Modern Day Medicine: Blueberry Pediatrics

As we all know, our babies did not come with a manual (that would be great though, right?).  Parenting brings with it a lot of learning curves, great times, frustration, and of course undying love.  You look to the professionals for advice – your parents, friends that have children, and of course, your pediatrician.

As a mom of two boys, I try to avoid going to the pediatrician’s office at all costs for a few reasons:

1. I’m exposing my child to other sick children.  I also don’t understand how splitting a room in half, one for “sick” kids and one for “well” kids, hinders the germs from crossing the imaginary border.
2. I end up waiting for an exorbitant amount of time, just to get into an exam room.
3. I end up waiting for another decent stretch of time for the pediatrician to come see my sick child.
4. My little guys always seem to get sick on the weekend, a holiday, or while we are on vacation.  AND the pediatrician’s office is closed.

I had the honor of interviewing Dr. Lyndsey Garbi of Blueberry Pediatrics, the perfect alternative to the traditional pediatrician’s office or pediatric urgent care.

DR. GARBI, BLUEBERRY PEDIATRICS

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I am a full-time pediatrician and a full-time mother. I love all of it. It’s also exhausting, which I know many parents can relate to. I have a 2-year old that keeps me on the run constantly, I’ve recently learned to cook strange concoctions to hide veggies in his food and have now perfected an extended version of head shoulders knees and toes which I am made to sing at least 25 times a day. Working with Blueberry has also added a lot of enjoyment to my life as well because I am excited about this new venue for me to help families and practice pediatrics.

What was the deciding factor for you, personally, to go into pediatrics?

I always wanted to be a pediatric doctor. I have always loved working with kids because they are so pure and honest. They are also helpless and need nurturing to help them reach their full potential as they grow. After I had my own child, I also came to understand the trust that parents put into their doctors to make sure their children are kept healthy and safe. It’s a privilege to be on the receiving end of that trust and to be able to make such a difference in the lives of the families I come across.

What is the number one question you get asked by parents when it comes to the health of their child?

There really is no one general question because each scenario, each family, and each kid is so different. The universal theme is that parents want to know their kids are okay. Reassurance from a doctor can go a long way to relax parents and help them enjoy their kids instead of worrying about them so much.

What do you feel sets Blueberry Pediatrics apart from conventional pediatric offices?

We are available 24/7 and are a straight line to a doctor. We are a great resource for all parent needs. A lot of parents sometimes don’t know the first step in getting the care their child needs. For instance, do they go to the ER, urgent care, their pediatrician, or is there no need for any of that because the issue can be handled at home with guidance? We can help them figure out the best course of action and diagnose problems over the phone without them having to leave home. This can help avoid a parent missing work or taking their child in the middle of the night to be seen when they are not even sure it’s necessary.

What tip would you offer to parents to help keep their kids healthy?

Eat healthily and stay active. Too much of our food sources are processed, artificial, and sugary. Parents should stay educated on proper diet and get kids off their devices and outside.

If you suspect your child may be ill, when is the “right” time to contact a pediatrician?

The right time is always dependent on the needs and comfort level of a parent. It’s all about the specific needs of each family unit. However, whenever there is concern, it is always a good idea to reach out to a pediatrician in order to find out if the concern is warranted or there is no need to worry. Unfortunately, scheduling a pediatric visit can be time-consuming or expensive if it means needing to go in for a visit or needing to go to an ER. This is why I’m so excited about Blueberry Pediatrics – parents can reach out to us anytime and not have to worry about time or money

Do you feel parents are hesitant to utilize the services of an online pediatrician as opposed to a conventional in-office doctor?

We are strongly complementary to your in-person pediatrician – because we are available 24/7 we can be really useful when you need help in the middle of the night or need medical advice when it’s not easy to get to your pediatrician. We can help to avoid an unnecessary trip out of the house at an inconvenient time or instant relief to a matter that is stressful. That kind of guidance is so valuable. Not all matters require an in-office doctor so we’re a really good alternative for those cases. We can also guide parents to where the best in-person care is offered if that is needed. We offer high-level care, including being able to do in-home diagnostics with our at-home test kit that all members receive with sign-up. Our board-certified pediatricians practice clinical care, as do conventional in-office doctors, so you can get excellent, high-level pediatric care at the tip of your fingers any time of day.

Why do you personally love Blueberry Pediatrics?

So many reasons! We are a team of caring and experienced pediatricians who are excited about all we can offer our families. We offer continuity of care with support before and after children get sick. Parents don’t realize that when they use the majority of other telehealth platforms when they take their children to urgent care centers or go to some emergency rooms, they may not be getting a pediatric-trained doctor. Kids need to be seen by pediatricians. I have seen and heard about way too many cases where important diagnoses are missed or over-treated because the doctor treating the child was not trained in pediatrics and does not see kids regularly. There are also way too many families utilizing emergency rooms for non-emergency problems simply because parents don’t know the resources they have to get their kids the care they need. We offer the perfect solution to all these problems. Having your child treated with appropriate pediatric medicine and affectionate care that’s available 24/7 from the comfort of your home can be a life changer.

Being a parent is stressful, even more so when your baby doesn’t feel good.  To have something such as Blueberry Pediatrics at your fingertips is heaven sent in my eyes!

AN OFFER YOU CANNOT REFUSE! (IT’S FREE…)

Blueberry Pediatrics is offering your first month of service for FREE! You just sign up and talk to a pediatrician immediately, online for FREE.  You can even cancel before the first month’s over and never pay, but I don’t think that will be the case once you see the convenience and peace of mind it affords you.

Once you sign up, you will receive a Welcome Pack which includes at-home diagnostics and other goodies, with a total value of approximately $60.  The Welcome Pack is yours to keep, regardless if you continue your membership.

Learn more about Blueberry Pediatrics on their website.  Sign up and breathe easy that there will be a pediatrician ready to take care of your child at a moment’s notice!