2-month well baby visit

The pediatrician was very impressed with Finn's weight gain :) Finn was last seen by the ped about 5 weeks ago, and since then he's gained 2 pounds. I told the doc that we never did supplement with formula, but instead supplemented with expressed breast milk for a while and that I worked with a wonderful LC who helped us work out the kinks and get breastfeeding on track, and that Finn hasn't had any supplemental feedings in over 3 weeks now. The doc was very pleased. I asked him if I might make a suggestion, and he said yes, of course. So I told him that if he's got a mom who is motivated to breastfeed but her baby is having gaining issues, that he would serve her better to suggest that she work with an LC rather than recommending formula supplementation right off the bat. I explained to him that although it's not a big deal to all moms, it is a very big deal to some of us to be able to nurse our babies, and that the support we get means the difference between succeeding and failing. He was very receptive to what I said, and he told me that in most cases he usually doesn't jump to prescribe formula (and it's true that in the almost 12 years he's been our ped, I've never found him to be an alarmist, which is something I've always liked about him), but that in Finn's case, he sadly assumed that because of the Down syndrome, that breastfeeding probably wasn't going to work out for us. He said he was sorry that he "let the Downs get the better of my judgment," and that he would definitely keep what I said in mind in the future.

So there was my good deed for the day - maybe in some way I've indirectly helped another mother in a similar situation.

As for the rest of the appointment - everything is good. I told him about Finn's urology appointment, the follow-up echo he has scheduled with the cardiologist in a few weeks, and that we've started physical therapy. I also told him about our curiosity about the possibility that Finn may have mosaicism and do you know what he said? He said, "You know, I think there's something to that. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that he has MDS." And he pointed out all the same things that have been pointed out before: his great muscle tone, his very subtle physical characteristics, his overall good health and generally being on track developmentally so far. So he's made a referral for us to meet with the geneticist and possibly get further chromosome analyses done.

And as for developmental steps, Finn's smiles are still fleeting, but he has discovered his hands and will clasp them in front of himself and gaze at them and mouth them. He's also become interactive with the toys dangling from his play-gym over the last few days - he loves to lie under them and watch them and is now kicking at them and batting them with his hands.

After much consideration, Michael and I have decided to forego vaccinations for Finn, at least for now. Because he has Down syndrome, he is at higher risk than usual for developing autism, and although the controversy over the link between autism and vaccinations is just that - a controversy - it feels way too much like playing Russian Roulette to me at this point. He's not, nor will he be, in daycare, his older sibs are all vaccinated, so the chances of him contracting one of the diseases that he could be vaccinated for are pretty slim - and I'm willing to take that chance more than the chance of doing something that may result in autism or some other neurological injury.

Finn's appointment has me feeling so positive right now!