On my pediatrics rotation in med school I heard the phrase, "Being a parent makes you a better doctor, but being a doctor does not make you a better parent." True!
Nina has already had two common infant rashes--she was born with pustular melanosis, most of which resolved in the first 24 hours after birth save the "freckles" left behind by the pustules. I don't think I've seen this in the pustular phase before, or at least to this severity. Shortly thereafter (as in day of life #2) she developed quite the case of erythema toxicum which is fading fast as well. She also had some tongue tie that I didn't want to wait on becoming problematic. I've become a little like the tongue tie police in the nursery and in the clinic--early intervention on problematic ankyloglossia is so satisfying. That being said, I think I would have advised me to wait since Nina wasn't having issues nor was I. That being said, once I snipped her frenulum (in the office, not at home! and only because her provider that day hadn't done one before!) it did seem to me that her latched changed for the better. Who knows. I just didn't want to have to worry, go back for a weight check, potentially watch my kid turn into a pumpkin from jaundice, and so on and so on...
And now Nina has quite the case of thrush. I guess it's not that bad--it's just over her tongue (I think), but she's such a little rooter that I see her tongue and the little white patches ALL the time. Here's where the intro statement is totally true, and even reeks of physicians sometimes having their parental decision-making impaired (er, maybe the tongue tie thing fits in there, too). Instead of e-mailing or calling my colleague who is the girl's doctor, I re-research what I think I've read about thrush. Common in newborns, doesn't have to necessarily be treated unless baby or mom is having symptoms. So I sprinkled some Culturelle (Lactobacillus GG) probiotic on my nipple before nursing to help it clear up faster and minimize the chance of me catching it as well. Hey, Dr. Sears says that's okay, so I'm doing it. I've also guilted myself into e-mailing Colleen.
And poor Elena's little cold now has a cough to go along with her raspy voice, and she has a fever. I might check her ears tomorrow, just to make sure there's no infection brewing. Is this too much DIY? We roll our eyes in ERs, urgent cares, and the office when parents come in with a 10 year old who has a cold and a mild fever that has resolved--hasn't this happened tons of times before to your kid? They'll be fine! I just don't know if I'm striking the right balance between trying to minimize unnecessary medical care and treating my kids beyond what a normal mom would do. Medical people with kids, speak up. Am I alone, or are you struggling, too?
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