The Psychology of "Yes"
In June, we are focusing our Patient Experience efforts on "YES"! It's difficult to be told "no". Nobody likes it. We don't like it and our families don't like it either. We do our best to meet your needs every time. But there are times when a parent request cannot be honored. Maybe the patient needs a medication refill but missed their last appointment. Maybe the patient needs an appointment but the schedule is full. There are a lot of possibilities. Fortunately, there are also a lot of SOLUTIONS. We may not be able to give you exactly what you are asking, but 99% of the time, we can reach a solution that meets your needs and is doable for us. And THAT is our goal.
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Spitting up is really common in infants-most all infants spit up at least sometimes. Some spit up a lot. Fortunately, it's very rare for spitting up to become a serious problem.
Regardless of whether or not your baby's spit up warrants watchful waiting or medical intervention, there are some simple feeding suggestions that can help you deal with the situation at hand.
Here are 5 tips to reduce your baby's spit up:
- Avoid overfeeding. Like a gas tank, fill baby's stomach it too full (or too fast) and it's going to spurt right back out at you. To help reduce the likelihood of overfeeding, feed your baby smaller amounts more frequently.
- Burp your baby more frequently. Extra gas in your baby's stomach has a way of stirring up trouble.
- Limit active play after meals and hold your baby upright. Pressing on a baby's belly right after eating can up the odds that anything in his stomach will be forced into action.
- Consider the formula. If your baby is formula feeding, there's a possibility that his formula could be contributing to his spitting up. While some babies simply seem to fare better with one formula over another without having a true allergy or intolerance, an estimated 5% of babies are genuinely unable to handle the proteins found in milk or soy formula
- Try a little oatmeal. Giving babies cereal before 6 months is generally not recommended—with one possible exception. Babies and children with dysphagia or reflux, for example, may need their food to be thicker in order to swallow safely or reduce reflux.
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Parent Handouts
You know those handouts that Dr. Stephens goes over at every check-up? You know they are on our Patient Portal for you, right? They are! Not only that, they are there FOREVER!
When you first log in, you will see new handouts right on the front page of the Portal. They disappear from there after you view them. But they aren't gone for good. They move to their permanent home in the Forms Library. Just click on the Forms Library link on the left side of the page and you will find all of the handouts from all of your child's visits.
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Don't Be That Helicopter Parent
Is your teen headed off to college? Technical School? The workplace? It's natural for parents to want to help. But it's also possible to "over-help." Young people need to learn how to navigate life-including life's challenges and disappointments. Rather than removing obstacles, help your child by helping him/her navigate around them. Here's how:
- Change your focus. Instead of helping your kids "avoid difficulties," help them "get through difficulties." To do this, try to think of difficult circumstances as "teachable moments" for your child.
- Give your child the freedom to fail. This may just be the hardest thing to do; we don't want to see our kids fail. We may still call the high school teacher about a bad grade or keep track of our 18 year old's exams and doctors' appointments. But the biggest gift we can give our children is the freedom to fall, dust themselves off, and get back up again. This does not mean that we never extend a helping hand. It just means that we need to let them learn how to navigate and adapt so they'll be prepared. Life is bound to throw them some curve balls, and we aren't always going to be there.
- Promote Independence. Coach your child on how to talk with their teachers about a bad grades rather than doing it yourself. Encourage your college-bound kids to make their own appointments and remember their own schedules. They may miss appointments or oversleep for school, but that creates a learning opportunity. We know that in real life, if we miss an important meeting at work, there are usually consequences. Learning about this as a student is better than learning how to manage life and cope with difficulty as an adult.
- Make college decisions together. What's most important to your child when it comes to choosing a college? Yes, I said your child. Not you. Many factors go into selecting one college over another, not just which school has the "superior academic reputation." What often sways the vote one way, or another are the basics: cost, distance, location, and size. What does your teen want? Is it different than what you want? Have conversations and listen. Learning your child's preferences at the outset will help all of you to narrow the search and come to a decision that all of you feel comfortable with.
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Recall Alert: Stop Using Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Fisher-Price took the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics and issued a
recall of 4.7 million
Rock 'n Play infant sleepers
following reports of infant deaths. This product is dangerous and parents and caregivers are urged to stop using it right away.
An
investigation by Consumer Reports
that found 32 infants had died while using the sleeper since 2011. Some of the infants rolled over while unrestrained and some were unable to breathe due to their position.
To request a refund for the Rock 'n Play, visit
http://bit.ly/RockNPlayRecall
or call the company at 866-812-6518. Those who have owned the Rock 'n Play for 6 months or less will receive a cash refund while those who have owned them longer will receive a voucher for a new Fisher-Price product.
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