My oldest son’s first pediatrician didn’t work out for us.  The physician herself was wonderful.  But her office’s management was startlingly inept.  They “ran out of” approximately 3 out of every 4 vaccinations.  So we’d have to return for a second visit once the new supply finally came in.

A large part of the reason you even go to a pediatrician for those first few months of a baby’s life is to get those shots.  And it was kind of like shopping at a grocery store that just never seemed to be able to keep milk in stock.

In addition to taking more mornings off of work to go back a second time to get the shots, we started to get in compliance trouble with our daycare.  The shot delays pushed us past some of the dates by which our son was supposed to have gotten the vaccinations to meet DC regulatory requirements.  At one point, we drove over 30 minutes to some unknown pediatrician at a clinic in Maryland to get a shot.  So as not to be kicked out of daycare.  Enough was enough, and we knew we had to move on.

If you’ve ever navigated the pediatrician market in a city like DC, you know that many of these wonderful physicians only take newborns.  It’s true.  You have to be a patient from the date the baby pops out, or they just won’t even consider you.  This ruled out a huge percentage of great alternatives for us, given our little guy was already a few months old.  So I called a million places, did tons of research, and asked everyone I knew for referrals.  And panicked, of course.

A colleague referred me to her daughter’s practice, and by some stroke of amazing luck, they were actually taking non-newborn new patients.  Though my colleague’s daughter’s doctor in the practice wasn’t taking new patients, his colleague, Dr. Steve Silvestro, was.  From the day we met Dr. Steve, we were completely sold.

Dr. Steve is as calm, thoughtful, and reassuring a physician as you can find on the planet.  He is completely present with his patients (and, more importantly, their parents), you never feel rushed, and you always walk out feeling less anxious and more empowered.  His input on important issues relating to my kiddos is always spot on.  Imagine my delight, then, when I learned Dr. Steve had launched a podcast called The Child Repair Guide.  More chances to learn from Dr. Steve?  Yes, please!

I love that I now get to experience his wisdom not just in the doctor’s office but from the comfort of my own living room.  Some of my favorite episodes have covered things like mindfulness for children with Susan Kaiser Greenland and raising happy siblings with Parents Magazine Editor-in-Chief Dana Points.  He even has an episode with the REAL Patch Adams, and I love his “Letter to Doc McStuffins” on his blog.

Dr. Steve was kind enough to interview me recently in a “Parent Repair Guide” version of the show, “Successfully Returning to Work After a Baby”, and as you can probably tell from the excitement in my voice, I wholeheartedly loved our conversation.  We covered everything.  Coping with guilt.  Pumping at work.  Asking for flexibility.  How to turn parenting challenges into assets at work.  You name it.

If you need something to listen to during your morning commute, while you’re folding laundry, or cooking dinner, tune in to Dr. Steve and The Child Repair Guide.

And if you have a favorite child or parenting-related podcast, please share it in comments below!

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