Alyssa here! I’m Jarrod's wife. I help behind the scenes at SWVA DPC and in the office , but the thing that takes up most of my time is being a mom to our three kids!
Parents have a lot on their plates. There are things that make our lives easier--grocery pickups or Amazon-- but there are still some things that I find difficult as a parent. Doctor's appointments are one of those. Whether it’s mine or my kids. The amount of time spent in waiting rooms, just for the doctor's visit to end in someone having a meltdown. And to be honest, it's not only the kids included in that.
After having my first child, I had a really hard time with the transition. I didn’t know what I was doing or if I was doing it right… or wrong. My anxiety was near crippling bringing my days old son to the pediatrician. How was I supposed to nurse him, get his nap in, and change him while being there for an hour and a half to two hours? And what if he cried the whole time and I couldn’t soothe him?
At my six week OB follow-up appointment, I felt so overwhelmed by everything that I didn't even feel like I could be honest when they asked me how I was doing. I said I was fine when I was anything but fine. I didn't want to have to find a primary care doctor because the thought of making an appointment and bringing my newborn was too overwhelming to me. So I chose not to get help and struggled way too long.
But what if your doctor could have seen your newborn in your home for the first month or two months while you were adjusting to postpartum AND newborn life? What if your doctor could openly talk to you about postpartum depression or anxiety and then, if needed, treat you for it without sending you to another doctor's appointment with your newborn in tow?
Jarrod can do that. He’s not only a doctor, but he’s a dad of three. He has experienced both the newborn phase and me as a new mom. We understand the challenges of bringing kids to the doctor--you have better things to do than stress about this! We want to make your family’s life easier. You won’t be sitting in the waiting room for an hour. You can even be seen in the comfort of your own home. But if you wanted to get out, there is no rushing in and out. There would be no more "keeping lists of questions" for the doctor, because he is always a text away. All we want for our patients is what we would want for ourselves and our kids.
*We strive to make our practice as family friendly as possible! We have toys in the waiting room and we also have a nursing room upstairs with a changing table and a pack and play if you ever need/want to use them!
-Alyssa