Hi All,
While I am distressingly behind in my reading I must tell you of my latest
encounter with our Pediatrician.  This one I did not handle so well...but
you will understand why.

PJ was the recipient of a forceful shove out of our sandbox on Tuesday
evening (thank you big brother Ben) and landed on the back of his head on
cement.  From my hussbands accounting there was quite a thud, PJ was dazed,
didn't cry much, was rather lethargic for about 15 minutes, then seemed to
shake himself out of it and went and played.  That night he woke us up twice
with vomiting, and it was clear to me that he had a concussion.  I took him
in to the Dr who wanted me to rush PJ to the ER for a CT scan, telling me
the usual horror stories, to which I got all worked up and panicky (the only
symptom he had was the vomiting at night, other than that he is fine).  Then
Dr tells me that he could simply have a stomach flu, and that if I wanted I
could wait several hours (2-24) and observe him.  During this time, I should
only give him clear fluids, water and apple juice, NO BREASTFEEDING.
"Excuse me?" I say.  There is no way I can deny my child BF.  The Dr says I
have to (this is a guy who is normally supportive of BF, he knows I am a
CLE) to see if it is a stomach flu or if it the concussion making him vomit.
????  This made absolutely no sense to me, and I told him so.  I told him
(with an irritated "don't give me this crap" tone) that if it was a stomach
flu, the last thing he needed was to be drinking non-nutrititive liquids
that would not do anything to soothe and heal his gut, and if it was the
concussion and he was having bleeding into his brain the last thing he
needed was to get upset and into hysterical screaming fits wanting to BF and
being denied which would only serve to cause further trauma to an already
possibly injured brain. (at which point PJ started to cry and yank at my
shirt asking to nurse, which I did.)
Then I told him that I would watch PJ and decide on my own if he needed to
go the ER, and if I felt he did, I would take him, otherwise we would be
going home to BF, thank you very much.  So I took PJ to see my physical
therapist, who does craio sacral, she worked on his head which was really
out of whack, and he is doing MUCH better.  Still is vomiting a bit, but
getting better, and when awake is totally his normal little self.

OK, now, which on of you Peds out there is willing to help get some frequent
flyer miles?  I am tired of having to defend BF every time I turn around to
Pediatricians who ought to know better.  It is just amazing to me, and it
shouldn't be, that BF is always the first thing to go with some people.
Now, to find a new Ped...

Jay
sigh...maybe someday, all Drs will be as smart as the ones we have on Lactnet.
Jay Simpson, CLE
Sacramento, CA
"No Miracles performed here, just a lot of love and hard work."