Adventures in Finding a Holistic Pediatrician

My wife and I were excited to bring our baby boy home from the hospital and start the journey of parenting. We did our homework and set up a pediatrician a few months before my wife delivered. One of our main concerns was about vaccinations. We decided that we could not vaccinate our children in good conscience (that’s a whole other can of worms), so we interviewed quite a few pediatricians before deciding. As far as we knew, the one we chose was OK with whatever we wanted to do.

After about a few months of seeing her with our son, she told my wife and I that she could no longer see us if we continued to not vaccinate him. We were told she was trying to prevent a possible lawsuit if our son was sickened by a disease he could have been vaccinated for. That was the last day we saw her. From that point forward, it was a difficult journey finding a holistic pediatrician that was OK with us refusing vaccinations for our son.

It took many phone calls, many interviews and many visits to find the perfect pediatrician for our children, but we finally did. Our current pediatrician broke away from the “system” and started her own practice where she exercises traditional medicine and holistic practices without pushing either on her clients. She has been an answer to our prayers, a breath of fresh air and our saving grace. She leaves our child’s health decisions to us, the parents — not the government or the fear of lawsuits.

If you’re having trouble finding a holistic pediatrician, your best bet is to talk with your friends and other family members that have similar beliefs. Get on your local green mommy or daddy message boards and start a discussion pertaining to this need. Don’t let anyone tell you how to raise your children or pressure you into doing something you don’t feel comfortable with. No one else has the responsibility of caring for or raising your kids except you. It may take more time, effort and money to find a holistic pediatrician, but in the end you can sleep well at night knowing you’ve made the best decision for your kids.