Index Of The Blog
Advantage of Your Pediatricians
Well Child visits are one of the most important things to attend to make sure your child stays healthy. Coming to these appointments prepared can make them go as smoothly as possible and make sure all of your concerns are talked about. Talking about any potential issues can help prevent any big issues from coming up in the future. When seeing the best pediatrician for your child, these should be an enjoyable experience for them as well as you.
Time it Right
Check on your providers website to see how often they recommend these check-ups at each stage in their life. Make sure to schedule the appointments far enough out so you are able to get your child in often enough. It can help to schedule a younger child’s appointment during a time of day where they are more awake. Interrupting a nap to leave for the doctor isn’t a good way to start out their check-up. When setting appointments for older children, make sure to try to avoid school and extracurriculars as much as possible. These can be easier to avoid when setting up your appointment as soon as you get their schedules for the month of the appointment. Make sure to put their appointment in your calendar right away. This way when you wont forget about it and schedule a conflict during it.
Write down any Concerns
Although it is important to call your provider when any major concerns arise, smaller ones are often forgotten about. When something comes up that you would want to ask their pediatrician about, write it down in your phone or somewhere you can easily access it at their next visit. This way, you won’t realize you forgot to bring something up when you’re leaving their appointment. The pediatrician only sees your child on these wellness visits, while you see them everyday. You will notice best any changes in your child and should convey these with the doctor. Especially in the newborn stages, it can be useful to write down how often they eat and how many hours they sleep for. This way you are able to give the pediatrician as much information as possible about your child, even though they only see them occasionally. They could notice something unusual in their behavior that you did not think was since you see them everyday.
Ask for Advice
If your child is going through something and you’re not sure how to help them, make sure to ask your pediatrician for advice. They are there to help you parent as much as they are there to help your child. Even if they can’t directly help with your question, they can often give resources or the number of a specialist to help out your child.
Come Prepared
Having to sit in the waiting room and through the appointment can be a lot of sitting still for a young child. It can help the process go easier for them if you come prepared with distractions. Bringing in their favorite toy or a book can help keep them content in the waiting room. While you never know what can come up at a doctors office, you could end up being there for longer than anticipated. It might be a good idea to pack snacks for your child in case this ends up happening.
Taking advantage of these “well child” visits is important because it is an opportunity to openly speak with your provider in person. Making a list to not forget any talking points and scheduling them for a time that works best for your child can make these visits go as well as possible. If you are currently looking for a pediatrician to start bringing your child to, online can be a good place to start. Searching your location and type of doctor, such as “Warrenton Pediatrics,” will list the providers in your area with reviews. It’s important to find the best pediatrician for your child as there will be many “well child” visits to come over the years.
