Finding a doctor you get along with can be hard for any family – but when you add in the fact that you want them to be natural minded it can be even harder. Sometimes it can seem down right impossible, especially if you don”t even know where to start.
Decide What Your Looking For
When it comes to finding someone natural minded you actually have more options than you might think. First, you can find a holistic practitioner that specializes their whole practice in natural methods. You can find natural minded chiropractors, nutritionist, etc as well. When you see these specialist you know your going to get a certain approach – however they are harder to come by in some areas.
Your other option is a natural minded MD. A doctor who treats his mainstream patients every day but respects your choices to make natural decisions and is someone knowledgeable (or willing to so some research) in order to better help you along.
The other things to ask yourself is if your family needs a doctor at all. Many families that don”t vaccinate do not do well child visits either – in which case you would only need to get a doctor for those issues you couldn”t treat yourself.
Once you decide what type of doctor your looking for (or willing to settle for) you can start your search.
Online
Turn to good ol” Google. Sometimes a simple search for natural doctors in your area will turn up results – especially if your in a larger city. Some resources are:
American Holistic Medicine Association
Ask Other Moms
Ask other moms you know! Even if they do not see a natural minded Doc they might be able to point you in the right direction. Even if they don’t see one themselves they might know someone who does. Word of mouth can get you an inside look at if that office is a good fit for you.
Call Around
If you can”t find (or afford) a wholly holistic doctor you can call around to your local offices and find out if any of the doctors there are willing to accept your parenting choices (co-sleeping, non-vaxing, extended breastfeeding, etc.). If they seem to be open to your parenting style then you can move to set up and interview that would better allow you to decide if that doctor matches well with your family.
You’ll Know When You’ve Found Them
No matter what doctor you decide on you can easily know if they are a good fit for your family. Some questions to ask yourself are:
- Do I trust this doctor to take care of my family AND respect my decisions? (You want to feel like your doctor is sound in his medical knowledge but also understand that you might do things differently from the mainstream – and be ok with that)
- Do you feel like if your honest with the doctor that he will past judgement?(You should feel like you can voice your opinion to your doctor with them passing judgement. Many patients have been let go from practices for not vaccinating – know if this is an issue ahead of time.
- Has the doctor made his beliefs upfront? (Has it been made clear between you that the doctor is accepting of natural remedies or would be alright with you bringing your child in for diagnosis and then carrying out the treatment at home? Important things to find out before your in the moment with a screaming child.)
