Seeking Pro Attachment Parenting Pediatrician

Hi C.,

Good for you for finding a doctor you want to feel comfortable with!!! We love our guy; Dr. Todd Ochs at Ravenswood Medical. He is in the MamaSource Directory but I can't get the silly thing to attach the listing in this e-mail!!! You can also call the Birthways office or look at their website for recommendations (www.birthwaysinc.com), or call the midwives at Swedish Covenant Hospital for a recommendation.

Best,
L.

C.,
First, congratulations for following your heart. You know what is best for your child!
Homefirst might be a good practice for you. www.homefirst.com
They are very supportive of choices like the ones you have made. The office is disorganized, but all of them care about the patients. If you make an appointment, be sure to call and confirm. The two doctors I recommend there are Dr. Paul Schattauer and Dr. Mark Zumhagen. You can't go wrong with them. They work at several of the offices. We see them at the Rolling Meadows office, which is not too bad if you take 294. There is a Villa Park office with a particular doctor that I DON'T Recommend. Good Luck.
Amy

Dear C.,

My 2.5 year old son still nurses, sleeps in my bed, rides in his sling, has never been "babysat", also he is a vegetarian. Our pediatrician told me to let my son "cry it out", limit his time at the breast (25#s at 5 months old), not to hold him all the time, and that he HAD to eat some kind of meat. Blah, Blah, Blah. I just smile and nod at the doctor's office and I do my own thing, what's right for MY family, at home. The best help I ever got was from other mammas (who, by the way, are ALWAYS right- you just find the person who matches your parenting style) My son has never been to the doctor for a cold, is lean and muscular, and a happy little independent guy who is extremely articulate and well-balanced.

So you really don't need a pediatrician to support your lifestyle. You just follow your heart and mind and you'll be doing the best for your baby in regards to parenting style. I keep going to my Pediatrician simply because he's a good doctor and that's all I need him to be (He probably wasn't nursed or carried long enough) :)

Send me your questions/concerns/feelings anytime- I'll support you!

M.

Hi C.,
I also take my 18month old son to Homefirst and I loive them. They are so supportive of breastfeeding and encourage extended breastfeeding. They are supportive of co-sleeping and they dont do growth charts which I happen to love. I have seen a couple of their doctors but my favorite is Dr. Rosi!
Hope that helps.
They are in Naperville off of Ogden!
M.

Hi C.,
We are attachment parents and have run into the same kinda issues and have come. We use a doctor in the same practice as Dr.MInkus and are happy enough they are not super supportive but are not unsupportive. I would be happy to give you the number the are in lincolnwood and skokie. Again not super close but it is a start. I would be happy to talk to you about your frustration we have been co-sleeping for more than five years and my son breast-fed for a good 3yrs and my daughter is still going strong at 15m. Feel free to e-mail me ____@____.com.
R.

I wish I knew of one for you. I also attachment parent and have had the experience with pediatricians who would tell me to stop breastfeeding by 1 yr old and then harass me when I didn't. I just did what I felt was right and didn't cave in to that pressure and it worked very well for me and my daughter. I just ended up getting only the medical advice I needed from these doctors and left the rest as personal and did not speak with them about it. I hope you do find someone. You are doing the very best for your baby! Keep it up, sympathetic doctor or not.

Good luck,
L.