The Power of ads

As a mom of 3 germ magnets, my absolute favorite service I have found online is Blueberry Pediatrics. When I saw the ad for Blueberry Pediatrics I was intrigued! One-hundred dollars for unlimited pediatrician visits, available 24/7, for all three of my kids?? This cannot be real, there has to be a catch! As you can see, I was also very skeptical but figured what can it hurt? With a high deductible plan, we pay more than that every time we go to the doctor for one kid. Well, I have now been using the services for over a year! I have recently renewed my subscription for another year because it really is that good!

No More Ruined Trips

The first time I used Blueberry Pediatrics, we had a trip to Great Wolf Lodge scheduled. The night before my one and half-year-old was up screaming all night, and had no appetite that morning. Being the third child, I knew she had an ear infection. I went to the app, requested a visit, plugged in the otoscope for the first time (rookie mistake, see tips below), and took some videos. One of the staff members called and said the pictures did not show the eardrum, she also gave me some pointers. I was determined, so with the help of my husband, we held down my screaming toddler and got a good video. We were on our way with an antibiotic only about an hour behind schedule! There is no way that we would have been able to see a doctor in person that quickly! We even avoided more germs in the process. From that moment on I was in love!

Little Germ Factories

I don’t know about your families but mine have been sick ALOT this year! Even with all of this sickness, we have not had to leave our house for a sick appointment! Blueberry Pediatrics has diagnosed pink eye in two of my kids, on 2 different occasions, strep throat in 2 kids, again on 2 separate occasions, 3 ear infections, a leg infection, and a sinus infection, all of this in one school year. If you’re counting that saved me at least 9 trips to the germ-ridden pediatrician. Or, in most cases since we were traveling or after hours, an even worse trip to an urgent care.

As a self-proclaimed germaphobe, my worse nightmare is dragging my kids into a doctor’s office. As much as I say don’t touch anything, they see this as an open invitation to touch EVERYTHING! We have saved time and money, while preventing new germ exposure.

No Hidden Costs

The only other cost besides the $100 sign-up fee is for the welcome kit. You will need this for the visits. It includes a thermometer, pulse ox, and an ostoscope to look in the ears. However, if you use my link to sign you get this kit for FREE (up to a $100 value)!!

The only other cost I incurred related to the service was buying strep throat tests. These are not necessary to have but you cannot diagnose strep throat without them. If you have a school-age child I recommend buying now. You can store them in a closet because chances are high you will need them at some point. The strep kit with 25 tests was cheaper for me than one trip to the doctor’s office. Plus we did not have to make a trip out with a sick kid. Keep in mind it takes about a week to ship and they last about a year.

We have yet to experience this, but you will have to get tested for a UTI at an outside lab. There is a low negotiated rate at certain labs. This would also be a cost you would incur if need be.

So Easy to Use

All you need to do is download the app and you can get started! The pediatricians are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week for questions and visits. If you have any kind of medical question you can stop calling your family, asking on Facebook forums, or wondering if you should make an appointment to see a doctor. Just open the app and send a message using the chat feature. I usually have a response in about an hour or less. If they think it is worth discussing they will ask you to start a visit. You will receive a phone call from the doctor.

If your child is sick and you would like to talk to the doctor, just start a visit. The doctor will call you, usually within the hour. When you start a visit, they will ask if you have your kit and some basic questions. These may include things like the child’s weight and height, their symptoms, how long they have been going on, their temperature, etc. You may also need to send relevant pictures of things like the eardrum, throat, or rash. They may also ask for a recording of their cough. All of the doctors I have spoken to have been very friendly and knowledgeable!

Not a Replacement for Your Pediatrician

I look at the service as in-home urgent care, minus all the extra germs and time. Being a telemedicine service there are some things they just cannot diagnose. You can send a video of your child’s breathing/cough; however, you may just need to be seen in an office. You could send a picture of a swollen ankle but may be told its best to go for X-rays. They are very good at letting you know if you should take your child to see a doctor in person. You also still need to bring your child into their pediatrician for their well visits and vaccines.

Some Good Tips

The hardest part I have experienced is using the otoscope. This did not come easy for me, but I do think that I have gotten better. Hopefully you will have a smoother experience. I recommend that you watch a few videos on YouTube explaining how to use the scope. I found that if you pull up on the ear a certain way it helps a lot!

My daughter also has a lot of ear wax making it hard to see her eardrum. If I need to use the scope again, I plan to first use ear wax remover drops. This will make it easier to see the eardrum. She also is not happy when I use the scope and tends to run in the opposite direction!

This tip is a must! Practice on your kids, BEFORE you need to use it. This way you can get a feel for it, and they are not in pain at the time.

One of the staff members also suggested that I buy smaller tips than what came in the kit. I purchased these universal tips and they seemed to work better for my one-year-old.

Available in These States

I hate saying this but Blueberry Pediatrics is currently not available everywhere. If you live in one of the 18 states listed below then you can consider yourself lucky. The website also mentions they are working hard to expand.

• Colorado
• Alabama
• Minnesota
• Utah
• Kentucky
• Arizona
• Oklahoma
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Tennessee
• Wisconsin
• Florida
• Texas
• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• California
• New York
• Michigan

If you currently use Blueberry Pediatrics or sign up let me know your thoughts on it! Hopefully, you love it as much as I do!