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Three Tips To Get The Most From Your Baby's Early Doctor Visits

13 February 2019 by Hugh Larson

As a new parent, you want to make sure your child gets off to a healthy start, which means making time for regular pediatrician's appointments. While simply keeping up with your child's early doctor's appointments is most important, there are further things you can do to get the most of these visits. The following are a few tips for new parent's so that will help you be an empowered caregiver in your child's healthcare.

#1: Organize your questions beforehand

It's likely that you will have a lot of questions in advance of your child's doctor appointment. It's also likely that you may forget some or all of them during the appointment itself, especially if your child is fussy or rambunctious that day. To counteract this, keep a running list of questions as they occur. Notice something odd when giving baby a bath? Write it down. Unsure when to introduce a certain food? Write it down. By the day of your appointment, you will have a list that you and your child's doctor can go over together. Make notes on the question list detailing what the doctor says so you can refer to it after the appointment if you forget anything later.

#2: Get documentation together

Leaving the house with an infant is a feat in itself, which means it is likely that you will forget something. The night before the appointment load the diaper bag up with the items you will need. This includes your child's vaccination record, insurance cards, and your list of questions. If you are a breastfeeding mom, you should also bring in your own medication list (which includes prescriptions, over the counter medicines, and supplements), since the pediatrician may want to see it to ensure there is nothing that could harm your child. By placing these important documents in the diaper bag, you are less likely to forget them.

#3: Bring a notebook

Taking notes during the visit is one of the best things you can do. There is no way you can remember everything your doctor says. Although most offices provide a brief summary report of the visit to parents, this report doesn't always include things from your one-on-one discussion with the doctor. One way of keeping everything together is to keep your pre-written question list in a notebook. You can then write down any other information you get from the doctor in the notebook on the pages following the questions. Make sure to date everything in your notebook, as well. This way you can find information more quickly. This also allows you to begin building up your own record, which could come in handy if your child has health issues later.

For more help, contact a children's doctor in your area, such as at Kitsap Children's Clinic LLP.

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