I need a pediatrician in Indianapolis who is willing to work with me??

Question

I just need a good pediatrician who is willing to work with my decision to not have my baby get all vaccines just yet and/or get so many at once. If they are around the Lawrence or Community North area, that would be awesome!!

Also, I don't need you to tell me I'm a bad person or whatever for not wanting every vaccine. I don't want to hear it frankly. You raise your child the way you want to, and I'll raise mine thank you very much.

Answer 1

I am not familiar with the Indianapolis area but:

Dr. Terry J. Mandel

Family Practice

4007 N. High School Rd.

Indianapolis, IN 46254

[phone]

I found him on the Dr Sears website www.askdrsears.com under 'Vaccine Friendly Drs.'  This means he is open to alternate schedules, etc...  

My ped and I are doing our own version of the alternate vaccine schedule - spacing them way out and only giving her what she absolutely needs for right now because she's in daycare.  

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

I thought pediatricians have to honor those decisions.  They can't force you to get all of the vaccinations according to "schedule" or refuse to see you.  Okay, they could, but they won't.  It is more important for them to keep you as a paying client/customer than it is to not have you, so they will work with you.  

Something that I've found works really well when you're not sure how supportive a pediatrician will be of selective and delayed vaccinations is to "include" them in the decision making.  Even if you know exactly how you want it done and when, act like you aren't set in stone.  Tell them "I'm not comfortable with him/her getting all of these vaccinations at once.  What options do we have for splitting them up?"  Then work with that.  If the options you are given aren't even close to what you want, you can ask "What about doing it like this?  Would that work?"  and then going from there.  You're making it clear that you aren't going to get the vaccinations according to the standard schedule, but you're also not going in there demanding that they do it the way you want.  

If they tell you that they aren't comfortable with having a patient not follow their guidelines, tell them that you aren't comfortable with those guidelines and that you would like their suggestions on how to compromise them.  You could do something like "I'm sorry that you aren't comfortable with my decision, and I understand that.  Would you rather keep me as your patient so that you can monitor my decisions, or would you rather lose me as a patient and have me make an actual bad decision?"

Answer 3

I agree on the vaccine thing actually. My husband and I are going to vaccinate our children one vaccine at a time but not before they are 18 months old. I would suggest just calling local areas and seeing what they are willing to do. Most people are willing to work with you. Also make sure you ask for vaccines without mercury in them, some health clinics are even willing to do the vaccines for you for free and they have mercury free ones available.

Answer 4

Most pediatricians will work with you.  Just let them know you'd like to opt out of certain vaccines and delay some others.  They can't force you to give your child shots.