After taking your baby home, the last thing on your mind is going back to see a doctor. Not only have you already spent hours –– if not days –– at the hospital giving birth, but you’ve been ferrying yourself back and forth between your house and the doctor’s office for the past seven or so months doing checkups and ultrasounds. And all you want to do now is stay home and relax at your home with your newborn. However, it’s important that you regularly schedule appointments with your child’s pediatrician, especially in the first few years. Fortunately, here are four things to remember when taking your newborn to the doctor that’ll make the trips as easy and productive as possible:
Schedule During Low-Traffic Times:
If at all possible, plan your initial visits to your pediatrician at times when there won’t typically be many other patients around. It’ll save you the stress of waiting around with your newborn, and spare them the exertion of spending too much time out of the house.
Prepare Yourself for Paperwork:
Is it tedious? Absolutely. But filling out paperwork for both you and your newborn is simply a requirement when going to see the doctor. So make sure to give yourself enough time to fill it out properly –– you don’t want to be making clerical mistakes that will only extend your stay.
Consult Your Friends:
If you’re unsure of what to expect when taking your newborn to the pediatrician, there’s no shame in asking other women how their experiences went. They’ll likely have helpful tips about when to schedule appointments, and what accoutrements you should bring. For instance, if you’ll need your child’s birth certificate, or how you should dress your baby. Remember: everyone was inexperienced at one point.
Relax:
For many new mothers, going to the doctor’s office can be a jittery experience. The doctor is going to perform tests on your baby to make sure he or she is developing normally, and while it may appear your doctor is making your baby uncomfortable when checking their hips or arms, know that you’ve done the responsible thing in taking your child in to see a professional. Having your doctor vaccinate your child and draw blood using pediatric tubes are perfectly normal and important aspects of a trip to the doctor’s. And afterward, both you and your baby will be better off for it!
