Today was a big day for Valeria, we got to meet her new doctor. We will call her Dr. L; Dr. L took over my former physician’s practice/patient roster. Since I was a patient, I was able to register Valeria with her as well. Ideally we would have liked a Pediatrician, but sadly none in our city are accepting patients.
Now, my husband and I were nervous to meet the doctor due to the fact that we have decided not to vaccinate our children. It is a personal choice and we have done extensive research on the subject matter. We just feel it’s what’s best for us and our child/future children. We know it’s not a popular opinion, but I have no judgment against those wanting to vaccinate their children. Again, you do what you think is best and I fully respect that as a parent and just as a human being. Now it is DEFINITELY frowned upon by most medical professionals, we have already run into a few who have looked down on us and our decision. But that is neither here nor there.
We got to the clinic and checked in with the receptionist. A short wait later the nurse called her name, incorrectly (Sigh) and I quickly corrected her. The nursing staff went crazy for her! They kept saying how adorable she was, how well behaved, etc. There was only one nurse there I recognized and we got to talking (I used to work there), however the staff has all changed. The nurse took her height, weight and head circumference, let us know the doctor will be in shortly and off she went out the door.
The Dr. L walked in about five minutes later. A very friendly young female doctor, who greeted us warmly. She instantly said our daughter’s name correctly, even had a bit of an accent. She asked if I was of spanish decent and informed her I was Italian and she mentioned she was half Columbian and that name was very common. She regaled us with a story of her Columbian mother having trouble pronouncing common Columbian names to English pronunciation. We laughed and completely understood and let her know few people actually are able to say her name correctly.
Dr. L proceeded with her assessment of Valeria, as we curiously watched, all the while wondering if she is growing and developing at a good rate. She was so kind and gentle, making her smile and laugh. Seems Valeria really liked her. Since she was close to four months (February 14th – yup Valentine’s Day), she asked a bunch of questions for feeding and milestones, etc. We happily answered and she also showed us her growth percentiles, which was fascinating. She is slightly above for height, measuring at at 24.5 inches and her weight was 14.85 Lbs. We don’t make small kids, plus my husband is 6’3 so I have a strong feeling I’m going to be the shrimp of the family.
Now, the vaccine conversation; I had informed the nurse we weren’t vaccinating and obviously the message was relayed to Dr. L. Who in turn surprised us with her response. She let us know that she full accepts our decision, that there is tons of research out there and if we ever want to discuss it, she will give us the information she has about vaccinations. She also stated that she will never force anything on us, that it’s our bodies and our health and as a doctor she will not judge and only provide us with the best care possible.
At that moment, I knew she was the perfect doctor for us. A kind and understanding physician, those are rare and hard to find these days. I did not have some good experiences with health care providers during COVID, which I mentioned, and she understood. Confirming that wasn’t the first time she heard that. Have any of you had similar experiences? What a weird time it was in our world during COVID.
We ended the appointment with her saying good bye to us, letting us know to book for a six month and then playing with Valeria one last time to get a smile. And out the door she went.
We quickly hurried out the room so they could clean it for the next appointment, stopping at the receptionist to book the next appointment and then we drove home. My husband and I discussed how pleased we were and how professional and understanding Dr. L was. The fact she was so gentle and playful with Valeria as she casually worked in her assessment as she did so. An amazing experience we both agreed.
On the car ride home, Valeria fell asleep, so we got home and put her down for a nap. The rest of the day was busy getting things ready for the weekend since we were headed to my Mother-in-law’s house for our nephew’s birthday.
All in all, it was a pretty great day! Super thrilled with Valeria’s growth and development and the fact we found a wonderful non-judgmental doctor. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience!
Hope you have a fabulous weekend wherever you are in the world.
Ciao!
Mama on the Move 