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Rebecca
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I am trying to work out a doctor/dentist schedule for the upcoming year.
How often do you think it is necessary to have your children see a pediatrician (sicknesses excluded)?
I think that the older children should have a yearly examination but I am interested to know how others approach this topic.
Do you attend all of the scheduled well baby visits when your child is under two years old?
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kristina
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Rebecca,
Our infant visits seem frequent during the first year, then it seems to slow down until once per year from age 2 - 7. For boys they go every two years from 7 - 11 unless there is a medical necessity. This is our pediatrician's schedule and we simply follow it. Our pediatrician told us that not a lot seems to happen with boys from age 7 - 11 so they do not need to see them unless they have a problem. (Thankfully!) We have not yet had a reason to disagree.
Blessings!
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yesterthoughts
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Bridget
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We don't vaccinate but I try to do a few well child visits just to keep in good standing with our ped. The older children never go anymore, the younger are seen a few times a year for illness.
Our ped is a solid Catholic, with a largish family of his own and has hs'ed off and on. We are so blessed, he is very relaxed about my approach to health care for the children.
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Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
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Rachel May
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We try to hit all the recommended visits and do all the immunizations, but the timeline isn't as "on" as it was with the first few. Now that there are plenty of kids, I try to combine, so Charles and James will be having their checkups together this month. James' will be only 2 months late.
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ALmom
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We go when the baby is born and one other time as an infant (I always forget which one it is but that is the one our pediatrician would like us at)- then only as needed. Most of my dc see the pediatrician rarely, but my pediatrician is fine with this, he knows us and all that - also a homeschooling dad of many, many and very laid back. I think a lot depends on your particular pediatrician, and how well you know each other.
(I think I did all the well baby check-ups with the first then realized they are primarily for immunizations anyways - which is also how our pediatrician sees it except the initial eval after birth and for the PKU and then the one other one at a bit older infant. I remember asking him which ones he really needs us at. I don't know about where you are, but around here you wait forever and get exposed to whatever the latest bug is if you do the well-baby. I'd just as soon skip them if they aren't needed. However, I do go in if there is anything unusual, or if I need to ask about something. I would go more often if there were special considerations but my dc are very, very healthy in general.
There is one other pro-life pediatrician in town and he wants you to show up every appointment, do all the immunizations and then yearly after that - and he wants each child to have their own appointment time. Most moms of large homeschooling families just would never get any schooling done. Also our state does not have any regulations about visits etc. I know PA has pretty set times when you have to show proof of visits.
We see the dentist once per year for cleanings - all go in together and take over the office. We do eye exams staggered (but everyone gets once per year). Since we travel out of town we have 3 at a time, but more than that would really mess up scheduling for the optometrist if someone got sick so it is a workable compromise.
Janet
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stacykay
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Hi Rebecca,
Maybe it is the nurse in me, but we go to every recommended visit. I have a 15 yo with asthma, so he, especially, needs the check-ups. My dss are also into sports and scouts, so we wind up needing the physicals, anyways. And I try to keep to their birthday, in scheduling the exam. I find comfort in looking at their growth charts and seeing that they remain on their curve.  My dh calls me "pw" for professional worrier! 
Also, we do get all the vaccinations (while I storm heaven as I hold them!) But, I don't get all on schedule. I hold off on the hep B, since I think it is silly for a baby (newborn!) to get it. Unless they had some problem that would require blood transfusions.
Our doctor is Catholic and very accomodating to whatever we want to do. We are blessed!
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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Alcat
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Hmmmm,
We normally go to the first visit- a day or two after we are sprung from the hospital, but this time I MAY forgo that and go at 1mo... I don't immunize under the age of 2yrs so that cuts out the well baby checks. I think maybe we need to go a little more often then "as needed" just to check up on baby's growth.
I now need to consider getting my 4yr and 2yr olds vaccinated... still reading, researching, and praying about that one. The older two were vaccinated and well babied on time according to the Ped.
God Bless,
Alison
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Kathryn UK
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Here children get routine medical checks at 6 weeks, 9 months and 3 to 4 years. Other than that they only see a doctor if they are ill or there is a specific concern . Vaccinations are carried out by a nurse. New babies get home visits from a midwife for the first 10 days, then from a health visitor (community nurse) as needed over the next couple of weeks. After that they can be taken for weight checks to local clinic sessions as desired. Ours is in the local community centre, five minutes walk away - no appointments necessary, just turn up. All very convenient and unmedicalised.
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Lisbet
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I take them in when they are 2 weeks old so the ped can 'meet' the newest, then they only go if they are sick. I have a few that haven't been to the ped since that 2 week visit!
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shartlesville
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We don't immunize either.
My oldest kids went to every scheduled visit and got every immunization. As I have grown older, and hopefully wiser , I have done a lot of research and decided that they don't need to see a doctor that often and that vaccinations are not for us.
Our new babies go to the 2 week check and then as needed. The older kids go as needed and every other year or so I decide it is time for everybody to have a check up.
In fact, I just took Jack for a check up last week and it was a complete waste of time.  The doctor treated me like a first time parent (i.e. I don't know ANYTHING), looked him up and down, pronounced him healthy and said come back in three months. I had taken him in because he wheezes quite often especially when he exerts himself but she said he sounded fine (for the 30 seconds she listened) and blew it off. 
IMNSHO , I think parents know their children; we know when they need to be seen and all these "scheduled" visits are just money makers for the health care industry.
Blessings,
Krisann
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5athome
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We go to the first 1 or 2 newborn visits - then only when the kids are really sick or if they need to see a specialist.
I like the book How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor by Mendelsohn.
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anniemm
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My 2 year old got all her well babies and vaccinations up to age 1, and my 11 month old hasn't been since 3 months.
I'm tossing around the idea of not vaccinating further, but at the same time, I do sort of want them to have the immunizations (except the older girl HPV one, no way). I haven't done any research, and I'd be interested if anyone has some starting points in determining what is really best. I'm going to read the book that 5athome recommended above...
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Erica Sanchez
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5athome wrote:
| I like the book How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor by Mendelsohn. |
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This book, along with other articles I happened across at the time, changed the way I looked at doctor visits, sick children in general, and vaccinations. The section on fevers alone is worth buying the book, IMHO.
Rebecca, with my older kids, we went to all the scheduled visits and had most of the vaccinations. When the Hep. B and Chicken Pox vaccinations were added to the list, it made me leary of the whole thing. I stopped a few shots into the schedule with my fourth child and haven't looked back. I'm considering tetnus if they will do it separately, and it's been on my heart to look into the polio one. Does anyone have solid evidence as to why we should get that one?
But.....funny that you should ask this question, because I just made doctor, dental and allergist appointments for all the kids! I mostly want to get their vision and hearing tested and Nick has had issues with hives and such. I once read that the well baby visits were set to the vaccination schedule anyway and also that we, as mothers, would know when something was not quite right with our children. So far, this has worked for us.
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Erica in San Diego
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shartlesville
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Hi Erica,
I am not sure if we should put up a separate thread dedicated to vaccinations, but maybe the moderators can move these if need be.
Polio - I don't have sources to quote off hand but in everything I have read and researched, in the last 20 years every case of Polio in the US was caused by the vaccine, a friend or relative caught it when changing a diaper. There have been zero naturally occurring cases in the US.
If you look at the recent outbreak of what was it? mumps? in Ohio or Iowa (my brain is mush ) - 80% of the people who came down with it (mostly high school and college age kids) had been vaccinated. 60% of those who came down with it had received the initial dose and a booster. Only 20% of those who got sick had never been vaccinated. Yet the CDC insisted that the vaccines are effective - they had no explanation as to how it could happen.
There have been numerous studies that have shown that in any outbreak at least 50% of those who get sick have been vaccinated (thus the requirement for "booster" shots because supposedly the effect wears off over time, yet those exposed naturally never get it twice). Well, if 50% got the shot and 50% didn't where is the proof that the vaccine is effective?
Some people point to the drop in the numbers of cases of specific diseases but if you look at the numbers over time there are always periods of ups and downs, even now. The only exception is smallpox which no longer exists outside a lab.
The main reason vaccines were sought in the first place is because the diseases were so "deadly" but now with the advent of modern medical care and better medicines most of them aren't even a real threat - unless someone has underlying health problems in which case they generally recommend NOT getting vaccinated, go figure!
The babies that die from whooping cough are generally under 4 months of age and are too young to be vaccinated anyway.
Look at chickenpox, it was never considered a deadly childhood disease just a pain in the rear. But now there is a vaccine to prevent it.
My view is why put poison into a perfectly healthy little body? Vaccines contain more than just the virus they also contain preservatives. There are thousands of cases of reactions every year, but they don't advertise that.
The Amish don't have autistic children nor do they vaccinate. I recently read that there have only been three documented cases, one child was adopted (and vaccinated), one was vaccinated, and the other they were unable to determine. The rate of autism in the US has skyrocketed in the last 20 or 30 years. I know the federal government says there is no correlation, but I don't believe everything my Uncle Sam tells me.
Sorry, you hit my "on" button. I am off to bed! I will try to find sources tomorrow.
Blessings,
Krisann
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Krisann
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anniemm
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Krisann
What would be the best starting point to do this research? I think my husband would be more comfortable knowing it came from some sort of primary sources.
I don't trust the medical community at all after an unnecessary c-section with my first baby loaded with stupid interventions. With my second one and a VBAC, all the research taught me that I can't believe anything a doctor tells me.
Thanks :-)
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Andrea
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5athome
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One book we have and like is What your doctor may not tell you about children's vaccinations. Also get the one mentioned earlier How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor by Mendelsohn.
The childrens vaccination book was especially good because it was logical -- many we looked that seemed to rely on sketchy scare tactics and skewed "scientific" data before we found one we trusted.
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Martha
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We go to the newborn check up and are very hyper aware if they seem sick before age 6 months. Mostly because I've seen wee ones go from healthy to a bit of fever to OMG-please-don't-take-my-baby in less than 24 hours. Those itty babies can get real bad real quick with virus or infection that would otherwise be blown off on a older baby. The slightest sense of unease, with or without a fever or other physical symptom, will send me packing to the dr. asap when they are tiny.
We no longer vaccinate for many reasons and personal experiences. At most, I will consider some vaccines under certain conditions or in older children. (chicken pox for a teen who has no antibodies for example.) I second the Mendelson books above. I know he died a while back. Does anyone know if there is a similiar, more current (w/i the last 4 years) type of book available?
After 8 kids, I know an unhealthy kid when I see one so we don't do well-checks. Some of my kids haven't been to a dr in over 5 years.
eyes = every other year if no problem, every year if they do have vision issues
dental - once a year clening and exam, dental work followed up on as neccessary usually w/i a month of that.
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shartlesville
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I read a good book a couple of years ago but I cannot recall the title or the author. It had a break down of the statistics from a measles outbreak in Chicago in the 1970's which showed that 1/2 the kids who came down with measles were vaccinated and 1/2 were not. There were other examples but that one stuck in my head. I can recall exactly where the darn book was located in the Fleetwood, PA library but I can't remember the name or the author and unfortunately I can't find anything in their computer about it, it has probably been discarded. 
One book that has been recommended is:
Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives by Aviva Jill Romm
It explains each vaccination, the risks, the benefits, etc.
Another is: A Shot in the Dark by Harris Coulter, PhD
I found a couple of good articles here, here, a ton of info here, and here is one with info about polio and the Amish which lists the dates of cases.
Sorry, I started this post early this AM but was distracted by babies and doctor visits. Everyone here has come down with strep throat! 
I am sure there is a ton of good information available elsewhere and more than likely some of the other moms who don't vaccinate can (and probably have already while this post was sitting here, ) list some more good places to find information.
Blessings,
Krisann
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Krisann
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DC John, Elizabeth, Lilyann ^i^, Emily, Kate, Julia, Sam, & Jack;
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My Blog: Isla del Esperanza
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Pediatrician Visits
