Today we’re headed to my kids’ well-check appointment.  I schedule both of my kids’ appointments on the same day, back to back, so that we can just do the whole shebang one time.  It’s an exhausting morning, especially if shots are on the menu, but I like getting it over with.  You see, the well-check visit is usually harder on me than on my kids.  At least, that’s how it seems.  When we get home they are bouncy and happy again, while I am fatigued, sweaty, and just plain worn out.

Once upon a time I read that it’s easier for the child to get through the shots if you put a sucker in their mouth right when the shot is about to happen.  The idea seems to be that the child is startled by the sucker, not the shot, and that the sweetness of the sucker gets the child’s attention.  I kind of wish someone had done that for me when I was a baby. Maybe I would have developed some kind of Pavlov’s conditioning aversion to sweets that way.  Anyway, this research made me wonder how we could make it easier for MOM to get through the well-check visit.  There are a few things I’ve learned along the way that help me get through it and believe it or not, NONE of them involve a hard drink when I get home!

(1) Pack a diaper bag, sans the diaper if you have older kids.   Remember how smoothly everything went when you had the baby?  It’s because you were prepared.  You took enough stuff with you to get through 3 days in the wilderness with your baby.  So pack a lighter but no less efficient bag.  This is not the time to stick a diaper in your back pocket and hope for the best.  Since I usually take it for the team and take the kids to the doctor by myself, there’s no one else to run into Old Navy if my kid throws up all over her clothes. I have to take it with me if we’re going to need it.  Take the special blankie that helps your child relax.  Put in a snack or two, a change of clothing for the kids, and maybe a fun toy that holds at least a little bit of interest for them.  I really, really don’t want them playing with the toys at the doctor’s office.

(2)  Think ahead.  Is there paperwork to complete for the school?  Where’s the immunization card?  Set all these things out as far as you can.  By taking them with you to your appointment, you save yourself an unnecessary return visit.  This suggestions comes from the woman who has needed a brand new immunization card, oh, at least five times (not including today’s visit.)   I thought ahead but couldn’t find the cards.

(3)  Write down any questions that you might have.  When my daughter was a baby, she went through some unexpected procedures that had me in tears.  I was so flustered that I couldn’t remember any of the questions I wanted to ask the pediatrician.  Finally I decided to write them out ahead of time.  When I started getting all emotional (i.e. weepy) on the doctor, he gently took the list of questions from me and answered them while I tried to muster some dignity.    Then when you’re in the exam room, write down any important information the doctor says so that you can reflect on it later without wondering if you got the facts straight.

(4)   Be nice.  Be nice to the nurse, to the office staff, and definitely to the pediatrician.  Remember that they are all on your child’s side, too, so work together rather than against each other.  Our doctor’s nurse has been wonderful to us for years.  She always looks out for us when we are there, offering the kids a special treat.  She’s also slipped me a medicine sample or discount card more than once, saving me time and money.  Would she do the same thing for someone who wasn’t friendly?  Probably, but this way is definitely more fun.

(5)  Be honest.  Tell the doctor the truth when you’re asked.  Telling a fib on those personal questions might help you save face, but it will only be to the detriment of your child’s health.  If your doctor knows the whole truth about things like smoke in the home or about your child’s behavior, it’s a lot easier to come to a diagnosis and solution. 

What are your tips for getting through the kids’ well-check visits?