A Good Fit

My pediatric team is there for all the little and big moments. I am Henry.

With a home pregnancy test, it’s helpful if you take it the first time you go to the bathroom in the morning. For Ellie Glazier, this was at 3 a.m. one day.

“I took the test and it was positive,” says Ellie, a manager of web strategy and Berkley resident who was 32 at the time. “I was so excited, and I woke up my husband, who was not quite as excited—at being woken up, at least.”

It was their first child. And two weeks later, Ellie’s sister-in-law found out she was also pregnant. But everyone’s excitement over the two pregnancies soon took a hit.

“This was in March 2020, right at the beginning of COVID-19,” Ellie says. “Being pregnant during a pandemic is something I hope no one ever has to go through again. It was very different. No baby shower, and not the same kind of interaction with people you would normally have as an expectant mom.”

This included Ellie’s parents, both of whom are doctors.

“My dad was working as an ER doctor at the time and the emergency rooms were flooded with COVID patients,” Ellie says. “Both of my parents were afraid of getting it and passing it on to me, so I didn’t see either of them for the first couple months of my pregnancy.”

Ellie had fears of her own. “I knew what great parents I had and how lucky I was to experience that, so there were moments where I thought, ‘What am I doing? Can I be as good of a parent?’”

Finding the right pediatrician

Ellie knew she would need to have her son Beau meet with a pediatrician the day after he came home from the hospital, and a colleague referred her to Jordan Kridler, M.D.. By the time of their first appointment, they had a lot to discuss.

After Ellie gave birth, Beau had a case of newborn jaundice, which is caused by a high level of bilirubin in the baby’s blood. Normally, this will get processed by the liver. Under various circumstances, the bilirubin can build up in the blood, causing the skin to turn yellow.

“Beau wasn’t eating well,” Ellie says. “As a result, we were in the hospital much longer than normal after I gave birth.”

They talked about the bilirubin issue, and Ellie felt that everything was going to be OK and that she could stop losing sleep over it. They also discussed choices around feeding Beau. Ellie and her husband had decided to do formula since Beau wasn’t as interested in breastfeeding, and Ellie wanted to know what Dr. Kridler thought.

“A lot of people have strong opinions about formula feeding and the decision not to breastfeed and can try to shame you into it,” Ellie says. “But Dr. Kridler was very supportive. She was really sweet, and you could tell she cared. I was reassured that I picked the right pediatrician who was a good fit for my family. She didn’t rush through anything and made me feel really confident.”

Ups and downs in Beau’s first year

Ellie and Beau went back two weeks later for a checkup, and by that time, the bilirubin issue had been resolved. However, Beau had another condition that required a pediatric specialist.

“Before he was born, we knew that there was a concern with one of Beau’s kidneys,” Ellie says. “The ureter tube that connects the kidney to the bladder had a narrowed opening, which was cause for concern. In his first year, we were referred to the pediatric urology team at Henry Ford, and Beau had two ultrasounds and an X-ray to help determine the best treatment.”

While Beau faced immediate challenges in his first year that required more specialized attention, there were many times when he needed to see a primary care pediatrician—and fast.

“When Beau got sick, I would reach out to the pediatric team through Henry Ford MyChart,” Ellie says. “They’re super responsive, and I could get Beau in on short notice. It wasn’t always Dr. Kridler, but every pediatrician we’ve seen has been super accommodating. That goes for the nursing staff and the front desk employees, too. They make faces at Beau when we come in and tell him how cute he is.”

When the new Henry Ford Medical Center – Royal Oak opened, Ellie and Beau started seeing Dr. Kridler at this location, and she was impressed with the facility.

“It’s really nice, and a super convenient location for us,” Ellie says. “Having parking onsite was a huge plus.”

Ellie also appreciated the fact that the Royal Oak center has a pharmacy, lab and imaging services onsite.

“It’s nice that I can go to one place and get everything I need before I leave,” Ellie says.

Grateful for the support

Beau is now almost two and a half. As Ellie looks back on his first years and his pediatric care at Henry Ford Health, she feels grateful.

“Dr. Kridler has a role to play in making sure that Beau is a happy and healthy little boy,” Ellie says. “But everyone is supportive and reassuring, not just the doctor. Even at times when Beau was a little behind on his milestones, they would help me not to freak out and tell me what I needed to do. I was born at Henry Ford Hospital and had a great experience with my doctors as a kid. So I’m grateful that my child will be able to have the same experience.”