HBers - First Pediatric Visit Question

kesrya

So at my last midwife appointment, she asked if we had secured a pediatrician, and when I told her we had and who it was - she "reminded" me that I would not be going to the visit.  I don't remember her telling me this to begin with, but she explained that they ask that dads do the first pediatric visit and moms stay home and rest as they found that their moms were having complications from exerting themselves like this too quickly (ie. increased bleeding, severe exhaustion causing dizzy spells or passing out).

It makes sense, and at first I was fine with it.  But the more I think about it, the more disappointed I am that I won't be able to go.  Granted the pediatrician is about a 45 minute car ride away, but if my husband is driving - I'm not really exerting myself.  I spent a lot of time making this decision - as a licensed health care provider, it was really important to me to have a pediatrician with the same health concepts and practices as I have - so I was really looking forward to meeting this woman (we've been corresponding through email) and being there for our first baby's first appointment with someone who I hope will be an instrumental part of his life (I still remember my pediatricians from 30 years ago).

Has anyone else been told this?  Is this standard, or just my MW's recommendation.  What would you do?

GenRN45

there isn't a chance I'd miss my child's first pediatrician visit.

Kathzoo

Go meet the doc before you give birth.  We did ours at 1 week and it was too much for me.  I did go but I really shouldn't have.  With yours so far away, you will probably have to go as the baby will need to eat.

CTri17

Definitely NOT what my mw said. She encouraged me to be up and around (if I had complications that would be different) and I went to her 1st pedi appt and you can bet darn well that I wouldn't have missed it especially since she hadn't pooped yet.

So we added a trip to the hospital to get her xrayed (as a precaution, everything was fine , she pooped later that day) and I went to that as well and I was just fine.

I'd respectfully decline her opinion on this and you and your hubby go together. GL

flyer23

When is the visit?

With DD (hospital birth), our first pedi appointment was at 4 days. I wouldn't have missed it, but to be honest, I do remember it being an exhausting experience that soon after delivering.

With DS (homebirth), my midwife did all well baby care until 6 weeks postpartum. The first visit (2 days) was at my home, so I could indeed rest and not exert myself. Starting at 1 week, they were out of my midwife's office. I was definitely expected to be there, as she checked me out as well as him, so clearly, she didn't think I needed to be home in bed. I know other homebirth midwives in my area do all the postpartum visits at home, which does give Mom more time to rest up.

Anyway, the fact that my midwife did the initial well baby care meant that DS didn't have to see his pediatrician until 2 months, at which point, I definitely felt up to going along!

I thought that was pretty standard with homebirth midwives. Does yours not do the initial well baby care?

CTri17

flyer23:

I thought that was pretty standard with homebirth midwives. Does yours not do the initial well baby care?

Mine did 6 weeks care as well but she still has you go to the pedi as well at the regular intervals (2 days/2 weeks/2mo etc)

kesrya

This could be the difference - mine does all the initial "birth" stuff, but not the well baby care.  And maybe that's why she thought she was "reminding" me -- she requires that we have a pediatrician lined up and the first visit is done within 48 hours of delivery.  I had to sign when I started the practice that I understood this.  My follow-up appointment will be at her office at about 1 week, but she was clear that the baby would not be.  Maybe she thought I would realize that this would preclude me from the pediatric visit?

She did recommend I ask my pediatrician if she would be willing to do a house call - the MW said that this pediatrician did them in the past, but I think we live too far outside the area for her to agree to this.

Tash13

I had a hospital birth the first time around but my DS still had to go in and be weighed the day after I got out of the hospital (day 3) and I went.  I was also up and walking around at the hospital and at home before that, which my MW advised.  Unless you're walking there, I don't know what could be so physically exerting that it could possibly cause complications.

flyer23

Interesting! Well, if DS had had to see a pediatrician within 48 hours of delivery, my midwife definitely would not have recommended it. My after care instructions explicitly stated that for the first 3 days, I was to do nothing but stay in bed and take care of my baby. That's why she came to me for that 2-day checkup.

I don't know, that's a tough one... I, too, would not want to miss my baby's first checkup. But I also know that my recovery after DS's birth was smoother than after DD's birth, and I attribute a lot of that to the fact that I was at home, resting. I wasn't getting kicked out of a hospital room after 2 days, I wasn't running out to see the pediatrician at 4 days, like I was with DD.

jteneback

It sounds like the 48- hour thing is why she doesn't want you to go. My MW recommends the first appt be at 7-10 days (unless she is concerned about something) and she hasn't said anything about me not going.

iris427

How soon after the birth will this be?  I had a hospital birth (a c/s) and I didn't go to any of my daughters exams in the hospital--my husband did.  So I don't really see what your midwife is suggesting as being any different.  I still had plenty of pediatrician appointments to go to after we were released from the hospital, so I don't feel like I missed out on anything.

If you really want to go and you feel up to it, then go.  But even if you have to miss the first appointment, there will be lots more appointments for you to go to.  And you can meet the pediatrician before the birth to get an idea of whether they are on the same page as you.  

JoelsGirl07

Barring complications, I would be there. granted, our pedi is 20 min from us with traffic. I went to every appt last time and I had a CS. I'm the medical pro (RN) in our fam. DH is a SLP and he wouldn't know a healthy baby from a hole in the wall.

pinksweetpea2

My MW said that as long as there were no specific concerns, we could wait 1-2 weeks.  Of course my MW did baby well check every time she came to visit us during the 6 weeks PP, so that might have been the reason for waiting.  

FWIW, we went when Lily was exactly 1 week old.  DH drove, but I was there.  There is no way I would have let him go without me.  

I did try to find a pedi (or family doctor) who does house visits, but they are few and far between these days. 

 

 

SoxChamps

They didn't mention anything like that, but our pedi is only 10 minutes away. I'm sure DH or my mom will go with me. When are you going? If it was 3 days after the birth, it may be too much. But if your MW is doing assessments first and then the appointment is at 1 week, you'll probably feel good by then. I went to DD's and I was recovering from a CS at 1 week,. My mom came with me and we even went out to eat and shopping, and I didn't feel like I over did it.

barnwife

My CNM did all well baby care for the first 6 weeks. We didn't see a pedi (actually a family practice doc.) until 2 months. Well, we did see one dr. before that due to J. spitting up blood and my CNM wanting a second opinion.

I wouldn't want to miss the appt. I guess an important question is when it is. I was on modified bedrest after J.'s birth. (My CNM gave me the choice of stitches for my tear or modified bedrest. I chose bedrest.) I know that I couldn't move without pain for 1 1/2 weeks after J was born. That is, standing, sitting, walking all caused pain for that long. Then it slowly subsided.

I would go to the appt. if I was feeling up to it.

~adamwife~

My MWs never mentioned it.  I had to go to the doctor 48 hours after my last vaginal birth and then directly to the lab for bloodwork with my newborn because of jaundice.  I never felt like I was overexerting myself.

I will take LO to the doc 48 hours after this birth too because of my babies' histories of jaundice requiring bilirubin machines.

mesr

after my homebirth, the midwives required that we take dd to the pediatrician within 48 hours.  although i had lost a lot of blood and was in pretty bad shape, the midwives never said anything to me about missing the visit.  i just timed my one allotted trip downstairs that day with the trip to the pedi.  

to be honest though, the trip to the pediatrician was actually kind of traumatic for me because they did a heel stick and i was so upset hearing my newborn cry like that.  dh was much better about it.

kesrya

Thanks so much ladies - hearing everyone's experience of how they felt at 48 hours has been helpful.  I can understand now why my MW would recommend against it.  I think I will play it by ear and see how I feel.  My mother is a retired OBGYN nurse and will still be in town then, so if need be I can send her with my husband.  Like someone else mentioned - I am the medical provider in the house, so he doesn't really pay attention to or understand everything from the medical side - he usually defers to me.  I would be disappointed if I couldn't go, but if I'm feeling really drained, it is probably best to keep up my energy for baby returning home.

JimsBride08

I didn't read the rest of the responses, but I was not told anything like that, and there's no way in hell I'd miss that appointment.

LydiaE2

If the doctor is 45 minutes away, your baby will be gone for about 2 hours at the appointment if the doctor is running on time (often not the case).  My DS did not go that long without eating when he was a newborn.  I also didn't pump for about a week, so there would have been no milk for my DH to bring along.  

I was discharged when DS was 48 hours old, DS had a doctor appointment the next day because he was slightly jaundiced and had lost almost a pound.  I went to the appointment and it was no problem.  A bit tiring for DS and I, but we were fine and it certainly didn't cause any issues for my recovery. 

Temp34783000004059

My MW did the newborn care, and left it up to us to decide when we wanted to go in and have our pedi see our son. But at his 2 day visit, what at first appeared to be conehead was discovered to be a cephalohematoma. It was her first ever in her years of practice (totally not common in natural unassisted births), so she strongly recommended we take him to the pedi for it. We did, and I did fine. Honestly, I felt amazing after my son was born and my recovery was a breeze. I did notice that if I was up more and active or not sleeping enough I would see an increase in my bleeding, but that was always my sign to slow down and I had no complications.

At that first appointment, your pedi is going to check baby head to toe, suggest any procedures you skipped at birth that are still relevant, and probably give you a referral for the newborn screen. She may also ask about the birth, about your healing, about breastfeeding, and be paying attention to your reactions to baby and any possible signs of PPD.

*I* wouldn't have wanted to miss that, and part of the reason I gave birth at home was to have uninterrupted time with my baby without people taking him away to test and poke him while I missed him like hell (i.e. what happened after my daughter's hospital birth). So for me, going to the appointments was neither a question nor too difficult.

That said, I think this is your decision and no one else's. I'd play it by ear and see how you're feeling.