I was just looking and think I will try the Spectra this time and get the pieces I need to use my Freemie cups with it for work. Being able to set a timer seems useful. I had the PISA last time around. With nothing to compare it with it seemed fine. I never produced much, but I do not blame a pump for that. Last time I just asked the dr for a prescription and then went to the hospital shop and they gave me one and billed insurance. Will be trying an online company this time. Sounds like Byram is one I should check out. Are there any others?
Providing BF-ing/ Pumping are going well when I return to work, do you think it'd be worth getting a 2nd pump? That way I don't have to transport it between home and the office?
All of this talk about 2 pumps is making me wish I had gotten one last pregnancy (it was covered, but my pump from my 1st pregnancy worked fine and I didn't want to be wasteful.)
@nda_roxybabe I recently purchased a PISA beacuse someone was selling it super cheap with a ton of bottles. and she had only used it about 3 times. @kat81 i'm totally still getting the one from my insurance since its free. I'm considering getting the spectra since i really don't know which is better. I figured whichever is better will be for work and the other can stay at home.
I never needed a battery pack so I don't think the extra cost is necessary. Also, check with your tax preparer but your breast feeding expenses should be tax deductible. And don't forget if you have an HSA account you can use that to purchase your supplies/extra tubing!
Married 03.09.09 Sweet Baby H 12.21.11 Sassy Baby P 03.26.14 Little Brother Due 05.22.17
I have gotten a new pump each time. Call your insurance company and they should be able to direct you the best. With the first one.. I HAD to get it through a durable medical supply company, which none in my area carry breast pumps, but we got one company to order one for us.. we also did this the second time around. The third time, we had a different insurance and were able to get the pump from the hospital.
Regarding the car adapter. You can also get a generic adapter that you can plug your pump or anything else into. I've had one for almost a decade and I used it with my PISA. This isn't the one I have, but you get the idea.
Thanks for all the info everyone! I am a teacher and will be going back to work part-time when the school year starts in late August. So I will be getting very close and personal with my pump! I am hoping to get a pump through my insurance. Do you think it's too soon to request one? My good friend highly recommended the Spectra which I am hoping to get. For those of you that are not going through insurance, there are a few different models of the Spectra on Groupon.
Thanks for all the info everyone! I am a teacher and will be going back to work part-time when the school year starts in late August. So I will be getting very close and personal with my pump! I am hoping to get a pump through my insurance. Do you think it's too soon to request one? My good friend highly recommended the Spectra which I am hoping to get. For those of you that are not going through insurance, there are a few different models of the Spectra on Groupon.
It wouldn't hurt to call and ask what the process is so you can start looking up information if you need to. My carrier provides one as early as 28 weeks but some carriers make you wait longer and others not as long.
Me: 38 DH: 36 Married 8/27/2011 BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012 BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014 BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017 BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
Re: 2 pumps, my friend didn't end up pumping very long so she gifted me her closed system. It was wonderful not having to haul the pump back and forth to work.
So out of curiosity I called my insurance and asked them about pumps last night. They cover any pump from anywhere 100%. So of course I already chose the (expensive) one I want and submitted for reimbursement haha. I'm so excited. I got the Madela Pump In Style (metro bag version). And if anyone is looking, Babies R Us had it for $100 cheaper than Walmart/Target/Amazon.
A new revolutary breast pump that is being released in the spring. I'm in awe although I would never fork over that much money. But this is fantastic for moms that EP.
@vrj0522 the spectra is considered hospital grade because there are things that keep the milk from going too far down the tubes and reaching the machine while the pisa isn't a closed system. It is not like a symphony in strength just in multiple user ability. I ebf last pregnancy and I was given two pisas one metro bag one back pack and a third from insurance. Traded a pisa for a spectra s 2 but it didn't feel right. It uses vibration and sucking to make it seem more like a baby than a machine. I just didn't respond to it I guess my ladies like it rough lol. I then traded my spectra for a freestyle and haven't tried it yet but looking forward to it. I really want to rent the symphony this time it's rental is covered if I bring it home from hospital and it's charged under my inpatient stay. Now with the new medela sonata im not sure about anything anymore I read it's closer to the technology of the Medela lactina which isn't made anymore. Sorry for the ramble!
@Yiggle09 - That's so good to know! I've usef a pisa with both my kids and loved it (as much as one can love a breastpump) and I would hate to get it wrong this time. Good to know the difference!
Me: 38 DH: 36 Married 8/27/2011 BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012 BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014 BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017 BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
@vrj0522 the spectra has a great resale value because of the closed system people on my ep trade sell fb group clamour for it while people practically give pisas away
A new revolutary breast pump that is being released in the spring. I'm in awe although I would never fork over that much money. But this is fantastic for moms that EBP.
OMG!! I loved my medela freestyle because it was super small and portable and I did try to treat it as a "pump anywhere" pump but that was still not possible...it was super loud and you still had to use flanges and attachments that popped way out of your body. This pump looks AMAZING. When you said "I would never fork over that much money" and I started reading about it on that link I thought it would be $1000. $430 isn't that much more than I paid for the freestyle (all out of pocket because it was back in 2010). There is a 0% chance this pump is covered by my kind of crappy insurance, but yeah, I'm not going to rule it out.
@pshaortao that pump looks amazing. I wonder about how well it will work. When I initially asked my insurance rep, they made it sound like whatever pump I wanted I could just buy and they would cover 90%. It would be totally worth a try for $43. However I work 12-hr shifts so I'm assuming you'd still have to go and Change out bags or pour into bottles etc. But, less missing pumping sessions for busy days etc.
@pshaortao -- I have never had to EP, but I do work and so I tend to pump a lot. This time around I have a commute (didn't the previous times) and I'd love to pump and drive. I do have a private office and no long shifts of in-person work (plus some autonomy in scheduling when I'm doing things in-person), so in that sense I don't need something like the willow and probably any regular pump would do. But I REALLY enjoyed the portability of the freestyle and definitely did use it for travel. @ShadeofGreen816 if my insurance covered 90% of any pump I would definitely go for this one but unfortunately I'm pretty sure that it will cover a few specific pumps 100% and I'm not going to have that much choice. I'm pretty sure the freestyle won't even be covered and I'm just going to have to hope for a pump with a car adapter if I'm going to fulfill my fantasy to pump in the car. As for your 12-hour shifts, I'm assuming that you could change the bags quickly like when you go to the bathroom to pee, so in that sense perhaps this pump would be a good choice for you.
@kat81 I feel so overwhelmed by pumps! I also need to double check the insurance to see but I think basically it's a "medical expense" and after our deductible everything is 90/10 so I assume I can pick any pump. Just wonder if I can get 2. Now I'm just being greedy!! I'll have to research pumps down the line. Luckily where I work there are so many women that there's ALWAYS a nursing mom on shift and we have a room with a recliner and bathroom and mini fridge that we can pump in. So taking a 15-20 min pump break might be the best part of my day! Hahah
I have just recently seen the articles about the Willow and I already signed up to be emailed when it is available. According to the website, it probably won't be covered by insurance right away but I just might make the investment. There are SO many benefits, it looks amazing. Can't believe 2 men came up with it
@pshaortao I came onto this thread specifically to ask about the Willow. I was looking for the price and couldn't find it in their site. @Iivin541 I also signed up to be notified.
The first time around I had the Medela Freestyle and felt like it never really worked for me. I need to call my insurance and find out what they offer. I'm hoping they will reimburse me for a portion of I buy the Willow.
I would totally take the Willow if my insurance covered it! I'm a SAHM but I can just imagine how much easier it would be to pump while I'm playing with the kids, doing dishes, fixing dinner, etc. And for the working moms that pump sounds amazing!
Married 03.09.09 Sweet Baby H 12.21.11 Sassy Baby P 03.26.14 Little Brother Due 05.22.17
To the mamas excited about the Willow pump - there already is a similar pump on the market and it's covered by some insurance. It's called Freemie. Not as flashy and uses tubes because the actual pump is separate from the collection cups but many nurses, doctors, teachers, and others I know who have to pump on the go a lot are big fans. https://www.freemie.com/index.html
CRAP! I just had my most recent check-up yesterday and I forgot to ask/talk about pumps, a prescription, etc. I had wanted to get the ball rolling on this and now I probably need to wait 4 weeks (I'm sure I could call them up but it makes more sense to do it on the next visit, especially since the baby won't be here any time soon.) I'm just annoyed. And not looking forward to having to call up all of those medical supply places, especially because I now also have a list of 100+ doctors I need to call regarding my son. (He needs to see a child psychiatrist. My insurance lists NO ONE fitting that specialty. When I called them about it, they sent me a list of nearly 200 psychiatrists. So now it's on me to call all of them and see if any of them see children. And I bet the answer is no. I bet my insurance doesn't cover child psychiatry at all, which is driving me up the wall.)
@kat81: Maybe try going about it in the opposite direction? Find some potential therapists first, then see if they can bill your insurance, rather than make a ridiculous amount of cold calls. Try these searches:
In my experience, psychologists/social workers/therapists will work with people to take advantage of what their insurance covers, and to bill those insurance co's appropriately, as well as offer patients sliding scale payments. These folks would rather see people get the treatment they need (at the price they can afford), then go without, or be additionally mentally burdened by not being able to pay.
Also: (And I'm assuming no mental-health-appointment-experience on your part, but forgive me if you already know this!) Most practitioners offer a complimentary/free initial consultation. I say to set up 3 or 4 appointments with various folks (because you have soooo much time on your hands to do so?) (but it's worth the time and efforts to find the right fit!) to get a sense of their interview style, personality, if they cover the very-specific issues you need addressed, and even things like office location (travel time, traffic patterns) and parking and what their office looks like (cozy? sterile? modern?)---seeing these things in person can make a huge difference in how a child (or anyone) responds to treatment/discussions. In-person initial meetings can be super helpful. Good luck!
@kat81: Maybe try going about it in the opposite direction? Find some potential therapists first, then see if they can bill your insurance, rather than make a ridiculous amount of cold calls. Try these searches:
In my experience, psychologists/social workers/therapists will work with people to take advantage of what their insurance covers, and to bill those insurance co's appropriately, as well as offer patients sliding scale payments. These folks would rather see people get the treatment they need (at the price they can afford), then go without, or be additionally mentally burdened by not being able to pay.
Also: (And I'm assuming no mental-health-appointment-experience on your part, but forgive me if you already know this!) Most practitioners offer a complimentary/free initial consultation. I say to set up 3 or 4 appointments with various folks (because you have soooo much time on your hands to do so?) (but it's worth the time and efforts to find the right fit!) to get a sense of their interview style, personality, if they cover the very-specific issues you need addressed, and even things like office location (travel time, traffic patterns) and parking and what their office looks like (cozy? sterile? modern?)---seeing these things in person can make a huge difference in how a child (or anyone) responds to treatment/discussions. In-person initial meetings can be super helpful. Good luck!
Thank you so much for all of this! We have also made the decision to start with the practitioners, and then see if anyone takes insurance, which they probably do not. And I have this crazy idea as well. Given that the wait time is always so long anyway, we might try to use the birth of the baby as a "life event" excuse to switch from HMO to PPO in May, and then we'll end up being able to have more things covered. Right now 0% is covered if not in network. So we could be paying $500/hr or whatever for a psychiatrist. But if we went with PPO, I know the network is bigger, and I think that even if you do see people out of network there is a percentage that is still covered. I'd have to work out the math for the higher monthly premium and whatnot and see what option is cheaper (and what will get him to high quality treatment asap.) We could always switch in May and then switch back in August, because my husband's job will be over then. He'll either have a new position or he'll be unemployed (hopefully not!) but either way it is another life event before regular open enrollment.
That is interesting about the complimentary initial consultation. We have used one therapist not on insurance and she didn't offer this, neither did the non-insurance social skills groups we've done. But maybe it's because I didn't ask? The insurance ones also didn't offer this option, but less of a big deal. I will look into it for sure, though.
Oh and to add -- so yes, we have been seeing psychologists, but now the step is to try to find a psychiatrist because the pediatrician really thinks that medication might have a big impact. I'm starting to think yes.
@kat81 I'm going to add in my two cents since I work for county mental health. We do not offer free initial consultations, and I'm not sure of other public or private agencies that do, so I'm not sure I would bank on that. Is it possible to see a therapist LCSW or LMSW instead of a psychiatrist? Or would the psychiatrist be in addition to the psychologist that he currently sees? Obviously the higher up the diploma the more they might charge out of pocket. Also, if you go to a larger agency (community agency or county agency) there will likely be people to do the mental health treatment and then the medication management piece as well. You could also look into Nurse Practitioners who specialize in child mental health medication management. They would also be less out of pocket cost than a psychiatrist. If you do decide to move forward with a psychiatrist, you would definitely want someone who has a background in child psychiatry as opposed to adult or general psychiatry. I do fee that often the needs of children/adolescents are different than that of adults or young adults. Also, in some cases if the medication needs are not as significant (ADHD, mild depression, anxiety) some primary care doctors or pediatricians are willing to cover the medication needs even though they are mental health based. Primary Care Doctors sometimes are willing to take over medication management from a prescriber (psychiatrist or nurse practitioner) once that prescriber has done the work to diagnose and stabilize the child/adolescent. Obviously if you are looking at more heavy duty medications (anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers) you might want to meet with someone who has a more specialized knowledge in that information. I hope some of that was helpful!
@kat81 Did your pediatrician not give you any referrals to a child psychiatrist? I know when I worked for a pediatric office, we had a referral coordinator that had recommendations for what seemed like everything. Even though your insurance may not actually need the referral, you could still ask to speak to someone at your pediatricians office. Then maybe they can give you a list of names and you can narrow down your insurance list. I can't even begin to imagine how overwhelming a list of 200 providers is!
Married 03.09.09 Sweet Baby H 12.21.11 Sassy Baby P 03.26.14 Little Brother Due 05.22.17
@kat81 Did your pediatrician not give you any referrals to a child psychiatrist? I know when I worked for a pediatric office, we had a referral coordinator that had recommendations for what seemed like everything. Even though your insurance may not actually need the referral, you could still ask to speak to someone at your pediatricians office. Then maybe they can give you a list of names and you can narrow down your insurance list. I can't even begin to imagine how overwhelming a list of 200 providers is!
The pediatrician told me to find a list covered by insurance and then they would tell us who is good and who is not. My insurance is kind of so-so, so them coming up with a list to start might not have worked, although it did help us find someone to do a neuropsych test last year.
BUT -- GREAT news update -- I told his psychologist about the plan to get a psychiatrist and lamented that it could take a while to find one covered by insurance, get on a list, etc. She was like, "there are two at our center. Just make an appointment with one of them." !!!! I'm so mad at my insurance because the search function is SO piss poor. I've had the same problem myself when selecting a PCP. I'm currently matched to someone who is kind of far away when there are tons of doctors and a hospital much closer to me. The search function turned up a handful of closer hits than what I have, but when I selected one officially and went to make an appointment, the place was like, "we stopped honoring that insurance years ago." So I went through the list and before selecting them officially made calls, and this was true of several others on the list, or the numbers on the list were disconnected (i.e. the person was no longer in practice, at least not at that location.) It is pretty appalling how bad the search function is. I'm just glad I won't have to go through that list of 200 names, though I do wish I could have more choices than the two people available through the center where my kid sees a psychologist. Like, I hope that whomever we're signed up with is actually good.
@kat81 I'm going to add in my two cents since I work for county mental health.
Yay, thanks!
Is it possible to see a therapist LCSW or LMSW instead of a psychiatrist? Or would the psychiatrist be in addition to the psychologist that he currently sees?
The psychiatrist would be in addition. The goal now is to seek medication. We have been in therapy and that's great but the pediatrician recommends medication and at this point I agree. The therapy isn't bad or anything but it's not getting us where we need to be and I just have a gut feeling that medication might help (as does the med-shy pedi.)
Obviously the higher up the diploma the more they might charge out of pocket. Also, if you go to a larger agency (community agency or county agency) there will likely be people to do the mental health treatment and then the medication management piece as well.
So this is the great news from the therapist appointment this week -- we ARE getting the therapy out of a center and they DO have two psychiatrists on staff!!! So we're going to be able to see one in a few weeks! See my vent above regarding my insurance and its search function (calling does not help, as that is what I did last time.)
You could also look into Nurse Practitioners who specialize in child mental health medication management. They would also be less out of pocket cost than a psychiatrist.
I would be totally into this. I'm very in favor of NPs in general. I *think* we might have a solution, but if it doesn't work out I will definitely see if I can find someone who fits this bill. The challenge is figuring out how to search for one, but this is a great idea!
If you do decide to move forward with a psychiatrist, you would definitely want someone who has a background in child psychiatry as opposed to adult or general psychiatry. I do feel that often the needs of children/adolescents are different than that of adults or young adults.
You don't need to tell me this twice...or even once. My dad is an adult psychiatrist and the extent to which we've involved my parents in this (i.e. just by telling them what's going on and also helping them interact with my son--they need lots of help with this), I do not feel as though my dad has had good advice at all. I feel terrible saying that, but he's a really bad combination of feeling like he's an expert in this but not knowing what he's talking about because it's not his child and it's not his specialty. This is one reason that the 200-name list was so daunting because they were general psychiatry so I knew I'd have to weed out nearly all of them for not being expert enough in young children.
Also, in some cases if the medication needs are not as significant (ADHD, mild depression, anxiety) some primary care doctors or pediatricians are willing to cover the medication needs even though they are mental health based. Primary Care Doctors sometimes are willing to take over medication management from a prescriber (psychiatrist or nurse practitioner) once that prescriber has done the work to diagnose and stabilize the child/adolescent. Obviously if you are looking at more heavy duty medications (anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers) you might want to meet with someone who has a more specialized knowledge in that information. I hope some of that was helpful!
Yes, this is very helpful. The pediatrician did say this -- he'd be willing to prescribe immediately (that day!) if it had been ADHD, but based on what we said he didn't think it was quite that. Neither do we. I think there is considerable overlap with ADHD, but the pediatrician said that sometimes with these mood problems, the ADHD meds can make it worse, not better. So he wanted someone else to get that process underway. I do think that anxiety is a large root of it as well as perhaps mild depression. I truly doubt anti-psychotics will be warranted. So it's good to know that once someone else gets us started, our pedi might be able to take over the management of it. I guess I'd have to ask him when we get to that point.
We are actually quite meds-shy, especially my husband, but my husband was so receptive to all of this. We haven't made any decisions yet, but we are definitely moving forward with having the psychiatrist evaluate DS.
@kat81 I'm so glad things are working out!! I'm glad to hear that your current psychologist has a psychiatrist in the same agency so that they can work closely and collaboratively on their treatment of your son. I find that in those situations the treatment is more streamlined and focused as everyone can communicate easier. Hopefully the psychiatric assessment gives you all some answers and direction so that you can move forward positively!
Re: Breast pumps and insurance
DS2 5/17
#3 Due 9/20
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
Little Brother Due 05.22.17
DS1 -6/25/11
DS2 -3/23/13
Missed MC D&C 8/26/14
DD - 8/26/15
LO#4 due 5/30/17
https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-110V-Power-Inverter-Ports/dp/B003Q54V88/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1483651354&sr=8-2&keywords=car+plug+adapter+outlet
May17 Siggy Challenge
Labor
Married 06/26/10
TTC Since December 2014
Diagnosis: anovulatory cycles
IUI #1: 04/17/16 (100mg Clomid & Ovidrel) = BFN
IUI #2: 05/14/16 (100 mg Clomid) = BFN
IUI #3: 06/11/16 (100mg Clomid)= BFN
IUI #4: 07/12/16 (Non-medicated) = BFN
IVF#1: 08/28/16 = BFP!
Baby Girl Coming 05/21/17
Married 8/27/2011
BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012
BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w
BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014
BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d
BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017
BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
Married 8/27/2011
BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012
BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w
BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014
BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d
BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017
BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
11.2011 - DS1
02.2013 - loss at 6 wks
06.2014 - DS2
10.2015 - loss at 12 wks
03.2017 - DD
ETA : that most insurance companies cover.
1/7/2015 Twins born @ 34 weeks
https://www.scarymommy.com/willow-smart-breast-pump/?utm_source=FB
ETA: I totally meant EP not EBP lol. Im so used to saying EBF.
I ebf last pregnancy and I was given two pisas one metro bag one back pack and a third from insurance. Traded a pisa for a spectra s 2 but it didn't feel right. It uses vibration and sucking to make it seem more like a baby than a machine. I just didn't respond to it I guess my ladies like it rough lol. I then traded my spectra for a freestyle and haven't tried it yet but looking forward to it. I really want to rent the symphony this time it's rental is covered if I bring it home from hospital and it's charged under my inpatient stay.
Now with the new medela sonata im not sure about anything anymore I read it's closer to the technology of the Medela lactina which isn't made anymore. Sorry for the ramble!
Married 8/27/2011
BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012
BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w
BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014
BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d
BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017
BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
But yes, it looks incredible and I hope its something that will eventually be covered by insurance later down the road!
@ShadeofGreen816 if my insurance covered 90% of any pump I would definitely go for this one but unfortunately I'm pretty sure that it will cover a few specific pumps 100% and I'm not going to have that much choice. I'm pretty sure the freestyle won't even be covered and I'm just going to have to hope for a pump with a car adapter if I'm going to fulfill my fantasy to pump in the car. As for your 12-hour shifts, I'm assuming that you could change the bags quickly like when you go to the bathroom to pee, so in that sense perhaps this pump would be a good choice for you.
The first time around I had the Medela Freestyle and felt like it never really worked for me. I need to call my insurance and find out what they offer. I'm hoping they will reimburse me for a portion of I buy the Willow.
And for the working moms that pump sounds amazing!
Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
Little Brother Due 05.22.17
https://www.freemie.com/index.html
Edit: iPhone though mamas needed an apostrophe :P
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.goodtherapy.org/find-child-psychologists.html
https://locator.apa.org/
https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/choose-therapist.aspx
https://therapists.psychologytoday.com/
In my experience, psychologists/social workers/therapists will work with people to take advantage of what their insurance covers, and to bill those insurance co's appropriately, as well as offer patients sliding scale payments. These folks would rather see people get the treatment they need (at the price they can afford), then go without, or be additionally mentally burdened by not being able to pay.
Also: (And I'm assuming no mental-health-appointment-experience on your part, but forgive me if you already know this!) Most practitioners offer a complimentary/free initial consultation. I say to set up 3 or 4 appointments with various folks (because you have soooo much time on your hands to do so?) (but it's worth the time and efforts to find the right fit!) to get a sense of their interview style, personality, if they cover the very-specific issues you need addressed, and even things like office location (travel time, traffic patterns) and parking and what their office looks like (cozy? sterile? modern?)---seeing these things in person can make a huge difference in how a child (or anyone) responds to treatment/discussions. In-person initial meetings can be super helpful. Good luck!
That is interesting about the complimentary initial consultation. We have used one therapist not on insurance and she didn't offer this, neither did the non-insurance social skills groups we've done. But maybe it's because I didn't ask? The insurance ones also didn't offer this option, but less of a big deal. I will look into it for sure, though.
Oh and to add -- so yes, we have been seeing psychologists, but now the step is to try to find a psychiatrist because the pediatrician really thinks that medication might have a big impact. I'm starting to think yes.
I'm going to add in my two cents since I work for county mental health.
We do not offer free initial consultations, and I'm not sure of other public or private agencies that do, so I'm not sure I would bank on that.
Is it possible to see a therapist LCSW or LMSW instead of a psychiatrist? Or would the psychiatrist be in addition to the psychologist that he currently sees? Obviously the higher up the diploma the more they might charge out of pocket. Also, if you go to a larger agency (community agency or county agency) there will likely be people to do the mental health treatment and then the medication management piece as well. You could also look into Nurse Practitioners who specialize in child mental health medication management. They would also be less out of pocket cost than a psychiatrist. If you do decide to move forward with a psychiatrist, you would definitely want someone who has a background in child psychiatry as opposed to adult or general psychiatry. I do fee that often the needs of children/adolescents are different than that of adults or young adults.
Also, in some cases if the medication needs are not as significant (ADHD, mild depression, anxiety) some primary care doctors or pediatricians are willing to cover the medication needs even though they are mental health based. Primary Care Doctors sometimes are willing to take over medication management from a prescriber (psychiatrist or nurse practitioner) once that prescriber has done the work to diagnose and stabilize the child/adolescent. Obviously if you are looking at more heavy duty medications (anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers) you might want to meet with someone who has a more specialized knowledge in that information.
I hope some of that was helpful!
Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
Little Brother Due 05.22.17
BUT -- GREAT news update -- I told his psychologist about the plan to get a psychiatrist and lamented that it could take a while to find one covered by insurance, get on a list, etc. She was like, "there are two at our center. Just make an appointment with one of them." !!!! I'm so mad at my insurance because the search function is SO piss poor. I've had the same problem myself when selecting a PCP. I'm currently matched to someone who is kind of far away when there are tons of doctors and a hospital much closer to me. The search function turned up a handful of closer hits than what I have, but when I selected one officially and went to make an appointment, the place was like, "we stopped honoring that insurance years ago." So I went through the list and before selecting them officially made calls, and this was true of several others on the list, or the numbers on the list were disconnected (i.e. the person was no longer in practice, at least not at that location.) It is pretty appalling how bad the search function is. I'm just glad I won't have to go through that list of 200 names, though I do wish I could have more choices than the two people available through the center where my kid sees a psychologist. Like, I hope that whomever we're signed up with is actually good.
Yay, thanks!
The psychiatrist would be in addition. The goal now is to seek medication. We have been in therapy and that's great but the pediatrician recommends medication and at this point I agree. The therapy isn't bad or anything but it's not getting us where we need to be and I just have a gut feeling that medication might help (as does the med-shy pedi.)
So this is the great news from the therapist appointment this week -- we ARE getting the therapy out of a center and they DO have two psychiatrists on staff!!! So we're going to be able to see one in a few weeks! See my vent above regarding my insurance and its search function (calling does not help, as that is what I did last time.)
I would be totally into this. I'm very in favor of NPs in general. I *think* we might have a solution, but if it doesn't work out I will definitely see if I can find someone who fits this bill. The challenge is figuring out how to search for one, but this is a great idea!
You don't need to tell me this twice...or even once. My dad is an adult psychiatrist and the extent to which we've involved my parents in this (i.e. just by telling them what's going on and also helping them interact with my son--they need lots of help with this), I do not feel as though my dad has had good advice at all. I feel terrible saying that, but he's a really bad combination of feeling like he's an expert in this but not knowing what he's talking about because it's not his child and it's not his specialty. This is one reason that the 200-name list was so daunting because they were general psychiatry so I knew I'd have to weed out nearly all of them for not being expert enough in young children.
Yes, this is very helpful. The pediatrician did say this -- he'd be willing to prescribe immediately (that day!) if it had been ADHD, but based on what we said he didn't think it was quite that. Neither do we. I think there is considerable overlap with ADHD, but the pediatrician said that sometimes with these mood problems, the ADHD meds can make it worse, not better. So he wanted someone else to get that process underway. I do think that anxiety is a large root of it as well as perhaps mild depression. I truly doubt anti-psychotics will be warranted. So it's good to know that once someone else gets us started, our pedi might be able to take over the management of it. I guess I'd have to ask him when we get to that point.
We are actually quite meds-shy, especially my husband, but my husband was so receptive to all of this. We haven't made any decisions yet, but we are definitely moving forward with having the psychiatrist evaluate DS.
Hopefully the psychiatric assessment gives you all some answers and direction so that you can move forward positively!