Your child has an appointment with a pediatrician, and you want it to go as smoothly as possible. Whether your child has been to the doctor before or this is your first visit with a new physician, there are several steps you can take to help make the appointment pleasant and productive for everyone.
1. Schedule your visit at a time of day when your child is well-rested and least fussy. Try to avoid making an appointment when he or she would normally be napping or eating. Give your child time to get ready to go to the doctor’s office without rushing or having to suddenly stop a favorite activity.
2. If you are concerned about exposing your child to infections and illnesses, try to schedule the first appointment of the day. This is when the office is likely to be the cleanest and least crowded with other kids and parents. Early appointments are an especially good idea if you have a newborn who has been in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or a child who is fragile or tends to get sick easily.
3. Bring your child’s own comfort item or favorite toys to the office. It is impossible to completely disinfect the office between appointments, so keep little hands occupied with their own toys or books rather than touching things in the office. Avoid toys left for children to play with in the office. Shared toys can spread germs like wildfire.
4. Similarly, it is a great idea to bring your child’s own blanket to the appointment. Not only is the child more comfortable being examined on his or her own blanket, this also reduces the chances of germs being transferred from previous patients. Dress your child simply so it is easy to remove clothing, and be prepared to help if necessary. Babies are usually more comfortable being examined while their parents are holding them.
5. Avoid feeding your child in the doctor’s office. Breastfeeding or giving a bottle to a baby is usually not an issue, but you don’t want toddlers and older kids having their hands exposed to germs and then putting their hands near their mouths. Toddlers touch everything!
6. Whenever possible, bring only the child who has the appointment to the office. It can be very distracting to have siblings in the office with the patient, especially if they are young and energetic. Even having a conversation with the parent is a challenge when the other kids are vying for attention, and parents often find it hard to focus on what the doctor is saying. Of course, in an emergency you may not be able to find child care, but for a scheduled visit, try to leave siblings elsewhere.
7. If this is your child’s first appointment, bring any medical records you may have, especially information about immunizations, medication and allergies.
8. Write down all of your questions and prioritize them before you get to the doctor’s office. It’s common for parents to walk in with 20 questions about feeding, sleep schedules, immunizations and more, but you may only have time to ask five or 10 of them. Ask the most important first. You can always call and ask about the others later, or schedule a follow-up appointment.
If you have questions about the visit after you leave the office, don’t hesitate to call. Even if the pediatrician is not immediately available, a physician’s assistant or nurse can often answer your questions, or the doctor can return your call later in the day.
Michelle Dern, M.D., is a pediatrician with Scripps Coastal Medical Center, Encinitas. “To Your Health” is brought to you by the physicians and staff at Scripps Health. For more information about Scripps, please visit www.scripps.org/CBJ or call (858) 348-4210.