Checkup time

Today we took the kids to the doctor. Maya needed a weight check, and Micah was due for his 18 month checkup. It was a bit chaotic trying to coordinate the visit with two kids...naturally, the appointment was smack dab in the middle of Micah's nap time, and just as we were getting ready to walk out the door, Maya decided she was hungry. The car ride to the doctors was a bit of a challenge...Maya started to shriek bloody murder a little ways into the trip, and I felt awful. I knew she was hungry and wanted to be nursed, but there was nothing I could do to calm her down until we got there. Thankfully, it was only a 15 minute drive, but the poor little thing cried for most of the trip.

We arrived and were seen rather quickly. We saw a different doctor than we usually see (there are 5 doctors in the practice, and we really like 3 of them and usually see one of them, but this was the only appointment we could get). I had heard that this doctor is very pro-breastfeeding, but she can be very opinionated (well, really a hard-ass with a not-so-nice bedside manner), but I figured that was no reason to avoid her. I had one experience on the phone with her that left a bad taste in my mouth about a year ago, but DH had a good experience with her one time when Micah was sick.

She started off checking out Maya - who is doing great! She gained weight (she was about 6 lbs 6 ozs), so gaining weight exactly as she should. She took her measurements (Maya was in the 25th percentile for both height and weight) and looked her over and told us we did not need to return until she is 2 weeks old. I raised my concerns about breastfeeding and supply, and got the same speech I always get ("she is gaining weight so don't worry about it"). I wish I could be that confident...Micah was gaining weight, too, until he was 5 weeks old and outgrew my supply. I really hope things are different this time around. It does seem that my supply is more abundant than with Micah, but I have a hard time believing that it will all work out.

Then we moved on to Micah. Naturally, Micah was grumpy (since we woke him up early from his nap). He was also hungry since we were approaching snack time, and he has been out of sorts since the baby came home. He wanted something to eat/drink, and I went to offer him his milk...and the doctor snapped at me. She gave me a lecture about how I should not allow Micah to drink his milk on demand, and he should only be permitted to drink at meals, and she would not let me give him any milk while she was in the room. Micah was crying and misbehaving, and she basically told me he needed to learn a lesson and behave better. Needless to say, I was fairly irked at her.

She examined Micah, and we pointed out a rash that was popping up on his legs and belly. She asked if he had a fever the past week, and we said he had not. She said it could be a post-viral rash, but most post-viral rashes are preceded by a high fever. She checked his throat and said it was red, so she ran a strep test (since strep can also come with a rash). She told us not to worry about the rash at all and that it would likely go away. We also discussed the chronic congestion and coughing, and she suggested that we try Micah on Zyrtec for allergies (ironic...since all the other doctors insist children cannot have allergies until they are 2 years old). She also said that Micah might have a sinus infection and she took a nose culture. She suggested that if his congestion had not cleared up by Tuesday, to give her a call and she would put him on antibiotics. Now, for his stats...Micah weighed 22 lbs (7th percentile) and measured 33 inches (75th percentile).

We then started to discuss Micah's language development and eating habits. We talked about the foods he eats, and she again gave me a hard time about the choices I'm making. She kept mentioning obesity (hello...did you see that my son is in the 7th percentile for weight?) and gave me a very hard time about the fact that sometimes I let him eat graham crackers. She also made me feel horrible that he won't eat vegetables (unless I hide them) - she actually told me I should try exposing him to them (ummm...what does she think I've been doing?). She asked Micah a few questions (and, of course, he said "no" to all of them), and he would not perform his "tricks" on command (I said can you show us your belly? and he said no). I've been trying not to be so insulted about her comments...I think we work really hard to give Micah organic foods and make sure he eats healthy. He does not eat sugared snacks or drink any juice. He eats fruit three times per day, and we make sure he eats proteins and whole grains, and we do our best to sneak some veggies in there as often as we can. We make most of his food and try to keep him away from processed foods. We do not eat any fast food, and he has only had junk like french fries a few times in his life. If we give him things with sugar, it is homemade jelly, peanut butter, and the occasional graham cracker. He has had cake one time (on his first birthday) and ice cream twice.

After our discussion, it was time for Micah's vaccinations. What we thought was going to be a single vaccination turned into three...apparently, the prevnar vaccine just came out with a newer version that is broader in scope than the prior vaccination, so he needed one more booster (even though we thought he had completed the series). They could not find the record of his final H1B vaccination (although I KNOW he had it), but without proof from the doctor, he would not be allowed to go to school. The third vaccination was the only one we expected to be getting - the DTaP. Poor Micah cried through all three shots - he was a mess! He clung to me screaming "Mommy" - it was NOT a good day. Luckily, I got him calmed back down afterwards, but I felt terrible for my little boy. He had a really rough day!

So, all in all, a good appointment...but I think I'm not a huge fan of this doctor.