https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 10 Jun 2026 07:51:29 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1988426 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 12:20:59 +0000 shinymama 1988426@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Another vote for going with a doctor you trust. With my oldest, we were with a very popular {in our area} pediatrician, and I hated it. We moved to a FP that came highly recommended, and have never looked back.</p> <p>My youngest's pediatrician - different doctor, in a multiple pediatrician practice - hadn't heard of BLW either. A female doctor there was familiar with it, but I think that was because she was herself a mother. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1988286 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 11:07:04 +0000 jedeve 1988286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My dad is an FP. It is good to remember that family practice is a speciality! He recently stopped accepting newborns because the demographics of his town are so skewed he mainly sees older patients. And he is nearing retirement and didn't want to take on young ones he would only see for a bit. </p> <p>That being said we see a pediatrician because my LOs have had a few health issues we felt better about with someone who would see them often. And it's literally two blocks away. :happy: </p> <p>Really I think there can be a lot of unfounded doctor bashing online. They are required to stay up on current recommendations and practices and continue their education. That's not to say some people might be more set in their ways obviously. But if you like who you have go with them! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1988263 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 10:57:34 +0000 babybean404 1988263@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you everyone this makes me feel a lot better! I will stick with him and quit worrying about it :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1988257 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 10:56:00 +0000 coopsmama 1988257@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaCate: Agree with this. Peds/family practice doctors are supposed to be the experts on medical issues - not necessarily on things like feeding styles, nursing, weaning, sleep training, etc. It actually bothers me when a ped tries to seem like an expert on those topics because they vary so much for each individual child. </p> <p>All I want out of my child's doctor is that he or she be knowledgable about medical issues that are typical with children and proactive with my child's health. To the OP - I wouldn't leave the practice of you feel comfortable with the level of medical care this doctor can provide! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1988209 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 10:38:15 +0000 sapphire 1988209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I doubt this issue had to do with him being an FP than a pediatrician. Feeding is really a preference, and there's not much medical evidence to suggest one approach over another. Much more of a parenting concern.<br /> The bigger issue is that you like the doctor and they know your family! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1988166 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 10:23:11 +0000 .twist. 1988166@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are with our family doctor. I think it's important for him to grow up seeing the same person for as long as he can. I have never been super comfortable with doctors because I've never had the same one for very long (retired, moved, etc). My husband, however, has had the same family doctor since he can remember and his doctor helped him through some really hard times, including addiction. He was one of the only people my husband was honest with during those dark times. Not to say everyone will have that experience, but I would like to try and give my son the opportunity to have an experience like that. It's so nice to have someone outside of family and friends that you trust to go to if things get rough. Our doctor is young (and new to me) and I really like him so far! I hope he sticks around for a long time with us! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1988161 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 10:19:50 +0000 MenagerieMama 1988161@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am a family practice doctor and I loooove seeing kids. I have even suggested BLW to families before and been met with blank stares, it goes both ways! I take my LO to a family doc and we get the exact same waiting room and staff experience you described. And to be honest our doc isn't 100% up on things either but that happens with everyone and she's more than willing to work with me in everything. Some of it I think is a bit east coast vs west coast too - family medicine is way stronger in the west (where I'm from and trained, now living on the other coast). But overall I'm (very biased) pro family medicine. We get lots of peds training, and compared to most pediatric residency programs we get way more clinic based primary care pediatric training than pediatricians (they need time to learn in the NICU, etc).</p> <p>ETA: plus I love that my whole family can see the same doc, I feel like we get better care when she knows us so well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1987997 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 09:12:47 +0000 Mamasig 1987997@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you like the doctor stick with him! Honestly, in the real world, I have never once heard of anyone say baby led weaning. In my experience, that is definitely an internet thing. People might do a version of it, but don't call it that.</p> <p>Old school isn't always bad! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1987958 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 08:48:11 +0000 jetsa 1987958@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started with a gp we loved and it was great, yes their recommendations were sometimes outdated but we trusted them and that's what matters. We moved and I just switched to a ped, first appt is friday so we'll see what I think </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1987943 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 08:40:02 +0000 Bao 1987943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We specifically chose a family doctor. He is so amazing I wouldn't have it any other way. If you trust your doctor I would stick with them! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1987937 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 08:33:31 +0000 MamaCate 1987937@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you have a doctor that you like and trust, I would stick with that. DH is in training to be a pediatrician and they don't spend a lot of time on stuff that we talk a lot about on here (baby led weaning, etc) because they are really more focused on the medical issues. Feeding styles are more of a preference and as long as you know how to keep your child from choking and be aware of potential allergens, it's kind of up to you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1987917 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 08:16:31 +0000 lamariniere 1987917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you like your doctor and trust him, I would stick with him. As for BLW, I never heard about it until HB. With my first LO, our ped (who was in a pediatric-only practice) talked about rice cereal and purees. I don't think it's that odd that the ped hasn't heard about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1987914 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 08:12:53 +0000 Mrs. Lion 1987914@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@babybean404: I honestly didn't really talk to him much about it. At our 4 month appointment I didn't know much about BLW and just went with the flow when he told me we could start cereal. At his 6 month appointment I mentioned that we were going to skip baby food and start with what we were eating (I didn't call it BLW because I got the impression he thought I was a loon) and he kinda gave me a blank stare and told me that all food is food, and just to make sure he is sitting up straight in his high chair. I didn't bring it up again after that...by our 9 month appointment it is pretty typical for kids to be eating some finger foods, so I figured it wasn't that important to mention and I don't think he asked. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1987907 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 08:07:16 +0000 babybean404 1987907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: thanks for replying! what did you tell your doctor about BLW? How did he/she respond? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1987903 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 08:03:20 +0000 Mrs. Lion 1987903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We went with a pediatrician just so we knew he/she had that specialty, but if your doctor is trained as a pediatrician I wouldn't worry. The one we usually see also told us we could try rice cereal and baby food at 4 months....so it is definitely not a family practice vs. pediatrician thing. The old school doctors just either haven't read the new research or haven't been trained in it. I love seeing him because he has been practicing for a long time and has seen it all, but I also do my own research about newer stuff. We skipped purees and went the BLW route. I read enough that I felt comfortable doing it even without my pediatrician knowing anything about it. I would say go with your gut...as long as his other advice rings true with you, I wouldn't worry too much about the solids controversy. It is still developing and some doctors are just a bit behind and may not be as familiar with the new info. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-doctor-as-pediatrician#post-1987897 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 07:56:17 +0000 babybean404 1987897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are living in my hometown (a big college town) and my pediatrician is still practicing. He is in a family practice, and at first I was so happy that my LO could see him! He came to the hospital when she was born and also did a home visit when she was 2 days old.</p> <p>Now that she is 4 months, I'm noticing that I've never seen any other babies or kids in the waiting room and the nurses at the practice fawn over my LO and all want to come see her when we are there. At our well child visit the doctor was talking to me about introducing rice cereal...I brought up baby led weaning and he had never heard of it. I'm not sure if that's weird or not--I thought everyone knew about BLW but maybe I've just read a lot about it here.</p> <p>I totally trust this doctor and he is very supportive of breastfeeding and us in general. However, I just wonder if we would be better off at a practice that sees kids on a much more regular basis.</p> <p>What would you do? </p>