Up North Pediatrics

Educational cards for toddlers! Can take a small stack to a restaurant or park! Or just for simple play at home.

Onychomadesis- a few months after hand foot and mouth, nails can peel off! It’s ok- nothing to do. Leave it alone. But- here is what it looks like! It happens specifically in the middle because the virus affects the nailbed, and so a part of the nail disconnect from the matrix then keeps growing. Have you ever seen this in your kids?

Check out Jordan’s group class! I see childhood anxiety constantly and if your child suffers from worries that seem out of proportion then consider starting with therapy! Note: I do not have any affiliation with Jordan, just a local friend of mine. ❤️

As we get into the new season let’s fall back into our book routines! We love the library rotation- going every 3-4 weeks, I love hiding a few books and bringing it back after a few month, also donating and buying used or new! What do you do with books?

Check out my new ADHD service! As a former teacher and pediatrician, I really love ADHD. Especially diagnosing it correctly. That’s why I go beyond the Vanderbilt survey. I interview parents without the child, I reach out to teachers or support staff to learn more about current trends, academic performance, sometimes attend IEP meetings, and of course, see the child in person. Together, we cover • behavior management • parenting strategies• nutrition• sleep• managing technology• social skills• and of course executive functioning development. Inquire via my website. I can get you in within 2 weeks! 🙌

Happy Mother’s Day to all types of mothers!! I’m so grateful to be a mother to these kids! They make me a better mom and pediatrician every day. ❤️❤️Oh! And don’t let the mom guilt prevent you from having some downtime or personal time on Sunday if you want it! 😊

What virus causes nails to peel off in 4-8 weeks?? Annnnnnd go!!!!!

Taking it back to the good ole days where your doctor comes to your house! Love going the extra mile (literally) for my families!! It’s a lovely experience to do a newborn house call and the drive was just so beautiful! 🤩 Lactation care and pediatric care in one just makes so much sense. So grateful for the opportunity to practice direct care in an area where people and relationships matter. Being a doctor where you can always put your patient first is the dream! Sometimes it’s hard being on call all the time but when you have patients who are grateful and respectful, it becomes a true calling.

Babies turning 1! If you’re a little one is nine months or 12 months, this post is for you! my little guy just turned one and there are just so many transitions!! I try to start talking about it at nine months with my patients but here is a running start!

1. Transitioning off formula- most of us who are on formula, can’t wait until we don’t have to buy this anymore! Woohoo! Those of you who are breast-feeding can continue for however long you desire! ❤️ 12 months and after babies normally take 12 to 16 ounces per day. Some a lot less and that is usually OK. We just want your child to have enough calcium and vitamin D so check with your provider.
2. Dropping that third nap. Most babies by now are only doing two naps, and sometimes just one. By 18 months, most babies are doing a single nap in the middle of the day. If you’re a little one is doing that starting now then you can go ahead and aim for the single nap.
3. Eating more food! By drinking less milk, they are naturally eating more food. Focus on iron rich foods, three meals, two snacks, water at mealtime. I’m a big fan of baby lead weaning safely. And by now the one-year-old should be doing a similar content to older kids.
4. No more baby bottle! This is hard for most of us me included! I recommend you get various types of sippy cups and see what works! My little one loves a straw sippy cup.
5. An effort to decrease the Binky use- now this one is really really hard for most people. if you use it just at bedtime in the evening I’m usually OK with that. But we don’t want babies to be walking around with pacifiers all the time it does affect their bite and how much they are talking. Find something else as a comfort measure like a blanket or a lovey

What else did I miss??

Measles is super serious. There is no treatment and unfortunately, our vaccination rates are falling below the threshold for outbreaks. So here we are seeing outbreaks.

I’m happy to vaccinate anybody who wants a good experience. If your insurance is not covered I will just eat the cost. Call or text me at 231-714-4193.

For those of you choosing not to vaccinate, I asked you to rethink your stance. In some cases opting for natural immunity can be too risky. In the spirit of health and fitness, not everything can be prevented by excellent habits.

And when you decide to do your own research- I want you read, high-quality trusted sources that are peer reviewed. This means having a background in epidemiology and understanding things like correlation versus causation, odds ratios, power of a study and intention to treat analysis.

And lastly, If you’re trusted resource has never walked into a Pediatric ICU, ER or hematology/oncology unit, or has never delivered bad news to parents, then, I don’t think they have the experience or insight to make this decision for you.

Going on an international trip? Going to supply my patients with a travel kit with all the things that I take when we travel. My patients can still reach me if they’re connected to Wi-Fi and we can triage most things over telehealth. I recently went on vacation and realized what might be nice to take! Would others be interested in this? Comment below so I can get to work! ☀️🏖️🩺🚑💊💉

Got this nifty thing for when we need it! I’ve got skin glue, suture and other products that help with minor wound repair. Saving money and trips to the ER is my favorite! 🤩

I have 7 extra doses of Beyfortus (RSV product) for this season. All my young babies in my practice got it and did well. I am happy to give it to anyone in the community as long as your insurance covers it. It is $410 otherwise and you are welcome to pay cash for it if its not covered.

Please fill out my vaccination form if you are interested. First come first serve until I run out!

Note: Intended for babies who are entering their first RSV season and >5kg or greater than 11lbs.

https://www.upnorthpediatrics.com/vaccination

Want to see a strength in your child? Build resilience? Try rewarding the effort or process rather than the goal. Make the reward sound and feel different than your usual support words. And limit how often you celebrate those strides- it should feel special. And always should include the reason!! Not just empty phrases like “great work.” This is how you build more effort and strength overtime! They can do it! Believe in them!! ❤️

Hello! I think it’s time for a new introduction! I am Amy Couturier, MD and upnorthpediatrics is my direct primary care practice. I am a pediatrician, lactation consultant and have a special area of interest, ADHD. Currently I am feeling full with all my awesome patients and parents. But I am always accepting newborns if you reach out before delivery and sometimes new patients if we have some room. 😊 I love having lots of time with my patients and texting with them directly. Reducing the barriers can lead to healthier patients!! Last year only 3 kids went to the ER and needed to go. But I was able to take care of everything else! I am really proud of providing the best care I can in partnership with parents. It’s been a wonderful choice to do this style practice and I always say it’s because I have the best families who make me feel so loved! My interests are learning! (So cliche), working out, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with my 3 kiddos. I am especially obsessed with this little guy! ❤️ Also, I would love to put out more useful content here- let me know what you want to see more of!! Cheers to 2024!

When the weather gets colder and the days get shorter it's tempting to allow your children to have some extra screen time. However, minimizing the screen time can contribute to your child's overall well-being. Allowing for screen time is okay if you have clear limits set. Here are a few ideas of things you can encourage your child to do instead of offering extra screen time:

❄️ Go ice skating, sledding or get involved in a new winter sport
❄️ Take a walk and explore
❄️ Get a new board game or puzzle
❄️ Encourage taking time to read
❄️ Ask your child to cook a meal with you

Create a healthy balance and find ways to enjoy the winter months away from the screen.

Get children involved in meal planning and preparation. This is a great way to develop an interest in cooking and eating healthy.🍽

- Design a weekly meal plan together📅
- Write your grocery list📝
- Allow your child to help with the grocery shopping🛒

🍎Reward them for helping by allowing them to pic one of their favorite fruits at the store. It's especially important to provide healthy meals during the holidays when we enjoying so many sweet holiday cookies.😉

As we approach the busy season, keep these tips in mind. Make it a happy, healthy, and chill holiday. Remember to concentrate on the things that are most important to you and your family. It's okay to set boundaries. Make memories!

December is and with all of the gift giving coming soon, it seems appropriate to provide a few tips. Examine those toys, check to ensure they are age appropriate and make sure there are no safety issues. It's perfectly okay to have concerns over a gift and to hold off on providing to your child.

For most Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is similar to a common cold. Although, for some (most often infants and young children) it can be much more severe. Here are a few things that you might want to know about and how to do your best at preventing it. If your child starts to show distress when breathing (look for belly breathing, tugging between the ribs and/or the lower neck) contact your provider.

Stay healthy!
-Dr. Couturier

It's officially cold/flu season and germs are everywhere!!🫣

It may not always be possible to keep your family healthy 100% of the time but, here are some tips/healthy reminders for doing your best to stop the spread of those germs.

✅Wash hands often!!
Proper hand washing must be done with soap and water, rubbing hands together, in between fingers, and under fingernails for approximately 20 seconds. This is about the length of the “Happy Birthday” song, which is easy for kids to remember.
✅Stay home if you are sick and avoid being around others who are if possible.
✅Remind children about healthy habits to prevent spreading germs, such as coughing and sneezing into their elbow, not sharing drinks, and keeping hands away from their eyes, nose and mouth.
✅Flu shots for the whole family and make sure your children are up to date on vaccinations.
✅Sanitize toys and play areas.
✅Promote a healthy immune system by eating healthy foods, getting enough rest and exercising/playing outdoors.

Stay well. Dr. Couturier

I am so excited to announce a new service coming soon! You do not need to be an established patient for this service. You can still keep your doctor the same. I have been doing ADHD care for my patients from a 360 perspective- going to IEP meetings, spending time discussing behavior strategies, looking at transitions, sleep, diet and other confounding factors. It’s been successful and very rewarding. I will be opening up my time for ADHD consultations and optional membership for ongoing management. Check the website to sign up or book your consult for 2024!

Why do we ask that you remove the heavy winter layers?

When you put a child in their car seat with a bulky coat you are unable to secure them in the harness as tight as they need to be. The harness will appear tight with the coat on but, the coat compresses in the case of an accident.

Here are a few tips to help keep them warm and safe without wearing the heavy layers:
- Pre heat the car prior to leaving
- Add a blanket over your child after buckling securely
- Add an additional thin layer to your child while traveling in the car
- Place the coat on backwards over the harness

How to teach your kids about money?? I love this topic. I grew up openly talking about money and often our parents included us on their finances. I am not an expert but I want to do this for our kids. So my almost 8yo wants a new toy (surprise surprise! Lol) so I told her she can earn it. So we did lots of math to figure out how long it will take her. We had good discussions about options to make it happen faster. And she realized her savings helped towards this purchase. Can’t wait to see if she can earn her oh so special toy! Share below how you teach your kids about money! Would love more ideas! ❤️

Wash those hands frequently!💦

Cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease are popping up.
Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease usually include fever, mouth sores, and skin rash. The rash is commonly found on the hands and feet.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is common in infants and children younger than 5 years old. Most children have mild symptoms for 7 to 10 days.

See your pediatrician if your child is not able to drink normally, fever lasts longer than 3 days or if symptoms do not improve after 10 days. There is no specific treatment for Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. Your pediatrician however, may be able to provide something for dehydration, fevers or to relieve pain from mouth sores.

Did you know that according to NHTSA 46% of car seats/boosters that children are being transported in every day are being used improperly?! This is no surprise when you think about the thousands of combinations of car seats and vehicles on the road! Often what will work great in one car, will not in another! We are here to help!
Come see us this coming Saturday at our Annual Car Seat Check Saturday event hosted by Williams Chevrolet Honda Kia! Thank you to Grand Traverse Metro Emergency Services Authority for their continued support as the Lead Agency of Safe Kids North Shore!
Local first responders will be there to greet you and Williams Chevrolet Honda Kia always has some fun up their sleeve!

Gearing up for winter! Love being able to dispense from my office especially for those 7pm or Sunday visits when pharmacies are closed!

Not a member? No problem. Book via my website and I will text you back to book a time for your flu vaccine. I can do parents & kids. I do them myself and I got a buzzy bee, prize box and will do my best to make it fun and easy.