No errand or chore
can cause more panic and stress than a trip to the doctor. Everyone
hates visiting the doctor’s office. The endless stay in the waiting
room. Sitting undressed in a cold examining room. Getting weighed. The
writing out of the check at the end of the visit. And all for about 90
seconds of care administered by a doctor! It is enough to make any human
being want to curl up and die rather than head to a doctor’s office.
Now, imagine
heading off to the doctor’s office with a set of toddler twins in tow
for a pediatric visit. Is your blood pressure at stroke level yet?
A visit to the
twins’ pediatrician doesn’t have to be a fate worse than death. In fact,
the whole experience can be an education for you and you will learn
quite a few things about your two beloved bundles of joy.
Your most
important defense in the trip to the doctor is to come prepared. Don’t
simply show up with the twins and expect to get all of your questions
answered. Your typical visit for illnesses or checkups requires a small
amount of prep work on your part.
Great, you think.
Prep work. Why do I have to prep for the pediatrician? Is it a job
interview?
Well, yes and no.
No, it is not a job interview, but yes, we’re talking about the two most
important beings in your life – your kids. And to fully be in tuned with
what’s going on with those little bodies, you need to do your homework
before the teacher, I mean, doctor, opens the door and walks into
the room.
Pick Up A Copy of
The Twins Info Book
Covering Parenting Twins, Pregnant
With Twins, And Dealing With The First 5 Years of Your Twin's
Lives
Click Here To Read About Twins Info |
Take Notes
If you are taking
your kids to the pediatrician’s for a checkup, you’ll probably know
about that office visit at least a week in advance. Find yourself a
notebook and start jotting down questions or concerns that you have.
Kayla doesn’t drink a lot of milk. Meghan doesn’t always seem interested
in a nap. I’m concerned because the little girl down the block is a
month younger than Dylan but she’s a whole head taller. Is it too early
to enroll the twins in a preschool program? Christopher seems much less
coordinated than his brother.
Give each twin his
or her own page in the book so that you can keep issues separated by
child. Whatever issues you can think of over the next few days or weeks
before you bring the kids to the doctor, jot them down. Remember to
bring your notebook to the doctor’s office with you. You’ll have more
things to write down during the visit.
At the doctor’s
office, your children will be weighed and measured. Record each child’s
weight and height and any other information that the nurse might give
you (i.e. head circumference, percentiles for heights and weights,
etc.).
When the doctor
comes in, you can take notes as he or she examines each child. The
pediatrician will offer you suggestions for foods that you should try
with the kids, explain the vaccines that are needed, and ask questions
about each child’s development. Now is the time when you can go back to
your own questions and ask the doctor for answers.
After you leave
the doctor’s office, you don’t have to worry about getting in the car
and smacking your forehead in disbelief with, “I can’t believe I forgot
to ask her THAT!” Instead, you will have all of the answers you need
right at your fingertips. Also, if you keep all of your information
documented in a notebook, you can go back and review past office visits,
see what your children were doing then, and also note how much they have
grown since the last time you were at the doctor’s.
Taking Away the
Pain
What could a kid
hate more than a shot? While it only hurts for a second or two, it
probably causes poor Mom or Dad more pain than it does to your babies.
Watching our youngsters scream and cry in pain is the most awful thing
any parent can suffer through. But if you are willing, here’s a
suggestion.
Before your
children’s checkup visits, ask your pediatrician for a prescription for
EMLA cream. This small tube of prilocaine/lidocaine ointment works
wonders for pain. If your pediatrician allows it, apply a large circle
of the cream on your child’s arm (or leg if your children are not yet
walking) approximately 45-90 minutes prior to your appointment. Do not
rub in the cream. Apply a small piece of plastic wrap over the cream and
apply a bandage over it.
Have the nurse
remove the bandage prior to giving the needle. The cream numbs the area
and eliminates the sting from the shot.
Travel in Pairs
If you head off to
the doctor with your twins alone, you’re outnumbered. It’s not going to
be easy to reassure and offer compassion to both children at once. If
possible, consider bringing along another adult – your spouse, sister,
best friend, mother, old lady next door, paper delivery boy, boss, or
the creepy serial killer next door. Just kidding!
But seriously,
bringing along another set of hands is a great asset to getting in and
out of the doctor’s office with minimal hassle. When you bring newborns
to a pediatric checkup, there’s a lot to do: undressing, redressing,
feeding, diaper changing, and that’s all in the first five minutes of
the appointment!
Your helper can
assist the kids with dressing while you get your questions answered by
the doctor and jot down all pertinent information from the office visit.
Your assistant can herd the kids into the car while you pay the bill.
And once you are
in the car with two pacified children, you’ll realize that a trip to the
doctor’s office isn’t so bad after all!
|
Katrina and Hailey were born small (3 pounds)
- but were complete troopers - 100% healthy now and full of spunk |