We had our 12 month checkup today. (Yes, Aaron is 13 months, but his pediatrician, and apparently everyone else in the office, was booked two months solid when I called 2 months ago for the appointment.) The office gave us another book - one on baby's first words. At 9 months, we got a board book of baby faces with different expressions which Aaron loved. I guess they have some kind of book program where you get a new book at certain visits. I think it's great.
Anyway, we talked to his doctor about his developmental delays. She had never heard of the insurance not covering physical therapy. She was concerned about his legs - he wouldn't stand up for her - and definitely thinks we need to have some therapy. I agree. She gave us a number to call for Regional Services. She'd never heard of Early Start, but it turns out Early Start is offered through Regional Services and the number she gave us is the same as Deirdre's sister gave us for Early Start. So that makes it easier since I don't have to choose between programs.
I had hoped to get his MMR vaccine split up into 3 shots. She said they don't do that and she doesn't know of any offices that do. She said we could delay it so that we could call around and find some place that offered it, but she didn't think there was any real benefit to splitting it up. I was concerned because it involves 3 live viruses, which seems like a lot for his immune system to cope with at one time. I had read about it online and a lot of people seem interested in doing this - mostly people who worry about the large number of vaccines at once being linked to autism. I'm not hugely concerned about that, but felt better about spacing them out.
Unfortunately, from what I've read, the manufacturer makes it difficult for doctors' offices to get the separated vaccines. Thom and I talked about it when the pediatrician left the room and decided we would probably end up back there for the combined vaccine, so we might as well do it now.
But we still decided to wait on the chicken pox vaccine. I not sold on that one, although his doctor told us about kids she had seen die from it. She mentioned that she herself had a bad case as a kid and was in the hospital for weeks, so she was biased. My OB had recommended just letting Aaron get chicken pox as a kid which was more likely to impart life long immunity. They've only been doing the chicken pox vaccine for 13 years and recently started giving a booster at age 4 since they found declining immunity among teenagers.
We will probably end up giving him the chicken pox vaccine at a later date, but still feel better about not doing it today. In addition to the MMR, he also got another vaccine. She said the chickenpox vaccine is required for school and that even though kids still can get chicken pox if they have had the vaccine, it is pretty mild - so mild that doctors aren't always sure that it was chickenpox. Which reminds me of the pediatrician of the kid that I got chicken pox from when I was pregnant. He was positive that the boy didn't have chickenpox, but was proven wrong when I got it 14 days after exposure.
Aaron is sleeping now. The shots hurt him, but he quieted down by the time we left the office. I'm glad Thom was able to go with us. We had to wait around a lot and it was during Aaron's nap time, so there was some unhappiness. Overall, though, he did very well. I think we go again at 18 months.
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