Four (Almost Five) Month Well-Check

We FINALLY had an appointment with a pediatrician!  I can't tell you what a weight off my chest this is!  After exhausting all our resources with pediatricians in our county, Jesse found a children's clinic in the neighboring county that accepts new Medicaid patients.  We filled out the paperwork on Tuesday, made the appointment on Wednesday, and went to the doctor this morning.  When calling to make the appointment, I kept repeating, "Now our insurance cards do not have you listed as the Primary Care Physician.  Are you sure that's okay?"  The receptionist asked for the phone number listed on our cards, put me on hold, and called them directly while I was on the phone.  She clicked back over two minutes later and said, "They gave us authorization to treat.  You're good to go."  Seriously???  Why the hell couldn't our former pediatrician have done that three months ago?  This whole thing has been a disaster, but praise God that we have proper medical care for our children once again.  Here are the stats:

	Weight	Height	Head Circumference
James	13 lbs 5 oz	25.75 in	16.3 in
Amelia	12 lbs	24.75 in	15.4 in
Madeline	9 lbs	23.75 in	15.2 in

I really appreciated the fact that the doctor made it feel like three separate appointments.  She treated each baby individually and reminded me not to compare the three.  She had read their files beforehand and was familiar with their brief history.  Here's a quick recap: 

James-no concerns, all is well.  We were given Vitamin D drops to give all three babies since they are breastfed. 

Amelia-I mentioned I was worried about her diaper rash and possible flat head.  The doctor told us that Amelia did have a mild flat head, but there was no asymmetry and it was not pronounced enough to require a helmet.  As far as the diaper rash, she just told us to use the lowest dose steroid cream when needed, but that her skin was likely just sensitive.

Maddie-Our obvious concerns were weight gain and reflux.  It has been nearly three weeks since Maddie has taken her Prevacid because the previous doctor would not refill her prescription without an appointment.  Our new doctor called in a prescription and we've already been able to give Maddie a dose this evening.  We were given samples of Similac Alimentum to supplement with that should be easy for Maddie to digest.  She is supposed to drink breastmilk as usual, but then we are to offer 1-2 oz of Alimentum after each feeding.  We go back in two weeks for a weight check.  If Maddie has not gained "adequate weight" despite medication and supplementing, she will be referred to a GI doctor. 

I also expressed concern that Maddie wasn't lifting her upper body during tummy time.  The doctor said she was delayed but exhibited great tone and neck control so she wasn't concerned at this point.

She also wrote a prescription for creams for Maddie's eczema, gave us prescription shampoo samples for stubborn cradle cap, and checked her heart murmur. 

The appointment was long and thorough.  Thank God Jesse accompanied me.  He kept Jackson occupied by walking around with him and playing in the lobby.  After 90 minutes, James was over it.  Mind you, this was before shots!

I had been concerned about delayed vaccination schedule.  The babies aged out of the Rotovirus, which I'm indifferent to anyway.  They had DTaP, Hib, and PCV vaccines.  They will have vaccines at 6 months and again at 9 months, and then be caught up.  Thanks to an efficient nurse, we had quite the assembly line going.

I think that's everything.  Now we just need prayers that Maddie gains weight and James and Amelia continue to thrive.  Hooray for healthy children.