generally been happy with our pediatrician, who is one of the most popular doctors in a group practice. We love that it’s a 10 minute walk away, we typically don’t have long waits once we’re there, and we always get an appointment within the hour if one of the kids are sick. Our pediatrician has an excellent bedside manner and genuinely seems like a nice and concerned guy. There are also several other great doctors in the practice we’ve seen when our doctor has a day off or is on vacation.
But knowing so much more now about my options when it comes to certain healthcare decisions for Charlie and Olive has made me, at times, long for a doctor with a more holistic approach. Even though we live in a very liberal “crunchy” neighborhood, we don’t cloth diaper, I had two medicated births, we followed the traditional vaccine schedule, and we don’t ascribe to attachment parenting. But I would love to have a doctor who doesn’t always prescribe medication, suggests alternative and natural methods of treatment if applicable, and treats the whole body in addition to the symptom. Now that our pediatrician is starting his own solo practice, I’ve been contemplating whether we should consider changing doctors.
This is how he has handled some of the big healthcare topics that have come up:
Breastfeeding – I mentioned that I was taking fenugreek to boost my milk supply at Charlie’s 2- month wellness visit, and our pediatrician was not only skeptical of my taking it, he’d also never heard of fenugreek. I didn’t expect him to know as much about breastfeeding as a lactation consultant might, but I have to admit that it did bother me a little when I seemed to know a lot more about increasing milk supply as a new mom than he did, especially since it did pertain to the health of my child.
Sleep training – When our pediatrician asked about Charlie’s sleep at his 4 month checkup, we told him Charlie was waking up 10+ times a night. He said he was a firm believer in “nipping it in the bud” and advocated sleep training from 10 weeks on. Mrs. Jacks (who is a pediatrician) really put it into perspective when she mentioned that pediatricians don’t receive any training on how to address these types of issues. But I couldn’t help but feel like most pediatricians that I knew were generally pro sleep training/crying it out because it was the easiest, one size fits all solution they could tell parents. Although sleep training ended up working out for us, at the time I did not want to sleep train and would definitely have been open to other solutions.
Antibiotics – Whenever Charlie had an ear infection, he was immediately prescribed Amoxicillin. I gave it to Charlie the first time, but like I mentioned in my recent post about Olive’s ear infection, I only give antibiotics now when they’re necessary since things like ear infections clear up on their own most of the time.
Constipation – When Charlie was constipated, our pediatrician suggested we just give him Miralax. We’d tried many months of whole-body approaches from diet change to more exercise to more water consumption. It wasn’t until we read Dr. Tom’s book about constipation that we finally figured out exactly what was going on with Charlie, and just how common childhood constipation is. We didn’t want to just give him medicine to treat the symptom; we wanted to address all the underlying causes so we could cure him once and for all.
I don’t expect a pediatrician to have all the answers, and I’m sure they don’t want neurotic, anxious parents second-guessing their recommendations, which is completely understandable. I usually do a lot of my own research when it comes to healthcare decisions for Charlie and Olive so that I know all my options, and I have to be ready to ask their doctor the right questions and be their advocate. Sometimes that means following the doctor’s recommendations, and sometimes that means asking for more information or alternative methods of treatment.
I’m not sure if I’m expecting too much from a pediatrician, or if I should try to find a more holistic pediatrician that’s more in line with the way I feel about healthcare now. It’s funny but the more I’m on Hellobee, the more “crunchy” I become! 
Do you typically follow all your pediatrician’s recommendations? Do you ever wish for a more holistic pediatrician?
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
We chose our pediatrician because of her holistic approach. She’s very warm, nurturing, and inviting. At my first few pediatricians visits, she asked me to breastfeed IN FRONT of her to make sure my baby was latching correctly. She is also open to alternative vaccination schedules. And when my baby had eczema or an illness, she recommended more natural approaches first. For example, with the eczema she had us use olive oil on her face instead of other eczema creams.
Even if she didn’t agree with me all the time… I just really liked that she listened to my concerns, and I never felt pressured to choose one approach over another. She “recommended” things, but she still made me feel like an informed, competent parent rather than just telling me stuff just because she was the medical professional and not me.
pomelo / 5178 posts
I don’t know what you’re interested in, but we really love our family practioner. I think the fact that she sees such a wide range of patients makes her more open to researching/suggesting alternative solutions to parenting issues like sleep, diet, behavior, etc… She’s also a lot less likely to prescribe meds (she takes the “wait and see” approach 90% of the time) and she has a more holistic outlook overall. We really like her!
pomegranate / 3225 posts
I’m also shocked the dr did not know about fenugreek. I would like a more “holistic” pediatrician, but they are pretty limited in my area.
guest
This post could not have come at a better time! I was just telling my husband that I wanted to try to find a more holistic pediatrician too! The problem is…how do you go about finding one?
Our pedi came highly recommended by all my mom friends, and he has won numerous awards in our state for being a “top doc” etc. It’s a practice that is not even taking new patients unless you know someone who can get you in! With all that said, I find myself questioning about 90% of his recommendations to us. He is quick to prescribe meds, and seems to be “old school” with most of his thoughts and practices. He never even heard of BLW!
I would love if anyone has any recommendations on how to find a pedi with a more holistic approach. My friends all think I’m crazy for wanting to ‘break up’ with this Dr., so they’re no help, and google searching hasn’t been very successful for me.
grapefruit / 4110 posts
We have 4 pediatricians in town. So I stay were I am a patient or we start driving hours to go to a doctor. Unfortunately, I think that we stick where we are and just keep educating ourselves. His pediatrician still doesn’t know he is Milk Soy Protein Intolerant Ugh. But we need a presence in town.
guest
When my (now 5-month-old) son was born, I hated our pediatrician choice after just the first visit. After my experience with a midwife during my pregnancy, I was looking for a more holistic practitioner for my son and, more importantly, someone who would really take the time to get to know us.
After the first visit with the pediatrician, I decided to switch to a naturopathic M.D. My experience could not have been better. He had me breastfeed in his office immediately when I told him we were struggling. He actually knew how to help me with my latch. He spent an hour with me the first visit. He was so caring towards both me and Felix, and when there was a problem he looked first to nutrition or other natural remedies before suggesting a prescription drug.
I know the idea of a naturopath can sound scary, or not mediciney enough, but my experience was that a naturopath is what any doctor should be–professional, medical when necessary, but focused more on natural ways with dealing with minor health issues so as to get at the root problem. I highly recommend at least looking into a naturopath!
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
I’m lukewarm on our pediatrician. Personality wise, I like him….but he dismissed my concerns about my son’s reflux (when I raised concerns at 1 month…and he was ultimately diagnosed by another physician at 6 weeks….and then by a GI specialist again at 4.5 months) and also was skeptical of my son’s dairy intolerance. I know that reflux/MSPI tend to be somewhat over diagnosed, but I wished he had been more proactive with my son’s feeding issues. I haven’t done anything about it yet.
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
When I suspected our little girl had MSPI I went to my MD for some guidance, and she just sort of agreed with me about dairy, had no idea about the link between dairy and soy protein, and basically said “Just stop dairy then, you should be fine”. I wasn’t getting the help and guidance I was hoping for. After that, I made an appt to see an ND and she is amazing. Took a full family history from both sides, sat with us for 1.5 hours and discussed what to look for, what to avoid, how to react day to day. She perscribed probiotics, castor oil tummy rubs to reduce inflamation and has been invaluable as we moved forward to introduce solids and through her first cold.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
love this post!!
Before even getting pregnant, my mom started seeing a homeopathic consultant and recommended her when I got persistent UTIs. My UTIs cleared up with homeopathy and never once returned! I was intrigued.
We do have an amazing pediatrician/family doctor who doesn’t resort to meds for everything. As a FTM I love having the wellness baby checkups
But if anything less serious comes up, I prefer to go the homeopathy route.
clementine / 889 posts
I switched from a pediatrician to a family practice doctor when DS was 8 weeks old. He had been having some issues nursing and was diagnosed by three separate lactation consultants over the course of breastfeeding clinics, to have a tongue tie. Two noticed it on their own, and the second called over another LC to take a look who agreed. DS’s pediatrician refused to diagnose or address tongue ties in any way. They refused to clip them. They told me to continue using a nipple shield for breastfeeding. DS was big at birth and hadn’t had any concerns gaining weight, so they didn’t see a reason to do anything. But DS wasn’t eating enough at each nursing session and breastfeeding was painful with his poor latch.
I took DS to the family practice doctor for a consult on the tongue tie as the LCs recommended him. He was amazing. Calm, friendly, very knowledgeable and gave us all of the options and the pros and cons for each, but let me (and DH) make the decision on what to do. I love that he really listens to our concerns about vaccines, antibiotics, etc… and can separate the common fears about vaccines from my legitimate concerns about reactions (DS had a minor reaction to the Prevnar vaccine) and gave us options on how to alter the vaccination schedule to reduce the chance of another reaction. He literally wrote the book on vaccines. Because he listens to me and never just writes me off as an overbearing mother, I feel more confident trusting his recommendations since I don’t feel like we are just another mom/kid to him.
I think a pediatrician is a “go with you gut” kind of thing. It can’t hurt to look for other pediatricians and meet with them to see if you like their style, approach or demeanor better than your current dr.
coffee bean / 28 posts
@Mrs. Bee, have you considered a D.O. instead of an M.D.? From what I understand (my doctor is a D.O.), D.O.s recieve a lot more holistic training. Also, there is a more concerted effort to treat the body as a whole, rather than a specific issue/ailment. In my small town, there a few family practice D.O.s that are amazing!
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@KRunRun: the only other option i’ve considered is a family doctor. i generally follow the pediatrician’s recommendations and do believe in modern medicine. i’m not ready to go all the way to the other side of natural/holistic, but i would like to know my options when medicine (like antibiotics) are not always required. i guess i want the best of both worlds!
our pediatrician is just so convenient right now. i wonder how fast a private practice doctor could see us on short notice. for instance we were able to get an appt within 30 minutes this morning because charlie has a barky cough. that is tough to give up!
coconut / 8299 posts
Our pediatrician is VERY much against prescribing antibiotics, which we’ve come to appreciate through the years. When my son had a cough for 2 months, she wanted us to try everything first (mattress cover, humidifier, air filter, inhaler, Benadryl) before she prescribed antibiotics. My DH and I were a little frustrated because we thought antibiotics would be such a fast and easy cure. But now I realize that she was trying to take a more holistic approach and figure out WHAT was causing his cough, rather than just treating the symptoms. Same with his eczema. She said she hates steroids and wants us to try everything non medicinal first to combat his breakouts. It’s much harder this way and takes longer, but I wouldn’t want to do it any other way.
apricot / 275 posts
I love our pediatrician! The group also has a D.O. on staff & is an option for parents looking for someone who is more holistic. Check around to other ped groups and see if they have something similar?
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
I know what you mean. Our peds is quick to prescribe meds and I used to not think twice but I do now. I think doctors frequently give you the one size fits all answer. They also get you out of their office quickly by writing a prescription. I am learning that I need to do more research on my own.
apple seed / 4 posts
Rather than going with an fp or a do I would try to find a more holistic pediatrician md which im sure youcan find in brooklyn The thing is with these minor day to day illnesses whether you do xy or z probably doesn’t matter too much but when you have a child that is really sick that’s when you need a good quality physician whom you can relie on their medical expertise. They may not be up to date about the current feeding fad but they may be more likely to save your child’s life and do the right thing. I also think that more recent grads Are more uptodate about some of these issues b I wouldn’t be too concerned about the fenugreek. I know about it Bc I’m dealing with those issues now. Definitely would see that an older male physician may not know. We did hear a couple of lectures in residency regarding sleep issues but I don’t think ppl know until they go thru the issue themselves. Miralax is probably the most common medicine recommended for constipation abx for ear infections are recommended for less than 2 or with a severe infection pain high fever, etc. I think it may be looking for another pediatrician who may have a different style who may be more knowledgable about homeopathic cures. You would still want someone to practice evidence based medicine than someone who provides anectdotal reports
pea / 17 posts
Oh I have a lot to say but just stick to bullet points.
1. I think you happened to find a pediatrician who just isn’t entirely up to date on certain things.
But i am biased since I am a pediatric nurse practitioner/registered nurse (now SAHM & married to a pediatrician!) both of us educated at large educational facilities where both holistic influences AND evidence based practice is nurtured (UCLA, & univ of Virg/UNC chapel hill).
2. Holistic– look i want any pediatrician I work with to be fully invoved in evidenced based practice. So if the evidence supports use of antibitics for ine thing but not another couple with what the clinical findings are then so be it.
3. Healthcare providers aren’t hired to be additionaly PARENTING EXPERTS. Ultimately you donwhats best for your kids and their situations. Maybe sleep training worked for their kids but obviously not for your parenting style or your child. I never understood this until I became a parent myself.
4. Breastfeeding- the AAP is actively trying to get more healthcare professionals to be more knowledgable about breastfeeding consulting. Some old school pediatricians prefer to differ to lactation consultants. Others try to learn more so they can also bill accordingly. Peds RN’s are trained for the finer bits (like how to use a pump, comfort, positions, how to store BM)… But breastfeeding was a back seat in pediatricians education, and this has been acknowledged at the AAP conferences as a position/skill they hope to improve on.
When anyone says holistic i kinda cringe. I dont mind naturalpathec… Or ppl going to fam
Practice physicians… But i tend to fall into if the research supports treatment one way or another- i want my healthcare practitioner to be up to date and actively evolving with treatment approaches.
And leave the finesse of parenting approaches out of the office and in playgroups or parenting groups– parents are the best mentors for each other. Physicians/nurses get loaded questions and sometimes their answers are spot on, people ahould take parenting from them with a grain of salt because ultimately it’s your kid. You know whats beat dor your kid- and too many ppl give weight to a HCP who only sees once every yr/every few months…
My two cents
cherry / 181 posts
I use a ND in conjunction with a FP for myself. My ND also happens to be a midwife and we are using her midwife practice for my prenatal care/birth/postnatal care. Baby will transition to her care (as a ND) as well after our postnatal follow-ups (with the midwives). We will continue to use our FP as needed when our needs can’t be met with the ND. I have to say, I love the ND style. My appointments are always for an hour one on one with the Dr. The approach is very holistic and evidence based. If I have questions in between appointments I can email her at any time. The beauty is you have options. Find what works best for your family.