WHO Knows Best...

Intentional double entendre there. I;m asking who knows best... with an emphasis on the WHO?! Also, I'd be more likely to trust the World Health Organization over a Kaiser Permanente Pediatrician. Maybe that's my issue. Maybe having to explain a double entendre makes it a poor one (two).

Today Angus had his 18 month WBV (Well Baby Visit--WARNING: There may be several abbreviations in this blog and you're going to be on your own from here on out. Use google and context clues to figure out what I'm saying if you're in a bind.)

Well... according to my email from the appointment center at Kaiser he had an appointment, but according to the faceless check in machine (which I love by the way, I would never knock self service... but when it doesn't work and I have to wait in line anyway, then I get annoyed) and the receptionist he didn't have an appointment. SIGH! So, they asked if I would be willing to see another doctor. I said that was fine with a little trepidation in my heart but it was quickly squashed by my desire to not be perceived as an obnoxious consumer, customer, client, etc...

So, we got called in by Dr. Joe's (Harry Joe. Two first names... bad sign) nurse, and I quickly realized how much different his would be from the experience we normally have with Dr. Wong and her staff. Dr. Joe's nurse suggested that I step away from the scale after putting Angus on to get a more accurate reading (because he would want to touch me and that would change the weight)... of course he was screaming... and you know what's worse?! I listened to her! I stood just behind the nurse while she clumsily fiddled with the scale trying to get a weight (flicking it innacurately with her pen made it difficult to get the result she was looking for) while my baby screamed and reached for me. We had NEVER had a problem with his weight because of him wanting to lean on me before... he'd always been fine with closeness for the few seconds of weighing. GRRRR...

Then I laid him on the table to get his height (length?) She attempted to stretch him out, still kicking and screaming, marked his foot, then his head and measured between the marks after I picked him up. They claim this is an accurate method, but they never mark the true top of his head and he is always flailing too much to ensure much success.

So anyway, she determined that he weighed 26 lbs (even though it was more like 26 lbs and 2 oz) and was 32 inches long (yeah right... he was 32 inches long two months ago when he couldn't reach the doorknob on flat feet. I'm pretty sure the doorknobs didn't get lower!). So when the doctor came in he started with the most personal part of his service: Calling me "Ms MacKenney" and calling him "Angus." He kept the name game up throughout the appointment but that is where the personalization stopped.

According to the computer Angus' height was in the 43rd percentile and his weight in the 53rd. Not good... a little "overweight" at least in the sense that you want weight and height to be the same, or if not, have the height be the larger number. I ignored the assessment... and Dr. Joe quickly moved on (note I used him name. aren't i great?)

He looked at his weight over time and determined that he hadn't gained enough recently. Ummm... wasn't he overweight? He asked me if he was drinking whole milk and I responded that he was breastfed. He asked me how often and I reported twice a day. He then proceeded to "inform" me that breastfeeding at this age has no nutritional benefits or value and was only for bonding, and I may want to consider nursing as most babies do not develop a strong taste for table food until they are done associating food with sucking and drinking.

He decided to remeasure his height at my request and we discovered that the nurse's haste and poor bedside manner (angus liked Dr. Joe for whatever reason and didn't mind getting measured by him) had resulted in a nearly 2 inch loss! He was really 33.75 inches tall and in the 88th percentile for height!

Oh REALLY?! I sat silently and listened to the misinformation... and that's what I left really upset about. I've done my research, and I know the truth, but what about the moms who haven't? What about the moms who rely solely on the misinformation of their pediatricians?

Anyway, he proceeded to ask me whether he was saying 3-4 words regularly and when I responded that he was speaking in 3 word sentences and saying 50-60 words regularly he was suddenly very impressed. He then did the physical examination and concluded that he was doing quite well, was in perfect health, and was quite advanced cognitively.

Hear that? Taller than average, average weight, says more than average. but being destroyed by breatfeeding... missing out on important nutrients essential to his growth. So much at risk in fact that he needed to be seen again before his 24 month WBV to recheck his weight to ensure he wasn't malnourished. SIGH again. It didn't matter that he ate whole milk yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, healthy oils, and a WIDE variety of foods from every food group. He clearly had some sort of malabsorption disorder and wasn't getting enough nutrients from his food because he wasn't drinking cow's milk! Seriously?! What if he was allergic to cow's milk?

Here's the thing:
Human milk has an average of 3 more calories per oz than cow's milk and at least 20% more fat. Hmmm...

Especially since since too much cow's milk in a child's diet can put him at risk for iron-deficiency anemia (because milk can interfere with the absorption of iron) and may decrease the child's desire for other foods... cow's milk is not really given for the calories, it's just a a convenient source of calcium, protein, fats, vitamin D, etc. - it's not required. There are many people in many parts of the world who do not drink milk and still manage to get all the calcium, protein, fats, vitamin D, etc. that they need. I've bolded the ones Angus eats regularly...

* Good non-dairy sources of protein include meats, fish, peas & beans (chick peas, lentils, baked beans, etc.), tofu and other soy products, boiled eggs, peanut and other nut butters
* Good non-dairy sources of fats include soy and safflower oils, flax seed and flax seed oil, walnuts, fish and fish oils, avocado.
* Calcium may be derived from many nondairy sources.
* Vitamin D can be supplied by sunlight exposure and food sources.
* Milk can also be substitued with cheese, whole-fat yogurt or ice cream. You can also put milk into various food products: pancakes, waffles, muffins, French toast, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and baked goods.

Not to mention that there are about a million benefits besides bonding for nursing toddlers: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

Finally... the thing is. I know breastfeeding isn't for everyone. I've even stopped wishing that it was. It worked for us, and it still works for us. When Angus wakes in the morning and nurses he gets a belly full of warm, nutrient rich, calorie and fat dense, loving momma milk and we see the benefits of endless. If you don't want to do it... don't. BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT CLAIMING FALSEHOODS (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-myths.html) THAT BELITTLE MY CHOICE IS JUST WRONG.

Now if I only had the balls to send this to Dr. Joe. :-P