We interviewed Tara to ask her about her experience using a naturopath and this is what she had to say…
Tell us briefly about your situation with your little one! How old are they and what was going on that led you to see a naturopath?
My daughter is now 8 months old, ever since she was about two weeks old we have been dealing with “colic.” I knew it was no longer colic after just a couple of weeks or so. When she turned 1 month there was a tiny bit of blood in her diaper, this led to going dairy and soy free per recommendation of a pediatrician. Unfortunately, things really did not get much better. She was happier, but her diapers definitely were not looking good. Fast forward to constantly seeing her pediatrician, to seeing an allergist, to seeing a pediatric GI specialist, with 0 results or answers. I was fed up, tired, exhausted, anxious, and depressed. I felt the medical field failed my daughter and I. Unfortunately, this was not something new I that I had experienced. I finally decided to search for a naturopathic doctor. By all means, my daughter’s pediatrician is very compassionate, caring, empathetic, and understanding. She has been very receptive of my naturopath’s recommendations and have always kept great communication with me.
How did you find your naturopath?
I googled Naturopaths in my community. I called two different places, one was completely full and had a long waitlist and the other got back to me too late. I found Dr. Julie George from Rivercreek Wellness and loved her website as well as all of her experience.
Were you skeptical at all going into your first appointment?
No, not necessarily. More so not having any expectations or hope that we were going to get anywhere, to be honest. I felt so discouraged, but after our first appointment I felt beyond hopeful and confident!
What were some of the ways that your first appointment was different from seeing a traditional medical provider?
First and foremost, she actually listened to me and spent the time learning my history. I was dumbfounded at the end of the appointment, which was 2 hours long, that she had taken that much time with me. It was the first time in my life that a provider had spent that much time with me. I could not believe how much of my history and family history she wanted to know. It was amazing. Everything she asked was relevant and helped conclude what we need to be doing for my daughter and I. When she spoke, I knew immediately she was up to date on the most current research and was very passionate about my situation.
Did your naturopath focus more on your health or baby's during the appointment?
The first hour was me and the second hour was my daughter. I would say we even focused on me a little bit longer than my daughter.
Has your naturopath run any special tests for you or baby?
So far, we have done a full blood work panel for me and a food intolerance test. We just recently tested my daughter’s IgM, IgA, and IgG. We may do a GI map for my daughter as well, but that is still up in the air. She has made great progress so far, so we are taking it one step at a time!
What was the most surprising thing or biggest take away from your first visit?
How little the western medicine culture actually spends with us. I was blown away by all the in-depth questions and how the naturopath really wanted to know my history. I have always had GI issues myself ever since I was a little girl. Throughout my whole life I have been through scopes, colonoscopy, testing, etc. Never got to the bottom of my issues. I saw my naturopath once for two hours and I no longer have stomach aches, nausea, or anxiety. The biggest take away was really how much effort she has put into our case. I have never seen a provider spend that much time on myself let alone my daughter so far. I wasn’t just another patient to her.
How many visits have you had so far?
Two, with many messages and calls in between.
What kind of changes have you made?
I no longer eat the foods that were determined to be food intolerances, which I think that has cured my anxiety that I have been struggling with my whole life. I am a therapist myself and know that our gut is our second brain. Well, this really solidifies that I was eating a lot of foods that were not helping me out and leading to gut permability. I have taken good quality probiotics and collagen to help heal my gut, as recommended by my naturopathic doctor. My daughter is also taking a probiotic and we cut all sugars and starches from my diet as well as hers.
What kinds of results have you seen so far?
I no longer seem to have anxiety myself. I feel more energized and happier throughout the day. For my daughter, she sleeps better, no longer has weird looking colored diapers and no blood for the first time in months. We have finally figured that this may be a fatty chain issue, so she is taking the right supplements for her. For the first time in 8 months, my daughter is happy pretty much all day other than the “normal” baby stuff.
What advice would you give someone who is struggling for answers but skeptical about seeing someone where insurance may not be covered and is not a traditional doctor?
I would say if you can’t afford it, try to find a way too. I know that may sound harsh or not very sympathetic, but I whole-heartedly regret not seeing one sooner. I have had to work more to pay for it, but it has been so worth it. You may only need to see the naturopath once to get some results. I think it would have helped my daughter and I a lot quicker if I didn’t let the judgement of seeing a naturopath get into my head. It has been worth EVERY penny I have spent. This is my opinion, and I have seen way too many mamas post about being hopeless and let down by traditional doctors and specialists, as was I. Yet, I don’t hear anyone regretting their decision to see a naturopath. Give it a chance, be optimistic, it could be well worth it. You and your baby deserve happiness!