The Mommy Docs Are In

In times of uncertainty regarding children's medical issues such as vaccines, differing opinions on antibiotics for sinus or ear infections, cold medicine recalls and even affordable healthcare for some, we can often be confused about the right thing to do for our children. While most of us probably trust our doctors, many times we hear that mommy intuition call out to us, "Who knows my kids more--the doctor or me?" Sometimes we need a second opinion, sometimes it's as simple as doing a bit of research so we can fully understand the problem and possible solutions.

Differing doctors may have differing opinions. Two different moms may have different experiences with a similar medical conditions. Every year we hear new things about vaccinations, food, allergies, breastfeeding, sleep that may make a mom's head just overflow with information.

I always thought it would be so awesome to have a mommy friend who was a pediatrician. I know my kids' pediatrician--who is often in my kickboxing class--it probably tired of me asking her questions about random things. But in these busy times, it's hard to know when to take your child to the doctor, let alone drag two kids, if they're just going to send you home with a viral infection diagnosis and tell you to give him Motrin.

Today I was informed about a new site called MommyDocs, the first pediatric informational site by moms, for moms. The site was launched by Dr. Jamie A. Freishtat, a board certified pediatrician and pediatric associate physician at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC, and Dr. Rachel L. Schreiber, a board certified allergist/immunologist, internist and Medical Director of Family HealthCare Allergy & Asthma Specialists in Germantown, Maryland. I love that these ladies are local!

What a great idea. Jamie and Rachel conceived MommyDocs in the preschool carpool line, where they faced a daily barrage of parents' questions about everything from eczema to ear infections. This makes me laugh because that would be me--totally jumping out of the car to quickly ask about the rash on my kid's tummy. This could be a useful tool to do your research before you call the doctor or make that visit.

The site provides a regular Q&A on various topics, podcasts and a blog about their own family issues. I'm glad to have another resource for information on general pediatric topics or one to be able to reference during off hours. My immediate needs for info on fevers, rashes, eye goop, croup, etc. is waning, but I imagine I will have a whole new crop of issues to research now with preschoolers. Check out the site. I'm looking forward to seeing more from the doctors.