Post by Queen Mamadala on Jan 30, 2015 11:19:03 GMT -5
With this last pregnancy my husband watched ds2 during appointments. When I was pregnant with ds2 my girls came with me as my then husband was deployed. He and the girls came with me to my midwife appts with ds1, and he watched dd1 during my appts with dd2.
My midwife is disappointed when I don't bring my kids. She's has a ton of toys in her office for them and she lets them "help" - push the button on the sphygmomanometer, measure my belly, etc.
I brought DS1 with me when I had to, I tired to schedule my appointments when DH was home to watch him but sometimes it didn't work out. i would put DS I an umbrella stroller for the appointment with my phone if I needed him to stay still.
Post by whitepicketfence on Jan 30, 2015 11:42:10 GMT -5
DH came with me to all of my appts when I was pregnant with DD2. Unfortunately, he wasn't always able to be there for all of them for DD3. I didn't have any other options so all the kids came with me, whether DH was there or not. It was a three-ring circus at times but, hey, sometimes that just happens when you have multiple kids.
My kids not in school went to all including internals & many NST. DH went to only the A/S pretty much. They know where babies come from...lol. I have fond memories.
The best was when I had to bring all 3 kids to my IUD insertion, lol. I had a male doctor and the kids kept wanting to see what he was doing up there. Lucky for us, they didn't seem to talk about it at all in school the following day!
I brought my DD to almost every appointment that I was pregnant with #2. A few times a neighbor watched her. When I was pregnant with #3, I scheduled appointments while my oldest was in preschool, so I only had DS with me. Honestly the appointments were so quick that I didn't mind having a kid along. The waiting room had toys. The exam room had books. When the dr came in, I buckled them into the umbrella stroller with a snack, and by the time they finished their snack we were rolling out the door.
Post by teatimefor2 on Jan 30, 2015 12:17:00 GMT -5
I had to bring my son, I tried to schedule during preschool, but it wasn't always possible. I strapped him in the stroller, let him watch Elmo. My OB has a son the same age and was fine with it. During checks, I just turned him around.
I bring her. My doctor said it was fine without me asking. I load her up with snack options, books, small toys, and my iPad as a back up and pop her in the stroller. I kind of treat it like she's on a flight and just keep giving her something new every 20 minutes or so. I go a lot because it's a high risk pregnancy, so she sort of has the drill down by now.
I would take my daughter for the check-ins. I took her when they needed to draw blood. She sat next to me and watched. She was very interested in medicine and seeing my doctor.
She goes to daycare, and I was going to WFH when I had appointments and maybe keep her with me to avoid rushing to pick her up. I left her in daycare during the ultrasound because I didn't feel it would go. It was good to be able to focus on the doctor and not have he distract me.
Post by sunshine239 on Jan 30, 2015 12:44:00 GMT -5
I'm not a SAHM but I have 2 kids and even with DH at my last appointment I ended up holding my 20 month old while the Dr. checked out my belly (the same Dr. also delivered the 20 month old).
I think my office gets a lot of people coming in with their kids and they don't seem to mind. My 5 year old thinks the office is cool and told us after the last appointment that he wants to be a baby dr. lol.
Edited to add: I didn't have kids come with to the first appointment just my husband because those appointments are really long and I felt like there was a much higher chance of getting bad news at the first appointment ...
Post by undecidedowl on Jan 30, 2015 13:22:42 GMT -5
I work, but I had no problem scheduling all my appointments after 3:30 pm. DH only came to the anatomy scan both times. You might call the office and ask about scheduling farther ahead to get the times you want.
My first was only 6 months old when I got pregnant with #2 so I just toted her along in the stroller. I didn't really have a choice but she always did well.
Trust me, they are used to having older siblings tag along.
With my second pregnancy, I brought my oldest to just about every appointment and tried to keep her contained in the stroller with snacks and coloring. My last pregnancy, I scheduled my appointments when the girls were in school, just because it was quicker and easier without them, but once school ended, I just brought them along.
I did have to get a sitter for the NT and anatomy scans, though – the perinatal testing center at our hospital doesn't allow children under 13.
I'm 32w PG with baby#2. We accepted immediately that it was impossible for DH to come with me to as many appointments as he did with baby#1. Impossible. There are just too many, and towards the end they're every other week OR MORE. And bringing DS along with both of us is out of the question. Nobody wants a 3yo in the OB's office.
I'm lucky, DH WFH on Fridays. So I make all my OB appointments the latest Friday appointment they have, which is usually 3:45. I put DS down for a nap around 1:30, I leave the house a little after 2pm. I usually get to run a errand (cough -sit at Starbucks- cough) before I get there.
If that time slot isn't available I use my parents, if they are not available I'll lean on my SAHM friends in a pinch. Only had to do that once so far though, b/c DH is OOT.
Wow, I'm surprised that so many of you brought your kids. It just seems like a nightmare trying to wrangle a busy toddler while getting checked out. Hmm...maybe I need to rethink this.
They have no problem with her sitting next to me on the exam table while they check the heartbeat and measure. It's really NBD.
LOL, DS would be pulling the blood pressure cuff off my arm, licking the Doppler cream tube, then RUN out the exam room door. So bringing your kid isn't feasible for everyone. I'm super glad to be able to go alone.
ETA: and I guess my OB's office isn't as kid-friendly as y'all's b/c I never see kids there. Once in a blue moon maybe.
I work, but I had no problem scheduling all my appointments after 3:30 pm. DH only came to the anatomy scan both times. You might call the office and ask about scheduling farther ahead to get the times you want.
Good point, I usually schedule at LEAST one appointment in advance of the next one, to get the time slot I need.
I'm not a SAHM and I'm not pregnant. But I do work PT and have a 22 month old.
He joins me at every appointment. Just last week he sat strapped in his stroller while I had a procedures. It's not the first time, and sure won't be the last. I bring the stroller if I'm unable to tend to him by touch, pack a snack/drink, and my phone or iPad.
Last week when I was getting a series of injections he let out a really wet sneeze. The doctor grabbed some tissues and wiped his nose.
I think the only times I've left him with someone were a haircut once or twice - MIL.
Thankfully I can get my teeth cleaned on weekends.
Wow, I'm surprised that so many of you brought your kids. It just seems like a nightmare trying to wrangle a busy toddler while getting checked out. Hmm...maybe I need to rethink this.
Our MW office had lots of toys and books so they really encouraged siblings to be involved. Not a SAHM, but I did bring DS a few times to my appointments. The toys helped.
DD1 went to all of my appts. I'd give her my phone and a sucker. By 18 mos she would sit down in the floor while I was being weighed and hold out her hand for her treat. It helps that I never waited long and the appts were 10 mins max.
Ds came with me to 90% of my appts but my doctor is a family doctor so also cares for him. She would let him use the Doppler and measure my tummy. He always weighed himself too. He's 2 and he watched shows or played on my phone a lot too sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do
I work, but I had no problem scheduling all my appointments after 3:30 pm. DH only came to the anatomy scan both times. You might call the office and ask about scheduling farther ahead to get the times you want.
Good point, I usually schedule at LEAST one appointment in advance of the next one, to get the time slot I need.
Yep, I scheduled all of mine in advance from about 16 weeks on. I didn't want to take a sick day and get a sub and my clinic was the opposite direction from home than school. So I got every 4:30 Friday appointment time until my due date. It was weird scheduling January appointments in September but it worked well. I'm going to do the same thing next time. I just don't have the luxury of having a job that I cab just come in a little late for or leave mid day and then return.
Post by speckledfrog on Jan 30, 2015 22:08:27 GMT -5
DS1 went with me to all of my appointments. He was about a year and a half when I started and a little over two when I had DS2. For the first several appointments I left him strapped in his stroller and by the end he would just sit in the chair and play with toys/on my kindle. I know it's kid dependent, but he did well with it and my OB's office was really welcoming of all kids.
The office I used with my first had long waiting times for all the appointments. Last I heard they were working to bring down wait times. When I have a second child if their wait times are still bad I am def going to find somewhere else. Bringing the kid and having to wait 30 + minutes in the waiting room and 30 plus in the little room would be hard I imagine.
My daughter was 3 and I brought her along when I had an appointment and she didn't have class. She loved going with me because she'd get to pick out a dum dum afterwards and the nurses loved her. If my husband didn't come with us I'd usually bring a book or toy for her to read/play with during the check up.