Don’t Eat the Band-Aid!

A trip to the pediatrician.

Joseph was due for his 9 month check-up so we made a trip to the pediatrician today. He passed! Doing great, still about to blow the top off the growth chart. He got a little finger stick and he was fascinated by the Band-Aid they put on his finger. He tried to eat it repeatedly. So I found myself saying repeatedly “Don’t eat the Band-Aid!”

After five babies and countless trips to the peds I ought to have at least a few tips to share about that. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

Take diapers & wipes: hmmmm, isn’t this a no-brainer? Well, you’d think, but guess what I forgot to take to my very first newborn check at the peds office ever? Yep, the diaper bag. How? I don’t know. Maybe I wasn’t doing great on the 1 hour total sleep a night. Who knows. I can’t remember. Oh, and include a blanket in the bag. Baby can get cold waiting to get checked in nothing but a diaper.

Newborn visits: If it’s one of your first visits, take someone with you if at all possible-husband, mother, or friend. If that’s not possible, use your stroller. Don’t try to lug that baby carrier around while you are in recovery. A quick way to jot down notes, some paper or your phone, is helpful for recording things like weight gain and other information that may get thrown at you in your sleep-deprived state.

Schedule for you: pick a time that is good for you. I handle everything better in the mornings, so if the whole crew is going, I try to get an AM appointment. When momma is with it things just go better. You can think of things that you might not think of during your regular “slump time”, if you have one. (my slump time is 4pm. I try not to make important decisions at 4pm.)

Older children: if siblings are going, a quick review of what you expect of their behavior is helpful. Have them take books if they are readers. That helps the time pass faster for them. Also, I often get them all around me before heading inside anywhere & pray. Things always go better when we get together and pray.

Don’t be intimidated: respect the profession, but remember- you are the customer. You are paying for a service and you want to get all you can out of it. Make notes before you go if possible. The dr. often needs your info to make a diagnosis. You know your baby best, so tell the dr. your concerns even if you think it might sound silly. 

Self-imposed "time-out"

Take a deep breath and try not to stress out. It’s an office that sees kids so they have seen it all behaviorally as well as physically. No matter how bad your kid is acting, someone else's child has probably been worse. They didn’t bat an eye today when Petra turned off the computer (that girl moves fast) in the exam room.

This pic is from one year ago but seems fitting;-)

 

Wash hands! As soon as you can when you get out of there. You don’t want to take anything “extra” home. 

Oh, and definitely don’t let your baby eat the Band-Aid:-)

So what tips or stories do you have to share about going to the pediatrician’s office?