5 Reasons You Need A Family Medicine Doctor (Even If You're Never Sick)

You never get sick. Maybe you are young. Maybe you practice excellent, healthy habits, like exercising and eating well. Maybe you are just lucky. Whatever the situation, it is important to have a primary care physician in family medicine, even if you think you never get sick.

1. Quality of care

With a family physician that is seen regularly, a patient has a good chance of receiving proper diagnosis and treatment plans. The doctor has the opportunity to know the patient, has a relationship with them, and understands the medical issues that have developed (and that they have tracked) over time. They know when a situation warrants a more serious look into symptoms.

2. Patient centeredness

The patient is at the center of all decisions for a family physician. If a patient needs the care of a specialists, they know specialists that they trust and have collaborated with before. If a number of specialists are needed, they can guide the patient on who to see and in what order. The family physician is vested in the relationship.

3. Easier time when you do get sick

When illness strikes, the last thing a patient wants to do is sit in a doctor's waiting room and then sit on an examination room trying to think about and describe symptoms. A dedicated family medicine doctor could diagnose more quickly, due to the health history, or could help over the phone, in some instances.

4. Keeps you from getting sick in the future

Even if a person is typically healthy and only experiences the occasional cold, the fact remains that with aging comes a slight deterioration in health. As the body grows older, problems arise. A family medicine doctor can help a patient plan for issues and mitigate chronic illness down the line.

5. Cost effectiveness

If you do become sick or injured, and decide to self-refer to a specialists, you might not choose the right one. If your chest hurts it could be your heart. It could also be a digestive or lung problem. Without the direction of a family medicine doctor, how do you know who to see and keep from wasting money going down the wrong path?

Remember to talk with your doctor before taking any treatment or medical remedy.

If you are interested in learning more about family medicine in the Seguin, Texas, area, GRMC could help!

How to Stop Breastfeeding: Tips for New Moms

So, you've had your first child. You made the decision to breastfeed and it has been a good experience for both of you. Now you (or baby) are ready to stop. How do you do it? Here are a few helpful tips about how to stop breastfeeding.

Learn

Education is the first step in any health decision. Read as much as you can about how to wean your baby. Discuss it with your doctor or health care provider. Mothers that have been through the process before are a great resource for advice and anecdotal recommendations. The more you know, the better prepared you will be for the whole process.

Plan

In many cases, baby will gradually be hungry for more solid foods and will want to nurse less, naturally. If that is not the case, or you need to know how to stop breastfeeding immediately, be sure your baby will take a bottle or cup before you try to stop. For babies, the experience of eating from a bottle is very different from your breast. The taste of the formula, the shape of the nipple, and the proximity of the mother are all different when bottle feeding. Baby will need time to adjust.

When baby is ready, create your personal plan for stopping. Some medical professionals suggest that a slower weaning process is easier for your body. Lactation is not a switch that can simply be turned on and off. Your body prepared to begin producing milk and by helping it, your body can prepare to stop.

Wean

Begin whatever plan you developed with your health care provider and remember the basics of how to stop breastfeeding. By slowly increasing the time between pumping or feeding, you can ease into stopping your milk. Common sense also dictates to restrict friction against the breasts, since friction against the nipple can stimulate the breast and cause milk production. Properly fitted clothing can help. Your doctor can assist with advice about how to prevent your breasts from becoming engorged or milk ducts from clogging. They can also discuss options for pain reduction, such as heat or cool packs, and safe medication options.

Remember to talk with your doctor before taking any treatment or medical remedy.

If you are interested in learning more about how to stop breastfeeding in the Seguin, TX, area, Guadalupe Regional Medical Center could help!