Doctor's advice?

Just a quick poll to find out how closely you follow your doctor's advice?

Sometimes when I ask questions, I don't think they REALLY understand the situation, KWIM? And for the first time I'm really finding myself going against what the doctor recommends as far as feeding goes. Just curious as to what everyone else does.

Re: Doctor's advice?

Medically, I follow the advice of my pediatrician closely. My personal feeling is that I did NOT go to medical school with a specialty in pediatrics- my pediatrician did. If I didn't trust her enough to follow her advice, I'd need to find a new pediatrician.

For things like feeding solids, sleep related issues, potty-training, etc I use my ped as a resource but also incorporate advice from other BTDTs as well as my own research.

ETA: I didn't vote because "both" wasn't an option

Message edited 6/7/2010 7:52:18 AM.

Re: Doctor's advice?

I trust DS's doctors but he goes to a practice with 6 doctors and we've seen all of them - we have gotten slightly different advice on one or two occasions already so I know a lot of it has to do with what certain doctors have found works for them or their specific patients best. Sometimes, there's more than one way to treat something or handle something. My BFF happens to be a Ped as well, so I do find myself asking her what she would do and then deciding what to do, lol!

Re: Doctor's advice?

Can't answer your poll b.c it is something in between. I take a lot of time to pick out my doctors so I make sure I find good ones in the field who know their business. For the most part I follow their advice - but NEVER as gospel. If it something I'm comfortable with or goes with my research I trust my doctor. But if it is something that doesn't feel right to me I might approach it more hesitantly - but I wouldn't say that their advice is just a guideline either - somewhat or a gray or middle area between the two choices.

Re: Doctor's advice?

I would say neither, but I love my ped and generally take her advice on things though I always also do my own research. She has yet to suggest something that I wasn't already thinking - we see eye to eye on a lot of things - so I'm not sure what I would do yet if we disagreed because it hasn't happened yet.

Re: Doctor's advice?

When DD was a newborn, everything the doctor said was gospel. As they got older and I got more comfortable, it moved more to guidelines, especially for things that I feel vary by child (potty training, thumb sucking, etc).

For stuff like vaccines it's still pretty much gospel, although I will ask my cousin who is an ER doctor for his opinion on some things (like the H1N1 shot last fall)

Re: Doctor's advice?

For things like vaccines, I take their word as gospel (they went to medical school, I didn't!).
However, I do use my mommy instinct for A LOT!!!