Should I Switch Pediatricians??

Hi T.,

I was in a similar situation and I went with my gut. I switched doctors and could not be happier. I know it sounds weird but moms have that "gut feeling". Go with it. If it's telling you to switch then do so.
My new ped. is at 13 and Schoenherr in Warren if you want her info let me know!
Good luck!
~Kim

T., a good doctor would have EXPLAINED why they thought it was acid reflux and not something else. (Rebecca W. explained it very well, and she is right!)
BUT, being a new mom, you need to know WHY things are happening with your child and what those syptoms mean or could be.
If you do not feel comfortable with your doc, switch! What area are you in? I love my pediatrician and have referred sooo many people to them. I switched my kids' doctors because they would never explain stuff and would leave me hanging and very worried. If your doc. would have told you, as a result of this, your daughter COULD end up w/an ear infection, etc. you would know what to expect and it wouldn't come at such a shock, or surprise when a week later, she appeared to be more sick!

I agree with the others. If you are not comfortable with your dr, then definately switch.

I will say that in the beginning I didn't care much for our dr. (but he came highly recommended by friends and family so I decided to stick with him for the first few months) Now after having him for a year, I love him. He has the personality of a turtle, but he is an excellent dr.

I learned early on that its okay to ask TONS of questions and if they say something you don't agree with, call them on it. For instance, when the dr. said it was because of acid reflux, I would have probably said that I find that hard to believe and to please explain why she thinks its acid reflux. Sometimes by getting the Dr. to think more about the problem they might look into things a bit further or after explaining it all you might feel more comfortable.

And also, ear infections can sneak up on you. There have been a few times when I just "knew" that Aria was getting one. I would take her in and they would say she was fine, no infection. The next day she would be absolutely miserable and I would take her back and sure enough. She would have a nasty infection.

Hi - I think you should switch doctors. You, as a new mom, need to feel you can trust your doctor with your child's health. From your letter, it doesn't sound like you're too comfortable with this doctor - so go with your gut and find a new doctor for your baby.

I will take her immediately to another doctor. I am also a first time mother with twins and I have learned that you have to follow your instincts and when something does not sound right to you, do ask another opinion.
Hope she gets better,
N. G.

If you don't feel comfortable with the dr., whatever the situation may be I would switch. This is your everything and you want only the very best for her. I'm not sure of your location, but I take my daughter to Flint Childrens Center, they have a few drs there and I really like hers. Good Luck!

Hi T.,
I would say yes, you should feel very confident and comfortable with your choice for a pediatrician. I can recommend St. John Pediatrics, they are wonderful. I have been with them for about 12 years. They have a location in Macomb Twp and also in St. Clair Shores.
Good luck, D.

Hi, i would say if you arent comfortable switch. I do know that stuffiness etc. Is fairly normal if you are breast feeding, because i found that out nursing my son, but i think that seems careless, i think poor first time moms get the bad wrap at times for being over cautious. My doctor, which i love said i only had the excuse of being a new mom for the first three months, then i couldnt use that excuse any more. Good luck

The initial symptoms you described (nasal congestion, coughing..)can correlate with acid reflux. My dtr had the same problem. It doesn't mean she was wrong in her diagnosis and ear infections can become symptomatic within hours. I've had this happen many times when I bring my child in and her ears look fine and then 2 days later she spikes a temp and has an ear infection. Have you been satisfied with the care up until now? Did this doctor come recomended? You have to do what you feel is right but medicine is not an exact science especially when your child can't describe what is wrong. Go with what your instincts tell you.
L.

You can certainly swithc drs.. but your daughter probably did not have an ear infection last week. If she didnt have a fever she was probably fine last week and sicker this week.

Dr.s are not perfect and can certainly be wrong. I wouldnt blame the dr. He made the best diagnosis that he could that day- but a week later things were different.

Those ARE symptoms of acid reflux.

If you had stomach acid coming up into your throat all the time you would cough and sneeze and have a stuffy nose too.

Think about how you feel after throwing up...you cough your nose either is running, or stuffed up right? Same for a baby.

RSV can show up at anytime, it's unlikely that she had RSV a week ago with no fever. (and really 100.8 is NOT a fever in a baby so little, I don't worry until it's over 102)

Acid reflux can also cause/contribute to the development of an ear infection because that stomach acid can irritate the eustation tubes that lead to the ears from the throat.

I do know from experience that ear infections can develop in hours. My doctor has always told me that he can see a patient in the morning and they can be fine, but have an ear infection by night. That is not all that uncommon. But I think if you are doubting your doctor then yes you should switch. You need to feel comfortable with the doctor and be able to trust what they say. It doesn't sound like you can do that. There are plenty of doctors out there.

A.

I would say yes.
The best piece of advice I got as a new mom was "Follow your own motherly instincts and intuition"
I wasn't comfortable with my son's pediatrician either and I switched when he was about 9 months old. It was the best decision I could have made.

I would say that if you don't feel confident in your Dr, then yes switch. I did when my daughter was about 6months. My daughter had croup bad and he did nothing and then I went to the Dr that we have now he gave her meds and she was better in TWO days. THe other Dr said it would take two weeks. So if youre already second guessing the Dr then chances are you always will. Go with your gut. GOOD LUCK

If you ever feel uneasy with your doctor, it is a good idea to switch. I have switched three time until I found a group that I am truly happy with. I had a doctor miss something pretty major before, and I immediately went on the hunt for a new one. I will not stay somewhere if I feel my kids health/safety is at risk. If you are in the sterling hts. area, Pediatric Health Care on 18 1/2 and mound is wonderful! Good luck.

Hi T.,

You are the boss in this relationship. You can "fire" him and go elsewhere. Also, knowing your position, make sure you "interview" a couple of new ones before signing on. Get referrals, usually that's the best way. Almost all dr's will do their counseltations free so that you can meet them before they are treating your child.

I highly recommend switching if the either can't meet your needs (mine would have me in the waiting room up to 2 hours sometimes!! he wasn't meeting my needs) or arn't listening to you properly to hear all of the symptopms to make a proper diagnosis, or just arn't good.

Since they are working for you, you should have no problem questioning them when they say something that doesn't sound quite right.

If you don't stand up for your child (hate to say this) no one else will.

Best wishes in your search, if you do decide to search!

C.

T.,

I would switch without a second thought. Ask your friends, ask your neighbors, ask people with infants in the mall. Call your OB/GYN and ask for a list of pediatricians they recommend. They should already have a list ready for mom's to be. ASAP make appointments to check them out, ask them questions, dont be shy.

L.

Drs. make mistakes too, that's why they call it practicing. But if you feel at all unsure about your Dr, then yes you should switch.