confused by how checkups went

I really love our pedi & their whole office.....when the kids are sick, or if I'm worried about the slightest thing they always call me back, never act like I'm overreacting & are just great. I just feel like when we go in for checkups, though, the dr doesn't ask a lot of questions & I'm just wondering if this is common?

We just had the 15 mos checkup, and the dr came in, said hi to the kids, etc, etc, and then said, "So tell me about J & Z." Which, of course I could go on & on but I just wasn't sure exactly what he wanted to know. So I mentioned the highlights - J just started taking a few steps, Z started crawling about a month ago, still in PT but they're very happy with how she's doing & then I listed a few of the words they're saying. And, apart from asking if they follow instructions OK that was about all he asked. I asked about appropriate activities for this age & he spent a good deal of time listing various local places that have kid-friendly things to do......but he didn't ask about stuff that I thought he would. Didn't ask if they were still taking a bottle (which they do), or how much milk they're getting, I'm almost sure he didn't look at their teeth, just in general didn't hardly ask me anything.

Now I know a friend of mine says her pedi is kind of the same way, he more observes the kids while they're in the office rather than asking. And of course, my pedi did ask me if there was anything I had concerns about.....and since I'm not really worried about them, I think they're doing fine, it's not like I think he missed something. I just thought it was odd.

For instance, I mentioned to him that Z was still in PT - he didn't ask anything about that, like what kind of exercises she's doing. Do you think he just figured she's in good hands?

I really don't want to change dr's - like I said I love how their whole office is. What I wish we could do is have our old Dr. for checkups & keep the pedi for when they get sick.

 

Do you fill out any paperwork that asks questions about their development? I fill out a questionaire at every well visit that covers all of the development stuff and then she asks me about my responses if anything is not what they are looking for - kwim? I always take a list of questions and be sure to ask them before we leave. My pedi doesn't really ask a ton of questions either, but I think she does a full physical checkup and tells me what I should be seeing them do in the next "stage". I think if I were you I would read ahead of time about what to look for in their age group and then make a big list of questions/topics you want to cover. HTH

 

Mine is the same way, but like PP, we also fill out a questionnaire about developmental things before we go in. He watches them walk, etc. and does look at their teeth. He asks if I have any concerns and we will talk about those. At such a young age, I think it is hard for a pedi to observe our kids "normal" behavior when they are in a drs. office and unsure of things.

Mendy

 

We never filled out a questionaire, and at that age, I think they asked 4-5 specific questions. My ped never asked about how much formula/milk mine ate. I think since they are watching height and weight, unless they jump up or down on their curve, there really isn't a reason to ask, since they are obviously getting what they need. Mine did tell me to switch to milk at 11 1/2 months, since they do an iron test at their 12 month check up, and he needed them on milk first so the test would be accurate.

As they got older, and seen less frequently, more questions are asked.

 

QUOTE(melissao @ Aug 1 2007, 11:04 PM) [snapback]353821[/snapback]
Do you fill out any paperwork that asks questions about their development? I fill out a questionaire at every well visit that covers all of the development stuff and then she asks me about my responses if anything is not what they are looking for - kwim? I always take a list of questions and be sure to ask them before we leave. My pedi doesn't really ask a ton of questions either, but I think she does a full physical checkup and tells me what I should be seeing them do in the next "stage". I think if I were you I would read ahead of time about what to look for in their age group and then make a big list of questions/topics you want to cover. HTH


ditto to this entire post

 

We don't fill out any questionnaires before our appointments, but my pedi definitely asks about what they are eating, what they are doing, saying, etc. At the 15 month appointment he verified with us that they were on whole milk (no formula) and that they were off bottles. He asked about what they ate, how much they ate, stuff like that. He askes what they were doing developmentally and how many words they had.

He does ask about "outstanding" things too...like Grace seeing EI, Grace's PDA, Lily's hemangioma. Things they see other docs/therapists for.

 

Mine is the same exact way. Love her if they're sick and she's very thorough then. But for their well baby visits, I get NOTHING. It's always so frustrating to me. She knows I'm a therapist (SLP) so I think she thinks I'm on top of everything. But these visits are the only opportunities to inform parents of issues. I often think of switching too for this reason.

 

DH & I are pretty educated about babies/toddlers/childrens' development & health - but our pedi always brings up subjects I hadn't thought about. He asks a TON of questions. I fill out a questionnaire & he reviews it with me. He asks me about the twins' relationship to one another, the type of play they are in to, what they eat, how we all get along at mealtimes, what types of things do they talk about, their bathroom habits, sleep, etc. He is EXTREMELY thorough. He takes a long time listening to their hearts, lungs & palpating their abdomens. He has them walk, run, jump & hop for him. We are in the exam room for about an hour. I think that most pedi can quickly assess how a child is doing & basically they depend on the parents to tell them if anything is awry. As long as your children are developing, growing & happy I wouldn't worry about it.

 

QUOTE(melissao @ Aug 2 2007, 03:04 AM) [snapback]353821[/snapback]
Do you fill out any paperwork that asks questions about their development? I fill out a questionaire at every well visit that covers all of the development stuff and then she asks me about my responses if anything is not what they are looking for - kwim?



No, we don't fill out any paperwork or questionaires. And nothing is sent home with us, either. If I weren't checking with other moms & reading online, I'd have no clue what to expect & what they should be doing!

 

At our well visits, the nurse asks all the questions before the pedi comes in. She has a list that is specific for development at their particular age and goes through it with us. If there is anything unusual, the pedi will discuss it with us. Our pedi does a thorough exam and asks if we have any concerns. She always tells us what to expect in the next stage of development and is more than happy to answer any questions we have. We always leave the office with information on shots that were given and with a sheet that details their height, weight, head circumference, and the development we should be seeing at this stage. We are very happy with our pedi and she is great with the girls.