Hi parents! Quick question, have you ever had a great appointment with a pediatrician or specialist for your child and you really felt heard and understood? I felt this way at my son and daughter’s well child checks this past month! I have been blessed with an amazing pediatrician who sits and listens and lets me ask all my questions without judgement! I don’t feel rushed or pushed aside at all!
I bring this up because I have had the opposite experience as well. As a parent with Connor when he was younger, I saw a specialist who I feel made me feel uncomfortable for asking questions and pushing for what I thought he needed, even though I had the research to back up what I was asking. After a few visits, we stopped going to this provider and got a second opinion. As soon as we were seen by the new specialist, I felt validated as they sat down and answered every question and validated my feelings as a parent. I was frustrated with myself for staying with the other provider for so many appointments, but I was worried I would not have a different experience somewhere else. Since then, if I do not feel I was heard or my personality does not go with a provider, I will go see someone else.
As a parent, you know your child best and you are with them the most, so often, your concerns are legitimate, and you want what is best for them! Pediatricians and specialists go into their profession to help people as well, but there are often personalities that just don’t match, and THAT IS OKAY! Not everyone will get along with everyone, but you NEED to feel comfortable and heard when it comes to your child! If that is not the case, please reach out to someone (even if it’s in the same company) and see if his/her personality matches yours better. You deserve to feel heard and be explained things in an understanding way with your concerns. We often hear that families have had concerns for a while, but they were pushed aside for so long and then a few years later, it was a bigger problem. This is often because your child may “check the boxes”, but with a closer look, there are underlying things that impact how development may continue. This is not your fault or the pediatricians! Again, if this happens and you continue to have concerns, reach out to us and we can help connect you to who you need!
I hope this helps you feel inspired if you are not comfortable to find someone who you feel validated by!
~Amber