Obviously, we became parents in Iowa, with pediatricians trained at Iowa. I've always heard from Cheryl that different places have different ways of doing medicine, and I'm beginning to notice a few differences between Iowa and Texas...and I don't like it.
First, I've heard from multiple friends here that their newborns get their temperature taken rectally. This NEVER happened in Iowa. This will NOT happen with the new baby. It causes too much discomfort for the infant and I don't know why anyone insists on taking temperatures that way- they can just do the math with the armpit or the ear.
Second, I'm a little uncomfortable with the way some doctors appear not to be distinguishing between healthy weight gain for formula and breastfed babies. They're different; they gain their weight back different...yet it seems like my friends here are coming back to the doctor's office for weight checks more than we ever had to in Iowa. After our one-week check-up, when Katie hadn't regained her birth weight, we came in at three weeks, which is usual. The doctors never seemed concerned about the rate she was gaining- in fact, they went by her demeanor and diaper output more than her weight (which, BTW, can be wrong because sometimes they don't weigh them right). I just think that ultimately, concentrating so much on weight gain so early discourages breastfeeding. I know failure to thrive can indicate serious health problems, but why was it no big deal in Iowa, yet it seems to be emphasized so much here?
Anyways, I'm wondering what other people's experiences are with pediatricians and a new baby. I might be overgeneralizing here, but I'm hearing the same story with different friends. Luckily, this won't be our first rodeo- we'll be more informed with this baby and know more what to expect.
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