Pediatrician?

[brewso.livejournal.com]

I apologize if this has been discussed before, but I am apparently not very adept at searching the archives.

I am 20 weeks pregnant, and my doctor recommended today that I start thinking about a pediatrician. It seems early to me, but I guess it's never too early to research. So, does anyone have a local doctor that they love? I am pretty crunchy as mamas go, and really want someone who will respect the following: delayed vaccing, exclusive breastfeeding, co-sleeping (in a bassinet or co-sleeper, not directly in the bed). I'm not big into medicine, either, (although I do respect its necessity with big illnesses) so someone who at least entertains alternative remedies and doesn't just immediately grab the prescription pen would be great.

Thanks! 

Comments

[ron_newman]

I added two appropriate tags. This is the only old post I could find on the subject, and it's two years old. An update would be appreciated.

[nomacmac.livejournal.com]

Join the Somervillemoms Yahoo group and search the archives. You will find plenty of recommendations for pediatricians, and many other parenting resources.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

I second the recommendation for the SomervilleMoms group. Although there are plenty of parents on the Davis Square LJ community, you'll get a lot more comprehensive info from a group that's dedicated to parenting discussion.

I also can't resist putting in a plug for Dr. Deborah Bershel of Davis Square Family Practice. She's actually a family doctor, not a pediatrician per se, but she is great with my kids. I switched to her when I finally got tired of our old doctor blaming everything under the sun on extended breastfeeding. I'm on my second child nursing past the age of 2 and I have to say it's great to go to an appointment and not have to feel like I'm immediately on the defensive. Dr. Bershel also fits your other qualifications as well. Feel free to email me offline for more info if you want.

[ckd]

I'll second the recommendation for Davis Square Family Practice; I've been going there for many many years. (No kids yet, so I can't specifically speak to the pediatric care, but I see no reason it would be lacking.)

[genevra-mcneil.livejournal.com]

I third the rec for Dr. Bershel. She's been our ped for three years and is very laid-back, very reassuring. We did extended breastfeeding (2.5 years), co-sleeping in the bed, etc. I'm pretty strongly pro vaccines, so I don't know her opinion on the vaccine thing, but she's often suggested alternative therapies.

What's more, on our first visit, she wrote down her cell number and handed it to us and said, "If it's the middle of the night and you can't get ahold of the on-call doctor or if you're worried about something, call me. Any time. If I wanted to sleep, I wouldn't be a pediatrician."

She is the best.

I'll also second the Somerville Moms list on Yahoo. It's a great resource and a nice mix of opinions.

[syntheticnature.livejournal.com]

We're being very selective with the vaccines we give our almost-2-year-old, and she's okay with that. Not entirely happy - she'd rather have us doing the standard program. But she let us know that, made sure we had thought the issue through, and that's pretty much that. Our daughter was born at home, co-sleeps in the bed, still breastfeeding, it's all good. Oh, and Dr. Bershel offered homeopathic remedies when our daughter had an ear infection. (Thanks, but I'd rather go straight to the antibiotics for that one.)

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

We go to Dr. James of Children's Garden Pediatrics (it's just her, though, not a big practice). She's down to earth, fun, and listens well. I didn't delay vaccines of co sleep, but i did extended breastfeed and am also leary of medicine, and she was great. She's located near Fresh Pond in the Sancta Maria Facility... her number is 617 441 9276

[brewso.livejournal.com]

Thanks everyone. I did join the Somerville Moms Yahoo group. I'm also going to look into Davis Square Family Practice, as I've read lots of good reviews of them in the past, and I presently dislike my own doctor. Keep any other recommendations coming!

[lissie930.livejournal.com]

I didn't delay vacs, so I can't speak to her thoughts on that, but Dr. Teresa Corcoran is very very supportive and a wonderful doctor. Also, honestly, your pediatrician really isn't your best resource for breast feeding stuff.

[balsamicdragon.livejournal.com]

Everyone else has mentioned Somerville Moms, but I will add my voice to the rest! I take my son to Dr. Bruce Kalow on at Broadway Pediatric and he is excellent. We co-sleep and I breastfed him until he was two, and Dr. Kalow was very accepting of this.

Note to lissie930: it isn't so much that you want a pediatrician who can advise you re breastfeeding, you really just want one who won't judge you for it :)

[mamabunny72.livejournal.com]

I didn't delay vax (except one this year) ; I still co-sleep w/ my almost 5 yo who self-weaned at age 4, and kiddo's pediatrician is Dr Puncochar at Harvard Vanguard. We like her, and we like Dr Shoyer whom we've seen occasionally for same-day/urgent care issues. Nurses Linda and Holly are great too. The wait times can be a bit long, but I like the practice and the convenient location (literally steps from our house!) and that the pharmacy is also in the building.

[anyee.livejournal.com]

This is a very snarky, slighly mean, and unhelpful post that I am now going to make. Ignore it if you'd like. Pretend I'm talking about kittens.

Please also let us know when you have your child, delay its vaccines, and then put it in playgroups. Therefore, I can warn my friends with children that there is a potential disease vector out there who is taking advantage of herd immunity while increasing the risk of the unvaccinated (newborns) or those with compromised immune systems (SCID, the elderly, HIV+) because of unfounded, anti-scientific fears about autism. I am excited to tell my friends that they too can avoid the type of people who are helping measles and whooping cough make terrific comebacks.

Delaying vaccines or avoiding them altogether: proof that no matter how many studies of thousands of people are done, people will still take the word of celebrities, internet hacks, and people in their social groups. Remember that Jenny McCarthy knows a lot more than every scientist who has studied this and concluded that there's no link.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

On the "delayed vax" thing--if no doctors support this, there may be a reason, and that reason may not be that they're big meanie-heads.

[masswich.livejournal.com]

Its a fairly mainstream solution but we've been fairly happy with Harvard Vanguard's Cambridge office, specifically Dr. Kruger. He's good with kids and he's pretty mellow about most things. I don't know how he'd feel about vaccinations being delayed but he was certainly sympathetic to our concerns and allowed us to avoid doing too many at one time.

I also like the connection to Children's Hospital (they do great stitches, which most kids will need at some point) and the fact that their urgent care center on weekends is the Davis Square building.

[brewso.livejournal.com]

Re: Delayed Vaccinating

I should clarify what I meant when I mentioned this as a criteria. First and foremost, we are only just in the beginning stages of learning what all of this means for our baby to be. We may very well follow a standard vaccination schedule.

I do not believe in NOT vaccinating my child. To do so would be reckless with not only her life, but potentially with the lives of others who come in contact with her. That said, I do believe in informed vaccinating, in which I know what is going into my child and why it is recommended, as well as the risks involved. I also believe in spacing out vaccinations to watch for any potential complications/side effects. To do so may very well mean that some vaccinations get delayed beyond their normal recommended time frame. I am not looking to be a maverick mom and make my own rules. I am looking to be informed, fueled by my healthy dose of skepticism that all of these dead viruses we are pumping into tiny babies may not be 100% necessary. Sweeping medical recommendations for pregnant women and infants have been wrong in the past, and I see no reason why they couldn't be making mistakes now, too. This doesn't mean that I will blindly follow the Jenny McCarthys of the world, though.

I certainly have some research to do before I make any decisions. I guess that, when I said I was looking for a pediatrician who would delay vaccing, I really meant that I was looking for someone who had scientifically-based thought-out reasons for their recommendations, rather than just following some arbitrarily set timetable. I plan on following the rules, most likely, but I am not comfortable doing so simply because "the doctor/FDA/government said so."

[by-lime.livejournal.com]

I am also 20 weeks pregnant! Thanks OP and responders for all the info.