tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949422246633548404.post4595897519598688819..comments2024-02-07T11:31:44.141+03:00Comments on On Life in St. Petersburg: Post-Soviet PediatricsElizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15283395756742923658noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949422246633548404.post-38395035993723151732012-10-09T19:32:31.883+04:002012-10-09T19:32:31.883+04:00Thanks, Sasha! I think the general trend is that p...Thanks, Sasha! I think the general trend is that pediatricians and lactation consultants are in disagreement. Most of what I read about "sleep training" contradicts what I've been told by breastfeeding advocates. I agree that babies and parents both need sleep, but if he wants to eat I would rather not mess with his internal schedule. I don't see why you would want to "make" your baby sleep longer at night if he is just hungry. And what does that do to your milk supply? I found our pediatricians in the U.S. to be pro-breastfeeding, but not lactation experts. They said things like "keep the feedings to 30 min. or less," not knowing my child. But I actually heard similar things from the Russian pediatrician, as I mentioned in the post.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15283395756742923658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949422246633548404.post-7492758258547935822012-10-07T03:30:41.454+04:002012-10-07T03:30:41.454+04:00Liz, i really enjoyed your blog today. And especi...Liz, i really enjoyed your blog today. And especially this particular piece on pediatric care. Not only i am a Russian mom raising a child in the USA, but i am also a public health practitioner now, working with health care quality issues. As a mom, i was shocked when American pediatrician advised me to give formula to my baby instead of breast milk and let him "cry it out"", ie cry himself to sleep. Or for instance, the practice of adding rice cereal to formula to make babies sleep longer at night shocked me. That was when i switched pediatricians. My current one is more "Russian" i guess :) He is into treating infected tear ducts with breast milk and all that natural homeopathic stuff i was raised on. The beauty of the health care in America, though, is that i think it is a lot easier to switch pediatricians and find one that you like better. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07804670680211577030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949422246633548404.post-48003787243325615912012-10-04T21:53:47.115+04:002012-10-04T21:53:47.115+04:00Cold air on the street is okay but cold air in the...Cold air on the street is okay but cold air in the house=draft=you'll get sick!<br /><br />I guess it's nice to actually have doctors admit something is wrong with you. In the U.S. it is so hard to actually convince doctors to try to figure out what's wrong (and it costs a fortune). I wish doctors could find the happy medium!<br /><br />Thanks, Elizabeth! It's true, routines can't HURT. But I don't think moms should be scared into thinking something is wrong or could go wrong. Seems we worry enough as it is!<br />Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15283395756742923658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949422246633548404.post-83425281786818051952012-10-03T03:10:14.236+04:002012-10-03T03:10:14.236+04:00Hi Elizabeth,
Congratulations on your baby! I do r...Hi Elizabeth,<br />Congratulations on your baby! I do remember being surprised by some of the same things. My friend Sveta, on the other hand, is a nurse who now lives in the U.S. and she is often indignant about how "lazy" her children's pediatrician is (not ordering tests, saying that something will clear up on is own, etc.). My sense is that all those routines are good for keeping you busy or adding structure to your day and not a lot else :)Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07622586526521693612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949422246633548404.post-36490480729089878402012-09-30T01:09:20.145+04:002012-09-30T01:09:20.145+04:00Our Russian pediatrician says that the difference ...Our Russian pediatrician says that the difference is based on a different perspective. The Russian doctors have in their mind a perfectly healthy body and compares the patient to that....so, you can see how so much appears wrong. The American doctors see the individual patient and only look closely at symptoms if they are causing a problem.<br /><br />Nastia picked up the idea that the baby should go out every day. Meanwhile, my husband is appalled that we'd take Monica out of the house at all. To his mother and grandmother that would be tempting fate - all that "cold air"!<br /><br />We were told that so many of the things you mention (cradle cap and outie belly button, in particular) were "normal" and "don't think a thing of it". Anniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12623179886908222942noreply@blogger.com