Furious with my Pedi!

Angtru18 · May 2011

So, This morning, DS woke up sounding super congested... Poor little guy has been so fussy and sleepy all day. Breaks my heart.

He hasnt gotten worse, and hes not running a fever.. But being a first time mom, and Ive obviously never dealt with a sick baby before.. So, i called the Pedi's after hours line.

When I interviewed my pedi, the FIRST question I asked was "If I have a question, or my son gets sick on a sunday, can you promise that if I call your after hours line, I will get a response sooner rather than later?" Answer was :Oh, absolutely. We try to call everyone back within the hour....

Have a gotten a call back since 9am? NO! I have called back twice, left messages... nothing. I know its not an emergency, and thanks to some responses from my earlier AM post here, I have an idea as to what will help DS... But, Im so mad, I could scream. They are sooo gonna hear this on tuesday morning....

PS- No flames please. I realize everyone deserves a weekend, and its a holiday weekend. But, this is why my pedi has a full staff of nurses as well as other Doctors on staff.

*vent over*

smashasaurus · May 2011

If he isn't the on-call doctor (which he wouldn't have been paged for a sick baby unless it's an emergency), he can't control what the nurses/call-center is currently doing.

It's really not his/her fault at all.

Chicky0727 · May 2011

kdodge423:
1sTimeMom2Ella:

If he isn't the on-call doctor (which he wouldn't have been paged for a sick baby unless it's an emergency), he can't control what the nurses/call-center is currently doing.

It's really not his/her fault at all.

Yep.

And even if they are working on getting back to people, a baby over 12 weeks with a cold probably isn't high on the priority list.

All of this. Give him/her a break.

Angtru18 · May 2011

I guess I should rephrase that. Im not furious with my pedi, as an individual. Im furious with the office. I realize we arent first priority.... But I called 9 hours ago. Im positive they have gotten through the emergency phone calls by now....

MrsN41809 · May 2011

I dont blame you, especially since that is one of the reasons you went with this office. I am going through the same yucky crap with LO and as a first time mom as well I think we are allowed to worry and at least get a call back within a reasonable amount of time!

desibee610 · May 2011

First, I would like to say that apostrophes are your friends, please use them. Secondly, your baby has a minor cold. All in all, not something to be this furious over. No offense, but your baby isn't more important than any other baby. Colds are incurable, you just have to wait them out until they go away. Make sure he has enough fluids, and call up a CVS or other pharmacy to ask if there are any medicines you can give to him to make him more comfortable. That's really all you can do.

TBLilyRose · May 2011

Well, I think you have a right to be upset. One of their services is to be on-call during off hours and they're not fulfilling that, holiday weekend or not. I had to call my OB on Christmas because I was a little nervous with some PP pains I was having and he called me back within 5 minutes, probably in the middle of dinner. Even if it's just a little cold, you're a nervous first time mom and the least they can do is give you a 2-minute courtesy call to reassure you and calm your nerves.

Angtru18 · May 2011

desibee610:
First, I would like to say that apostrophes are your friends, please use them. Secondly, your baby has a minor cold. All in all, not something to be this furious over. No offense, but your baby isn't more important than any other baby. Colds are incurable, you just have to wait them out until they go away. Make sure he has enough fluids, and call up a CVS or other pharmacy to ask if there are any medicines you can give to him to make him more comfortable. That's really all you can do.

Seriously? I was not aware that I had to use my best grammer/punctuation on the bump. You got the point, didnt you?

And Im aware that my baby isnt more important than another, but a courtesy phone call to a 1st time mom wouldve been nice. Exp 9 hours later...

1ht

rocknmum · May 2011

Ours sees kids on Sat and Sun too however that is what happened when S had RSV. We saw a different pedi on Sun he said it was a cold and I called on Mon around 4am and our regular pedi was on call he heard S over the phone and said head straight for the ER, he met us there and stayed in the room with me until we got admitted into our own room for the day/night. I love our pedi and we agree on almost everything.

sarag0116 · May 2011

Someone from that practice should have called you back if that is their policy. It doesn't matter how trivial your situation may seem to them, you have the right to have all of your questions/concerns dealt with.

Megs12411 · May 2011

desibee610:
First, I would like to say that apostrophes are your friends, please use them.

I only found two missing apostrophes. Surely this isn't egregious enough for snark. Compared to some other grammar train wrecks that pop up on the Bump this post is completely legible.

Just sayin'.

(oooh! look! an apostrophe! .............Jokes! just jokes!)

OP:A cold is not an emergency. Nevertheless, I agree that 9 hours without a call back is ridiculous, especially since you pointedly asked them about that policy during your interview.

jcole32444 · May 2011

OMG. I would be pissed. We have called after hours twice. Once we got to talk to our pedi and once an on call nurse. Both times we recieve a call within an hour or sooner. And the time we talked to the doctor she called back later that night to make sure he was doing ok. We have a great pedi. I could be very upset also. What if it was an emergency, what if he had gotten worse. Thats just not right!

jcole32444 · May 2011

desibee610:
First, I would like to say that apostrophes are your friends, please use them. Secondly, your baby has a minor cold. All in all, not something to be this furious over. No offense, but your baby isn't more important than any other baby. Colds are incurable, you just have to wait them out until they go away. Make sure he has enough fluids, and call up a CVS or other pharmacy to ask if there are any medicines you can give to him to make him more comfortable. That's really all you can do.

The point is she shouldnt have to call a pharmacy or get advice here to help her. She picked a pedi because they promisssed to get back with her sooner than later when she had questions and called after hours. Whether it is life threatening or not some one should be there to give her some information. Although there is no cold medicine you can give your LO they could give her some medical advice in helping make her LO feel comfortable and get well faster.

Point is her pedi should be there(or on call whoever). Over 9 hours is to long of a wati!!!

stefsaut · May 2011

You definitely have a reason to be upset! You obviously are reasonable enough to understand a cold is not an emergency. What is the point of an after hours line, if they can't even call you back? My peds office has always been able to get back to me within 30 min, no matter what the problem. There is no reason they couldn't have gotten back to you within a few hours, emergency or not, that is what they are there for!

MissSunny42 · May 2011

I totally agree with you! My LO got his first cold last week, he was all stuffed up, it was horrible! I was so worried and I called my pedi so much, I also brought him in to see her 3 times that week (including Sunday). That is the service a pedi should provide, any PP who says otherwise would be singing a different tune if it was their LO.

EmjayTheHunted · May 2011

Angtru18:
desibee610:
First, I would like to say that apostrophes are your friends, please use them. Secondly, your baby has a minor cold. All in all, not something to be this furious over. No offense, but your baby isn't more important than any other baby. Colds are incurable, you just have to wait them out until they go away. Make sure he has enough fluids, and call up a CVS or other pharmacy to ask if there are any medicines you can give to him to make him more comfortable. That's really all you can do.

Seriously? I was not aware that I had to use my best grammer/punctuation on the bump. You got the point, didnt you?

And Im aware that my baby isnt more important than another, but a courtesy phone call to a 1st time mom wouldve been nice. Exp 9 hours later...

1ht

Don't sweat the apostrophes. I've seen some posts that make you lose IQ points when you read them.

As long as he isn't feverish and having other major issues, I wouldn't be furious, but I do think they should have called back in a timely manner. While I agree that in the doctor's eyes your baby may not take priority over anyone else's, we all know to us, our baby is the most important.

I also know that when I had my first baby, I was a very anxious person about things. Now, I'm on kid #3, and it's old news for most things, but it is my BF's first baby, so he is super nervous too.

I get where you're coming from.

meheron80 · May 2011

I would be very upset if this was my case. I have called after hours two times due to my schedule (I work 3rd shift and often sleep from the normal 9-5 times and don't think about things till after 5pm.

I called one time at 2 weeks when we couldn't keep the goo out of her eyes for more then five minutes - not huge but I got call back in about 10 min (After hrs)

and again a few days ago because her spit-up was increasing to more projectile spit-up with feedings. We got a call in about 10 min, she called the MD and a script was called into CVS within 1/2 hour.

If it is the policy of the practice to have someone answer within the hour then yes you have every right to be upset. If this is not the policy then having to wait for the next day is appropriate. And no question is to trivial when it comes to children (per my daughter MD)

watermellens · May 2011

No, a cold is not an emergency, but a call back after 9 hours should have been made! I would be upset too...

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