Question For Moms (Reading, Quakertown: homes, homeschooling, college)

[roxxy]

I was wondering if anyone can help me to find a great pediatrician or family doctor who is friendly and loves kids. I am practicing delayed and selective vaccination due to autoimmune tendencies in my family, so a doctor who is sympathetic to this and will not try to make me feel bad about my decision is important. Anyone out there know of a doctor like this? I have had so many bad experiences with doctors lately; your help is greatly appreciated.

[karen_s]

I take my son to Dr. Shay in Barto (I'm not sure where you are located, but he's in Berks County and it's an easy drive). He is absolutely fine with delaying or not vaxing at all. I go all the way there because he employs a holistic approach - both mainstream and complementary therapies for my son with Asperger's. Dr. Shay mentioned to me at one visit that his own children were not vaccinated until they needed a few to go away to college. His wife is a homebirth midwife as well.

[roxxy]

Thank you for the helpful reply. I'm in Lehigh County, but I am willing to drive for a good doctor. Dr. Shay sounds exactly like what I am looking for.

[austere]

I'm also looking for a doctor that will not hit the roof when he/she sees our choices regarding vaccines. Is this doctor in a clinic or works independent? I have to find someone to list as a pediatrician for the hospital for delivery. Can you PM me the info so I can give him a call? Thanks so much!

[ginanye]

I go to ABC Ped in Trexlertown

[karen_s]

Originally Posted by austere

I'm also looking for a doctor that will not hit the roof when he/she sees our choices regarding vaccines. Is this doctor in a clinic or works independent? I have to find someone to list as a pediatrician for the hospital for delivery. Can you PM me the info so I can give him a call? Thanks so much!

I'll PM you the info. Basically for the hospital, you can do what I did for my hospital births, just used the on-call pediatrician in-hospital and then took copies of the records to the followup visit at my family doc. I've never used peds for routine medical care for my kids.

Dr. Shay is a sole practitioner in family practice. I believe he has hospital privileges at one of the Reading hospitals, but if I remember correctly you are delivering at LVH, right?

I have dealt with other docs around here who tolerated my vaxing choices, but he actually encourages studying the facts and making an educated opinion about vaxing - priceless! Another holistic option is the Woodlands in Quakertown, but I have no personal experience there.

[austere]

Thanks, Karen.

I'm trying to get all this figured out. I found MN to be tolerant for the most part. When I lived in Chicago, I had doctors refuse to care for my kids because of our alternative vaccine routine. I finally found a doctor that sounds like the one you describe and then we move again! I found a midwife group for my delivery and I bet they can be helpful for opting out of routine stuff done in the hospital (we omit the silver nitrate eye drops and the hepititis vaccine) Do PA hospitals require any special notorized paperwork that you know of to get out of these?

[karen_s]

Originally Posted by austere

Thanks, Karen.

I'm trying to get all this figured out. I found MN to be tolerant for the most part. When I lived in Chicago, I had doctors refuse to care for my kids because of our alternative vaccine routine. I finally found a doctor that sounds like the one you describe and then we move again! I found a midwife group for my delivery and I bet they can be helpful for opting out of routine stuff done in the hospital (we omit the silver nitrate eye drops and the hepititis vaccine) Do PA hospitals require any special notorized paperwork that you know of to get out of these?

That's a great question. I believe you only need to sign an "against medical advice" hospital form to refuse the eye goop (I don't think it's silver nitrate anymore). As far as the hepatitis vax, I'd tell them that you are planning on doing it at your regular doc's office and I'm sure they would be OK with that.

My last was a homebirth so I didn't have to worry about any of this, thank goodness.

[janeannwho]

What happens when the kids go to school? Do you have to sign a waiver or something?

[karen_s]

Originally Posted by janeannwho

What happens when the kids go to school? Do you have to sign a waiver or something?

I do a religious exemption form for school. If it came down to either vax on schedule or no school for my kids, I would do homeschooling or cyber-schooling with them, as I feel very strongly about this subject.