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Monday, April 27, 2015

Going to the doctor.

I have a love/hate relationship with visiting the pediatrician.

On one hand, it can be pretty exciting. I can't wait for my baby to be measured and weighed and see how she falls on the charts. Plus there's my big list of not-particularly-urgent questions I can't wait to ply my doctor with.

But once we get there, I remember that going to the doctor isn't much of a picnic.

I try to time it just right so that the baby will be happy, alert, and fed, but my efforts are always in vain. First of all, my baby's naptime habits change too often for me to know two months in advance what her typical days are going to look like the day of the doctor's appointment. And even if I do manage to time things just right so that the baby is cheerful when we get there, the doctor always takes his sweet time actually getting into the room, and meanwhile I'm trying to entertain a nude, cold baby (why is it always so cold in there?).

And then there's the shots.

By the time that's all over, my long list of questions that's been building for two months seems to disappear into thin air.

Yeah, I know. I should write my questions down. But I always think, "I'll feel silly whipping out an actual list. I know for sure I'll remember them."

I really overestimate my memory. Mommy brain is real, people.

My doctor gives me lots of helpful advice, which I always neglect to write down because I'm "positive" I'll remember it.

Just like I was so sure I would remember my list of questions.

See above, Mommy brain.

And then for the next few days, my little girl is not herself at all from the pain of her vaccines. So the fun continues for the rest of the week.

The good news is that I have two more months to forget all about this stuff and get excited to go to the doctor again.

2 comments:

  1. Your brain will come back someday! (Although it might take a while if you have kids in quick succession.)

    Another benefit of writing down questions for the pediatrician is that he'll be sure to make time to answer them all if he sees that you have a list. If the list is in your head (even if you remember it), he won't know how many things you need to ask, and he might give a long, rambling answer to the first question and be rushed if you keep asking things after that.

    I always feel so bad about the shots! I feel like I'm betraying my child! She doesn't know it's for her own good!

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