A pediatrician vent!!!!

[Happy Snowman]

At least here in Canada, specialists (including pediatricians) are paid quite a bit more than family doctors. So it saves our system money to see a regular family doctor.

Plus, most people stop doing "well" visits in the preschool years and just see the doctor with their children if they need to. It seems like such an unnecessary cost to be required to go to the doctor when it's really not needed.

Sounds like the systems are set up very differently!

Most people stop doing frequent "well visits" in preschool too, however, having an annual physical is a good idea and should be done, well, annually. I'll take the better care and freedom to choose drs, thanks.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Most people stop doing frequent "well visits" in preschool too, however, having an annual physical is a good idea and should be done, well, annually. I'll take the better care and freedom to choose drs, thanks.

Agree 100%.

 

[msjprincess]

Most people stop doing frequent "well visits" in preschool too, however, having an annual physical is a good idea and should be done, well, annually. I'll take the better care and freedom to choose drs, thanks.

I agree. My kids are never sick so the only time they go to the doctor is for their yearly check up. there have been issue that have come up during their physicals that wouldn't have been caught if they hadn't gone in for a check up.

 

[mnrose]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

And while the way the doc presented may not have been the most diplomatic, I can see his point.

The OP's child is 4. The average age for a female 4 year old is 34 pounds. 7 pounds is not trivial for a 4 year old.

 

[OurBigTrip]

The OP's child is 4. The average age for a female 4 year old is 34 pounds. 7 pounds is not trivial for a 4 year old.

I know - that's why I said I agree.

 

[Arkansan]

Also shots are given at well visits. Many times immunization a cannot be given if the child is sick. This would especially be true for a 5 yr old, as she likely needs shots prior to starting school.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The OP's child is 4. The average age for a female 4 year old is 34 pounds. 7 pounds is not trivial for a 4 year old.

And I don't know if people missed this, posted by the OP in response to this:

Maybe I am reading way to much into the OP's 1st post. Why mention that she LOVES mac-n-cheese if she only gets it at her aunts house? Then say the only thing they do at these visits is weight them AND ask what they have been eating?

Again I could be reading way to much into it, but it seems to me you feel guilty that maybe you haven't been making the best choices for her lately and your are embarrassed at what might come out at the appointment and are looking for an additional month to correct the issue. I could be 100% wrong, but that is the vibe I got from the original post.

OP you do not have to answer this, but do either you or your DH have a weight problem as well?

DH use to, but he lost it all and is now in excellent health. Yes, I unfortunately do. I know I'm not the best example to my DD. ....

No judgement, OP. But this may be part of the doctor's concern.

Influences on Child Eating and Weight Development From a Behavioral Genetics Standpoint

People mention the stigma of going to the doctor for weight checks, but equally, if not more, stigma, comes from being ridiculed for weight by others.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Wow, no wonder the US system is so expensive!

Huh? Yearly visits are designed to keep people healthy and catch any small problems before they become big problems.

In the case of children, yes, children normally go to pediatricians and they can follow them for many years - ours said up until age 26, if so desired. Yearly visits enable a healthy relationship with medical professionals to form so that when our children are teens and/or young adults, they are comfortable talking to doctors about things. (And we all know why that's important.)

Many feel that regular health maintenance keeps costs DOWN, actually, which is where the concept of HMO comes from. (Most having no out of pocket costs for yearly exams.)

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It's called customer service.

Any medical establishment that feels it is okay to talk poorly to a patient and set then in their place needs to consider that customer service is part of their duty

So when you apologized for your behavior -- was it only after the office treated you rudely and you felt you deserved their rude conduct?

Because if they returned the attitude, they would have been wrong to do so.

Call me crazy--but I expect that if you work with people, it is your duty to be the bigger person. Does that excuse a patient or customer from mistreating you? No--but unless a threat exists, you handle the person professionally. Reacting poorly is a poor reflection of the customer service and should never be tolerated

No, she wasn't rude, and I didn't think I deserved it - I considered it a miscommunication. In other words, we weren't connecting in our communications - I was saying something and it felt to me she wasn't hearing it. So I had to be forceful about it, in the form of, "Wait, did you hear what I said. This is something that needs to be taken care of right away, not a month from now!" Further along in the conversation, she understood. And once she did, and was nice about it, I apologized for being forceful. But she got it. And as I said, she smiled and seemed happy to see me, so in the end, it was a successful communication.

I get that professionals are supposed to be professional. Naturally. But when you're working with someone to try to help them and they turn around and tell you what you're doing is a waste of time, then many would tell you to go take a hike, then, especialy if they're having a bad day. Or, they could be more passive agressive about it and not actually "say" anything, but otherwise be done with you. It happens in every service line probably more than we know. Not saying it's right, necessarily. just that it happens.

 

[Disneyland1084]

And I don't know if people missed this, posted by the OP in response to this:




No judgement, OP. But this may be part of the doctor's concern. s.

Thanks. And I know my DD's pediatrician is thinking "No wonder this girl is heavy" at her appointments. But that is NOT why I don't want to go for the weight check in Dec. I'm actually a closet eater. I don't eat a lot in front of my kids, I do so in private. The problem with DD is I think her portions are too big, and I'm working on that. A few minutes ago she wanted cookies, but instead I gave her sliced apples.

 

[spacemountainmom]

I would dump this pediatrician as well. I can't imagine that the weight check can't wait another month unless there is a major concern. The doctor has not communicated with the OP that he has a major concern and the blood work was normal.

My kids would always gain weight just prior to a growth spurt. According to my MIL, their dad was the same way.

It sounds like quite a bit of overreaction.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I would dump this pediatrician as well. I can't imagine that the weight check can't wait another month unless there is a major concern. The doctor has not communicated with the OP that he has a major concern and the blood work was normal.

My kids would always gain weight just prior to a growth spurt. According to my MIL, their dad was the same way.

It sounds like quite a bit of overreaction.

My doc used to say to my son, "Better tell Mom to buy new pants, you are about to have a growth spurt. "

 

[Happy Snowman]

I would dump this pediatrician as well. I can't imagine that the weight check can't wait another month unless there is a major concern. The doctor has not communicated with the OP that he has a major concern and the blood work was normal.

My kids would always gain weight just prior to a growth spurt. According to my MIL, their dad was the same way.

It sounds like quite a bit of overreaction.

but not 7 lbs at 4 years old....

 

[Skippy918]

When the doctor said 7lbs overweight, what was it 7 lbs from? The 99th percentile? Looking at the cdc chart, the 95th percentile for weight at 4 1/2 is 48lbs. Is she more than that?

http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41c022.pdf

 

[Disneyland1084]

When the doctor said 7lbs overweight, what was it 7 lbs from? The 99th percentile? Looking at the cdc chart, the 95th percentile for weight at 4 1/2 is 48lbs. Is she more than that?

http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41c022.pdf

47lbs

 

[spacemountainmom]

My kids were both big babies. DD was 8lbs, 13oz and DS was 10lbs, 3oz. They both weighed 20lbs at their 4 month check up. Both of them were off the charts in height and weight for years. The peds were not concerned since they were proportional. They are now 19 and 15 and fall within normal weight parameters for their heights.

OP's daughter is close to the top for weight, maybe she is close to the top for height as well?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

47lbs

So she is just shy of 95th percentile for 4 year olds.
What was her height in comparison?

 

[MSLRAC]

So she is just shy of 95th percentile for 4 year olds.
What was her height in comparison?

She's also getting close to turning 5 correct? I don't see the issue at all unless her height is totally out of proportion.

 

[mnrose]

So she is just shy of 95th percentile for 4 year olds.
What was her height in comparison?

Actually, she is at the 98th percentile for weight (assuming she is roughly 4 years and 10 months old, since OP says she is having her 5 year check up in January). Yes, height does make a difference. However, I'm going to give the doctor SOME credit and figure out that if he's concerned, the child is not extremely tall for her age. Could be, but I'll be any doctor worth anything knows that connection.

 

[aprilgail2]

DS8 was a failure to thrive baby and we needed to go to the pediatrician for weight checks. First it was weekly, then it was monthly, then every 3 mos,, then every 6 mos, etc. until he was about 2. We saw the dr each time and we were never charged a copay for those visits.

My daughter was premature and then gained a little weight and then lost it and fell "off the chart" so we had to go for monthly weight checks- we paid a co-payment each time but that may have been because I broke all her vaccinations up and only let them give her one per visit so each weight check visit they would give a shot. I just couldn't see pumping 2 and three shots at a time into a tiny little body when they could just as easily been broken up to one a month.

If I was in OP's position there is no way I would be taking a healthy 4 year old in for weight checks simply because they were 7 pounds overweight, especially since the blood work came back normal. I would have her signed up for something like "my gym" that is fun and take walks with her on my own-I don't need someone policing my child like that if there is no medical reason. This year the school sent home a form to get filled out from the Dr stating my childs BMI, if she has pre-diabetes, pre high blood pressure and a bunch of other questions related to her weight- I sent it back and wrote "refuse to give this information, it is between Me, My child and her Dr., not the school". I also told her that if they try to weigh her in school she is to refuse, it is not their business. And before anyone thinks it is because she is an overweight child -my daughter is 15- 5'0" and weighs 88 pounds- she is perfectly in proportion.