It's not always easy to talk about periods, pelvic pain, ovarian cysts, or breast discomfort with our children and teens, especially if they are experiencing pain or discomfort. These sensitive conversations can leave you and them feeling anxious, uncomfortable, and overwhelmed.
These conversations are important to help maintain your child’s reproductive health, and you don’t have to navigate them alone. Here are a few things you should know about pediatric gynecology care.
What Is the Difference Between a Pediatric Gynecologist and a “Regular” Gynecologist?
A pediatric gynecologist is an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) who has received specific training in how to care for the gynecologic needs of kids, teens, and young adults. This usually means we have undergone an additional two years of training to learn how to identify and treat the common and uncommon conditions in this population. As the saying goes, kids are not just little adults! We have a specific and unique approach in our care for our pediatric patients. Seeing a gynecologist can be scary for anyone, but especially for kids and teens. As such, we try to make the experience as smooth and comfortable as possible.
What Should My Child and I Expect During the First Appointment?
Patient autonomy is key during our visits. We understand patients and families may have a lot of questions about various treatments we offer, and we do our best to ally with parents to help patients begin to make medical decisions about their own bodies.
First and foremost, pelvic exams are optional. We only do a pelvic exam if there is a specific concern, but most of the time we just talk. I will generally ask questions about puberty, periods, and general health. We usually start the visit with a parent or guardian in the room with the patient, and then, for teenagers, leave time at the end where I chat with patients one-on-one for a bit. I have a specific set of questions that I ask every teenager who comes to our office, but this is also a time for the patient to ask me any questions they may have about their health or their body.
What Conditions Does a Pediatric Gynecologist Treat?
Our team brings expertise, respect, and compassion to treat the special gynecologic needs of children from infancy to early adulthood.
Each patient is treated with personalized care while ensuring they feel comfortable and safe. Our team has the special knowledge and sensitivity to treat both the physiological and emotional concerns of young patients.
Some conditions we treat include abnormal pubertal development, pelvic pain, and menstrual or breast disorders.
Why Should My Child See a Pediatric Gynecologist?
If your child is having any symptoms or concerns, a pediatric gynecologist may be right for them. We are here to help your children understand what they are feeling, answer their questions, and provide the specialized care they need.
At Valley, we offer a variety of preventive gynecology and treatment services for young patients, including comprehensive well-woman care, initial reproductive health visits, gynecologic care for patient with special needs, care for gender-diverse youth, reproductive care for survivors of childhood cancer, surgical management of ovarian masses, menstrual lightening and suppression, and more.
Having your child understand their health – including their reproductive health – helps them feel confident and strong.
What Should We Know About You?
I am a fellowship-trained pediatric adolescent gynecologist who specializes in the gynecologic needs of individuals from infancy to early adulthood. I love working with teens and kids! Not only does this population make me laugh, but they pose a unique challenge in knowing how to gain their trust during a visit that is often filled with very personal questions and a vulnerable exam.
As a physician, I believe that listening and validating are often more important than medication and surgeries in the healing process. I also believe that bodily autonomy is everything, and that the patient is in charge of every step of the exam. Feeling too nervous for a pelvic exam? We will do it when you are ready. Feeling too much pain with your intrauterine device (IUD) placement? We will stop and get you the pain management you need. We do a lot of procedures under sedation to help kids and teens feel comfortable during vulnerable, yet medically necessary, procedures.
To schedule an appointment with our pediatric gynecology team, please call 201-447-8151.
About the Author
Dr. Kellie Woodfield is a pediatric gynecologist with Valley Medical Group.
