Two months ago, I was concerned about Inigo and decided to try to find a paediatrician that was sympathetic to, and supportive of breastfeeding. I was worried that his weight gain was a little slow, but I didn’t think that putting him on formula was the answer.
I did some research, and found a woman with a clinic at Westmead called Dr Patricia McVeagh. I had to wait two months for an appointment, and considered cancelling on more than one occasion. The initial consultation was quoted as “up to $300”, so we were obviously a little concerned about spending that much money when we could see the hospital paed for free.
So the 3rd of April comes around, and I hadn’t cancelled the appointment, so we went.
The same morning we also had an appointment with the hospital paediatrician, who said to up the dose of Losec, keep his head elevated for an hour after each feed, and give him rice cereal at his midday feed. I left in tears, mute, unable to express my frustration and powerlessness in the face of his paternalistic manner.
Thank god I had kept the other appointment!
Emily and I had planned to spend the day together, she found me in the waiting room before the second appointment, and she and Josephine were able to mind Inigo while the doctor chatted to me.
She spent ages with me, asked about his entire life story, and said that she doesn’t think he has reflux, that he DOES have a tongue tie, he DOES have a high palate, and she isn’t surprised that I had trouble breastfeeding!
She couldn’t find any obvious reason for his slow weight gain, but since he was the same weight that he had been 4 weeks previously, she is concerned. That one word was both a validation of everything I had been worried about, and an invitation to have all sorts of horrible fears traipse through my head.
The World Health Organisation recommends starting “family foods” (AKA solids) at 6 months, or when your baby shows interest. Starting earlier has long been recommended by doctors concerned about slow weight gain, but it isn’t an answer when you don’t yet know the question. We were sent for a series of blood tests, a urine sample was collected, and I collected a poo sample for pathology the next day.
Josephine was wonderfully supportive and helpful, and Emily was a star – she read the pathology request and interpreted the medical jargon for me. J babysat the boy while Mark and I went out to dinner with Emily and Clare, which was a splendid end to a horribly stressful day. Who better to reassure a paranoid mother than two doctors 🙂
So we have a follow up appointment on thursday, and this time I feel comfortable that I won’t be fobbed off and patronised, and that we WILL get to the bottom of what is happening for my poor skinny little guy.
Disco Knitter 
I’ve said it before – Inigo is lucky to be blessed with such devoted parents… This Doc (surprise surprise – a woman) sounds like she is taking you seriously – I am so glad that some of your stress is starting to be alleviated. give the handsome lad a dramatically smoochie kiss from the fairly odd parent, and tell him I have a camp cuddle toy for him
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Oha! This is what I was thinking about (you know, Germany is always with you ;D), but didn´t I wrote it or not?(Breastfeeding-Dementia!!)
I have heard this very often, breastfeeding problems due to a tongue tie. It would be just a small cut and all problems are gone (heard it, don`t know somebody with such a case).
I am sure that he has no other problem, “just” the problem to get enough out of your breast! Because his tongie tie to short.
So. Thumps are squeezed. You will soon get/know it. Good you haven´t given up and going through those hart times.
Hugs, Eva
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Ooh, I don’t think she mentioned it in her previous post, but my sister’s son had the tongue-tie problem too. They did the cut as mentioned and it worked out fine. Hang in there…
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So glad you’ve found someone you’re happy with – your emotional well being is just as important as Inigo’s health!
All the best to all three of you.
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I’m glad you found someone who is actually being helpful!
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Bloody hell – what a palaver to finally get some constructive information! I’m going through a similar process (mostly via the internet) to try and find a qualified person to help with the lad’s ‘idiosyncrasies’. It is like wading through a morass of disinformation. It’s great that the wait and the fee were worth it.
Good luck.
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Oh I LOVED her!! I met Dr McVeagh at Tresillian and she really helped me get through all sorts of issues with Hamish. I had had a community nurse tell me to drop one of his feeds (from 5 to 4 – we were trying to resolve major sleep issues) and all hell broke loose. By that stage in the game I was a dribbling unconfident mess of a first-time mother (with no support or help from H’s dad) and I remember that Dr McVeagh really helped me get back on top of things.
So, the REALLY helpful thing that I can tell you today? In 11 years, you will have forgotten not only this awful time, but also all wonderful Dr’s names (until you read them on a blog!)
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Medical professionals are a bit like teachers, you need to find one who’s depth of knowledge is wide enough to actually help you and whose methods/philosophies click with yours. Then wonderful things can happen.
good luck Lara and Indigo.
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Have you tried him with a teaspoon of rice cereal? I’d be suprised if, at that age, he’d have any idea what to do with it. Not that it’s much of a foodstuff anyway, in my opinion.
If there’s one thing I hate it’s a prick of a doctor fobbing off a first time mother. That guy that told you ‘it must have been something you ate’ – just fobbing you off. He expected you to go ‘oh well, tomorrow’s another day, I’ll just go back and live with it’. They know that in the end you’ll both survive, but in the meantime you’re just a pain in their arse.
And you know, even if Dr McVeagh ends up giving you the same advice, you’ll be able to talk about it, understand it, question it and feel right about it. I’ve only ever been to a paediatrician once, and he said to me ‘a mother knows her own child – if you’re worried, I’m worried’. I was going to suggest you come down and see him, actually, but I didn’t want you to get even more confused.
But what I REALLY hope, is that little Inigo puts on some weight soon.
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